You’ll never say that A Million Little Things doesn’t know how to keep us in suspense.
Even when you think you’re ready to bid the season adieu after the many highs and lows of a nighttime soap, the series will end on a note that has you clamoring for more.
And while A Million Little Things Season 3 Episode 17 was a slow start to the two-part season finale, A Million Little Things Season 3 Episode 18 turned it up a notch with all the delicious drama, tension, and so many feels.
It’s an ensemble series, and for the finale, it makes sense that the intent was to give each person a storyline to wrap up, but honestly, some of the characters didn’t necessarily need it.
Regina, for example, was excellent, serving as another supportive figure for Sophie when she went to the police station. Otherwise, Someday’s closing elicits mixed feelings.
The series never specified what was going on with Gina’s head injury, and yet the implication was that a large part of her selling Someday was because of her inability to run it due to those issues.
They’ve teased us with the idea that her injuries were more severe when in reality, it does seem to be a matter of her recovering from a concussion. Her memory is back, and she appears to be on the mend physically.
But emotionally, she has some things to work through. They gave us a flash of what happened to her at the protest. It gave us an idea of her experience without feeling exploitative, which was all one needed.
She couldn’t go into the police station because of the panic attack triggered by a cop bumping into her, and it’s evident, the encounter took a toll on her. The whole year has done that to Gina and Rome.
Gina:I want to say something before we go in there. Even though I never got this chance myself, I thought about it a lot and what I would say, and I know how scary it is, but I am so proud of you for taking this step, Soph.
Sophie: Thank you. You helped me so much. Thank you for being here.
They started the season grieving the loss of a child they hoped to adopt, but they’ve ended things on a hopeful note. The couple is as solid as ever, but they’ve gone through hell over the past few months, and both of them weren’t afraid to take some time to put that into perspective.
Their lives have changed so much, but it was such an organic, beautiful journey. Again, one of the real pleasures of this season is how the Howards felt more central to the storyline.
They’re a natural center to this group, and they also work well apart from the group when it comes to carrying a storyline that almost feels as if it’s a show within a series.
Gina saying goodbye to Someday, this place that was a gift to her from Jon, felt abrupt, but I suppose it blends in with the natural order of things amid the pandemic.
It felt premature of Gina to give up on her dream so quickly, and, oddly, she never discussed anything with Delilah, her partner. However, at least they mentioned that Katherine negotiated a deal for herself as a subletter.
The return of the transporter worker who wanted to have a meal at Someday one last time — I suppose the poignancy in that callback was to not only remind us of how beautiful a spirit Regina is, but that life has changed so much for everyone in the past year. Everyone is experiencing loss, grief, and other things.
He lost his wife to COVID, and he and Gina bonded a bit. It hit home that the familial arc that the Howards had all season. Hell, the only thing missing was an appearance by Walter and Flo.
But there was this peace in knowing that Someday is what brought some good things into their life, even though it’s a chapter coming to a close. Without Someday, they wouldn’t have met Tyrell, who blends in seamlessly with their family.
Gina, Rome made me realize that sometimes the worst things in life sometimes lead to the best things. I never would’ve met you if it wasn’t for this restaurant, so even though it’s gone, I’m glad it was here for as long as it was because it led me to the both of you.
Tyrell
Although, it never crossed my mind that Tyrell needed to learn how his mother got deported. It never seemed like a question anyone asked, let alone one that needed answering.
So in that sense, Rome and Tyrell’s side-quest felt random and unnecessary. The entire arc with Tyrell assuming it was his mother’s former partner who took the job she went for felt like filler to chew through time.
We got some wholesome moments out of it as the Howards got to reflect on how much they love Tyrell and what he brings to their lives, and Rome got in his feelings about Tyrell’s not referring to him as his foster father on his own.
The Howards and Tyrell are so sweet and pure, and if anyone deserved a finale that left them in a content spot, it was Rome and Gina.
In many ways, the familial theme of the series hit its stride in deeper, subtler, more profound ways this season as we saw characters like Rome, Gary, Gina, and Maggie, who don’t have biological children of their own, step up and settle into parenthood.
Through them, the season showcased the series’ concept –that it does take a village.
