Life in Pieces – Letter Promise Adult Seventy

By starrymag | June 26, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

In the first story, Greg Short (Colin Hanks) and Jen Short (Zoe Lister-Jones) question if Matt Short (Thomas Sadoski) and Colleen Brandon-Ortega (Angelique Cabral) really have a reservation at the fancy restaurant or if they’re just pretending to be the next party of four. The hostess calls for a party of three and Jen takes it, telling Greg he’s not sitting with them.

 

Colleen tells them they have a reservation and that dinner is on her and Matt tonight. Matt explains that it’s a thank you for writing the recommendation letter that helped Lucas get into Lark’s preschool. Greg and Jen accept the thank you, but quickly realize that neither of them wrote actually wrote the letter after Matt and Colleen go to the bar.

 

Jen insists they have to tell Matt and Colleen the truth and Greg admits he feels awful. Matt and Colleen return with drinks, telling them it’s the most expensive drink on the menu. Greg tells them they can’t let them pay for dinner, but Matt tells him that he told the interviewer that he wanted Lark and Lucas to be just as close as they had been.

 

Matt admits he realized he had been talking about the relationship he wished they had, admitting he hasn’t always been the best brother. Greg agrees and Colleen toasts to a great evening as the hostess calls their name.

 

As they follow the hostess, Jen calls out Greg for not telling Matt the truth. Greg insists that he doesn’t want to ruin his relationship with Matt by being honest and insists that they committed a victimless crime. Jen points out it won’t be when the bill comes, and Greg suggests they order light.

 

At the table, Jen insists she’ll just order the broth. Colleen tells her it’s the night to splurge and Jen lies that she needs to lose weight. Colleen asks who told her that and Greg insists that Jen isn’t as hungry as she thought she was. Colleen gets concerned and tells Jen to call her if she needs help.

 

Greg insists he’ll just have the plate of olives, but Matt tells him he’s going to split the steak for two with him. Greg points out it’s a couple’s dish, but Matt tells him they’re a couple of brothers. Greg agrees, telling Jen he’s never shared anything with his brother before. Jen suggests they share a veggie burger, but Matt tells her he doesn’t want a veggie burger and Colleen suggests they get a veggie burger as well.

 

Later, Colleen whispers to Jen that the veggie burger is for when Greg isn’t looking. Colleen asks them what they wrote in the letter, but Jen lies that she doesn’t remember. Colleen asks for a copy, but Greg argues that it isn’t allowed. Matt asks to see it on his phone and Greg lies that he sent it from his laptop.

 

Colleen tells Greg it would still be on his phone and Greg insists that Colleen is attacking him. Matt promises Colleen that they’ll get a copy from the school tomorrow. Greg confesses that they didn’t write the letter and Matt is upset that they let them down. Greg offers to split the bill, but Matt tells him he can pay the whole thing and Jen tells the waiter to throw her drink away.

 

In the second story, Sophia Hughes (Giselle Eisenberg) tells Heather Hughes (Betsy Brandt) and Tim Hughes (Dan Bakkedahl) that it’s time to buy her a pig. She explains that they promised they would buy her one if she completed all of the tasks on a list.

 

Heather points out that one of the tasks to stop eating pork wasn’t achieved because she makes bacon every weekend. Sophia replies that she gives her bacon to Tim and Tim calls her out for betraying their arrangement. Tim argues that the list isn’t notarized, and Sophia points out that it is in fact notarized.

 

Later, Tim insists they can’t get Sophia a pig, and Heather points out they can’t go back on their promise. Tim suggests they get Sophia something she wants even more, and they agree they’re on the same page about bribing their daughter.

 

Sophia asks them their opinion on pig names, but determines she’ll have to see the pig to decide. Heather and Tim tell her they’re proud of her accomplishments, and Sophia realizes she’s not getting a pig. Heather asks if there’s anything she wants more than a pig and Sophia rejects their suggestions.

 

Sophia suggests they buy her a cellphone, but Heather and Tim tell her she’s not old enough. She points out they were supposed to buy her a pig as promised and Heather agrees to buy her a cellphone but tells her there will be rules and restrictions. Sophia agrees and Heather admits she was willing to go as high as a car.

 

Samantha Hughes (Holly Barrett) tells them Sophia wanted a phone the whole time. Tim tells her Sophia wanted a pig, but Samantha tells them Sophia talks to her about wanting a phone every week. Samantha asks when the last time Sophia mentioned wanting a pig was and Tim shows her Sophia’s binder with a pig on it.

 

However, as he flips through the binder it becomes clear that the pig was a way to get them to buy her a cellphone. Heather is annoyed that Sophia tricked them, and Samantha tells them it sucks to have their kid lie to them.

 

As Samantha does her hair and makeup to go out, she lies that she’s going to the library to study. Heather tells her to have fun at the library, but Tim tells her to stop. He gives her money to buy books and tells Heather they have at least one kid they can trust.

