ABC Family's Chasing Life - Episode 1.07 "Unplanned Parenthood"
April sees a fertility doctor to learn about her options and looks to her support group on how to tell Dominic about her leukemia. She also gets Leo's blessing to write a piece that paints Bruce Hendrie in an unflattering light and wins some hard-earned recognition at work.
April doesn't ultimately know what she wants. She thinks she knows what she wants - success at work, a stress-free dynamic with Dominic, a supportive family, etc. But she is still clueless about a lot of things. That feeling has only been amplified following her cancer diagnosis. She has spent her whole life worrying about other people and how they will feel. Sometimes she forgets that she needs to put herself and her needs first. However, when she actually does make a firm decision to see the fertility doctor, she wants the people around her to respect that decision and they are the ones who have a problem with it. In that kind of environment, it is very easy to see why April is the way that she ia. But that shouldn't and can't keep her from making these important decisions that ultimately will effect her the most."Unplanned Parenthood" gives April what she wants in very different ways. She gets her first byline at the paper! It's a big deal and it's another piece about the questionable aspects of Bruce Hendrie. The staff and her friends throw her a party to celebrate the big achievement. And yet, she isn't smiling in the way that a happy person does after succeeding at something they've tried for a long time to obtain. Her mind is somewhere else. Instead of being happy for herself and this accomplishment, she's worried about whether or not she should tell Dominic the truth - which is made only more difficult by a new job opportunity for him - as well as Dominic and Leo being in the same room together as actual friends. She's stressed about a lot. That feeling only gets stronger as the night goes on and Brenna discovers the picture of their father with Natalie in April's desk. April explains just how difficult it is being honest with people and it does feel very potent. She's struggled telling the truth which thusly makes her a little bit more sympathetic to her father about the whole Natalie situation. She simply doesn't know the full story and thusly she shouldn't just assume the worst in him.
But solutions are popping up to her list of problems that she didn't have any real hand in. Dominic going on tour with Daft Punk for four months in Europe is an amazing opportunity. It also gives her a way to let him go in order to truly think about herself and her needs and get better. That way when he returns she is strong again and can put the whole cancer thing behind them. It's unnecessary to tell him now. That's what she's thinking as justification. On top of all of that, her bill for freezing her eggs has been paid for already. She doesn't have $5,000 but it's been taken care for her. I suspect it was Leo but I would be pleasantly surprised if it was Sara or George.
Some more thoughts:
- "Unplanned Parenthood" was written by Benjamin C. Jones and directed by Melanie Mayron.
- That Tribal Fusion mix does seem like it be a wonderful thing to listen to as you work towards a deadline. Although I was wondering April was gonna pass out after that intense montage.
- Brenna and Greer finally just kissed. We knew that was gonna happen but it's intriguing how it stems more naturally from what's happening with April than her little thing with Kiernan.
- Yeah, didn't care for the misunderstanding with the Cancer Caregivers Mixer. You would think George would know what happens there as he deals with those kinds of families all the time. At least Sara got to express herself a little bit.
- LOVED Beth trying to hide behind the refrigerator door. And then Graham just being cocky about it as he came out.