Gina losing Someday is disappointing, and it sucks that Rome’s movie didn’t get made yet. Poor Tyrell may not see his mom in person for some time, but they have each other, and they seem okay. We can feel like they’re all going to be alright.
I am curious about Gina’s next endeavor. For so long, she’s been tied to this restaurant that it’s hard to remember the times when she wasn’t. Hell, even little Theo can’t fathom that Aunt Gina no longer runs a restaurant.
Despite their meandering finale storylines, it was nice to have those sweet moments with the Howards and Tyrell. Can they adopt me?
Some of Gina’s best moments were the ones she shared with Sophie, telling her how proud she is, connecting with her as another sexual assault survivor, and being there for her.
The back half of the season has outdone themselves by nurturing dynamics not previously explored before, and the season is much stronger because of it. Sophie’s moments with Rome, Gina, and Maggie are among the best.
Another pairing the series never explored much was that between Eddie and Danny. Eddie did his part to make amends to Sophie after she and Danny found out about the affair, but he assumed Danny was too young to understand what was happening.
Danny: Are you and my mom getting back together?
Eddie: What? No!
Danny: I heard that joke Gary made earlier.
Eddie: I guess you and I never really talked about what happened between your mom and me. Half the time I thought you were too young to understand.
Danny: I wasn’t.
Eddie: Then that must’v been hard. Danny, I’m sorry for what I put you through, and I would give anything to be able to say that to you dad. But I should’ve said that to you a long time ago.
Danny:I guess if it hadn’t have happened we wouldn’t have Charlie right now.
Danny is a mature kid, so that was a silly assumption to make. And now that he’s grown older, Danny was overdue to address the issue himself, and Eddie needed to give him that apology.
Danny wasted no time asking Eddie about his intentions now that Delilah returned. Thankfully, Eddie put to bed the idea of him and Delilah reuniting. Heaven knows we don’t need to rehash that AT ALL.
Eddie’s apology seemed sincere, and the moments they spent shaving and talking about Milo were cute. And they even got to experience Charlie uttering her first word together.
It was a win for Eddie, considering he had a rocky finale. By now, to say Eddie and Katherine’s ugly arguing and custody stuff is contrived would be redundant.
If there’s one dark spot of a mostly stellar season, it’s the bizarre direction Eddie and Katherine’s storylines have gone this season. Katherine’s over Eddie, and it’s fair. The woman has put up with a lot and hit her limit.
She didn’t waste any time calling him out on making her the bad guy all of the time. And she’s right about how he relies on her to be the disciplinarian. That said, the timing of her coming out with that felt weird.
I guess Eddie could’ve said something to Theo, but it also would’ve been better coming from Katherine that time. Eddie planned to see Charlie, his other kid he hasn’t seen in months, and Theo could’ve taken it wrong if Eddie seemed like he only wanted to spend time with Charlie alone. Um, who gives AF what Delilah does?!
But the effed-up thing about Eddie, and one truly gets whiplash with his character and how he whim-whams with progress, is that even when you sympathize with him or find defendable moments, he’s such an ass.
It’s absurd that he still doesn’t understand why Katherine has reservations about leaving him alone with Theo. He knows he’s an addict, and her concerns, while murky at times, aren’t meritless.
The first chance he got to defy their agreement, he was ready to, and it showed a lack of respect for Katherine and what she was trying to do. And the second he gets mad about something, he brings up that Delilah left him alone with Charlie and Danny.
Eddie isn’t always a bad guy, but the thing they’ve been doing now where him choosing not to do something repugnant means he’s “good” is mindboggling.
He knew Theo getting hurt on Katherine’s watch is something that happens with kids. He knows it’s not a reflection on Katherine at all, and that was his first response, but then when he was angry, he was willing to threaten that as a reason Katherine was unfit, too.
Eddie: Katherine, our friends are not living the lives they want to live because of us.
Katherine: Well, he should go. I don’t want to stop that.
Eddie: Great, but I still need to be able to see Theo.
Katherine: OK, well you can’t unsupervised.
Eddie: Says you. I think we should see what a judge has to say about that.
The series dialed their ugliness up to 1000 for no reason, and it’s hard to watch.
Eddie even made it seem like Katherine was the reason Gary couldn’t be happy with Darcy — and that the only solution was for Katherine to give up her “stupid” custody stipulation.
