“It's The Paradox That Drives Us On” (“Sex, Lies & Kickball” Recap)

I feel like making the old “tree falls in the woods” analogy, but I'm not sure if it really fits.

Yes, in a way, tonight was disappointing. We never did get that big emotional moment (good or bad) that seemed inevitable (the closest was Claire apologizing for treating Ben like her father treated Phil, but we never got the big “hug it out” moment, although in truth I actually thought a Claire psych out of Alex was an equally likely ending that didn't happen either). And tonight really didn't have that big “I'm all grown up!” feel for Alex that I thought we'd see.

And, to a degree the story felt like it was about Alex the least – it was more about Claire, then Phil and Ben, then Alex. But I don't feel Alex was super-slighted – I just wish it was more about her.

However, that part of me that wished this morning that Alex wouldn't radically change is happy – that the painting was a fake shows that Alex isn't quite ready to go bad girl to much of a degree - i.e. she could easily have forced Ben to go through with doing that painting the intended way if she really wanted.

Of course, Alex did throw Ben under the bus in admitting that (she didn't need to IMO). I don't think she meant to do that, but I feel like she could treat him a little better and that she could be setting herself up for another painful breakup down the line.

Alex's Line Of The Night: ”Sex painting on the wall means Alex was in her (Claire's) head and I wasn't planning on leaving any time soon. I don't know where that (hand gesture) came from.”

Incredibly that's Alex's third private camera scene in the first four episodes (one was with Ben), and she wasn't even in that other episode. Seeing that she rarely has more than three or four in an entire season...

OK, I guess I found my analogy – I'm not totally unhappy that they didn't break the eggs needed to make the omelet I was expecting to see tonight¹.
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¹ Which is good in one way – it's nowhere near my birthday – it would be pretty weird to hear Luke sing about it.