Physical Review: Let’s Not and Say We Did (Season 1 Episode 8)

We finally meet Sheila’s parents in Physical Season 1 Episode 8, “Let’s Not and Say We Did,” an event that gives us the clearest picture we’ve yet had into her past — and offers up something of an explanation for why she’s as messed up as she is today. 

And to be honest, it’s some very dark stuff — it turns out that Sheila was sexually assaulted by one of her father’s rich country club friends when she was a child, an event her parents still don’t seem to believe actually happened to her, or at least won’t acknowledge out loud.

It’s horrifying, even just watching her obliquely reference what happened, and seeing her parents — even after all this time! – still so reluctant to even acknowledge what happened to her is, well, a lot of other things make sense now.

That this is likely the foundational event of Sheila’s subsequent problems with self-esteem, her struggles with food, and her constant need for control makes everything even harder to watch.

After all, it’s easy to believe a young girl might internalize the wrong things from what happened to her: If she was really good, if she was actually worth anything, her parents would have listened to her, believed her, protected her, would have valued her over their rich friends. That they didn’t has left her with a lifelong conviction that she’s worthless, and it’s got to be a big part of the reason her own inner monologue is so vicious. 

Sheila hasn’t let her parents meet their granddaughter, even though Maya is four years old now, because she doesn’t trust them, and in all honesty, it’s hard to argue with her reasoning.

I still have so many questions about how Danny found out about all this, and how this all plays into the aforementioned hints that their relationship in part happened because he was 100% the opposite of everything her parents are and believe in. 

But, Danny’s supportive attitude toward his wife’s trauma does make him more likable in a way little else in this show has thus far. Maybe he doesn’t have to entirely get in the sea. 

 

One of the strangest choices in “Let’s Not and Say We Did” is Physical’s sudden inclusion of a John Breem suplot, as though he’s a character we’re suddenly supposed to care about. Granted, I expect the fact that his wife seems enamored with Sheila’s workout demo will be important later on,  but every time the scene shifts to his house the episode grinds to a complete halt.

Was he trying to kill himself with his late-night swim? Do we really care if he was? 

I’m so confused as to why Physical feels that this is a character that needs a subplot in the world of this show. In many ways, Breem works better as a sort of faceless representation of 1980s capitalism, the mall owner who is a sort of stand-in for the kind of man Sheila could have married, and who she might still be a little bit interested in now. 

But not because of who he is, of course, but what he represents. I suspect his sudden inclusion here is because he’ll play a role in Sheila’s future business endeavors — after all, he’s the one that gave her “campaign” the extra mall space, and who currently rents to Bunny’s studio now. 

Elsewhere, every time I think I couldn’t possibly love Bunny and Tyler more, Physical keeps right on surprising me. I never could have guessed back during the first episode of this show that these two characters would become the series’ most interesting — and most likable. 

Sure, Tyler is kind of a burnout who accidentally buys expensive surfboards with their savings while high on edible churros, but he is also the only man on this show who genuinely not only seems to care about his partner but respects her and her needs at the same time. 

After learning the dark truth about Sheila’s childhood — and seeing her parents still so unwilling to even vaguely acknowledge their daughter’s trauma — watching Tyler own up to his own mistakes even as he recognized that being emotionally present for Bunny was more important than his own guilt felt like a breath of fresh air. 

If there were any justice, he’d be the leading man of this show. Truth be told, I’m so anxious that something terrible is going to happen to him or to Bunny, the only two characters I really feel emotionally invested in on the show. Like, I enjoy watching Sheila’s various, well, *everything*, but I love Tyler and Bunny. 

Will wonders never cease.

Stray Thoughts and Observations:

• Greta’s decision to shave her head because it’s what her husband is attracted to is…well, more than a little bit strange, we also know that it’s her attempt to take back some sort of power over her life and marriage. Even if it did feel almost as out of place in this installment as the Breem stuff was. But at least we know Greta and Ernie to some extent.
• Had we ever even heard that Breem had a son before?
• Did anyone else immediately assume the woman Jerry slept with while Danny and Sheila were out of town was dead and that was going to be the twist at the end of the episode, not him discovering Sheila’s shady bookkeeping? Just me?

What did you think of this episode of Physical? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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New episodes of Physical stream Fridays on Apple TV+.

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