“Can we talk?”
Lord, if someone says that to us, we have a freaking heart attack. Especially if there is time between the question and the conversation. Don’t ask us if we can talk, just talk.
When Melissa emails Frances and asks the dreaded question, we even got a lump in our throat. But we admired Frances courage, as well as Melissa’s, when they agreed to meet. We woulda put our tail between our legs and ran the opposite way.
THE CONVERSATION
Frances goes to Melissa’s home to speak (we would have chosen neutral ground). The two sit to speak and understandably Melissa is hostile. We can’t even hate on Melissa’s attitude, because she’s doing a million times better than us. We woulda slapped Frances and been like, you know what you did.
Melissa thanks her for coming (generous) and asks her what she has been thinking. Is there something Frances wants out of this? Well, we all know Frances wants something out of this, even if she isn’t willing to admit it to herself. She says that there is no plan, which puts Melissa a little at ease, because that is what Nick said. However, Nick tells people what he thinks that they want to hear, so she wanted to hear it from Frances.
Melissa is trying, but she does get savage. Granted, its a tame savage, but it’s savage. She tells Frances that she once did this to Nick. He was depressed and she dealt with that by having an affair with his best friend, so maybe she doesn’t have the right to feel so betrayed. She continues by telling Frances that he wouldn’t have been able to fuck her friends, that would have been terrifying for him. But fucking Frances, well, that would cause some pain.
She wants Frances to feel like shit and she’s doing a good job making sure she does.
Frances says she understands why she feels betrayed. Melissa says she encouraged a friendship between the two and then they started fucking. And Melissa can’t even fight with Nick, he’s so passive. She’s gotten so used to thinking of him as pathetic.
And as if the knife isn’t in deep enough, Melissa continues by telling Frances that things are better between her and Nick. They are talking again. Melissa doesn’t want to leave Nick and he doesn’t want to leave her. But she won’t ask him to stop seeing Frances. Nick says he loves Frances, which she has to accept. But the issue is that Melissa doesn’t know if he still loves her. Things are better between them. Nick is happier and Melissa believes he’s happier because of Frances and that’s what she’s always wanted, his happiness. And she’s proving it.
THE MOST AWKWARD DINNER EVER
Melissa has always had awkward ideas and the latest, that they all have dinner together. She’ll invite Bobbi. If we were either of them, we would avoid, but you know.
When Frances tells Bobbi about the talk, she says that it was weird, as if Melissa was trying to tell her that she had an affair first and that she was permitting them to be together. But Bobbi knowing Frances, asks what Melissa actually said.
Frances says that Melissa said that Frances made him better, and she wants to find a way to make it work. Bobbi says that is generous and well, we have to agree. Frances says that it felt hostile. Bobbi reminds her that it should, Frances is sleeping with her husband, but if Melissa is wanting to find a way to make it work, that says a lot about her.
Frances is like she wants us all to have dinner, you too. Bobbi is like great, can’t wait to help you all figure out your complicated feelings. And we have to admit we laughed right there. Bobbi’s sarcasm and bluntness was needed.
Frances is always looking for some sort of validation and that’s fine. We all are. But we all have to learn in life that just because we want it, doesn’t mean we’re always going to get it.
Things will be weird.
They won’t always be perfect.
While, we were hoping that they wouldn’t go through with the dinner, but they do. Bobbi and Frances head over and miraculously don’t run out the door, instead head into the kitchen, where it apparently smells great.
Melissa is doing her best to throw digs wherever she can. She reminds them that this is uncharted territory. But you can still sense the awkwardness when none of them know where to sit, and then you can’t help but think Melissa is trying when she has Frances and Nick sit next to each other.
Again, though, Melissa makes sure to assert her dominance and knowledge of Nick, talking about how Nick slept with one of his professors during college, and remarking basically that the age difference was wrong.
The whole night is a lot. But if you think that Melissa is done, you are wrong. After dinner, while Bobbi and Nick are playing game, Melissa asks Frances if she’s writing, to which says not really. Melissa says she’s writing about her dad, he died two years ago, that he was an alcoholic Frances dad was too.
She’s remarking that they are similar – and it’s obvious that she wants Frances to know what she’s saying. Have to say that we were so happy when the night was over, because we basically were watching whole covering our own eyes.
HELLA AWKWARD
Frances is trying to figure out what is happening with her health. She goes to get her scan and Nick texts her and says he’s thinking of her and wants to see her after her appointment.
While I do love Frances, she overthinks everything. When she and Nick are in bed, and he’s telling her about his day with his sister and his niece, she wants to know if he would find her attractive pregnant. Girl, slow your roll. Nick doesn’t make it better by saying yes, probably more. Ummm, how does that work Nick, since you’re not going to leave your wife? How would you raise that baby? Just curious, because you putting ideas into her bead is not a great idea.
A KISS IS JUST A…
Frances is at the store, when she decides to listen to her voicemail. Our shock is that anyone listens to voicemail (spoiler – we don’t), but we may after what she heard. Her Dad is leaving her a message telling her that he can’t do this anymore. She freaked out and when he didn’t answer, she called her Mom and told her what was happening.
That’s a big step for Frances, we feel. Letting her Mom in and letting her knows she needed her. It’s a lot. We’re thankful that her Mom was there for her and found out that her Dad is fine and is being looked after by her Uncle. He’s going through it, but he will be okay. Frances asks if she should call, but her Mom says no, and she’ll call if there are updates.
Bobbi and Frances go out with friends. Both are not in the headspace to be productive, good friends. But hey, Frances can keep it in. Bobbi lashes out. And she definitely unloaded on the table.
When outside with just Frances, she tells Bobbi that she feels like shit. All this stuff at home with her parents getting divorced. She can’t deal with her Dad trying to pit them all against each other.
Frances didn’t know all of this was happening, but Bobbi reminds her that they are all always going through things.
Bobbi and Frances are so familiar with each other that they lean to each other when things go wrong in their lives. It’s a comfort. But when they kiss, my jaw dropped. There are way too many peoples emotions involved in all of this and people need to think of others.
But these two aren’t thinking at all.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Why is it that Nick and Frances saying that they love each other during sex feels awkward?
- Frances not letting Bobbi buy her lunch – I don’t get. Let your friend be there for you.
- Valerie texting Frances… a little worried of what that’s gonna end up doing with her relationship with Melissa.
- Frances telling Nick about the short story before Bobbi is shitty. She should tell Bobbi first, especially since it’s about Bobbi.
Conversations With Friends is streaming now on Hulu.
READ ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS REVIEWS –
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×01 Review: “Episode 1”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×02 Review: “Episode 2”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×03 Review: “Episode 3”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×04 Review: “Episode 4”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×05 Review: “Episode 5”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×06 Review: “Episode 6”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×07 Review: “Episode 7”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×08 Review: “Episode 8”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×09 Review: “Episode 9”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×10 Review: “Episode 10”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×11 Review: “Episode 11”
- ‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×12 Review: “Episode 12”
