It’s Not Like That Season 1 Episode 4 Review: The Space I Keep For You

Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

4.2

There is nothing quite as heartbreaking as watching a good person, albeit lost, hit rock bottom.

And It’s Not Like That Season 2 Episode 4 had David free-falling into darkness after his hurt, anger, and pain regarding Malcolm and Lori’s dynamic drove him to drink for the first time in two years.

Life is hard, and everyone is fighting their own battles. It’s Not Like That doesn’t hold back from capturing that, and how sometimes we don’t realize how much pain others are in beyond our own.

Much of the series’ conflict comes down to the most common trope—the simplest thing that always trips people up: communication, or a lack thereof.

During It’s Not Like That Season 1 Episode 2, Merritt was left reeling when he overheard Malcolm and Lori talking about sharing a kiss. But sadly, he didn’t speak to his mother about it or open a line of communication to process his feelings or gain clarity.

He sat on it and stewed in it.

Frankly, I can’t blame the poor guy, as I, too, would’ve done the same. However, what brought things to a head was when he let it slip to David during It’s Not Like That Season 2 Episode 3 rather than getting the issue to his mother.

It was a moment of frustration and anger with his father, and his parents in general, that led to this revelation. He apparently shared more about seeing Malcolm come out of David’s townhouse while Lori was there.

And it was all so messy. Merritt not having this conversation with Lori, even after spilling the beans to David, was rough and led to so much confusion and hard feelings.

It sent the adults spiraling, but that’s been par for the course thus far in the series. The adults have as much difficulty navigating their own mess as they do their kids’.

What I loved about this particular hour was that they addressed that head-on.

No one is okay right now, but there have been times when Malcolm, Lori, and David dropped the ball with their children simply because they’ve been preoccupied with their own issues.

Merritt’s admission may have blown things up, or rather kick-started that, but it was necessary in a way, too.

What was most heartbreaking, though, was David.

Fortunately, It’s Not Like That doesn’t treat addiction and alcoholism like it’s solely a moral failing and nothing more. It also shows the different people who suffer because of the disease.

My first fear was that Merritt would blame himself for his father breaking his sobriety. After all, if he hadn’t heard about Malcolm and Lori, he wouldn’t have drunk, right? But it doesn’t work like that.

David has had a lot of issues, and you can tell that he’s been struggling for a while, especially since his divorce from Lori.

Maybe it’s a midlife crisis, or some other form of crisis, but his life is in disarray, and he can’t figure out how to put the pieces together to start a new chapter.

Nevertheless, it didn’t hinder my annoyance when the one manager kept insisting that he drink.

It’s one of my biggest pet peeves because people are way too casual about social drinking and pressuring people to partake in this social norm that could be damaging.

The horror and guilt on the manager’s face when David threw his two sobriety chips on the counter and took another swig were rough to witness. It’s just another aspect of at least trying to be more cognizant of other people’s battles.

But ultimately, David’s drinking falls on him. I’m glad that, upon seeing how much he scared and hurt Casey, and after the fog of inebriation lifted, he went to a meeting.

Day by day is what they say, and now he’s starting over again.

David has a long road ahead of him, but a crucial part of his getting through all of this is accountability.

He’s been more focused on moving past the decimation of his family and on wanting everything to be happy, so he hasn’t faced up to his own errors along the way.

But it was easy to sympathize with him, too. One of his biggest insecurities has revolved around Lori “getting Malcolm” in the divorce. He went from having a friend he felt was close enough to losing it all after divorcing his wife.

Even without the romantic undertones, his friendship with Malcolm is nowhere near Malcolm’s friendship with Lori. And it often seems as if their families are still intertwined and moving forward without him.

No one telling him themselves about the kiss or anything else was hurtful. And knowing that he’s confided in Malcolm about Lori, and that Malcolm omitted things, was, too.

It makes sense that Malcolm is the last person he wants to give advice, compassion, or preachings to right now. From David’s perspective, it’s probably frustrating that Malcolm can retreat into his role as a pastor during conflicts like this.

So many of their issues could have been resolved if everyone just communicated better.

