The show begins with Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph) and John Novak (Adam Scott) riding out to a boat that she received for her birthday. Nicolas (Joel Kim Booster) greets her with a beverage. He pays her a compliment for looking fantastic at 45. John informs her that he approved Nicolas to fill the boat with all her favorite things, regardless of price. Nicolas gives her a tour of the boat. They discuss hiring a crepe for the boat. She asks John for his opinion. He admits to loving crepe.

Nicolas shows her the boat’s smallest pool. She suggests utilizing it for the dogs – Mark, Kate, and Ashley. John is on the phone when she asks how he thinks the dogs will feel about the pool. He is too engrossed in his phone to give her a definitive answer. She tells him that his input would be nice. He assures her that he just wants everything perfect for her. He informs her of his emergency meeting with Hailey. He suggests they enjoy themselves on the boat while he is away.

Molly’s smile turns to a frown while she stares at her reflection in the mirror.

John greets his guests as he goes to meet Molly. After he apologizes for his abrupt departure, she suggests they have dinner together. Agreeing it is a wonderful idea, he informs her of his meeting in Sweden scheduled for tomorrow. She offers to accompany her to the meeting. He assures her that it wouldn’t be a good idea because the meeting will be boring. When she persists in going with him, he asks where all is coming from. She reminds him of the time when they did everything together like partners. He promises they will do dinner when he returns from Sweden and Prague.

Molly is surprised to find Hailey (Dylan Gelula) in John’s closet. Hailey explains how she was getting John a clean tie. Molly asks how she knew where John’s ties were kept. Hailey claims John said he was going to speak with her. Molly looks stunned by her statement.

Molly approaches John as he introduces Seal (as himself). She accuses him of being with Hailey in their bedroom. He promises to explain what happened. She scolds him in front of their guests before asking for a divorce. She rushes out the door, with him in tow. As she tries to access one of their sports cars, he pleads with her to let him explain what happened. She screams at him to “shut the fu** up.” When Bartosz cannot tell her how to drive a stick, she goes it alone. After backing into a tree, she haphazardly exits the parking lot.

A breaking news report announces John and Molly’s divorce. The anchorwoman tells viewers Molly inherited $87 billion.

Molly parties it up with Nicolas. She rushes over to greet a man who she believes is Sting. The man explains that he is just a waiter. Refusing to believe him, she asks for a selfie. While trying to achieve the perfect pose, she falls backward into the pool.

Molly takes to Advil when Nicolas approaches to inform her dinner is ready. She asks if her not getting Botox is why she is divorced. Nicolas describes her as a “goddess,” with great skin. She admits to asking herself if she should’ve done things differently. He orders her to stop blaming herself for what happened.

A sobbing Molly sits alone eating, with a photo of her and John nearby. She receives a call from Sofia Salinas (MJ Rodriguez). When Sofia says she is the executive director of her charity, Molly asks what she is talking about. Sofie explains how she and John established the charity seven years ago. She asks for an emergency in-person meeting tomorrow.

Howard (Ron Funches) greets Molly as his cousin, with a massive bear hug. He explains how his aunt Patty is a cousin of her mother’s. He refers to himself as Little Wee-Wee. She pretends to remember him. He tells her about his former job in a vape shop slash comic bookstore.  On a tour of the facility, she is introduced to the foundation’s account, Arthur (Nat Faxon). Apologizing for staring, Arthur admits he isn’t accustomed to encountering celebrities. She assures him that she isn’t a celebrity. Howard describes her as “the most famous cheated-on woman on the planet.” He informs her that “black Twitter” support her. Arthur says so does “white Facebook.”

Molly greets Sofia to discuss the foundation. Pointing at a photo of children, she asks why they are thanking her.  Sofia warns her that the foundation is impacted by her behavior.  Molly asks her to explain what she is referring to. She explains how it’s inappropriate to have a pool incident on the news.  Molly blames her Sting mistake on drugs before promising to be unproblematic from here on out.

David Chang prepares foie gras for Molly. They briefly discuss charity work. She assures him that the foie gras is delicious but wants a microwave bean and cheese burrito, with some Pringles.

Sofia is surprised to see Molly and her entourage. Molly explains they are necessary for the ribbon cutting. Sofia tells her it wouldn’t reflect very well on the charity to arrive in expensive, not-so-eco-friendly SUVs. Molly donates $10k to an environmental organization to smooth things over.

Arthur thanks Molly for the SUVs. He informs her of his decision to take the job at her charity to have more time for his daughter after his divorce. She tells him that his daughter probably views him as her hero. He assures her it is quite the opposite. She rolls her eyes when he discusses his political status. He admits to having a difficult time recovering from his divorce.

Sofia actually thanks Molly for bringing her followers to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Olive Street Women’s Center. As Molly walks away to speak to the attendees, Sofia tries to tell her there is no speech. Molly gives the attendees a grab bag filled with a wine t-shirt and other accessories. Looking inside the bag, Sofie says, “We are so fu**ed.”

A news anchor describes the ribbon-cutting ceremony as disastrous. He explains how the public describes Molly’s speech as “offensive” and “out-of-touch.”

After watching the news segment, Molly assures them that they are overreacting. Howard agrees with her. Sofia drags Molly into her office to ask her to find another hobby. Molly assures her that she meant well. Sofia accuses her of trying to fill the empty hole in her heart due to her divorce. Molly tells her that she partially agrees with her. She admits to never trying to find herself. Sofia openly admits to not caring about her personal issues. She agrees to let her stay involved in the foundation. Molly questions if she has the authority to keep her away. She assures her that she doesn’t.

Molly spruces up her new office and changes the name on the door from Molly Novak to Molly Wells. She sits contentedly in her office as the episode comes to an end.

 

Loot Review

I was skeptical right from the get-go. After watching the entirety of the episode, I knew why.

Almost immediately, it was obvious Maya Rudolph was miscast. Adam Scott is irrelevant because his character, John Novak appears to have already been written off. His appearance is a poor attempt to draw his fans to the show.

Molly has nothing on Sofia who I found intolerable. She is being portrayed as a stickler for the rules. She is so engrossed in being the perfect executive director that nothing else matters.

The show went south when it became about politics. It touches on climate change, homelessness, divorce, poverty, and gun violence. I’m sure more political issues will be added with each episode.

Molly’s wardrobe needs a major overall.

The episode deserves a 5.5. Get more Loot recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link to learn more.