“You Make Me Wanna Scream” (“Mother!” Recap)

My take on the “bad news” that Alex had tonight? I feel like she overthought things about what really didn't seem like much of a deal at all.

Did she really think that Claire wouldn't let her postpone going on a Mother's Day trip so she could go away with her fireman boyfriend? Had Alex asked her outside of her “relaxed window”, Claire would probably been disappointed, given it apparently was the kids' idea in the first place, but in the end I'm sure she would have been at least OK with it and taken a raincheck on the trip (would even one week later have been that great a deal?) – she's always been trying to get Alex more interested in being more romantic in the past.

Instead, Alex tried to manipulate Claire's feelings and found herself on Claire's bad side along with the rest of the family (As far as how much each family members' bad news should have put them on that bad side, Phil and Luke really did belong there¹. Alex and Haley² didn't IMO, at least for the news).

And I know (almost) everybody was dressed up for Manny's movie screening, but I count Alex already wearing a dress several hours ahead of time as a part of that attempt.  I'm not sure why she thought dressing up to deliver bad news would make things easier – if anything it easily could have aroused more suspicion in Claire.

But I am relieved that Alex's future won't be affected too much by this news (I still don't see her and Bill being a long-term couple).

One interesting thing that could have happened that didn't: Phil didn't get to follow-up on his reaction to Alex going to the Grand Canyon riding on a motorcycle – he didn't seem very happy about that.

There was one potentially disappointing development that happened very quickly in the beginning – Lily leaving for Kansas with Cam's sister Pam. If this means that Lily might be away for the rest of the season, then there would be zero chance of a story with Alex mentoring her, which was my biggest wish for this season. Of course, that chance was already between slim and none – slim may have just left town tonight on a trip to Kansas.

Alex's Line Of The Night: ”You know, forgiveness creates a biochemical reaction...” Nope, trying to use science to get back on Claire's good side didn't work for Alex, either.
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¹ It turned out they were the ones who pulled the “Jan Brady ruins a portrait” part of the story. This being 2018 they just used a drone instead of a bicycle.

² My comments about Alex apply to Haley somewhat as well. Granted that job she has is for a sketchy company, but it's still better than her “business” rounding up girls to promote clubs. She, too, probably would have had Claire's support to go on that business trip without the manipulation.