SLS – As this episode of Somebody Somewhere begins, Sam (Bridget Everett) begins her vocal lessons with Darlene (Barbara Robertson. She instructs Sam to sing and to keep going when she stops. Once Sam finishes, Darlene tells her that she has given her chills just like the first time she heard her sing. She remembers Sam singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas with her high school choir. At the time, she thought Sam sounded rich and mature. Sam brought in “Ave Marie” by Schubert. She is supposed to sing it for her friend’s wedding, but Sam doesn’t believe she can sing that style of music.

Darlene thinks they’ll get there. Joel (Jeff Hiller) struggles to write a speech for the wedding. He stops when Sam finishes her lesson and comes out. As they prepare to leave, Brad Schraeder (Tim Bagley) arrives for his lesson. Joel and Sam call him SLS for St. Louis Sushi. Then, Sam, Joel, and Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) try to work on the farm. Sam and Joel tell Tricia about Fred (Murray Hill) getting married to Susan (Jennifer Mudge). Tricia suggests Trish Upon A Star can decorate for Fred. She pleads with Sam to speak to Fred about it, but Sam thinks it sounds like a bad idea.

As for Joel, he thinks they should just have a meeting. Later that night, Joel speaks to Sam about what Fred and Susan may want for their wedding. The following day, Sam tells Darlene that she feels like she is forcing it. As they work through the lesson, Sam says they have their work cut out for them. When Darlene asks why she is saying that, Sam reminds her she told her that in high school. Darlene tells her that she has a rich, full instrument and not a heavy voice. Everyone has to work hard no matter what their gift is. They agree to start fresh. Brad sits down with Joel outside. Joel notices that his bag says Bethany Lutheran Church.

They briefly chat about the trees before Sam comes out and Brad goes inside. Sam jokes with Joel about having a boner. Tricia invites Fred, Susan, and Sam inside. Tricia shows them some of her ideas. In private, Sam tells Fred that there is no pressure on any of this. Fred asks about the song before Tricia and Susan interrupt. Tricia will put together some options based on their budget. Once Fred and Susan leave, Tricia scolds Sam for having fun with this. Sam tells her not to do the wedding if she doesn’t want to. Joel visits Fred at work to say he hasn’t been back to church since he left. Since a wedding is a holy ceremony, Joel is struggling to see what it’ll mean standing there before God for the first time since he lies.

Fred believes he is overthinking things because they can deal with God at another time. Susan doesn’t know if her parents are going to make it so Fred just wants to make it a great day for her. Joel says he’ll be there. Sam and Tricia go to the home to see Mary Jo. Ms. Lindgren (Charin Alvarez) comes out to tell them that something has happened. She explains that there has been a long line of behavioral situations. They aren’t capable of providing the level of care Mary Jo needs right now. That could change with an adjustment to her psych meds, but they’re not authorized to make those changes. Lindgren recommends admitting her to St. Michael’s Hospital in Wichita. Otherwise, they can try to help the family find another facility.

Sam suspects no one is going to take her. Ms. Lindgren knows they were here to see their mother, but she has them on the no-fly list. They decide to leave and get a drink. Tricia wonders if they should reach out to their father. Sam recommends not bothering him. Later, Joel learns that Brad picked up some driftwood for his students. He explains that he makes plaques for all his kids who get perfect attendance. Sam has another lesson with Darlene Edwards. As they do breathing exercises, Sam breaks down and says she can’t do it. Joel follows Sam when she rushes away from the home. Tricia is busy working on decorations for the wedding. She notices a comment on her phone from someone called Amy Sedaris.

She finds the picture she posted about Charity. Joel tries to convince Sam to go for a walk, but she says she doesn’t feel like it. Sam admits his positivity is getting on her nerves. As they walk, Sam tells Joel what happened. Sam remembers that Darlene told her to remember this feeling and how it is like the first time she fell in love. When Joel asks if she has been in love, Sam questions why she’d do that to herself. She’d rather sit around judging people who choose love and lose. Joel suggests joining a dating site together, but Sam calls that disgusting. Sam admits Joel is the only person she knows who would do anything for her. After Sam uses the bathroom, they agree they’ve earned ice cream.

 

Somebody Somewhere Review

This was a better episode of Somebody Somewhere because it touched on the emotional aspect of the story. The series is always at its best when it gets serious and deals with the emotional part of Sam’s life. However, the show is still using the humor as a crutch so it doesn’t have to fully lean into the serious stuff. That could be authentic though since some people use humor to overshadow their emotions.

The humor can be hit or miss and it likely isn’t going to hit the target with every viewer. Even though this type of show isn’t something I’d normally love, I sincerely appreciate those profound, emotional moments. It’d be nice if the series would be released in its entirety at once though because it can be difficult to wait for each episode. The episode scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of Somebody Somewhere can be found on Reel Mockery here.

Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.