Photograph: Apple TV+
We’ve all been there: the second you understand your crush is even hotter than you thought. In case your emotions for that particular person weren’t already unhinged, they positive at the moment are. This is precisely what occurs to Molly when she walks in on Arthur in a post-hike state of undress in her secret workplace pooping rest room (everybody has one, don’t fake) one morning. When she relays the terribly awkward incident to Nicholas, she will’t conceal it any longer: She has emotions for Arthur. Massive, unhinged, very actual emotions.
It brings me limitless pleasure to see that though Nicholas is imply (in a hilarious, endearing approach) to just about each human, animal, and plant he encounters, his coronary heart is aware of no bounds with regards to Molly Wells. He lastly tells her about Corsica and the way Arthur admitted to having emotions for her. Whereas Molly can’t imagine he saved it from her — in his protection, he was sworn to secrecy and likewise “as a medical narcissist, [he] truthfully simply forgot” — the information does add to the already difficult scenario. Does he nonetheless have emotions for her? How icky would this be since she’s his boss? Would being trustworthy about this destroy their friendship? These are all essential questions, however Nicholas doesn’t wish to hear any of them. She must go for it, and he has the right plan to do it organically: They need to all go on a piece retreat collectively. The truth that Nicholas got here up with this concept as a result of within the sexual-harassment coaching video HR made them watch, they have been instructed that “quite a lot of inappropriate issues occur on work retreats and they need to be prevented” is truthfully simply so humorous, and I shall be enthusiastic about it for days. (This episode was written by Anna Salinas.)
The subsequent day, Molly pronounces that they’re going to Dubai! She has a palace there with 27 rooms and 7 swimming pools; it’ll be fabulous. The workforce is fairly pumped. Even Sofia is on board as a result of, sure, she does, in truth, have the right hair to be Princess Jasmine. So it’s settled then … till it’s not.
Simply as Molly is checking in on Arthur to verify he’s positively attending this group tour, Willa reveals up with a basket stuffed with freshly baked blueberry muffins and a cute, down-to-earth vibe that feels so genuine you actually can’t hate her for it, even when we’re all attempting to Molly’s sake. Molly being so unraveled by this different lady is a fantastic growth not simply because it reveals a few of Molly’s vulnerabilities but in addition as a result of it means we are blessed with the reward that’s Maya Rudolph’s face as she is attempting to one-up Willa in entrance of Arthur by informing them that she really has nice reflexes after which wanders right into a horrible Australian accent that she can’t get out of. The interplay is so awkward that Molly actually needs to die inside, and we’re all Nicholas wanting on, unable to cease this automotive crash.
Molly leans into the darkish aspect of these unhinged ranges of emotions and scours Willa’s Instagram for a purpose to hate her, however she will’t. “It’s probably the most down-to-earth, charming factor I’ve ever seen, mom fuck!” Molly doesn’t really feel any higher by Nicholas’s suggestion that Willa is simply too tall and that it’s creepy. But when nothing else, my man Nicholas is aware of tips on how to prop Molly up, and he reminds her who she is. If she nonetheless needs to make a transfer on Arthur, she ought to — as a result of she’ll win. All I’m saying is, get you an assistant/good friend who reminds you that, bitch, you’re the recreation.
Molly decides she must be extra down-to-earth to compete with Willa, and so she overhauls the work retreat. They’re not going to Dubai anymore. As an alternative, they’re off to a cabin in San Bernardino. Sure, that San Bernardino. The one the place Sofia’s cousin buys his weed. Whereas Molly does piss off the remainder of her crew, her plan appears to work: Arthur, our favourite birder, may be very into the placement change. And that theme — of Molly being laser-focused on successful over Arthur — carries over as soon as they arrive.
The remainder of the workforce goes off on their personal adventures: Rhonda instantly strips all the way down to go skinny-dipping within the pond. Howard and Sofia bond over their horrible childhood camp tales. As soon as Nicholas will get Molly set up within the kitchen with Arthur, he heads off to take some forest nudes together with his drone. (The wilderness actually makes his ass pop, he says.)
