Life in Pieces – Sonogram Frog Rub Family

By starrymag | May 15, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

In the first story, Alissa (Krishna Smitha) tells Jen Short (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Greg Short (Colin Hanks) that the sonogram looks good before asking if they want to know the sex of the baby. Jen declines, telling her they want it to be a surprise and insisting that it doesn’t matter as long as the baby’s healthy. Greg agrees, but comments that a boy would give them balance and convinces himself that girls can like hockey too.

 

As Jen goes to the bathroom, Alissa gives Greg the sonogram pictures but withholds the full-frontal picture revealing the sex. Greg comments that this is the first time he hasn’t wanted to look at full-frontal before apologizing for the inadvertent inappropriateness. Alissa mentions that most dads with girls want to know, but Greg insists he’s not like most dads. He insists that his earlier comment is out of character but makes the situation worse by telling her she looks like a girl he can fool around with.

 

After Alissa leaves, Greg pulls the full-frontal picture out of the trash and hides it as Jen returns. She comments that she’s going to cry at seeing herself and asks if he has the parking ticket. Greg tells her it’s in his pocket and turns around as he fumbles for it. Jen asks what he’s doing, and he tells her he’s hiding an erection as Alissa walks back in. Alissa walks away and Greg declares they can never come back there.

 

Later, Jen comments that Lark Short (Ana Sophia Heger) ate her broccoli and Greg blurts out that he didn’t look. She repeats that Lark ate her broccoli and Greg gives Lark a high five, knocking his glass of water into his lap in the process. Greg freaks out and Jen sarcastically tells him that he’s right to panic as nothing gets water out.

 

That night, Greg demands to know what Jen is doing as she holds his pants and Jen asks if he’s acting weird because he was fired. He tells her that he wasn’t fired, and she asks what’s going on. Greg confesses that he stole the full-frontal picture but promises he didn’t look at it. He tells her to throw it away unless she wants to look at it too, but she reminds him that he promised the sex would be a surprise.

 

Jen declares that all that matters is that the baby is healthy before ripping the picture up. Greg thanks her and tells her he hopes their son will share her strength despite Jen’s reminder that it could also be a girl. Later, Jen wakes Greg up telling him she’s changed her mind and that she’s taped the picture back together. She admits that she wants a boy too, expressing her confidence that Greg will raise a good man.

 

They are unable to identity the sex of the baby and bring it to Tim Hughes (Dan Bakkedahl) who identifies it as a boy. Greg and Jen are excited and Greg teases Matt Short (Thomas Sadoski) about having a girl. Matt points out that he has a girl too, but Greg counters that he has the perfect family with one of each. Jen points out that a healthy baby is more important but that having a boy is icing on the cake.

 

At the next sonogram, Greg asks where Alissa is, and Nick (Jay Tapaoan) comments that Alissa thought he would ask that. He asks if they want to know the sex, and they agree. He tells them the baby is a girl and Jen tells him that they had a doctor verify that it was a boy. Nick looks at the picture and asks if they got it wet before confirming it’s a girl. He tells them that he has to go to his son’s hockey game, and Jen and Greg agree that the baby’s health is more important.

 

In the second story, Tyler Hughes (Niall Cunningham) and Clementine Hughes (Hunter King) show Sophia Hughes (Giselle Eisenberg) and Samantha Hughes (Holly Barrett) the frog they rescued on the road. Sophia and Samantha are excited about the frog and they argue over where to put it.

 

As they watch the frog in Sophia’s old fish bowl, Tyler is able to identify the species of the frog. He then tells them they have to kill it immediately, explaining that the website identifies it as an invasive species. Clementine declares they can’t kill Michael, and Tyler questions her naming the frog after finding out they have to kill it. Samantha suggests they keep Michael as a pet, but Tyler tells them it’s illegal to keep the species as a pet due to their ability to escape.

 

They look back at the bowl and find that Michael has escaped. As Sophia crawls on the floor, Heather Hughes (Betsy Brandt) asks what she’s doing. Sophia explains she’s looking for Michael and Samantha reports that Michael wasn’t in the car. Tyler accuses her of not looking hard enough, and Samantha replies that she doesn’t want to kill Michael. Clementine finds Michael, telling them he could have died going down the garbage disposal. Tyler asks why she didn’t let him die, and Clementine admits she forgot what they had to do.

 

The group asks the adults to kill Michael, but they refuse to do it. Heather tells them it’s their responsibility and Joan Short (Dianne Wiest) suggests they call animal control. Tyler tells them they refused to come for one frog and Greg tells them he had to kill a baby possum once. Joan asks if it was injured, but Greg insists he had to because it was a possum.

