The episode opens with Mia Polanco (Sophie Wilde) waking up with her first hangover. At breakfast with the family, Rick (Alex Hassell) inquires about her supposed night at the cinema. Alex Polanco (Sam Reuben) helps her sell the lie when she claims to have seen “Shawshank Redemption.” A text from Becca (Lauryn Ajufo) leads her to the garden where her friends refuse to let her suffer her first hangover alone. Will (Noah Thomas) attempts to ease her fears of being known as the anorexic girl who puked at the party by sharing an embarrassing party story of his own. Cameron (Harry Cadby) inadvertently adds stress when he points out that anyone who saw Mia on the dance floor will know she was wasted and not intentionally making herself puke. Will asks to see her bucket list while suggesting focusing on a more achievable goal. He adds karaoke.
Monday at school on her way to class, Mia’s worries are proven true as everyone stares and shares hushed words about her. When Miss Lambert (Amy Trigg) cuts her off in the hallway and requests a word in private, it sparks the memory of the day she asked Dr. Nell (Stephen Fry) for a discharge. In the meeting, Mia talks about how well she’s done over the past week and the efforts she’s put forth. She claims to want to get better now and knows how to do it, but the problem is her motivation is out of reach and that’s why she needs to be out. She snaps back to the present when Miss Lambert alludes to knowing what happened at Theo Mason’s (Robert Akodoto) house. She attempts to make Mia feel better by pointing out that new experiences are always waiting around every corner.
Later that day at school, Mia listens to Will complain about all the attention she’s getting. Mia is in the middle of pointing out that the attention is negative when Theo interrupts and her out to Anchorage Arms. Elsewhere, Cameron and Becca’s intense make-out session is interrupted by a “mayday” call from Mia. Becca appears upset that Cameron is quick to rush to Mia’s aide. Seconds later, he learns the meaning of the emergency call. Will claims the date could change Mia’s entire social standing from “crazy anorexic girl” to “Theo’s girl.” Cameron reminds her that “dating” is on her list and says pub dates are about as casual as they come. Will adds that it’s as easy as asking lots of questions and letting Theo do most of the talking. Becca presents a much bigger problem when she asks what Mia will wear.
Much later that evening while rifling through her closet, Mia attempts to explain to the audience how difficult it is for her to choose clothes. For her, it’s all about hiding while most people choosing clothes for a date would go with more revealing options. She soon realizes that everything she owns makes her look like a sad little boy and most of it doesn’t even fit, which she attributes to progress. Mia visits the mall where she continues to tell the audience that most people mistake anorexia as a desire to be beautiful, and thin while believing they are the same thing. She claims that no matter how thin she got, she still wouldn’t feel beautiful because something is missing. While shopping Mia encounters Alison (Nimah McCormack), who is surprisingly helpful. In the fitting room, Mia’s fear of mirrors causes her to remember more from the earlier session with Dr. Nell. He turns down her request for outpatient therapy and attempts to prove why by asking her to participate in a drawing exercise. She’s soon drawn back to reality by Alison’s nagging insistence to hurry. When she exits she does so fully dressed and claims the dresses are too expensive. She phones Rick who is tied up but promises to send Viv. Alison shocks her when she gives her the dress and claims she’ll tell her father it was charity.
On the ride home, Mia’s surely attitude causes Viv to wrongly assume Mia got caught shoplifting. When Will’s phone call interrupts, Viv discovers that Mia has a date. After some convincing, Mia shares that the date is with Theo. Viv sarcastically jokes about him already seeing her naked because they’ve been so close since preschool.
Later Mia has a hard time getting dressed for her evening when Rick arrives with apologizes for not picking her up. Mia assumes that Viv has blabbed about her date, but Rick claims she has a “look” about her. Mia tells him how she thought she’d be able to pick her life right back up where it left off before treatment. He assures her that she’s made progress; she just can’t see it herself. Once alone, Mia manages to get dressed and look at herself in the mirror.
Walking home from work, Will teases Becca about her relationship but claims he can see how much she cares for him. She points out Cameron’s commitment issues when he urges her to make it official.
Viv makes a serious effort to speak with Mia about safe sex by giving her a grab bag of lubricants and prophylactics. Although Mia attempts to joke her way through the talk, she gets serious by asking Viv if she was happy with herself at her age. Viv claims there wasn’t much to like. Mia asks if other people liked her. She says people liked who she pretended to be, but points out you can’t really like someone you don’t know. Viv ends the conversation by telling Mia she is brave and has the support of great friends. Before catching the bus to meet Theo, Mia consults those friends about the date while also learning that they plan on going through with karaoke night. Will reveals that Carli (Jessie Mae Alonzo) will be Mia’s replacement. As they split up, Cameron and Becca end up alone and she turns down his offers to tell people about their relationship.
Mia’s date with Theo goes awkwardly awry from the start when she has trouble ordering a drink. He recommends a double rum and Coke but she later tries to change it to a Diet Coke and single rum when he excuses himself to the bathroom. He returns to hear the waitress claim they can’t change the drink. Things get worse when she learns Theo has also invited Jonah (Kiran Krishnakumar) and Rhodri (Sani Thabo), who have also brought along Alison and Paul (Dee Ahluwalia). Paul tells Mia she looks nice as she gets up to rush out. Alison follows her and promises she would have said something when they were shopping if she knew the dress was intended for tonight. The encounter leads back to Dr. Nell’s exercise which proves Mia isn’t ready for outpatient therapy. She accuses him of purposely tricking her and flips out while he attempts to explain the symptoms of body dysmorphia.
At the bus stop a double-decker with a huge portrait of Dolly Parton reminds her of karaoke night. At the pub, Mia doesn’t find her friends and ends up in a bathroom stall eating the sandwich she brought from home. She’s greeted by Carli like an old friend when she comes out. Carli identifies herself as Will’s coworker and suggests getting a table. Waiting for the others, Mia learns that Carli just moved to town from Manchester and also attends the same school. Will, Cameron, and Becca arrive shortly after and the episode wraps with Mia watching Will and Carli perform Dolly Parton and Kenny Roger’s “Islands In The Stream.”
Everything Now Review
Once again, I am pleasantly shocked by how well everything seems to flow. There is plenty one could complain about, but the content, the actors, and the scenes seem to mesh. The series does touch on a lot of issues, but it doesn’t seem to aggressively ram them down viewer’s throats. Well-proportioned would be the best way to describe it. The actors aren’t half bad either. For those reasons, I give the episode an easy 6.2 out of 10.
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