I’m finding that HBO’s Mrs. Fletcher gives me all sorts of things to think about, even as I’m not sure I’m understanding things correctly. That’s the fun, innit? Watching a woman figure out what she wants at mid-life, that’s awesome, right? Relevant fo SHO. Rolling into Mrs. Fletcher S1:E03 Care Package after the break!

We open with Mrs. Eve Fletcher (Kathryn Hahn) assembling a carepack for her jerk son Brendan (Jackson White) away at college being an arsehole to a bunch of new people.

The last item needed is cookies, so Eve mixes cookie dough in between watching adult educational videos on her laptop. Erm. It’s a POV video, which means Point Of View, which further means the camera is meant to be the viewer. Eve is literally humping the floor while she watches a manly hand “massage” a naked woman covered in oil. This can’t be the first time, either, as she knew exactly where and how to position pillows.

The cookie timer goes off before Eve does, she is loathe to leave the (pausable) screen and finally tries to do both activities by crawling across the floor.

You…have to get those cookies off the sheet or the bottoms will overcook, Eve. You don’t want burnt cookies, or an overworked one, ifyouknowwhatImean andIthinkyoudo.

Her rhythm’s been thrown off and she struggles to finish by straight-up rubbing against the kitchen carpet. I’m getting rugburn just watching.

Eve’s son Brendan, who will surely not appreciate the care package she’s almost assembled, isn’t finding any more satisfaction in college. His roommate Zack (Cameron Boyce) isn’t answering texts and everyone else seems to be connecting a lot more than he’s been able to.

Remember when his counselor told him every minute of this college life was determined by he himself?

He puts on rap and attempts to actually study, interrupted by neighbour Sanjay (Cheech Manohar) with a party invitation this evening. They’re going to watch nature docs and drink Beaujolais, it’s gonna be LIT. Brendan declines rudely because of course he does.

Eve’s ex-husband Ted (Josh Hamilton) stops by with Brendan’s tuition and asks to use the bathroom, which Eve and I think is weird. And intrusive.

She’s distracted by him saying he’s been in contact with Brendan, who hasn’t texted his mom back once. He almost did that one time but then he had an opportunity to get laid, so. In fact, Brendan and his dad have decided that his dad will be the one going to Parent’s Weekend and Eve about swallows her tongue.

She talks about the time she spent planning for this weekend, which she assumed was hers (was that a mistake, though?), not understanding that the bros have already decided. He’s going. She snaps and he walks out, he didn’t come here to be yelled at.

Oh no. Eve makes the extremely unwise choice to call Brendan right then and leaves an angry message about how selfish and disappointing Brendan’s dad is. You just can’t talk shite about your ex-partner to your kid like that, it’s succchhhhh  a bad thing to do. When you harm a child’s relationship with the other parent, you’re harming your child.

*Sorry to get all preachy, but it’s true!! Don’t do that!

In Eve’s case, it’s even worse because she’s spilling ALL the inappropriate tea about her adult relationship with Brendan’s dad, who apparently cheated on her. Dude. Even an adult child doesn’t need to hear any of that shite, keep it to yourself! Deal with it as.an.adult, don’t hurt your kid more by making this THEIR business. I know you’re upset, but talk about super selfish and disappointing, this kid hasn’t got much to go to in this family.

I sincerely hope Brendan deletes that voicemail without listening.

Brendan himself is wandering around the cafeteria looking for a safe haven, he thinks he finds it in a table full of jocks but is confused at their climate change discussion. He tries to roll with it, he’d surf during a tsunami, just like the video!

Which is the only logical response to someone saying he’d surf during a tsunami when you’re discussing climate change.

By the by, that’s Craig, played by Sean Fosse, who MUST be related to Bob Fosse as he has a credit as a PA on Fosse/Verdon. How odd to think this is his first acting role, LOOK at those cheekbones! He has a screen presence, too. Interesting.

Eve’s in her Personal Essay class with her frustrated teacher Margo Fairchild (Jen Richards) who isn’t getting the level of sharing she wants out of their stories. Nobody is baring their souls! Maybe it’s the location so they’re moving to a bar, woooo!

Aw man, Brendan totally listened to his mom’s message, which ended with “he cheated on both of us, have a great Parent’s Weekend!” and what is WRONG with her?? Can she not separate her need to punish her ex-partner without hurting their offspring? I am totally disgusted. That’s shitty parenting right there, he didn’t need to hear any of that.