How is it Eddie is worse and somehow regressed as a character after rehab than he was before it?
But we had to sit through more of these two hurling insults, threatening one another, and so forth, all for Eddie to propose joint custody with a stipulation that he take weekly drug tests.
WHY WASN’T THIS THE AGREEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE?! It’s what some of us were arguing, to begin with, and the road to get to this exact point is ludicrous.
Remember that dangling thread of “who hit Eddie” they teased at the start of the season and then abruptly dropped? Well, it’s back.
A tearful and apologetic woman somehow got his number and called to apologize for nearly killing him. So now, we’re back to this. At this rate, if it shifts us away from the exhausting Eddie/Katherine saga, then so be it. It’s dead and buried; I’m over it.
As for Katherine’s love life, I guess that’s it with Alan. Katherine does need to take a beat before jumping into something new. I hate that Alan made her feel as if she was failing because she couldn’t move forward as fast as he liked.
At least Alan came through, helped her out, and said goodbye. Let’s hope that she finds some happiness in however capacity next season. She sure as hell deserves it.
Woman: Is this Edward Saville?
Eddie: Who is this?
Woman: I’m the person who hit you. I am so sorry.
One of the sweetest moments was when Theo acknowledged how much she does for everyone. The woman nearly cried at the sincere compliment and gratitude Theo showed her. All that woman wants is to know that she’s loved, appreciated, and not taken for granted.
Eddie resolved some custody issues with Katherine, but he nearly faced more because of Delilah.
The season was so strong despite Delilah’s absence, and the series managed fine. As a result, her return garnered mixed feelings. Understandably there was some wariness of tossing Delilah into the mix at the end and potentially mucking it up.
The finale eased Delilah in smoothly enough without her detracting from everything else. The reunion with the others was rather understated, but it worked well enough. Delilah seemed out of the loop with things, but that also felt realistic.
Delilah was right there to sit with Sophie through recounting her experience at the police station. And Delilah in that supportive role with Sophie taking center stage was for the best.
But then, you know, Delilah is going to Delilah.
Delilah decided while she was in France that she wanted to take the kids and move there permanently. And as usual, it was for totally selfish and self-serving reasons.
She shared with Eddie that in France, she doesn’t have a history of being the woman whose husband died by suicide or the one who had an illicit affair. If she lived in some super small town, sure, but she lives in Boston.
Strangers don’t have to know all of that and won’t. It sounded more like she was running away and disliked anything that resembled a consequence of her errors.
It also sounded like she wanted to run away from her grief rather than work through it. In France, she didn’t have to think about Jon, the life they lived, or that he left her alone.
Once again, it’s unfathomable that she thought she could run off to France with Charlie permanently when Eddie is right there. And while she claimed she was there for Eddie during difficult times, she also wouldn’t have been above bringing up his addiction to justify her relocating.
How do you decide that you’re taking someone’s kid away from them? She talked about Eddie coming to visit like France is a 10-minute car ride and not across the pond.
WHO is going to pay for regular plane tickets to France? Katherine?!
But worst yet, Delilah made this rash decision without talking to her kids or getting a feel for anything. After everything Sophie went through, did Delilah think it was acceptable to disrupt Sophie’s life and remove her from a support system that has been there for her throughout the entire ordeal?
She lost her father, and now Delilah thinks her being away from her other family is good for her? Plus, Sophie is an adult now, so how did she think she’d take Sophie with her?
And Danny started high school — his first year was during a pandemic. How does it benefit Danny to move him to a country where he doesn’t speak the language and make him start all over again, with new friends and no support system?
Whenever I meet someone here, I know that person is saying there’s that woman whose husband killed himself. There’s that woman who had the affair.No one thought that in France.
Delilah
Delilah moving to France doesn’t benefit anyone but Delilah. And all of her reasoning said as much.
But while Delilah came back her usual irritating self, at least the other characters weren’t here for any of it.
It feels as though the “Powers that Be” try to take into account fandom responses to things, and they incorporate that into their stories. Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn’t.
However, if they’ve heard our criticisms about Delilah and are addressing them, then so damn be it. It can only be for the better.
Delilah’s plans were rash, inconsiderate, and selfish. It also felt like a slap in the face to Gary after he spent months taking care of her children while she was gone.
