The culminating episodes of a season are important not just because they begin to wrap up story threads, but because they really expose a series’ strengths and weaknesses while doing so. Here, the ongoing tensions in the friendship between Jill and Vanessa finally reach a boiling point, a satisfying development for a show that’s more lightly serialized than others of its ilk. The confrontation between Jill and Vanessa is successful because it introduces more meaty dramatic material to the show and demonstrates the importance of this relationship to the story. The writers don’t exactly reinvent the wheel when constructing this emotional climax between the two characters. Jill ditches plans with Vanessa in order to attend the extravagant “Hat Luncheon.” This results in Vanessa calling Jill out for trying to have it both ways: complaining about her wealthy in-laws while actually relishing in her newfound—rather, increased—privilege. Of course the lie is exposed when Vanessa runs into Jill galavanting about in a silly hat with Brooke because that’s what always happens, but the hurt on Vanessa’s face sells this familiar storyline. The hurt that Vanessa displays throughout the episode is that much more impactful because she’s such an independent, acerbic character. That independent streak remains, nonetheless, as she initiates a great confrontation scene that takes place in Jill’s kitchen. This sequence evokes some of the best scenes in shows like Girls, where friendship-oriented plots are given as much weight and nuance as romantic storylines typically receive.
The twist that Vanessa is the truth fairy then balances out the pair’s dynamic. Someone in the UES inner circle has been committing the ultimate sin—educating children about current events—and Brooke takes it upon herself to find the culprit. and Brooke wants to get to the bottom of it. Corrupting UES children is a great follow-up to Vanessa’s babysitting shenanigans this season, contributing to the serialization and the character’s involvement in the main plot. Jill does have a good point that informing kids of the complexities of the human condition without their parents’ consent is probably pushing the boundaries of ethical behavior, and developing her argument further would have been beneficial. Vanessa is an excellent character, but it’s tempting to depict her as a saint in contrast to the abundance of deplorable characters. Vanessa is the audience surrogate in many ways, so sanctifying her would involve way too much pandering; the characters of both Vanessa and Jill benefit when they can take turns being right and wrong.
Vanessa thinks she’s doing the right thing by treating the kids like adults because as a doctor, she prioritizes the facts. Her bluntness also makes her a good friend; she doesn’t sugarcoat things when she’s hurt or concerned by Jill. The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow, but Vanessa’s approach is better than Brooke’s, which involves flattery, manipulation, and passive-aggressive asides meant to belittle. Odd Mom Out has struggled in its depiction of a familiar character like Brooke, overusing cliché plot points like self-serving philanthropic events and plastic surgery—or at least not using them to probe what’s going on under the surface. In its ninth episode, the show finally starts to crack that nut of a woman open, or at least get closer to the truth. Andy catches Lex cheating on Brooke, which facilitates a confession as to the real state of the Weber marriage. This is important because Lex finally gets some grounded characterization, and it suggests that Brooke is distracting herself with the superficial in order to avoid facing her crumbling marriage. The couple’s poor sex life has always been an (easy) joke, but this is a more straightforward and relatable take on the situation.
Seeds have been planted all season regarding both the Jill/Vanessa and Brooke/Lex storylines, but the former feels more successful than the latter because it’s more earned. Lex hasn’t been developed enough as a character up until this point—though he’s now surpassed Andy, which isn’t exactly a high bar—for the audience to invest much in the state of this marriage, but this bit of development is a start.