Single Drunk Female Review: A Wedding (Season 1 Episode 10)

While there were many predictable storylines this season, Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 10, “A Wedding,” ended on a genuinely surprising note. While the comedy didn’t fill the hole left by The Bold Type, it was charming in its own way.

It was fairly obvious all along that one of our sober characters would slip in order for there to be a Single Drunk Female Season 2. While I originally thought it would have to be Sam, I think the storyline progressed in a way where it makes sense that it was James in the end.

It also seemed clear from Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 1,”Pilot,” that Sam and her mother needed to have a big talk; to air their grievances and cleanse their relationship. The writers give us that conversation in Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 9 “Higher Parent.” 

So where does that leave us in the finale? A full year has passed in the timeline of this show, and Sam Fink (once a hot drunk mess) is now 367 days sober.

Her relationship with her mom is better, her relationship with her best friend is better. She’s in the infant stages of a new relationship with a guy that understands. She’s found peace in her career and a path she wants to follow.

After seeing “A Wedding,” I felt like the penultimate episode actually served as a better season finale.

There isn’t anything in this episode that felt like a cliffhanger enough to hold my attention over until a potential Single Drunk Female Season 2. If you had asked me after Episode 9, my answer would have been different.

That doesn’t mean “A Wedding” doesn’t have its highlights. It was a Sam Fink tour de force, showcasing just how much our protagonist has grown.

It subtly expands the story to focus more on Sam’s past and hints at what led to her alcoholism. My main criticism of Single Drunk Female Season 1, now, is that we never saw Sam really reflect on why she abused alcohol at all.

The finale episode opens with Sam dreaming of her deceased father, and it’s finally alluded to that Sam would drink to have visions of him. This is the first time we see him in all of Season 1, but his spirit has loomed.

Sam has obviously been coping poorly with her father’s death, and this is the first time we actually see her confront the topic. If Single Drunk Female gets a Season 2, I hope we see more of that play out.

After their heart-to-heart in the previous episode, Carol and Sam are more relaxed around each other than they have been all season. I still think Carol was a little callous towards Sam’s sobriety but they’re in an altogether better place.

(I loved how Sam handled telling Bob that fishing gear has a garage vibe and not a closet one.)

The main remaining storyline to wrap up is Brit and Joel’s wedding, which gives us our setting for much of the finale.

All season, Sam and Brit needed to have a real talk about how Sam’s drinking affected their friendship and how much of a help Brit was to Sam’s death during his illness. They also needed to address how Joel and Brit ended up together.

We get to see a peek of that conversation in the finale, though I wish it had come earlier in the season. In the end, the tension between Sam and the bride just triggers Sam. Kudos to her for recognizing it as a hazard to her sobriety!

That seems to be the main takeaway from Single Drunk Female Season 1: Samantha has done the work, and she’s proud of her progress. She’s not going to screw it up for anybody.

And unfortunately, that includes James. Earlier on Single Drunk Female Season 1, Sam goes out with a guy and tastes alcohol when she kisses him. She uses the same talent at the wedding to uncover that James has slipped.

Side note: Sofia Black D’Elia can really pull off the bright orange dress + fur combo. I’ve got to say, not many people probably can.

It might be weird to be proud of a fictional character, but I’m proud of Samantha. At the beginning of Single Drunk Female Season 1, she’s very reluctant to join the sober community. By the end, she’s a steadfast member.

Does it suck? Yeah! I was rooting for #Sames like many of us were. Their dynamic has flipped now, with Sam setting boundaries and insisting nothing can happen until he’s passed one-year sober.

It’s setting up to be another slow-burn romance if he can get his act together. I sincerely hope he does, and if we get a Single Drunk Female Season 2 it would be great to see more of his background.

That being said, I don’t want Sam’s story to fall to the wayside. Single Drunk Female is one of the few shows that is highlighting a female perspective that we don’t often see on the screen. There’s obviously a lot more to Sam’s story, and I hope we get to see it.

I found the ending of “A Wedding” to be… lacking. Brit and Joel’s marriage is starting off on the wrong foot, and on her wedding night she ends up playing Wii games with her ex-best friend? Strange choice.

I suppose it means we’ll be seeing more of their dynamic if Single Drunk Female gets renewed for a Season 2. It was just an abrupt end to an overall solid first season.

Stray Thoughts:

• “Don’t let your mom date Pierce Brosnan”  + “Oh, she doesn’t stand a chance with Pierce Brosnan.” You can tell Sam and her dad had a special relationship which makes her strained relationship with Carol make a lot more sense. I hope we see more flashbacks in potential Season 2.
• No Olivia!?? I know it doesn’t make sense that she would be at that wedding, but I feel like she had a place in the finale that was sorely missed.
• We saw probation officer Gail but I wish she’d been in more of Single Drunk Female Season 1.
• Speaking of recurring characters, I’m still obsessed with the overworked Irish wedding dress lady. She’s right, Manifest is a great show but sounds like nonsense unless you’ve seen it. A highlight in Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 10!
• I love that Felicia scored herself an invite to the wedding after hooking Brit up with some plant-based narcotics. I love it even more that Brit had a hot doctor to set Felicia up with.
• Why is this the first time I’m noticing how tall Joel is??
• It’s 2022, why are these poor girls stuck playing the Nintendo Wii?

What did you think of the season finale of Single Drunk Female? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Single Drunk Female Season 1 is available to stream on Hulu.

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