To Delilah’s point, she did bring up some interesting comments about how she hasn’t grieved and doesn’t feel like she’s allowed to do it. The timing of her feeling this in full force coincides with the pandemic.
One thing that we’ve all had to experience to some degree and grapple with was grief; it’s unavoidable. Naturally, after trying to dodge it for so long, it hit her at once.
You can’t run from grief; you can only get through it. And returning to the Dixon home drudged up so many memories and feelings that Delilah didn’t want to face.
Delilah is in a unique position; she cheated on her husband before he died, so there probably is a part of her that feels as though she’s not entitled to mourn him. The judgments of others, even those close to her, compound that.
Delilah: How do you think it is for me? He wasn’t just my best friend, he was my whole life.
Gary: Yeah, well, correct me if I’m wrong, but towards the end there when your legs were wrapped around his other best friend, I don’t know if he was you whole life.
Delilah: I know I made mistakes, OK? I’m paying for those mistakes. But I did not leave Jon. He left me. And I know that I’m not supposed to say this, that I’m supposed to understand that he was troubled and that he had demons, it does not change the fact that he left me here to clean up his mess all by myself.
Gary: I know exactly how you feel.
Delilah: No you don’t. I lost my husband, and because of what I did with Eddie and because of the way how Jon died, I have not been allowed to grieve.
He died by suicide, and as we continue to break the stigma surrounding mental illness, it also means that she doesn’t feel she has space to be angry or resentful of Jon.
Even in death, he has the space of being mentally ill, which warrants sympathy and compassion. But Delilah can’t be angry at Jon without feeling like a monster.
Jon’s mental illness doesn’t mean Delilah’s feelings are invalid. It doesn’t mean that she’s not entitled to feelings of her own. Her mental health and emotions count for someting too.
If this goes in the direction of Delilah finally going through her grief in a way we haven’t seen yet, it could be an interesting storyline for this character the series often struggles to make compelling.
I’d argue the series tried to do more to make Delilah as sympathetic as they intended her to be in that scene and with that dialogue than they’ve succeeded at doing for three seasons.
Delilah’s exchange with Gary was equal parts whiny, selfish, and with some sympathetic truths and undertones.
And Gary eviscerating her, in some ways, was extreme and likely fueled by more than Delilah, but sue me, it was satisfying.
Gary is the one person who never seemed to call Delilah out on her shit, and he enabled her most. He was long overdue to express the same anger he had for others with her. They’ve all been through it while Delilah was away.
Gary was harsh, the line about her legs wrapped around Eddie actually was jawdropping, but Gary was tactless the entire finale. Delilah is the queen of excuses and self-pity, and for once, Gary wasn’t allowing her to have a pity party.
Gary: Let’s be clear. We were the ones stuck in this house. You weren’t here to see your son struggling over whether or not to come out at school. My dad, my father, had to give him the buck up speech that you should’ve been here to give him. And while you were eating croissants at the top of the eiffle tower, your daughter got assaulted by a monster, who might not have done what he did if he knew that there was someone here protecting her!
Delilah: That is not fair! Even if I had been here I don’t know if I could’ve stopped it. You weren’t able to stop it! Sorry, I didn’t, I didn’t mean it like that.
Gary: No, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that you’re not happy. But you know what, I’m not sure you’re entitled to be.
Some of Gary’s comments were uncalled for, though. It’s not Delilah’s fault that Peter assaulted Sophie, and her being there wouldn’t have changed what happened.
The implication that Delilah didn’t care about her kids was low. But by then, Gary was projecting some of the guilt he felt onto Delilah. He was making her take on some of that blame.
It was a hurtful exchange between the two and quite shocking. But the series still managed to give Delilah a moment where Danny comforted her as she sobbed on the couch.
Gary’s been unraveling all season, and he was due to blow up. It’s a wonder no one else picked up on how bad things got for Gary.
Sophie will probably be the one to figure out where Gary went. The moment they shared in the kitchen was heartbreaking, and before Delilah interrupted, Gary was on the verge of tears, apologizing to Sophie for failing her.
Part of Gary’s tirade directed at Delilah felt like projection based on feelings about himself.
For one, you could interpret his comment about her not deserving happiness as a reflection on how he feels about himself or resentment that he tries to do right by everyone, and happiness eludes him anyway.
