When a fellow member of her support group faces a worsening prognosis, April begins to think more about death and her own mortality. She blows off a nightmare assignment to play hooky with Beth and other members of the support group and learns something surprisingly endearing about Leo. Brenna travels to Miami on a school trip and meets Natalie.
Death is inescapable. That is simply a fact of life. However, most people don't think about their own mortality until much later in life. But by getting cancer, it forces people to examine their lives and what would happen if they were no longer around much sooner. That freaks April out. She's uncomfortable about death. Everyone around her from her grandma's friends to her cancer support group seems to be open to talking about it so simply. She doesn't understand that. But over the course of the hour, she learns to not be afraid of what may happen. She learns that she needs to live in the now and make the most of life just in case something bad happens. She is ready to fight. She no longer whats to worry about the risks that come from the bone marrow transplant. The details of chemotherapy are scary but she has a newfound energy.Additionally, April learns so much more about her cancer friends and, in particular, Leo. I called him being the one to pay for her fertility treatments. I hope that won't become a major conflict-of-interest at work later on in the season. She's writing slam pieces about the Hendrie campaign and yet she's just comfortable accepting money from them as well. That could be dangerous. And yet, it's wonderful seeing this side of Leo. The guy who isn't an ass but a guy who loves giving cancer patients one of their last wishes. That is so uplifting. Sure, it's a little odd that Meg just wants to be a stripper and Jackson wants to go to his own funeral. But it's what they want and Leo is more than happy to make it happen for them. He's respecting their live choices. And that only makes it more confusing once he reveals that there's a surgery that could remove his brain tumor and he's opted not to do it. We've accepted that he's terminal. And April is finally sleeping with him. But that final reveal is such a quandary. Patients need to make these kinds of decisions. Leo is at peace with his choice. To April though, it seems like he is giving up. She's made peace with death and now finds it cathartic to talk about it. But for all this talk about fighting, it sure does seem like Leo is giving up.
And then, there's Brenna who goes off to Florida with Greer for an eco-club trip. While there, she sneaks off to meet her half-sister Natalie. Turns out Natalie is a bitch. Of course, it's largely just been her and her mom in life with not many visits from their shared father. And that does effect how she grew up to be. She's got her nose stuck up to the world - especially to Brenna and April because they got the lifestyle she wish she had. However, it seems like she is enjoying what she has. Brenna sees her to get some kind of sympathy but leaves with more questions than answers. It turns out Sara knows about Natalie - which is so in line with what we know about her too. When the doctors brought up the fact that siblings are the best match for bone marrow transplants, I guessed where this story was heading and why we've had the secret sibling story this entire season. It didn't end in a happy place although I'm pretty certain Natalie will turn out to be a match - and Brenna won't.
Some more thoughts:
- "Death Becomes Her" was written by Jeanne Leitenberg and directed by Steve Miner.
- I'm really unsure of what to make of Sara and George bonding. It seems like the show is moving them together romantically which I'm glad they're not fighting anymore but I don't really understand.
- Does Andy Mientus just join shows in which his character will die later on?
- Last week it was a big deal that April's fertility treatments would cost $5,000 and this week Brenna just goes to Florida... for eco-club!!! How much money does the Carver family have? It's very unclear.
- The hour opens with April playing cards with her grandma freaked out by her upcoming treatment and death and she ends the hour playing cards with her family content with what this moment is offering her.
