Life in Pieces – Birth Meddling Jacket Denial

By starrymag | May 8, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

In the first story, Colleen (Angelique Cabral) asks Morgan (Joey King) about her birth plan. Morgan replies that her plan is to get the baby out and Colleen clarifies that she means how she wants it to happen and who she wants in the room with her. Morgan replies that she doesn’t want the father or her boyfriend in the room, as twins can be competitive.  Colleen pointedly asks if there’s someone she would want to share this experience with and Morgan replies that she’s gotten this far by herself.

 

Later, Colleen is upset that Morgan won’t let them in the delivery room and Matt Short (Thomas Sadoski) suggests that they get stuck in traffic when driving to the hospital and force her to have the baby in the car. Colleen suggests that they suggest a home birth, arguing that Morgan can’t ask them to leave their own home during the birth.

 

Colleen and Matt introduce Morgan to a midwife, Eliza (Kate Berlant), who tells Morgan that many women she’s worked with have had an orgasm while giving birth. As Eliza answers Matt’s questions, Colleen tries to emphasize to Morgan how fun the birth will be for her. Eliza suggests that they come and watch a home birth and they agree.

 

Imogen (Maria Pallas) prepares Sasha (Jill Bartlett) for labor and Matt excuses himself from the awkward conversation upon seeing sandwiches. Eliza gets Sasha’s consent to stick her fingers inside her and emphasizes the importance of tranquility. Morgan comments that she likes the idea, but she and Colleen are disturbed when Sasha starts screaming.

 

Morgan reminds Colleen that she said this would be fun, and Colleen claims that her screams are really of excitement. Sasha screams that she’s in pain and Matt faces the wall to avoid watching. Morgan is worried that Sasha wants to die as Sasha begs someone to kill her. As Morgan runs out of the room, Eliza tells Matt to assist with the birth as the baby is crowning.

 

Colleen joins Morgan outside as the screams are still audible from outside. She apologizes to Morgan for making her watch that and Morgan questions if she can do this. Colleen tells her she can give birth in the hospital by herself if she wants but Morgan questions if she can go through the birthing process. Colleen assures Morgan that she’s stronger than she thinks, and Morgan asks if she and Matt can be there when she gives birth. Colleen tells her they’d love that and hugs her.

 

In the second story, Heather Hughes (Betsy Brandt) and Joan Short (Dianne Wiest) hear Samantha Hughes (Holly Barrett) and Jenna (Ashley Wolff) scream at each other upstairs. Jenna comes down and tells them that Samantha is acting insane, before apologizing due to the fact that mental illness is genetic. Heather assumes that she won’t be staying for dinner, and Jenna tells her she’ll take hers to go before helping herself.

 

After Jenna leaves, Samantha comes down and asks if Jenna is gone. Joan tells her she’s eating her dinner outside like a raccoon and Samantha declares that Jenna is dead to her. Joan asks what the fight was about, but Heather suggests they stay out of it. Samantha tells them that Jenna was using her Instagram to catfish boys and Joan doesn’t understand anything she said.

 

Samantha declares that she’s not going to spend her summer working at the pool with Jenna again and Heather compliments her for making a grown-up decision. Samantha storms off and Joan suggests that they help Samantha and Jenna repair their friendship. However, Heather tells her that the daughters get pissed with the mothers get involved.

 

Later, Heather excitedly tells Tim Hughes (Dan Bakkedahl) that Jenna is out of Samantha’s life. Tim comments that he thought they were going to discuss if after they fooled around but Heather tells him they already did. Tim is upset that that was it but Heather talks about the possibility of Samantha getting the summer internship at the art gallery.

 

Joan freaks out as Samantha drives her to physical therapy and grabs Samantha’s phone before she can pick it up. Joan tells her that someone named “Mega Bitch” has texted her five times and Samantha tells her it’s Jenna. Joan tells her she had a “Mega Bitch” in her life too named Marion, explaining they had a falling out when Marion copied her kitchen tile.

 

Samantha can’t believe the conflict was over a kitchen tile, but Joan tells her that eventually a former friend will go from being dead to you to just being dead. Samantha remarks that it sounds sad and Joan explains that Marion died by the worst thing that can happen in a garden.

 

Heather finds Samantha and Jenna talking about working at the pool on the couch and asks to speak to Samantha. She asks about their fight, and Samantha tells her that Joan told her about Marion, realizing that Jenna could be killed by a drifter in a garden any time.

 

Heather confronts Joan about meddling in Samantha’s life and Joan tells her Samantha was very receptive to her. Heather tells her that Jenna is a terrible influence on Samantha and that she ruined Samantha’s chance to be free of her with her Marion sob story. Joan insists that Marion was a true friend, but Heather points out she’s always said that she’s glad Marion’s dead. Joan suggests that she tells Samantha how she feels about Jenna, but Heather reminds her she didn’t listen to her as a kid.