He reached a place where he was willing to commit to Darcy. She told him that Steven got the job, and she was moving to Lenox, and he said he’d move in with her.
We already know that’s a sacrifice for Gary, but he was willing to do it because of how much he loves Darcy. He expressed wanting a family of his own.
And then she shut that down hard. I like Darcy most of the time, and the two up until this point have been great together. However, this is also getting ridiculous.
Darcy never communicated that she wanted to move in with Gary after dating a few months. She’s a woman who waited months to introduce Gary to Liam as her boyfriend, but then she expected Gary to make this commitment to her on the spot.
And she gave him an ultimatum without saying that’s what it was. She expected Gary to move his life on behalf of her and Steven, but she expressed displeasure with Gary making decisions based on HIS family. Gary is making a compromise by agreeing to move to be with her.
Gary: I don’t like it when people are unhappy because when they’re unhappy they leave.
Maggie: Like your mom did. Alright, can I say on behalf of all of us, we love you whether or not you fix our problems so maybe it’s time to stop working so hard to make everyone happy and start figuring out what makes you happy, what it is you’re looking for.
But then she dropped this bomb on him that she doesn’t want kids. It’s crazy that they haven’t discussed these things yet. If Darcy expected them to be in a place where they moved in together, they should have also talked about children.
And worse yet, Darcy’s reasoning is based on her past trauma growing up in a divorced household. It’s about how she felt regarding her parents, but there’s no way of knowing how Liam would react to anything.
It’s not fair of her to project things on her son and deprive Gary. They are all walking around carrying the weight of their pasts and traumas, but something about Darcy putting that into words sounded juvenile. Can EVERYONE have regular therapy sessions with Maggie? Goodness!
She also presents things as if she’s inflexible, and Gary should go along with it, which is how their last conversation ended. She didn’t even stick around long enough to hear how Gary felt about the possibility of not having children of his own.
It came across as selfish that she wants Gary to relocate, move in with her, be this great stepdad to Liam, accept the role Steven plays in their lives, give up his family, and also not have kids of his own without so much of a discussion.
She came around to it at the end, over voicemail, but of course, this will all go to hell if Gary ends up arrested after whatever the hell he’s about to do to Peter.
Bloody hell, why CAN’T Gary ever be happy? Between that conversation with Darcy, his abandonment issues, and his guilt, it’s no wonder Gary feels as if he has nothing left to lose.
He’s been a ticking-time bomb all season, and the detective stating that Sophie doesn’t have a case was the last straw.
At first, it felt as if the detective was an insensitive dick. The way he grilled her in the interview room was aggravating, but he wasn’t wrong about how a defense attorney would come at her. And once he got brutally honest, everything he said he was right.
Sophie doesn’t have enough evidence against Peter, and the photo, text, and all of that will work against her. The detective didn’t want to put her through a brutal trial, only for Peter to get off scot-free.
It was difficult for Sophie to hear. The one good thing to come from that was Georgia Gregory accepted what happened to her daughter, and she and Sophie both gave each other some peace and words of encouragement.
Georgia acknowledged that Sophie gave her some solace about Layla. Sophie’s wisdom shone through when she described her experiences — making sense of why her father killed himself and realizing that there are many reasons, and they’ll never understand.
Sophie: I’m so sorry I couldn’t …
Georgia: Sweetie, you helped us figure out why Layla did this. I just, I just wished I had known sooner. Maybe if I had, I could’ve been there for her, helped her. I’m her mother, I should’ve known.
Sophie: I didn’t say this the last time I came over, but two years ago, my dad died by suicide. And for so long, I really wanted to know the reason as to why, but with the help of some friends, I realized I may never understand why. It’s because it’s never one reason. I didn’t know Layla, but I do know how much her mom and dad love her.
Now Christopher is the angry one. Christopher hoped through Sophie, he could get justice for his daughter, and he didn’t handle the news well when Sophie said the case wouldn’t go anywhere.
His anger was palpable, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s involved with whatever Gary is doing to Peter.
Sophie’s been so mature about all of this. She didn’t let what happened at the police station discourage her. Instead, she went to Maggie, opened up about her experience on the podcast, and she took control.