 

They decide to get Sophia what she wants and bring home a giant pig for her. Sophia asks what that is, and Tim tells her they’re fulfilling a promise. Heather sees that Sophia isn’t happy and reminds her that she wanted a pig. Sophia lies that she wanted a smaller one, but Heather tells her this was a smaller pig and is going to keep growing.

 

Later, Heather and Tim congratulate themselves on their parenting. The pig trashes the room around them, and Heather tells Tim to not clean anything as the pig is Sophia’s responsibility.

 

In the third story, Clementine Hughes (Hunter King) approaches Tim and asks if he would go to Heather’s dad if she was having a problem with her testicles. Tim points out he would go to her mom if she was having a problem with her ovaries.

 

Clementine returns the conversation to testicles and Tim confirms he would go to John Short (James Brolin) in that situation. She tells him that Tyler Hughes (Niall Cunningham) has a lump on his testicle and that he refuses to do anything about it. Tim promises to talk to him, and she tells him it’s on the left testicle.

 

Tim visits Tyler in his room and uses awkward phrasing to ease into the conversation. Tyler assesses that Clementine told him and insists the lump will go away eventually. Tim insists he knows all about the body as a doctor and offers to look at it. Tyler refuses and insists he’ll go to a doctor that isn’t his father.

 

At dinner, Tim asks Tyler how his “potatoes” are. Tyler insists they’re fine and Samantha assesses they’re not actually talking about potatoes. Clementine tells them about the lump and Tyler is annoyed with her telling everyone. Heather asks Tim why he didn’t tell her, and Tim insists it’s private before asking Tyler to tell everyone what the doctor said.

 

Tyler tells them that the doctor determined everything was fine after putting it under a microscope and Tim tells him that is not how the test works. Tim is in disbelief that he didn’t go, and Tyler is in disbelief that they’re discussing this at the dinner table. Tim tells him he has to take care of himself as an adult and Tyler promises to go to the doctor if he stops talking about it.

 

In the pediatric waiting room, Tyler tells two kids that Kindergarten will be the best year of their lives. Dr. Tom Alles (David Bickford) tells him to take his pants off and that only his doctor and parents should touch him in the bathing suit area. Tyler replies that his wife can as well and Dr. Alles admits he doesn’t hear that often.

 

After Dr. Alles examines Tyler, he tells him that he should see an adult doctor as he is an adult. Tyler is upset he won’t be his doctor and Dr. Alles wishes him luck before telling him to get something from the treasure chest on the way out. Tyler tries to hug him, but Dr. Alles tells him to pull up his pants first.

 

Dr. H. Ardshell (John Eddins) ensures Tyler that the lump is harmless. Tyler is relieved, but Dr. Ardshell tells him he wants to rule out one other thing. He tells him to turn around and try not to clench. Tyler is confused and is uncomfortable when the doctor does a prostate exam.

 

In the final story, John tells Joan Short (Dianne Wiest) that he has horrible news about his dad, Mort (Paul Dooley). Joan consoles him but John clarifies that his mom, Betty (Carol Herman) is leaving him. John is upset that he’s from a broken home and that he’ll have to visit two separate nursing homes.

 

As Joan is cooking, John tells her that he’s inviting his parents over for dinner, hoping he can help them fall in love again. Joan tells him this is a bad idea, but John doesn’t listen. John and Joan wheel Mort and Betty through the house and John insists they be rolled in side-by-side. Mort laughs when Betty attempts to hit Joan and John takes it as a good sign.

 

During dinner, Mort and Betty argue and John asks them to tell him how they first met. Mort tells him that they were set up by a friend. He calls the friend buxom while Betty calls her a communist. Joan asks John to help her in the kitchen and tells him that his parents don’t have anything in common anymore. John insists everything’s going great and declares that his memories will be a lie if they divorce.

 

John goes through old photos, trying to get Mort and Betty to admit the other is attractive. The attempt fails and John declares that he doesn’t know why they’re acting like they hate each other. Betty tells him they’ve always hated each other and that they stayed together for his sake. Mort explains the plan was to stay together until he died but they realized they wouldn’t outlive him.

 

John is upset and Mort explains they assumed he would be killed in action as a fighter pilot. John accuses them of being upset that he lived, and they don’t deny it. He asks why they’re splitting up now and Betty declares she wants to play the field while Mort declares that he’s into guys.

 

John tells Joan that he has to give up and that his only regret is that she didn’t try to stop him sooner. He tells her he’s going to help them with the details of the divorce and finds Betty is unresponsive. Mort concludes that Betty is dead and asks John to help him set up a Grindr account. The next day, Joan tells John that the funeral is going to be a nice service and John insists that his parents made it through seventy loving years of marriage.