Splitting Up Together – Street Meat

By: Taylor Gates

Lena (Jenna Fischer) lectures Martin (Oliver Hudson) about needing to wipe down the counters more aggressively, as there’s filmy residue left on it. Maya (Diane Farr) is excited that she and Lena are both single at the same time, wanting to do some sisterly things together like the upcoming Walk of Shame. Lena shows Maya a picture of Wes (Trent Garrett), saying she really likes him. Maya assumes Lena is being catfished until Lena tells her she already met Wes in person and had sexual chemistry with him. Maya jealously spits on her countertop.

Lena overhears Mason (Van Crosby) talking to his friends about a guy in their class getting syphilis from hot girl Brooke Benaroche (Taylor Kimberly). They all make fun of Mason for not being sexually experienced with girls, and Lena embarrasses him and makes it worse but congratulating him for being safe and abstinent.

Martin invites Charlotte (Kelsey Asbille) over for more dance lessons, and she compliments him on how quickly he’s improving. Martin says that at first he was just learning to dance to prove something to himself but now he’s doing it for Lena, wondering if him dancing with her at their wedding could have changed the whole course of their marriage. Charlotte is disappointed, clearly having developed a crush on Martin.

Maya, Lena, and Camille (Lindsay Price) all go for a walk together. Lena tells them about seeing Martin and Charlotte together, realizing the next day would have been their sixteenth anniversary. Maya talks about wanting kids and considering single motherhood, and Lena agrees to let her practice babysitting her kids while she goes on a date with Wes.

Martin jogs while Arthur (Bobby Lee) rides a hoverboard next to him. Martin pulls him off the hoverboard and shows him what he’s been learning in dance lessons. He wants to surprise Lena with it the next day for their would-be anniversary and fix things in their relationship. Martin invites Charlotte over, nervous about making the dance perfect for Lena that night. During their final lesson, Charlotte finally admits she’s into him, making Martin feel awkward.

A girl named Hazel (Izabella Alvarez) overhears some kids bullying Mason at school for his inexperience and offers to french kiss him if he Ubers to her house that night. Mae (Olivia Keville) and Milo (Sander Thomas) quiz Maya on being a mother to a new baby, and Mason blurts out his regret for agreeing to meet up with Hazel. He’s thinking about standing her up, but Maya tells him he needs to show up and let her down easy. She pats herself on the back for her advice, but Mae points out that she sent a 14-year-old out for a sexcapade.

In the Uber, Mason apologizes Hazel for not being ready to do anything yet. Hazel tells Mason he’s not the only one who gets picked on at school—she gets made fun of for her inexperience all the time, too, which is why she asked him out. The two bond over this and actually start having a good conversation. Afterwards, Mason thanks Maya for making him go out with Hazel, as he realized he really does like her. Maya can’t tell if she did a great or horrible job with him and has the epiphany that’s what parenting is like all the time.

Wes takes Lena to a taco truck on their date. He flirtatiously teases her for wearing a beanie and coaxes her into trying the taco though she’s reluctant to eat street meat. She finally gives in and tries it and ends up loving it. After they’re done eating, they make out in the parking lot. Wes drives her home, and she asks him what they’re doing. She tells him she still sees him with someone cooler, but Wes says he only wants her. Martin attempts to surprise Lena with flowers but drops them and goes back inside when he sees her and Wes having sex in Wes’ car.