‘Conversations With Friends’ 1×12 Review: “Episode 12”

One thing that I absolutely hate about Sally Rooney books is that they leave this open ended ending and you’re left going, wait, what? Now, I will admit that a cliffhanger is a good thing, but that’s if something is coming. But that’s the thing we don’t ever really get a resolution.

And this is no different.

You just need to be prepared that when it comes to her books or her series, you’re never going to get what you want. There will never be anything tied in a big bow.

And so, though we’ve loved this entire series, we left this episode smiling and frustrated. But lets break it down.

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FRANCES GETS AGGRESSIVE

Frances is wading through life when she should be living. But existing is easier for her right now. In existing she doesn’t have to feel.

She’s avoiding everyone. Philip tries to get her to go out with him, but she doesn’t want to. Instead she goes home and when the book with her writing comes, she automatically thinks of Bobbi. But Bobbi won’t answer the phone.

So she goes to who she blames for causing the issue with Bobbi. I think we were all shocked when she calls Melissa and the first words out of her mouth are asking Melissa why she showed Bobbi the story. Melissa’s response of “I don’t know, why did you fuck my husband” was epic. Cause like true, but also Melissa, Bobbi was collateral damage in this feud. Frances calls her out for showing Bobbi to hurt her, and though Melissa calls her a narcissist and well, it’s like hi pot, meet kettle.

Melissa and Frances see the world in very different ways and that is okay. But when they see it in different ways, it can hurt when someone calls you out for it. Though I do believe that this conversation was necessary and important for the both of them to have.

Melissa is like I asked Bobbi how she felt about it, and she didn’t know. She asked to see it and Melissa liked that she didn’t know. It was good to know Frances treats everyone with contempt and not just her. Frances is like I didn’t feel contempt towards you. Melissa is like you took every opportunity to make me feel pathetic. She’s like everything was about Nick not about you and Melissa is like he’s my husband, I am part of it.

Telling Frances shit she may not want to hear is important. Sometimes you need to hit a person with the hard truth in order for them to see what they are doing and how they are behaving.

“Your actions have impact. Your writing has impact. The way you have behaved has impact. The way you have behaved has consequences.”

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Words that Melissa said to Frances that sure, will hurt, but were important to say.

Melissa tells Frances that she made my depressed husband happy and then she gave up when things got complicated, and now he’s struggling again and Frances calls her as if she’s the fucking victim. Melissa is like leave us alone.

In my opinion they are both victims and both not victims. It’s complicated and what they are victims of changes every second. But Melissa telling her things forcefully seems to be the only way to get through to her. It’s the only way to make Frances think.

Frances apologizes for this aggressive call. She says she doesn’t know what she is doing and she’s having a hard time. Melissa asks Frances if she’s ok and says she doesn’t sound fine. Frances is like I just haven’t been the person I should have been. Frances wishes she had been more thoughtful and wants to apologize for that.

FRANCES REALIZES SHE HAS FEELINGS

All of this has Frances thinking and reevaluating. She can’t get ahold of Bobbi so she writes her an email.

She wanted to say sorry and for that to mean something different this time. Frances keeps thinking about what it [the story] may have looked like to Bobbi. She’s trying to explain her feelings. She says that they never talked about why thy couldn’t be together and Frances has been reacting to that. Their relationship isn’t a game and she thinks of Bobbi constantly. She thought she wasn’t capable of love, but that isn’t true. She knows she’s hurt Bobbi but she loves her and always has.

It’s a brave email, even I will give her credit for that.

The next day Bobbi calls and tells Frances it was a solid email, but Frances was going for honest. They both laugh and make plans for Bobbi to come over later.

When Bobbi does come over, it starts out awkward, but soon, they fall into their routine. These two love each other and they’ve spent all this time denying it. The two are able to realize that they love each other and when they are together, and be together.

The next morning they have to have the talk. The talk of what happens next. Bobbi says she doesn’t want to move back in and Frances says she doesn’t want that. Frances doesn’t want it to be the way it was. Frances is like I do want us to be committed to each other in our way – whatever that turns out to be.

We see a lot of moments with Frances and Bobbi and you can’t help but smile, because you see Frances finally starting to live her life. She’s living instead of existing and that’s a beautiful thing when someone decides just that.

DO WE NEED WINE

Its winter and Francis is at the bookstore when her phone rings.

Nick.

Nick’s name is on the phone and she’s not sure what to do, but she answers. He asks if they need wine. Frances is like I don’t think you meant to call me. It takes a second, but he realizes who he’s called.

The two make a little bit of small talk when she lets him know that it’s good to hear his voice. You can tell by the look on her face that she is happy, that she missed him, and she really does love him. He says he’s been strict with himself to not call. She asks why he hasn’t. He said you didn’t want to see me anymore. She said I did. Nick asks for 10 seconds and he’ll call her right back.

Who knows what happened in those 10 seconds, but he did call back. I know that she’s committed to Bobbi and I know that she loves both Bobbi and Nick, but there is something that Nick makes her feel that no one else does.

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But this time apart has made her grow. She is finally honest with him. She tells him about her endometriosis. She tells tells him about the not having kids and then he told her that he was sleeping with Melissa and she felt like her body wasn’t going to feel good to him anymore. He’s quiet. He wants to know why she didn’t tell him. She was worried he would treat her differently. He’s in tears. He wishes he had known.

He felt like he was not what she wanted and he was getting it all wrong. She says he wasn’t and for a second, I was like, thank you for you two finally communicating and growing. He says she wasn’t happy that he loved someone else, but she says she did to.

The reality is that I know that I am supposed to believe in the sanctity of marriage and believe that Nick shouldn’t cheat. I don’t understand why Melissa and Nick are together, I don’t understand why he won’t leave her. It just is all weird.

But that all being said, I do feel like Nick and Frances belong together.

He asks where she is. She tells him and that she’s sorry she fucked everything up. Impressive that Frances took responsibility for her actions.

He asks if she remembers Melissas birthday after they kissed. He stayed in his room for hours. He felt paralyzed by the idea she was close by and might come back. He has this impulse to be available to her.

She tells him to come and get her.

And then it ends.

IT ENDS.

What the fuck? Anyone else need to know what happens next? I need more.

OTHER THOUGHTS

Frances seeing her Dad is awkward, but it’s also good for her to realize that she loves her father and that though she’s been angry with him, she really does love him.
Frances seeing her Mom live and have a good time at the bar, as well as communicate with her, was nice to see. You don’t want her to suffer. Either one of them.
Frances and her Mom discussing what her Dad used to be and her Mom wanting her to know that he wasn’t always like this was nice to see. Because hey, it starts all the healing between them.

Conversations with Friends is streaming now on Hulu.

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