Jen and Ben wake up in bed together. Jen seems uncomfortable in the situation but Ben feels relieved. He is blown away by how forgiving Jen has been in “this hit and run” thing. He then proceeds to talk about Steve while holding her hand. Charlie breaks Jen’s reverie by informing her there is a leak in the kitchen only for Ben to show up from behind.
He says he will try his hand at the pipes to his surprise, he finds “something” has completely melted away the plumbing pipes. That is what’s causing the leakage. Judy agrees to chemotherapy and Ashmani says she will need someone to help her through it. Despite Judy’s attempts to wave it off, Ashmani is too experienced to let this one go. Who will Judy tell this to? Ben bonds with Charlie over not telling his mother about that day. He reiterates he is not that kind of irresponsible guy in an attempt to earn Charlie’s trust. ..
The women at the meeting decide to take Ben to grief counseling after he cries his heart out about Steve and past regrets.
Judy decides to have a celebration in honor of her husband Burt’s 20th death anniversary at Jen’s house. It goes well, as Judy tries to allay Jen’s concerns about Moranis by telling her she sent him in another direction away from Jen. Yolanda and Judy have a heart-to-heart conversation about Burt. She tries to cheer up Yolanda by saying that maybe Burt felt he had no choice when he decided to commit suicide. All of this reminds her that she is not playing it fair by Jen by hiding the truth about her cancer. ..
Michelle comes to the party, almost revealing the truth to Jen. But she is not able to as the mother is drawn away to tend to Ben. Michelle comes clean by admitting she heard Judy tell her about the condition but was too cowardly to console her. She realizes her mistake and says to Judy she will be there for her no matter what. Judy is touched and the two embrace. Ben is too drunk and gets up on the stage, only to then fall into the swimming pool and almost drown. The party ends with that and Jen & Judy bring him in. Charlie expresses his anger and disappointment with Ben, after his promise he is responsible enough for the family.
Jen is upset with the revelation that the drowning killed Steve and she could not save him. Judy drops the truth about her cancer to Jen and Jen is expectedly shocked. But she shuts Judy right up when Judy tries to say that she did not want to be a burden on Jen. The two embrace in a heartfelt moment and Jen says she will be with Judy all along till the end. ..
Henry, the officer who had promised to help Ben, arrives at the station and tells the story of how he got the bird. He says that he found it in a dumpster and took it home with him. When he told his family about it, they were so surprised that he had done such a thing. They all believe that Henry was just trying to help out and make things right.
The Episode Review
The acting in this season is far more effective than the other three, most probably because of how the writers have humanized Jen. Some of her dramatic moments here were stunning and swirling.
Judy’s departure in the next episode is sure to stir up a lot of emotions. Some viewers are already mourning her loss, while others are anxious to see what happens next. Regardless of how you feel about Judy’s departure, one thing is for sure: her chemistry with Cardellini makes the show watchable. ..
In “The Road Ahead,” all three of the main characters stepped up and helped make the episode one of the highlights. Although the road ahead seems tough, at least they will not have to face it alone. ..
