United States of Tara - Episode 2.12 - From This Day Forward - Recap/Review

 (S2 E12) “Wedding’s blow. It’s a rule of thumb.”

 The wedding of Charmaine and Nick, the event that this entire season has been building to, has finally arrived. And like pretty much every other wedding on TV, the day is not without some pretty major hiccups. 

NOTE: I apologize for this recap being quite lengthy but it’s the season finale and a lot of happened.

The episode starts with Tara still reeling from the revelation that she and Charmaine were in foster care for a period of their childhood. Tara’s so upset she can’t even muster up any happiness for Charmaine, who is understandably ecstatic about the day.

What I really loved about this is that it was just like Charmaine to ignore this revelation. It’s long been established that this is how Charmaine deals with things. Once she comes across anything she can’t handle (i.e. Tara’s illness, her baby being Neil’s and not Nick’s), she downplays its significance to the point where she’s basically choosing to live in blissful ignorance. The difference in the sisters’ dealing methods leads to a disagreement because Tara doesn’t want to be happy and attend the wedding, when she knows that her parents – who have been hiding some pretty big secrets from the girls – will be attending.

Marshall and Kate are upstairs blowing pink balloons for Charmaine’s wedding. Kate mentions how nice it is to be able to relate balloons to something “less skeazy”, referring to her recent online endeavour (or in Marshall’s words: her “balloon-centered prostitution empire”). Kate defends herself by clarifying that she never showed anyone anything and that it isn’t prostitution to allow yourself to be bossed around by someone who in turn buys you things. Marshall relates this to Kate’s recent relationship with Zach to which Kate simply replies that has to do what’s right for her and that it’s time she starts her own life. It’s clear with this statement that Kate does not love Zach or even have really strong feelings for him. Zach, in many ways, is Kate’s Nick. They are both appealing, normal gentlemen who have a low tolerance for anything not considered “normal”. The most important similarity between them, however, is that they both offer Kate/Charmaine something that their previous boyfriends have not: the opportunity to escape their abnormal lives for a chance at normality – and this is what Kate/Charmaine see in them, not love.

As Tara and Max wait outside their home for Tara’s parents to arrive, Tara tells Max that she just wants to hide. Max tells her that he doesn’t blame her. Her parents arrive and Tara acts as fake nice as she can muster given her underlying feelings towards them.

Meanwhile, Kate has started packing her stuff with Zach for her potential move. Their conversation quickly turns sexual and they begin to make out rather passionately on her bed – cue Max walking in on them. Max meets Zach and questions why there is a box full of stuff on Kate’s bed. Kate lies and says that she’s planning on making a donation to Goodwill. Max leaves and Zach asks her why she hasn’t told her parents about moving-out yet.

In the next room, Lionel attempts to explain his reasons for boycotting the wedding as Marshall gets himself ready. And in this exchange, Lionel is more annoying than ever as he likens straight people who get married in America to Holocaust deniers. I don’t know why but I really don’t like Lionel. I love the fact that Marshall has a boyfriend, don’t get me wrong, I just wish maybe he had a boyfriend that suited him a little better. They just seem so forced. Between Lionel’s drug habits, care-free attitude to sex with strangers, and his ability to make everything into a political statement…he just seems like trouble and Marshall really doesn’t need any of that in his already problematic life.

I get that with Lionel and Jason (from last season), the series is trying to demonstrate the two incredibly different sides of homosexuality: a closeted, subdued side and then an open, incredibly flamboyant side. There isn’t really a problem with either of them except that Marshall isn’t either of these. I like the fact that Lionel has come into Marshall’s life and made him more comfortable about himself. I just don’t see them as a good romantic pairing. Their scene together ends with them sharing a kiss and despite my own personal opinions towards Lionel, it’s admittedly nice to see Marshall have someone who cares for him.

In the bathroom, Tara makes a phone call to her foster carer to apologize for her behaviour but is interrupted by her father. He begins to talk to her about an assortment of things – all revealing just how mentally sick he has gotten. Among all of his strange conversation topics though, is the mention of a half-brother.

Zach and Kate head downstairs where they come across Lionel and Marshall in the kitchen. Kate introduces Zach to Lionel which somehow becomes a way for Lionel to share his political views on gay marriage and Zach, being a republican, doesn’t take too kindly to this. Zach’s line, “my real problem is with the way the gay community is attempting to be heard”, understandably upsets Lionel considerably. Without any protest from Marshall, Lionel leaves the wedding. I like that Marshall respects Lionel’s decision to leave. He doesn’t even try to get Lionel to stay. Marshall loves Lionel for who he is and asking him to stay, in spite of his beliefs, would’ve been wrong. And while it’s nice to see Lionel take a stand, his use of the word ‘sext’ almost immediately afterwards makes him hard to take seriously.

What infuriated me most of all in the scene however, was Kate’s reluctance to stand up for Marshall as Zach both discriminates the social group he identifies with and the guy he’s in love with. It just didn’t seem like something Kate would just let fly by. And while Kate does confront Zach later on in the episode, I question what took her so long.

The whole conversation between Lionel and Zach should have made it clear to both Marshall and Kate that they do not belong with these people. Marshall and Kate are kind,  easy-going, non-judgmental people – the opposite of how Lionel and Zach have been acting this season. It seems that Kate and Marshall have replaced their bad relationships from last season with boyfriends that, whole on the surface seem more stable and appealing, are just as emotionally-damaged as Jason and Gene were. The one thing that this season seems like it’s really trying to hit home is that it doesn’t matter who you are or who your family is, life damages everyone.

Tara confronts Charmaine about the startling revelation that they have a brother but Charmaine, once again, writes the information off – refusing to deal with it. What follows is, without a doubt, one of the episode’s finest moments as Charmaine tries to get Tara to see why she is refusing to care about all of the craziness that is happening.