 

Sophia declares they’ll do it themselves, and Jen asks what they’re doing as she brings Lark over. Clementine asks Lark if she wants to help kill the frog, but Jen pulls her away. Outside, the group holds bricks over their heads to smash on four paper bags. Clementine asks if this is a good idea, and Tyler points out not knowing which bag contains the frog will make it easier.

 

Clementine reveals that the frog is in Tyler’s bag, and they switch the bags. Sophia then reveals that the frog is in Tyler’s bag again and they switch the bags again. Tyler confirms nobody knows which bag contains the frog, but Samantha asks if they can say some nice words for Michael first. Samantha declares Michael is laying his life down for the environment and Clementine compliments her eulogy.

 

They finally drop the bricks on the bags, and Sophia is relieved it’s over. Tyler tells everyone he’s proud of them, but Clementine confesses she lost the frog when changing the bags. She asks if Michael will be okay out there, and Tyler reminds her that the problem is that he’s going to thrive.

 

In the third story, Tim tells Heather how lucky he is to have her as he rubs her back. He turns off the basketball game and the rest of the family gets mad at him. Tim starts a toast about how life is fleeting. Greg tells him there’s ten seconds left in the game, but Tim tells him that how he felt when he was in the hospital. Tim tells his kids that he sees his seed looking back at him and Tyler cringes as Tim kisses him on the lips.

 

Joan begs Greg to make out with Tim so he can put the game back on as Tim thanks the rest of the family, particularly his savior, John Short (James Brolin). John pulls away and leaves to work on his chair. Greg steals the remote and turns the game on to find that it ended to the frustration of everyone else.

 

Joan nearly trips over Heather in the kitchen, and she explains that she’s hiding from Tim. Joan tells her it’s common for people to be more affectionate after near-death experiences but admits that Tim is being annoying. Heather cringes as Tim finds her in the kitchen and starts rubbing her back. Joan asks Tim to get some tea from his house and is unable to pull away as Tim kisses her.

 

John calls for Joan for help with the chair and Joan tells Heather to send Tim, as listening to John rant will kill his mood. Tim tells John how great he is and explains that Joan asked him to take over for her. He talks about how great building a chair is and John insults him. Tim brings up his near-death experience and John tells him nobody cares.

 

John tells him to stop French-kissing his kids and to hold the wood down. Tim asks if he can hold him, and John refuses. John saws as Tim tries to tell him how much he enjoys spending time with him. Tim continues talking and John questions why he didn’t just let him die as he tells Tim to take over. Tim loses control of the saw and the blade nicks John’s ear as it flies into the wall.

 

Tim, Greg, and Heather watch as John kisses Matt on the lips. John thanks Tim for his words of wisdom, telling everyone he’s lucky to have them. John and Tim share their appreciation for Heather as they hold onto her, and Heather sarcastically tells Joan that her suggestion made things better.

 

In the final story, Matt and Colleen (Angelique Cabral) tell Sherri (Carly Jimenez) that Morgan hasn’t returned their calls since she left to visit her family. Matt asks if he can have a Starburst from the bowl on the desk as they tell Sherri they’re concerned. Sherri tells them that it’s normal for birth mothers to have doubts, but they eventually come around.

 

Sherri offers to call Morgan as Matt and Colleen’s anxiety increases. Matt asks why there’s no red Starbursts in the bowl and Lucas (Vivaan Bisoi) asks if he ate all the red ones. Lucas goes to Sherri’s desk drawer and pulls a red one out of a bag. Lucas asks them not to tell as Sherri returns and Matt promises. Sherri hands them a box of tissues, telling them she’s sorry. Colleen repeatedly pushes the box away and Matt asks what Morgan said.

 

Sherri tells them that Morgan decided to keep the baby and Matt reminds her she told them not to worry. She replies that adoption takes time and Colleen questions how long it takes to get a baby, pointing out it’s been nine months. Sherri promises it’ll work out, and Colleen breaks down as she asks how she knows. Colleen storms out of the office and Sherri apologizes to Matt again.

 

Outside, Matt consoles Colleen and Lucas asks why she’s crying. Colleen tells him she’s sad and he asks if she has to take a bath too. Colleen and Matt tell him what happened and Lucas hands Colleen something before hugging her. Lucas tells them he’s meeting his new family tomorrow after five years of waiting, promising they’ll find their family soon.

 

Sherri checks on them and Colleen admits she thinks they will be. Matt points out that if Lucas can wait five years to be adopted, they can wait too. Sherri tells them Lucas isn’t getting adopted, but that he’s moving to a foster home. She tells them that she’ll help them find a new birth mother when they come back inside.

 

Matt and Colleen watch Lucas play and Matt questions if the idea is crazy. Colleen shows him the red Starburst Lucas handed her and suggests that this could be meant to be. Lucas smiles over at them and they go over to talk to him.