 

Joan suggests that Samantha will care what she has to say, but Samantha angrily asks Heather what she knows when her eye cream routine is failing. Heather urges her to find an internship and not waste her summer with Jenna. She tells her she doesn’t want to lose out on her dreams because her best friend doesn’t have any, but Samantha counters that her best friend is Tim. Heather tells Samantha that she was like her once but Samantha storms off.

 

Heather tells Joan what happened, and Joan comments that she was sure Samantha would listen to her. Samantha approaches Heather and asks her to sign a form, explaining that it’s an application for the art gallery internship. She explains that Jenna is likely going to be fired from the pool anyway, and Heather is thrilled that Samantha listened to her. Joan suggests that Samantha can help inspire Jenna to be better, but Heather suggests that Jenna can die in a garden.

 

In the third story, Jen Short (Zoe Lister-Jones) is thrilled to see that Greg Short (Colin Hanks) has a credit card purchase at her favorite store, suggesting it’s her push present. Colleen questions why the present isn’t just the baby and Jen explains that it’s something to commemorate pushing the baby out.

 

As Greg eats, Jen continues smiling at him. Greg is weirded out but comments that this is better than the look she gives him when she expects him to apologize for something. Jen tells him this is a love stare and Greg excuses himself as Jen continues smiling at him.

 

Jen thanks Heather for babysitting Lark Short (Ana Sophia Heger) as Lark tells Heather she’s done with the windows. Jen asks if Lark was cleaning her windows and Heather claims that Lark was play cleaning before asking Lark if she wants to try the toilets. Lark says yes and Heather tells Jen that Lark is having so much fun.

 

Heather compliments Jen’s jacket and Jen tells her it’s her push present from Greg. She admits that he hasn’t given it to her yet, but she found it and wanted to try wearing it. Heather admits that she wants one, and Jen suggests she get one for herself. Heather comments that they’d be twins, but Jen tells her they wouldn’t wear them on the same day.

 

Greg thanks Heather for watching Lark and comments that he bought the same jacket she’s wearing for Joan. Heather is in disbelief that he didn’t buy it for Jen, and Greg is confused. She explains that Jen thinks it’s her push present and Greg questions why she would get a push present for their second kid. Heather points out that the second kid doesn’t just fall out, and Greg declares that he needs to fix this.

 

Greg questions why Lark is vacuuming the floor and Heather tells him she’s play vacuuming before telling Lark she should get under the couch. As Jen puts her jacket on, she tells Greg that she never wants to take it off. He asks if it was a surprise, and she lies that it was. She thanks him and he comments that second babies don’t just fall out, causing Lark to ask where they fall out of.

 

Jen reminds Heather that they agreed not to wear their jackets on the same day and Greg comments that they’re like twins. Joan comes out wearing the same jacket and remarks that they’re like the pink ladies, but in black. She is excited to take a photo, and Heather comments that Greg’s solution to the problem made it worse.

 

Jen asks what’s going on and Greg admits he initially got the jacket for Joan. Greg tells her he got her another surprise and that he put it in the jacket pocket. Jen finds a freshener in her pocket, but Joan excitedly tells Jen that Greg put a bracelet in her pocket and is thrilled about the gift.

 

In the final story, Tim struggles with breathing and John Short (James Brolin) tells him to stop running over and eating his leftovers. Tim tells him he drove there, and John asks when he last saw a doctor. Tim replies that it was when he last looked in a mirror, but John asks when he last had a physical. Tim tells him doctors don’t get physicals, but John suggests he get one annually.

 

Tim goes to get a physical and soon after gets a call from Dr. Gwen Chilada (Sachie Alessio) with his results. She tells him he has blockage in an artery and urges him to go to the hospital. Tim stops the car and Chilada asks if he’s still there. He tells her he’s going to Samantha’s soccer game and ignores her request to go to the hospital.

 

At the game, John asks Tim what the doctor said, and Tim tries to make a joke about it. John asks about his health and Tim tells him it’s an everyday artery blockage. John is concerned and tells him he needs to go to the hospital. Tim insists he’s fine as he eats a pizza slice and John offers to drive him to the hospital. Tim argues that doctors are wrong all the time, questioning the chances of him having the same thing all his relatives had.

 

As Samantha comes over, Tim holds onto her and tells her he’s proud of her. He tells her to live her life and find herself a good guy, emphasizing that he needs to make her laugh. Samantha asks if he’s done, and Tim tells her he’s not done as he pulls her in tighter. After Samantha returns to the game, John offers to buy Tim ice cream.

 

As Tim orders ice cream, John waves the paramedics over and Tim is upset at being betrayed. Later, John brings Heather to Tim’s hospital room and she asks what he was thinking. Tim admits he was in denial and thanks John for saving his life. He asks John how Samantha is doing, and John tells him he told her that her father was having a heart attack and that she had to walk home by herself.