A good follow-up to the fantastic previous episode, “Resolved” not only continues Kevin and Scotty’s issues, it also updates Holly’s condition.
Ever since Rebecca left, Justin has been taking Holly to her therapy sessions. Naturally, she’s been improving to the point where she can remember how her office looked. I say “naturally” because, despite the show’s insistence of how terminal Holly’s memory loss was, her recovery was inevitable. Though I would’ve been impressed if the writers picked the harder route in which Holly’s memories are never recovered, and she has to start her life over. Anyway, while Holly insists she can take care of herself, Justin sticks around…partially to flirt with hot nurse Annie (guest star Odette Yustman) at the hospital.
But Justin has been unintentionally blowing off dates because he’s so attached to Holly and David. David is going through a rough time because he and Holly were engaged before the accident, but then she lost all memory of that. Fortunately, Holly reassures him that she does remember the feeling she had when he gave her the ring. Then she tells Justin to move on with his life and let go of theirs. Because of this, Justin persuades Annie to give him another chance, and the two finally go out.
While the writers did go with the cliche of throwing the newly single Walker sibling into another relationship, I’m surprisingly okay with it. It’s handled very well. Justin was devastated over his failed marriage, so I’m glad he doesn’t jump into a hot-and-heavy romance just yet. This new relationship seems like it will go slow, which is good after what he’s been through.
Meanwhile, unemployed Sarah and Kitty revert to their immature, squabbling ways when they consider going into business together. Kitty wants in on whichever company Sarah decides to run, and Sarah points out that she was never a businesswoman. That’s when Kitty lets slip that Nora didn’t support an invention idea she had twenty years ago because business was more Sarah’s forte. Sarah is upset at the thought of her parents controlling her life, and soon the fight gets out of hand.
Nora, already distraught by Kevin and Scotty’s troubles as well as a photo shoot for the radio station, gets unwanted advice from another host at the station, Dr. Karl. When she’s overwhelmed by Sarah and Kitty’s old issues, she realizes that the doctor is right – she needs to step away and let them figure everything out for themselves. This results in her and Dr. Karl starting a friendship.
Though the story was definitely funny, like Kitty’s “there’s no paper trail” line, I actually feel sorry for Nora when she says she hasn’t had a friend in a long time. It makes me realize just how lonely and distressed she must have been during the year after the accident, when the Walker family was broken up. This also makes me wonder why really none of the Walkers have a close friend. It doesn’t matter much since this is a family-centric show, of course, but scenes with the siblings getting advice from a friend might give this show a much-needed shake up. Unfortunately, I doubt this will happen with Dr. Karl, since guessing from the previews, Nora starts to see him as a little more than a friend.
Though Kevin is still staying at Kitty’s in the beginning of the episode, Paige’s well-meaning yet obvious meddling forces Kevin and Scotty into the same room so they can help her practice for a school debate. However, her amateur matchmaking works, and the two end up clearing the air. I’ve sympathized with Kevin before, and I still do, but I also get that Scotty felt ignored (even though he still shouldn’t have cheated). While I’m surprised their issues weren’t dragged out for a few more episodes, I’m thrilled that my favorite couple is back together. And, well, Paige’s meddling is just adorable, and proves she does pay attention to her family’s constant drama.
Two great episodes in a row give me new hope for this season. “The Rhapsody of the Flesh” airs November 14th.
