We’re back! Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ finally gives us what we’ve been clamoring for but it puts Jesse and Phyllis’s relationship to the test. And they aren’t the only couple facing trouble. Emma and Max have their fair share of issues in this episode, too. Ready?
Here we go!
What Happens When You Can No Longer Hide the Truth?
Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ was the answer to our prayers! Jesse finally told Phyllis the truth, and we’re celebrating! Her reaction wasn’t exactly the best… but it was completely logical. Let’s start from the beginning.
Phyllis and Jesse have always served as a foil to Charles and Liz. While the latter pair was constantly fighting and growing apart, Phyllis and Jesse appeared united and never argued. But, as we’ve been saying from the start, that wasn’t real. Jesse was hiding this secret about their family from her and, on top of that, he was using his powers on her to avoid any confrontation.
And he did it far more often than necessary. As we see in Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ this had become a routine. Jesse made sure they never argued. It certainly made things easier, but it also made them unreal. A couple needs to communicate. They need to face difficult, complicated moments—and not just for the sake of make-up sex—though that’s always great!—, but to grow. To stop living frozen in some sort of unreal fairy tale.
Furthermore, while Jesse didn’t have malicious intentions, the truth is that he was manipulating Phyllis, denying her the chance to decide how to handle all of this. This ranged from the smallest things—like an argument over dirty dishes—to much bigger matters, such as knowing who her children, her husband, and the rest of her family truly are. And that’s just not fair.
Phyllis deserved better. But, more than that, Jesse, Mort, and Henry all deserved better. They deserved for Phyllis to know who they truly are. As vampires, they have to hide from the rest of the world but it hurts to have to hide from their own family. That’s why we loved that Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ took that step, with Jesse finally gathering the courage to be honest with Phyllis.
MORE: Eternally Yours Season 1, Episode 5 Review: Max’s Good Heart Causes Trouble
One Rule for Them, Another for Everyone Else
That said, we were very disappointed by Charles and Liz’s reaction when they found out. To play devil’s advocate for a moment: they were right that Jesse should have shared his intentions with them sooner. There was a lot to consider—and plans to be made to protect the coven—before Jesse confessed the truth to Phyllis. But they had no right to make Jesse feel bad for finally being honest with her, nor to demand that he take it back, which is exactly what they did in Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind.’
It’s easy for Charles and Liz. Emma not only knows the truth, but she is also a vampire, just like them. And while Max’s arrival at the coven was… unusual, he’s in the same boat. The point is that Liz and Charles’s immediate family is united, with no secrets between them. That is not the case for Jesse, Phyllis, Mort, and Henry. They’re forced to lie to the person who matters most to them. Every single day.
Liz and Charles should have been more aware of this. They shouldn’t have been so selfish. They needed to put themselves in his shoes. Ultimately, they should have supported them—just as we are certain Jesse supported them when they decided to reveal the truth to Emma. But they didn’t. And in Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ Jesse was pressured to use his powers on Phyllis—with no regard for how he felt about it or how unfair it was to everyone involved.
That’s why we love that Henry and Mort helped Jesse stand up for himself. They may live together, but they’re two separate families. And they have just as much right to keep their own lives free of secrets as Charles and Liz do. So, we’re really glad that Jesse opened up to Phyllis again even though it surely wasn’t easy. But it was worth it.
As for Phyllis’s reaction in Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ we aren’t worried at all. It’s a perfectly normal reaction, but they are her family and she loves them so we’re confident that Phyllis will come around.
MORE: INTERVIEW: Allegra Edwards on the Side of Liz We Haven’t Seen Yet in Eternally Yours
Even the Perfect Couple Has Something to Hide
Meanwhile, Eternally Yours Season 1 Episode 6 ‘Eternal Sunshine of Phyllis’s Mind,’ put the stability of Emma and Max’s relationship to the test for the first time. They’re so perfect together that we sometimes forget they skipped several stages. Due to the circumstances, they began living together and sharing an—eternal—life shortly after meeting.
Even so, they both maintained a space of their own—though Max’s was filled with terrible vampire jokes. Giving up the only space that is still truly their own in a relationship that has moved so quickly is not easy. Max is ready for it, but Emma isn’t and that is perfectly fine. The problem is that, instead of communicating with Max, she lies to him. It’s a “white lie”—meant to spare his feelings—but a lie nonetheless.
And, much like the situation with Jesse and Phyllis, while lying might be the easier path, but it makes everything feel less real. In fact, even though Charles had his own agenda, he actually helped them. Ultimately, he forced Emma & Max to confront what was really happening and to communicate with each other. They grew as a couple because of this—so much so that Emma realizes she is ready, after all, to take that next step with Max. And we couldn’t be prouder of them!
P.S. We didn’t miss the fact that Charles and Liz seem to have rekindled their spark. We love it!
Eternally Yours Season 1 airs on Thursdays at 8:30 PM ET on CBS.