Charmaine: “You know what today is? Today is my bullet-train to a new life. Nick sails, Tara. I mean, they have a sailboat. They’re normal people….and they’re making room in their normal people group photos for me. If my body doesn’t bling, if our dad doesn’t walk me down the aisle, if my sister ditches, okay, at the last second…then these normal people will know that there is something wrong with me. And I never get the fuck out.”

The conversation is so heartbreaking and remains completely true to Charmaine’s personality. The emotions Dewitt is able to convey in such a short monologue is rather incredible. Charmaine is easily one the series’ strongest characters and scenes like this remind us that it’s not just the writing that makes her so appealing – it’s Dewitt’s award-worthy delivery.

The visuals in this scene also really manage to convey where Charmaine’s coming from. The conversation starts with a shot of Charmaine facing the camera – ready to be the focus point of a new, normal life – as behind her, Tara lingers in the mirror reflection in the background. Charmaine has her back to the image of Tara in the mirror – reflecting Charmaine’s choice to leave behind her old, crazy life that Tara represents.

In a rather hilarious moment, Charmaine’s rather intense monologue sends Tara over the edge emotionally and Tara shifts to her newly-found alter, Chicken. The look alone on Charmaine’s face as Chicken emerges is priceless.

Outside as the guests start to get seated for the event, Zach caresses Kate’s neck sensually. Kate seems rather annoyed by it but distracts herself by listing the amenities her new condo will feature. Zach makes it clear that he isn’t helping her move for the amenities – he’s helping her move so she can be safe. Kate is disturbed by this and tells Zach how uncomfortable she is with the way he talks about her mom and Marshall. And I can say is: it’s about time. And with a simple goodbye, “this is just not the place for a normal guy like you”, Kate seemingly sends Zach on his merry way.

Since his introduction several episodes ago, Zach’s been trying to play the same role in Kate’s life – that of her knight-in-shining-armour. He wants to rescue her because he’s got something of a hero-complex. What’s nice is that Kate realizes that there isn’t anything her life that needs fixing and she certainly doesn’t need any rescuing.

Tara, as Chicken, begins to run around the house screaming with Charmaine following close behind trying to get Tara under control. This catches the attention of Nick who asks Charmaine for a second so he can talk to her. Charmaine responds by telling him that she doesn’t have a second because Tara needs her. And this is the scene where it all begins to go wrong. With this simple decision, Charmaine has unknowingly made a choice – that her sister means more to her than Nick and the normal life he can provide her. Earlier this season, it has been repeatedly implied that Tara has always protected Charmaine but I’d argue that Charmaine has always done the same for Tara (something that no one really gives her much credit for). When Nick finally gets Charmaine’s attention and demands that she does something about Tara, things between them aren’t looking too good.

The wedding begins and Tara (still Chicken) walks down the aisle as the flower-girl. Charmaine joins Nick at the altar and the priest begins the ceremony. Chicken, however, finds it difficult to remain quiet or sit still much to the annoyance of Nick. Eventually Nick can’t take it any longer and interrupts the ceremony to announce that he can’t go through with the wedding. “This marriage doesn’t want to happen”, he claims pointing to the amount of things that have gone wrong over the past few weeks (from learning of Charmaine’s infidelity to her constant lying). Nick’s parents seem pleased with this turn of events and promptly follow Nick as he leaves the ceremony.

After some time has elapsed and most of the guests have left, Tara returns back to her normal self and seeing Charmaine, realizes what must have happened. Tara refuses to take full responsibility, however, blaming their parents who Tara finally confronts about everything: i.e. being in foster care, having a half-brother, etc. Tara’s mother, Beverly, finally comes clean and admits that she put Tara and Charmaine in foster care for a brief period when they were little. She claims that they were forced to take in a son (from Tara’s father’s first marriage) named Bryce. When Tara came up to her and told her things that Bryce had been doing to her, she wanted to kick Bryce out but Frank (Tara’s father) threatened to leave her if she did. Not knowing what to do, Beverly placed Tara and Charmaine in foster care while she attempted to find a place for Bryce. Beverly explains that she was just trying to protect Tara and tells Tara that she hopes she can forgive her. Beverly and Frank leave.

The sun sets and Neil pays a visit to see how Charmaine is taking things. Neil, sweet as always, offers to take Charmaine out drinking to help her feel better. It seems that Charmaine finally accepts that she likes Neil and is no longer completely afraid to admit that to herself. And while nothing really happens between them in this scene apart from her acceptance to going out for some drinks, it’s pretty obvious that there’s a relationship for them coming up in the horizon. Who’s willing to bet that Neil and Charmaine move next door next season?

The season ends with Tara, Max, Kate, and Marshall gathering in their backyard and dancing together. It’s a nice, sweet end to such a turbulent season for the Gregson family.

I really enjoyed the episode. As always the acting was superb across the board (there really isn’t enough praise happening for this cast) and there was some really great one-liners here (some of which are included below).

• Tara: “Dad just said the most fucked up thing.”
  

          Charmaine: “Yeah, yeah. Dad hates Indians. Dad’s crazy.”

• [After Tara (as Chicken) has just walked down the aisle as the flower girl, confusing many of the wedding guests]
  

          Charmaine: “Just play along everybody. It’s funny. It’s for Youtube."

• [When Kate’s uses the word ‘giney’ to describe her female sex organ]
  

          Marshall: “Giney?”

          Kate: “Oprah ruined va-jay-jay.”

• Lionel: “Breeders take everything for granted: marriage, babies, leggings…”
  

Also: This was my first post on SpoilerTV so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.