I still felt awful for Lori as well. You can tell she’s seen David at his absolute worst as an alcoholic. It’s this whole other side to their story and marriage that reveals new layers and challenges.

And having to work with David, too, doesn’t make it any easier.

But I loved that this all made her open her eyes a bit more. She’s been struggling with balancing raising her kids and coping with her grief. However, sometimes, she’s missed things.

The hour had her refocusing a bit on her kids, and it was necessary. It was vital for her to direct more attention to Merritt. He’s been struggling with the divorce most, and stress can lead to vices like drinking.

Knowing he’s already susceptible to alcoholism because of his father, I loved that she instantly had that in mind, and her maternal instincts are kicking into overdrive right now.

The talk with Merritt was great, but I know Lori has a gut feeling he’s not telling her the full truth about how much he drinks. She’ll figure things out soon.

My heart aches for the Sotos and these struggles. It’s nice that some of their life issues are addressed head-on, so they’re not just in the shadow of the Jeffries losing someone carrying more weight.

I’m itching for Merritt and David to have a moment addressing their drinking. Both Soto men desperately need this and each other.

Thanks to Grace, Malcolm is also starting to pay more attention to Justin. He’s constantly reassured himself that Justin is the kid he “never has to worry about,” but that means that the issues Justin does have fall under the radar.

A boy his age should be more social or have at least one friend his own age. He’s not socializing with his peers, and that’s crucial for childhood development.

I totally understand Justin, as I, too, was a small, quiet, nice, bookish introvert. However, knowing that his introversion has also led to bullying is cause for concern. Once Malcolm stopped being defensive, I’m glad he realized it was an issue and worked to address it.

It also led him to Grace. She’s gorgeous, didn’t exactly hide her attraction to him, and, unlike his first date, Grace doesn’t find his being a pastor intimidating.

I mean, and Malcolm is a hot pastor and a catch. You don’t release a good catch.

The chemistry between Malcolm and Grace is actually lovely. It feels a bit doomed, as Malcolm even chose to ask her out after Lori set a boundary and said they aren’t going to happen.

That’s my biggest concern about Malcolm and Grace right now. He’s grieving for his wife, has feelings for his wife’s best friend, and is ready to start dating a teacher at his son’s school.

It’s all so messy!

Grace seems perceptive and intuitive, so I’d love to see the conclusion she draws when she sees Malcolm and Lori in action.

She already knows she has a challenge with dating a widow… but the Malcolm and Lori of it all on top of that is even more complicated to navigate.

I don’t know how the kids will react to him dating, though. Pen and Justin may have a problem, but we at least know Flora is supportive.

My dearest Flora has a beautiful voice, and the blossoming romance between her and Merritt is beautiful. They’re really embodying that young love feeling.

Knowing Flora’s struggles, it’s nice to see her open herself up so much to someone. Merritt makes her feel seen and understood, and you can tell how much value that.

It was so clear that the words she wrote were for and about him. The way they encourage each other and have become each other’s confidants is what’s most endearing about their dynamic.

Yet, I still smiled fondly at their first kiss, with them bathed in sunlight. How perfect!

Of course, there’s trepidation here too. Flora has fallen hard and fast, but Merritt is still very much still dealing with his familial issues. I’m not sure he realizes just how serious Flora is about him and her feelings.

It’s a recipe for disaster that could genuinely hurt her, and they’re both so fragile right now. Of course, the frinking is another issue, too.

I’m definitely deeply in my “protect these babies at all costs.”

Although it was satisfying to see Pen cope with Casey getting to perform onstage and spend time with Claire Leslie.

Pen will never realize that Casey was on that stage because of painful actions, because Pen, like many young adults, rarely thinks beyond her own self-interest.

But the idea that she’d treated Casey so horribly for a while, yet magically expected Casey to want to get her tickets for her and her friend, was mystifying.

Sometimes, people need humbling. Sadly, I don’t think this will humble Pen; it will only fuel things further, but we shall see.

Over to you, It’s Not Like That Fanatics. How are you feeling about this series so far?

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