‘A Million Little Things’ Recap: Season 5, Episode 2 — ‘Think Twice’

Look, I’m not saying that A Million Little Things‘ Gary meant to serve as a contributing factor in getting Maggie maybe/sorta/potentially removed from her radio talk show. But that’s what certainly seems to be in the works by the end of this week’s episode.

The hour, titled “Think Twice,” is a rough one for the mom-to-be. She’s suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, aka morning sickness that is also afternoon sickness and evening sickness and which causes expectant mothers near-constant nausea and vomiting. She’s also dreading talking to her new boss, Colton (played by About a Boy‘s David Walton), about her upcoming maternity leave. Underneath it all, she’s secretly worried: What if, after the baby arrives, “I lose everything that I’ve worked so hard for?” she cries to Gary at one point.

Hold on, I’m getting ahead of myself. At the outset, Colton seems a lot kinder than Maggie expects. He gifts her a seltzer maker so she can have her fill of bubbly water, one of the few ingestibles she can keep down. And when she asks for 10 weeks of maternity leave, he suggests that she take the company-standard 12, instead.

BUT. At one point in the episode, a caller’s mention of peanuts is enough to send the queasy Dr. Bloom running to the ladies’ room. Because Gary happens to be visiting at the time, he tries to help by slipping into Maggie’s chair, donning her headphones and — you knew this was coming — fielding calls. Before you know it, he’s referring to himself as “Gar on the air” and dispensing advice… all of which angers Maggie but pleases Colton, who thinks the listeners might like a change of host.

When Colton refers to Maggie’s maternity leave fill-in as a “replacement,” she bristles; he says he didn’t mean anything permanent… but he also talks up the positive aspects of not returning to work after the baby is born. And at the end of the episode, who should we see interviewing for Maggie’s job but GARY’S THERAPIST, DR. JESSICA. “It’s only for 12 weeks, but you never know,” Colton tells her. “You never do,” the shrink responds. (Given what Gary has shared with his doc, that’s gotta be a conflict of interest, right?)

Elsewhere in the episode:

* After Greta helped Eddie set up a dating-app profile, he went out for coffee with a woman (played by Playing House‘s Jessica St. Clair) who he suspected had a fetish for men in wheelchairs… but just turned out to be someone not bothered by them. Irked, she told him that she was looking for someone more confident in what they have to offer, and to “hit me up if you ever end up figuring that out.” Later, Eddie seemed interested in a possible return to college, which he never completed.

* After Walter got seven out of 10 answers correct on a cognitive test, but then accidentally drove backward over a spike strip in the hospital parking lot, Rome’s concern about his father’s mental faculties grew. Walter challenged Rome to give him a road test, which he passed with flying colors, but then the older man accidentally drove to his former home and admitted he was confused about where he currently lived. Rome promised to take care of his dad no matter what.

A MILLION LITTLE THINGS – “think twice” – An unexpected fan steps behind the mic at Maggie’s radio show, and Walter attempts to convince Rome he is more than capable of being behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Eddie makes moves to reenter the dating pool and gets some help from an unexpected ally. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15 10:00-11:00 p.m. EST. (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)
CHRISTINA MOSES

* Regina’s food truck was robbed while Sophie left it unattended. Regina immediately suspected Joseph, the unhoused man Soph had befriended, but it turned out that he was at a dialysis appointment when the cash register was emptied. Sophie was angry with Gina for immediately thinking the worst of him, then they both looked on in dismay as the city cleared the nearby encampment where Joseph lived.

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the episode? Do you think Maggie will go back to her show after the baby is born? Sound off in the comments!