Jimmy is stressed out by his father's presence. Sean grapples with the fallout of his decision. Paul helps Gaby start something new.
Jimmy is a 42-year-old therapist with daddy issues. He's upset with Randy for constantly bailing on his family. Sofi notes that Jimmy still turned out as a functional adult. So, he should allow space for Randy to surprise him. Jimmy gets his hopes up only for them to come crashing down yet again. He and his father had the same instinct to get Alice a car for college. They didn't check with each other first. That's not what their relationship is. Randy is a charmer. Everyone likes him. Jimmy has had to endure him his entire life. Randy makes big promises. He never follows through. He shows up for Alice's graduation. He's planning on leaving before the ceremony. He expects Alice to understand. Jimmy knows how devastating this will be. Alice wants her family there for her big moment. Jimmy knows that importance. Randy doesn't. He then makes a comment about Tia. She didn't like him. Jimmy thought that was one of her best qualities. She was aligned with his view of his father. And now, Randy thinks Sofi has the potential to stick with Jimmy. That's incredibly dismissive of the tragedy that took Tia away from her family. Randy promised to be there for his son and granddaughter. He wasn't. The pattern repeats. Jimmy shuts down instead of processing it.
Paul gloated about being right upon meeting Sofi. He knew Jimmy could be brave and find love again. Everyone immediately sees her as being perfect for Jimmy. That resulted in them speeding through a relationship. They have already met each other's respective families. Jimmy unloads his baggage with his father. He also reveals how he continues to linger on Tia. He thought he was ready to move on. He isn't. As such, he ends things with Sofi before they have the opportunity to develop any further. They burned out just as quickly as they got together. Alice was willing to accept Sofi as part of the family. Jimmy pushed her away instead. He lingers on the perfection he remembers having with Tia. She would have known how to handle this situation. He can't cope. He doesn't know how to handle things. That means Alice is still in the dark about Randy leaving. Jimmy pretends as if everything is fine. It isn't. He hasn't grown as much as others have. That's okay. It creates an overall sense of tragedy for the season. The trajectory suggests several triumphant moments. That's just not happening with Jimmy. He continues to go through the motions instead of actually processing what all of this means for him and his daughter.
Paul immediately grabbed ahold of Gaby being afraid of intense trauma work. He wanted her to continue his legacy. Gaby is good in cognitive behavioral therapy. It's also the safe option. It doesn't challenge her. In fact, it affirms that her mentor also believes she was about to make a mistake. That's not what happened with Maya. Gaby didn't have all the information. She's back to work now. It has to be in pursuit of her own dreams. It can't just be whatever Paul wants. He has to recognize he is no longer a selfish, closed-off man. He cares about people. He wants better for Gaby. She's stronger than he ever was. He's proud to declare that. The world doesn't crumble even if his business ends with him. He has the tools to know Gaby was his greatest achievement. Whatever she does next will be a rewarding enough legacy. Sure, the parallel with Sean's growth to illustrate this point with Paul is a little tangential. Sean has to learn how to be selfish in order to accept a position as a sous chef. He succeeds in that low-stakes plot. With Paul, he needs to step up and deliver Gaby the support she actually needs. It must be about restoring her confidence instead of fulfilling his ego. He makes that sacrifice. He's glad to do it as well.
