Freeform's Everything's Gonna Be Okay - Episode 1.07 "Blue Death-Feigning Beetles"
Matilda's whole life forks between success and obscurity! It's the most important night of her life. Nicholas juggles a house full of people and Penny on screen from her hospital bed in Australia.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Freeform's Everything's Gonna Be Okay.
"Blue Death-Feigning Beetles" was written by Marissa Berlin & Vivienne Walshe and directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg
Nicholas, Matilda and Genevieve are fiercely protective of one another. They understand fully well that not everyone understands their perspectives on the world. They are a very specific family. One that may move forward solely out of inertia instead of some profound connection. And yet, that has made for a fascinating comedy. One where big and extreme things happen only for everything to seemingly go back to normal the following week. Alex believes that it may be beneficial to talk about what happened in Mexico with Nicholas. And yet, he is quickly distracted because life keeps moving forward for the core family. Instead, Alex is pulled into a closet and into a conversation with Nicholas' mother, Penny. That actually does all the work necessary for him to better understand the man he is dating. That communication helps articulate the way that Nicholas was brought up in the world. Matilda and Genevieve have very different upbringings. As such, that does contribute to clashes from time to time. Nicholas wants to be the fun-loving guardian whom everyone loves and trusts. And yet, he feels bad about lying for Barb and having to yell at the teenage girls when they are caught trying to catfish Barb's mom. That is absolutely horrifying. Tallulah makes it sound so common as well. This is just some random activity she does from time to time because it is fun for her to do. It's a power move. One that helps her feel in control of her life. Genevieve and Barb go along with it because they see the value it can potentially bring. But it also highlights the new reckless choices that teenagers are making in the present day. This is an option afforded to them by social media and it can have profound consequences. Nichola doesn't want to yell at the girls. Instead, he has Penny lecture them about how humiliating this whole experience is to a middle age woman who may feel lonely. It's a profound invasion of one's privacy. Penny has no vested interest in the outcome of all of this. However, she will speak her mind no matter what. It's outrageous to see how blunt she is in various conversations throughout this episode. That helps everyone better understand Nicholas' need to avoid confrontation no matter what. That isn't inherently a bad thing either. It may not make him the best guardian. But he will still fiercely defend his sisters no matter what. In fact, he won't let anyone try to destroy the dreams they have set for themselves. Unfortunately, that also includes Genevieve who feels like she has to be the practical member of the family. Matilda is allowed to dream about getting accepted into Juilliard. That's the goal she wants to achieve in the next stage of her life. Genevieve sees it as so unlikely because the odds are staked against her. It's an insanely competitive school to get into. Even after Matilda is accepted, Genevieve only wants to see the reasons why her sister can't attend. She is afraid of crowds. That doesn't make it seem wise to go to college in New York City. Nicholas doesn't want to crush her spirit though. He understands that he can't be the person to deny Matilda her dream in this instance. It has to remain an ongoing conversation. One that the family may be reluctant to have because they don't do so well when discussing genuine human emotions. They want to believe that anything is possible. That is wonderfully aspirational and endearing to watch across these stories. Matilda should have ample opportunities throughout the world. She may have to overcome different obstacles. That shouldn't stop her from pursuing her dreams. Nor should Genevieve be wrong for being concerned about her sister's safety. This family has gotten through so much together. This represents a future where they may go their separate ways. Nicholas hopes to provide some guidance. But he may also pass some of those responsibilities onto others. The lessons are still passed along. The guardianship remains strong. But the concern over the future may always be present with this family because they may not always understand or care about what is going on in the lives of others. That means people have to be accepting of that in order to be loved and brought into this family even though it can be difficult and alienating at times.
