Pivoting Review: The Three Bleepin’ Bleeps (Season 1 Episode 6)
On Pivoting Season 1 Episode 6, “The Three Bleepin’ Bleeps,” we learn to the surprise of nobody that Amy is openly foul-mouthed no matter who she’s with—even when that’s her highly impressionable son.
It is slightly surprising that sweet Luke would repeat these things, if only because his temperament is so different from hers. Yet nearly every parent, no matter how adept, has had an embarrassingly vulgar moment repeated by their kids. As we know well by now, Amy is far from perfect.
It’s more awkward that comedic when she tries to pin the blame on her husband, but I like seeing that she and Henry have the kind of relationship where they can take such things lightly and tease each other about them without actually letting Amy off the hook.
This overlaps with an episode-long theme about the little things our partners do that get on our nerves. That can range from otherwise-ideal Henry’s random guitar strumming to Amy’s outlandish behavior. It also often includes Dan’s entire existence.
Speaking of Dan, though, while he starts the episode in typical “helpless sick man” mode, by the halfway point he’s making Jodie laugh. It’s the first time in the series to date where he might not be The Worst, and, given certain Matt-related circumstances, it’s a bit uncomfortable.
We’re reminded again of the reasons many people dislike storylines centered on cheating and the people involved in them. Though Jodie and Matt aren’t sleeping together (yet,) they’re now openly flirtatious in their texts, which makes this an affair in all but name.
The fact we’ve gotten a single scene of Dan being decent isn’t enough. He’s still a manchild who expects his wife to do everything for him. But this moment adds a dose of reality to Jodie’s romantic escapism, both for her and for us watching the relationship progress.
If she’s working to define where her marriage stands, Sarah is working to define herself as simply not being a doctor. That’s more difficult when Brian mentions that Colleen was proud of her work in the medical field.
Even setting aside the fact they have this conversation while practicing bondage on each other (in a friendly way, I’m sure,) its enough to throw Sarah off-balance. Colleen isn’t here to see that Sarah has abandoned perhaps her own biggest accomplishment in the eyes of others.
She sets out instead to run a six-minute mile, if only to spite the fact she lied about doing so before. She’s not alone. Amy determines to watch her mouth just to rebuke the perception she can’t, and Jodie declares she’ll sleep with Matt after all, simply as nobody expects she will.
Whether any of these things come to pass is debatable. Amy’s certainly going to try, and it is at least possible that Sarah makes her time goal even though her friends forget to time her. I’m also quite sure that Jodie’s affair is about to become, er, even more official, as much as she waffles here.
We can question the choices our characters make in the wake of their grief. I think we’re supposed to. Even if they’re moving toward self-discovery and happy romance, not every step along the way is a great one. That’s a lot more real than shows where pain leads to nothing but unconditional growth.
Other Notes
- The mention of “gazpacho” is inadvertently hilarious due to being an extremely timely political reference we’ll all forget about in days.
- Are we meant to see hints of romance between Sarah and Brian? The bi representation is cool, but with both their recent relationship losses, I’m hoping not. It’d be too weird. At least it’s nice to see Brian again.
- Perhaps controversial, but: if you can say “nutbag” at 9:30 PM on Fox, I don’t have any problem with you saying in front of your kids.
What did you think of this episode of Pivoting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Pivoting airs Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c on Fox.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.