“And There's A Little Green Man In My Head”

On the surface, tonight's “Heavy Is The Head” doesn't look all that interesting. Yes, Alex will be there but it doesn't appear she'll have a big role, unless somehow she gets involved with Ben again, and I don't think that's likely.

So what, exactly, am I worried about tonight?

Anticipation Level: Low To Medium.
Emotional Moment Potential: Low.
Game Changing Potential: Low To Medium.

On an immediate and direct level, not much. On a “what if” level, something more.

Parts of two of the other stories could lay the foundation for choppier financial waters for the Dunphys. Maybe not this week, but down the line...

First, what if this real estate deal with Phil and Jay does turn out to be a total bust? Could it cost Phil a lot of money, and possibly even his job/firm partnership status?¹

And then there's the issue of the budget cutbacks at Jay's closet company which are in the background of Claire's story. (Jay's investment in Phil's project could be a reason for them.) Could her own job be in danger if things don't get better? Yes, she's Jay's daughter and would presumably be the last to go, but if the company itself goes out of business...

It's far from the most likely scenario, but if both happen, where would that leave Alex? Phil and Claire are still paying much of her way through college (assuming she has been/will be going back), and if that dries up, who knows what Alex will have to do.

I doubt her barista job (if she's still doing that) will go far in financing school – she probably would have to try and get a student loan – doable given she's smart enough to probably be a good risk based on future earnings, but far from a given, especially if her parents wouldn't be able to help. Or maybe she'll have to go another school, possibly out of town (that's a thought to hold for a few weeks – but maybe not even that long).

Or, heaven forbid, she has to drop out of school permanently.

(Not to mention if Jay's company does go bust, so much for Alex being the family leader of it some day.)

That's why I tacked on “Medium” to the anticipation and game changing potential levels – Alex's life probably won't change drastically tonight, but tonight could be the start of something that she can't control.

Are There Any Other Questions?

Am I being too paranoid, even be my own standards? Probably. But, given the way things have gone for Alex this season...

Time for me to add “buy more tinfoil” to my to-do list.
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¹ I'll feel a lot better if we don't see that groundbreaking scene (the one from the promo where we see Alex) until the end of the show (i.e. at that point it would show that things are back on track, at least for this week). If it shows up before that, uh oh.