Issues within the kitchen begin off so nicely regardless of the truth that Molly’s knife expertise are even worse than Kendall Jenner’s. Their dialog whereas making rooster pot pies is very easy which you could see how they’d make nice companions for one another. The tide turns, nonetheless, as soon as Willa comes up. The selection to remain on Molly’s face whereas Arthur goes on and on about how comfortable he’s on this new relationship within the background is such a sensible one (this episode was directed by Anna Dokoza). You possibly can see how upset she grows in actual time.
You recognize from the start that every one of this is headed towards a breaking level. That breaking level seems to be Arthur’s telephone, lastly in a position to get service, going off repeatedly with messages from Willa. Do I totally purchase {that a} mild-mannered, never-wants-to-rock-the-boat sort of man like Arthur wouldn’t even try to silence his telephone after it disturbs the group’s dinner? Not likely. However I’ll associate with it to reap the reward that’s its aftermath — one of many funniest sequences on this present … one of many funniest sequences on TV, interval.
After a flurry of texts signaled by an old-timey automotive horn, the fixed reminder that Arthur is in a contented relationship, and Howard complaining that there aren’t any marshmallows for s’mores, Molly completely loses her shit. She screams that she’s going to go to the shop on her personal to attempt to salvage this whole waste of a weekend. Nicholas tries to supply to do it for her, however no — she marches exterior and will get of their passenger van. Everybody is aware of this can be a horrible thought. Nicholas tries to speak her out of it, reminding her that she is historically a horrible driver and that solely ugly individuals drive, so she shouldn’t do it; she’s too fairly to drive. However Molly can’t be stopped. Everybody watches in concern as she makes an attempt a wild three-point flip, violently crashing into issues with each transfer she makes. When she lastly finishes and screams at them, “I motherfucking did it, motherfuckers!,” she hits the gasoline to peel out of the driveway and rams proper into a totally bare Rhonda, ass simply everywhere in the windshield. Reader, I choked, I used to be laughing so onerous.
Rhonda shakes it off. “It’s not the primary time I’ve been hit by a passenger van,” she assures Molly. And but, there’s actually no getting back from a fury-fueled bare automotive accident — the retreat is over.
Nicholas tries to assist Molly nurse her wounds of humiliation again dwelling (“Do you wish to have a look at a few of my drone nudes?”), however actually, the one factor that can get her via that is specializing in her work. She heads into the workplace early the subsequent day and tells Sofia that she needs to do extra with Area for Everybody; she needs to take it nationwide. Sofia loves the thought however has to say one thing to Molly that she in all probability hasn’t heard in a long time, and likewise one thing you simply know the Loot writers have been sitting on: “You don’t find the money for.”
• Oh, no, did I neglect? Ainsley winds up lacking the information that the retreat is now not in Dubai as a result of she’s along with her grandmother within the hospital as she takes her final breath, and so she buys her personal ticket for $8,000 and winds up hanging out within the Dubai airport for days, ready for Nicholas to get again to her with Molly’s palace tackle. Nobody even mentions her save for Nicholas, seeing a number of voice-mails on his telephone from a reputation he pronounces “Ahns-Slay” and assumes it’s a drag queen he slept with as soon as.
• Michaela Jaé Rodriguez has some nice one-liners on this episode, however my favourite second of hers right here is the studying she provides “No” when Howard asks if she thinks they’d’ve been buddies at summer time camp.
• Howard and Sofia are actually having a troublesome day trip within the woods. As Howard notes, “Black individuals don’t belong in cabins. We belong at brunch or luxurious holidays in Tulum. We acquired no enterprise right here.”
• Arthur could declare he’s comfortable on this new relationship with Willa, however the way in which he appears repeatedly harm as soon as Molly begins lashing out at him means there’s nonetheless hope his emotions for Molly haven’t fully gone away.
• Arthur’s response when he hears they’re alleged to go to Dubai: “In another country twice in a single 12 months? Who am I, Tom Cruise?” This candy man!
• Rhonda when she asks different workforce members to hitch her within the pond: “I’ve been dying to see your entire midsections!”
• “Do not forget that scorching fireman that I dated? Do you truthfully imagine that my residence constructing simply ‘unintentionally’ caught on hearth? Develop up.”
