The Friends of Jon officially have a tiny new member.
Javier Chad Mendez is born in this week’s A Million Little Things, an hour that also includes a proposal and the realization of some deeply buried parental angst. Read on for the highlights of “Mic Drop.”
GARY AND MAGGIE | That contraction that woke Maggie up at the end of the previous episode? Braxton-Hicks, says midwife Mallory, meaning that the mom-to-be is not in labor and probably won’t start for another week. Maggie is glad, because she wants to officially sign off her radio show before having the baby. But Gary is freaked out.
At the radio station, Maggie isn’t pleased to learn that her replacement/Gary’s former therapist Dr. Jessica will be shadowing her for the day. She’s even less pleased when Gary makes a surprise visit, explaining that he’s so freaked out, he wants to have “eyes on” her.
When it becomes clear that Maggie is actually in labor but unwilling to cede her microphone, Gary swallows his anger and asks Dr. Jessica to convince her that she’s leaving her audience in good hands, paving the way for her to go home and have the baby.
So during a commercial break, Dr. Jessica goes into the studio and apologizes for how she handled everything. She explains that she went through a traumatic experience in college and then wasn’t able to find a therapist who understood her, much less looked like her. She says she jumped at the chance to bring a Black, female, therapeutic voice to the radio station, but realizes now that she should’ve taken Maggie’s feelings more into account. Then she promises that she’ll treat the show with care, and it’ll be waiting for Maggie when she’s ready to return.
When the show comes back from the break, Maggie introduces her listeners to Dr. Jessica… then realizes her water’s just broken. As Gary quickly ushers her out, Maggie says, “Can someone get Dr. Jessica a new chair?”
Rome and Eddie move Charlie’s old crib to Maggie and Gary’s apartment, and manage to get it rebuilt before Maggie, Gary and the midwife show up. Though the midwife and Maggie quickly kick the superfluous guys out, a nervous Gary asks his friends to stay nearby, and they agree. Regina, Sophie, Greta and Katherine eventually join them. As Maggie’s labor progresses, the baby’s shoulder gets stuck for a few moments, but he’s eventually born healthy. They name him after his grandfather (Gary’s dad, Javier) and his uncle (Maggie’s brother, Chad).
EDDIE | The fact that Delilah has given Maggie and Gary cart blanche to take whatever baby stuff they like irks Eddie, who laments to Rome that he barely knows his daughter because he’s never gotten to spend significant time with her. Rome validates his friend’s anger, noting that Delilah was originally only going to France for a short visit but eventually decided that the move would become permanent. “How could she make such a huge decision that would impact both your lives and not talk to you about it?!” he says, and… oh, we’re talking about you and Regina now, Rome. (We’ll get to that in a moment.) Rome eventually counsels Eddie to tell Delilah how he really feels.
When she FaceTimes Eddie after she hears about Javier’s birth, it gives him an opportunity to let her know that he’s not psyched about her decisions. But they’re interrupted when she gets a call from her realtor: The house in Massachusetts has sold, so she’s nearly done with the process of putting everything behind her, she happily announces before having to quickly sign off. Eddie looks crestfallen.
KATHERINE AND GRETA | Katherine brings Greta breakfast in bed on her birthday and surprises her with a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. The theme of the trip? Their high school years. But the VW Beetle she rents to get them to the ferry breaks down, meaning they literally miss the boat. As they walk on a nearby beach while waiting for the tow truck, they come across a picnic. Greta realizes that they’re on the beach where she asked Katherine to homecoming years before. Katherine talks about how she made a mistake all those years ago, then gets down on one knee and proposes. Greta says yes. (And yep, the car breaking down was a ruse.)
ROME AND REGINA | Rome isn’t happy when he learns that Regina spent their airline miles — which they’d been saving for a trip to Kona — on the hotel room for Dustin and his daughter without consulting him. Later, Dustin shows up at the food truck to say that he checked out of the hotel, and that the job he’d planned to interview for was filled before he got there.
Tyrell comes home from college, intending to surprise Valli by attending her high school formal with her. After seeing how much Regina cares for her foster son, Dustin changes his mind and agrees to place his daughter in foster care… but then Val, moved by their story, offers to let them both stay at her place for a while. Meanwhile, Tyrell’s plan to surprise Valli is thwarted when he realizes she’s interested in another guy (and going to the dance with him); they break up. Before Tyrell heads back to Yale, he gives Sophie the corsage he’d intended to give Valli, and they make plans to see each other when her band plays New Haven in a few weeks. Hmm…
Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the episode? Are you happy Baby Mendez is here? Sound off in the comments!
