‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×04 Review: “Episode 4”

Croatia.

I can’t say that I would have gone on this holiday. I am not sure why it is that Frances thought it was a good idea to go. I get wanting to be there for Bobbi, but there’s a bigger thing going on here.

Melissa is going to be a hospitable host. She picks them up and takes them to the house. She gives them a tour and shows Frances her room. It’s beautiful. She tells Bobbi not to worry, she loves all her children equally.

Everyone is getting settled, but Frances is the last one to be join the group. Derek and Evelyn, who they met at Melissa’s birthday are there. They are a cute couple who seem genuinely in love. Melissa is welcoming, but there is something about her being welcoming that scares me.

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Melissa seems calculating. It feels as though she’s waiting for the shoe to drop or to be the one one to drop the shoe. She wants something out of this whole situation and I am not sure what it is. But as sure as I know the day is long, I know in my gut that Melissa can’t be trusted.

Nick enters the situation and it definitely is awkward. But as awkward as it is, you can tell that there are still feelings between Frances and Nick. Bobbi is trying to distract the situation and for a moment I actually really think that she’s a good friend.

Bobbi and Frances have their issues, but all of those are based on secrets. Bobbi wants to be more open, but the two still dance around conversations. She wants to know about how big Frances crush is, but as usual, Frances is able to make the conversation about anyone but her. She asks about the crush that Bobbi has on Melissa and if the kiss that they shared will happen again.

Bobbi says no, but I don’t believe that either.

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What I do believe is that Bobbi is hiding things from Frances and doesn’t want to say it, but wants information from her. She and Melissa have to be up to something.

Avoiding Nick isn’t an option, because the next day, he’s going to be the one to show the girls around the island. They seem to be having a great time, all learning how to act around each other.

But at the private beach they go to Bobbi goes straight into the water. Nick and Frances are silent alone, but as usual he brings something out of her. She asks if it’s awkward that that she’s on his holiday. He says no, it’s good to see her and asks if its awkward for her. She says extremely. Bobbi still swimming, oblivious to what they are talking about and her realizes that Bobbi doesn’t know. Frances didn’t tell her. Nick apologizes, as he does, and she asks for what. Was he sorry for hurting her feelings: He says sure, for that and the way that he handled things. It’s really good to see her. He means that.

It’s good to see them getting along. Do I think that the game that these two are playing is dangerous? Yes. And they keep tempting fate. That or fate keeps tempting them.

Later that night when Frances gets up for a drink of water, she finds Nick in the kitchen, cleaning. They make small talk, but she finds valuable information – that him and Melissa are sleeping in separate rooms. But rather than tempt fate more she returns to her room.

And Nick, he sees that there is shit going on with her. The next day, when they are in town, Frances gets a phone call. It’s her Dad, he’s drunk, and he’s wanting to connect with her. Nick sees her on the phone and notices she’s upset. And maybe that’s part of why I like him – he notices things.

And he tries to be there for her .

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Later in the day, Frances is alone by the pool. She’s at a loss, frustrated, and annoyed. Nick comes and sits by her and asks if she’s okay. She tells him about her Dad being an alcoholic. She feels at ease telling him things, as if there is no judgement. She knows that her Dad has a hold on her and she wishes she could figure things out so that he wouldn’t have a weird hold on her. But he reminds her that sometimes, people just want to feel needed.

Not sure if he’s talking about himself there.

Nick is staring at her like he misses her.

She admits that she doesn’t even know if she loves her Dad. She says it feel stupid to love someone unconditionally sometimes, that there should be conditions on love. He asks if she’d draw up a contract. They laugh and she says it would probably help. There would be a lot of clauses.

Frances in bed. Bobbi comes in, she wants to go for a hike the next day. She wants to do something just the two of them. They ask each other if they’re having fun and of course they say that they are. But there just feels like there is a little of a disconnect there.

And of course, the next day, when it comes time for them to do something alone, Frances backs out. She’s looking for excuses to spend more time around Nick, but in the process she’s letting down her friend.

She claims that she’s staying behind to write, but that doesn’t go the way she wants it to. She heads back to her room, running into Melissa along the way.

One thing I will commend Melissa for is that she does try to talk to everyone, even if it feels fishy, weird, and suspect. She tries to offer advice, but I do find it weird that she asks if Frances is glad that she came. Melissa says it is good to have company. She loves it and Nick does too. Nick was wrecked when he got there.

Frances wants to make everyone happy, but she’s also so lost. She doesn’t know how to feel emotions and when she does feel them, they become overwhelming to her. At least that’s the way I see it.

I was proud when she tells Bobby that she should have gone with her. At least she’s aware that she needs to put her friend first.

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That night, while playing games, Bobbi makes things uncomfortable. For Frances, it is a way in, for her to text Nick and apologize for Bobbi. But the response that she got wasn’t what she expected. He wanted to kiss her, in front of everyone. She asks to continue this in person. He says yes please and comes to her room.

The two fall back into sleeping with each other. He wants her and she wants him. But, one has to wonder, is he being honest? Is he using her for something? When laying there, wrapped up in each other naked, he tells her that he thought she wanted nothing to do with me. She thought the same about him. Even before. He doesn’t always seem so enthusiastic. He tells her she’s not doing anything wrong, he’s just awkward.

Fair enough. They are both awkward. And maybe that’s why they fit. But I am worried that the person that is going to get hurt in this situation is going to be Frances. Because Nick, well, he has a wife and a life to fall back on.

For Frances this is her first time falling in love with a man.

He kisses her goodbye before he leaves and I have to wonder what part of these two think that any of this is a good idea? Because it just seems like chaos.

Conversations with Friends is streaming now on Hulu.