It was a beautiful moment, and her words, intercut with Gary’s actions was a great way to end the finale. I’m so proud of Sophie.
She can’t prove what Peter did, but she took a big step by saying his name on the podcast. There are sure to be some consequences to that.
Maggie’s podcast gained traction before, so I wonder if Peter will find out about it and retaliate? I also wonder if Peter’s wife will hear it and reach out to Sophie?
She’s the one who encouraged Peter to work with Sophie, and she was there when Sophie auditioned in the street. If she doesn’t know about her husband’s actions, then she’s about to find out.
The problem is Gary may have made things worse.
Gary’s moment with his father was such a beautiful one, and what made it so moving was knowing that it must come from a vulnerable place for James Roday Rodriguez.
Gary: Listen, uh, thanks for never leaving me dad.
Javier: What?
Gary: I know that when mom left, that was very difficult for you and you never let that keep you from being there for me.
Javier: Of course not, you’re a my mijo.
Gary: Javi. I feel like I left you, dad.
Javier: What are you talking about?
Gary: Wen I changed my name
Javier: Junior..
Gary: When I changed my name, I think I uh inadvertenly sent a message that I was rejecting you.
Javier: Who cares what people think?
Gary: I don’t care what people think. I care what you think. And I hope that you didn’t think hen I changed my name that I wasn’t proud to be your son because that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Javier: You don’t have to apologize to me for anything. I get it. In this country, it’s easier to be a Gary than a Javier. I hope you didn’t get me this whole meal to tell me that.
Everything that happened with Darcy, talking about Jon and Delilah’s return, reminded him of how grateful he was to his father for not leaving him.
Maggie hit the nail on the head when she prompted him to share that he’s terrified of people leaving him. Everything he does is to make sure that people stay.
It was enough to make you want to reach through the screen and hug him. And that carried over to when he apologized to his father for changing his name and the hurt he may have caused him.
Javier understood, though. He always did, and he never resented his son for his actions. Everything about that scene was raw and filled with so much emotion that it made me tear up.
It was so much that they touched on with that exchange of dialogue, especially from Gary’s perspective, and yet so little was said at the same time.
When Javier referred to Gary as Javi and told Gary he was proud of him, and Gary responded to it, it was touching.
Javier’s willingness to be Gary’s alibi, no questions asked, speaks to their bond. He knows his son, and he likely suspects what Gary is about to do.
Something tells me Gary’s temper isn’t some recent development, nor is the protective streak he has for those he loves. Yet it still didn’t prepare me for Gary putting that sack over Peter’s head and shoving him into his house.
Gary: Thanks, pop.
Javier: Javi, I just want you to know that I’m very proud of you.
We’ve seen many sides of Gary over the years, but this is the darkest version of him to date. As satisfying as it would be if Gary beats Peter’s ass, it’s petrifying to know that Gary could end up in trouble or grave danger.
How does he come back from this?
It won’t surprise if the next season centers Gary more, in whatever aftermath of this. Gary is not okay, and he hasn’t been for a long time.
It’s about time the family he always rallies around and tries to save direct some of that energy toward him.
It’s a hell of a cliffhanger to a great season. Thank goodness we know the show is returning.
Maggie: So, why did you want to tell your story today.
Sophie: I wanted to tell it for a lot of reasons. I think most of all I wanted everyone to know that it happened because I don’t want to be ashamed anymore. Thre are times when I blame myself for what happened. Time when I get so angry at whatever force controls these things for letting it happen. I mean honestly, sometimes, it’s so hard to deal with the anger. But thankfully, I have such an incredible support system around me.
Maggie: What would you want to say to the man who assaulted you.
Sophie: I’d want to say that I know you tried to take something away from me, but you didn’t. And I think that everyone should know your name. It’s Peter Benoist. And even though I may never get the justice that I deserve, you know what you did, and now everyone else will too. The reason I wanted to put his name out there today was to make sure that the didn’t hurt anybody else. Because Peter didn’t just hurt me, he hurt so many other people. I know I’m going to be OK. I just hope they’re going to be OK, too.
Over to you, AMLT Fanatics. What are your thoughts on that cliffhanger? It’s so much to delve into, so let’s discuss it all below!
To catch up or relive the season, you can watch A Million Little Things online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.