Pivoting Review: Colleen in a Box (Season 1 Episode 10)

We can expect a lot to go down by the end of Pivoting Season 1 Episode 10, “Colleen in a Box.” That doesn’t necessarily entail the things we expect.

We get a storm, a traffic accident, and a medical event within the first few minutes. The storm delays a visit to Colleen’s graveside. Or at least it would, if Colleen weren’t really stored in a box in Brian’s kitchen. The reactions to his claim that she’s on a lazy susan because she liked merry-go-rounds are priceless.

The other two incidents have a little more impact: Amy gets stuck under a car racing to help her kids and frees herself only after asking Colleen for help, and Sarah rushes in to help when a customer has a heart attack at the grocery store.

To solidify this theme of playing up the decisions characters have made over the season, Amy is offered a new show that would send her back to work full-time, and Jodie ditches Dan by faking a headache, instead choosing to cheer Matt on at a weight competition.

In answer to the big question of whether Dan finds out about her boyfriend before the season ends: no. But he knows something is up, and the two of them have their most serious confrontation to date, where she lays out her feelings about their marriage and her own happiness.

It’s probably she most solely dramatic scene we’ve seen on the show and should be followed with something of equal weight. Instead, let’s continue with the absurdity that is Sarah and Brian sleeping together while plastered and wearing Colleen’s post-chemo wigs.

Again, this is not cringe-worthy because of either their sexualities or relationship statuses. Sarah is bi and Brian deserves to find love again. But between them both being drunk and talking about how much the other looks like Colleen (apparently Sarah had a crush), there is so much wrong here.

Thankfully, they agree to never speak of the incident again, but it’s a promise Brian immediately breaks over drinks with Henry and Dan. That’s also the closest we’ll get to closure for any of the developments in this episode.

The season ends with Jodie’s marriage in peril but her affair still arguably a secret and with Amy still not having made a decision about whether or not she’ll take a new job. These would be fine cliffhangers if I were more sure of a season two, but I’m not certain we’ll ever get resolution.

Speaking of cliffhangers, the very last scene is of the ladies realizing they left Colleen’s ashes behind in a bar, which may be exasperating, but is also just the level of slapstick that makes them loveable. Honestly, I’m just surprised they didn’t drop and break her.

I do like seeing the dynamics of both our main characters and their husbands and other male counterparts together. It’s one more chance to see the chemistry of all three leads bouncing off each other and gives the men a little more screen time.

In this case, though, I wish we had the time to answer some of the many questions the half hour puts before us. If we do get a season two, the most likely outcomes are Amy leaving her job, Jodie leaving Dan, and Sarah, well, leaving behind lot of awkwardness for herself, Brian and everyone else.

We’ll look forward to some of these things more than others if a renewal is in the card. There will be both steps to growth and the missteps along that path. For better or worse, that’s what makes the characters relatable, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.

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

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Pivoting airs Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c on Fox

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