The Personal Essay class is going better with booze in hand, Curtis (Rashad Edwards) opens up about regretting his lifepath. His mom wanted him to be a doctor, so he is, but he’s miserable. Margo understands, her dad couldn’t handle her coming out and they were not able to maintain their relationship after she did. Wait. Barry (Josh Pais) creepily asks if she’s a lesbian, but it’s not that.

Margo is transgender. We all went: what? That was completely unexpected, I could not tell whatsoever. I even went and looked up the actress because I was gonna get all mad if they used a cis woman in a trans part. Well, blow my hair back, Margo! I would never have guessed. She and her dad were able to repair things somewhat eventually.

Brendan is bored enough to attend the Autism Support Group, Chloe (Jasmine Cephas-Jones from HAMILTON!!!)  the girl he met the other day snags him just as he was trying to slink off without entering.

Eve smokes outside the bar with young Julian Spitzer (Owen Teague), who used to be bullied by her son Brendan. I think Eve is about to find out why Julian didn’t have a great high school experience, but not yet, just that Julian knows Brendan but they weren’t friends. Hm.

I thought there was going to be a storyline with Eve messing with Julian but he doesn’t look anything like the floor she’s been humping, so perhaps not.

Brendan is wasting everyone’s time in the autism support meeting, he has a half-brother on the spectrum but really, he’s there to see Chloe again because he’s bored and lonely. He also just heard some upsetting news screamed by his mother. He can’t seem to stop offending literally everyone.

Eve and Julian drink together late into the night, getting to know each other. At one point, he kneels under the table they’re sitting at, staring at her beckoning baby-pink toes. Shit’s going DOWN! He’s got a surprising amount of game given his age; Eve does the typical Point Out Which Girl You Like maneuver when you like a guy you think you shouldn’t, he plays along by pretending to be shy.

Margo gives Curtis some welcome feedback, he is the only real writer in the class so far. Awww. They’re so flirty and gonna bang it out! Barry interrupts them with free popcorn shrimp (he owns the bar), reminding everyone how uncomfortable he is with the fact that Margo is trans. Sigh.

Brendan attempts to hook up with Chloe to no effect, she hasn’t made up her mind about him yet.

*Don’t do it, Chloe. The Comfort Hug was fine but he’s still too mean to women.

Julian and Eve are drinking more and more, she’s starting to slur but he seems fine except that he keep staring at her necklace. Is that going to be a trophy to show to Brendan later, aka I Banged Your Mom?

They’re just getting down to discussing ages: he’s 19 (and drinking in a bar? I thought the US was all weird about that?) and she’s 45 (almost same as me! I am going nowheres near a 19 year old, even 30 would be too young for me) when Margo jumps in and RUINS the mood. Come on!

Margo pulled Eve aside to confess; she has a crush on Curtis. They interrupt girl time to hit the dance floor to I Melt With You by Modern English, to be joined by Curtis and Julian.

This is when Brendan decides to call his mom back. When she’s drunk and dancing with the kid he used to bully. Eve’s too busy to talk.

I was wrong about Julian, he’s schwasted and can barely stand up. Eve drives him (totally loaded herself), stopping by the woods so he can tell her she has amazing boobs in between hurling his cookies into the bushes. So maybe it wasn’t the necklace.

Margo and Curtis stay at the bar, dancing to Alabama Shakes’ beautiful song “This Feeling” that also played at the end of the very last episode of Fleabag.

Eve gets home and destroys the care package she made for Brendan, eating those damn cookies, woooo!! She eats them sitting on the floor, spanking it yet again to a video on her laptop. We’re out.

Whatever Eve is getting out of her near-constant use of adult videos doesn’t seem to be bringing her any joy or satisfaction. I’m gonna bet a lot of chafing and perhaps a splinter or two, but joyless and compulsive is exactly how I’d describe what’s happening.

I’ve been turning last week’s episode Free Sample over in my head this week and I can’t get through the last scene. Mrs. Fletcher’s naked, embracing a fully dressed elderly man and I can’t figure out why. Was she shedding her past and being reborn in the blue-tinted water of the company pool? I bet I’ll find out more if I keep watching. Until then! Cheers