Thank You, I’m Sorry is a Netflix dramedy about estranged sisters, Sara and Linda, who reconnect when Sara is widowed during the final month of her pregnancy.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary:
Sara is performing her nightly skincare routine when her husband Daniel unexpectedly expresses his unhappiness and mentions a plan to travel with a friend.
The following morning, Sara attempts to wake her son, Elliot, but finds Daniel unresponsive.
The paramedics, upon arrival, pronounce him dead, leading Sara to inform her mother-in-law, Helen, of the tragedy.
Sara, who is eight months pregnant, finds solace in Helen’s consolation over her husband’s loss.
Meanwhile, Linda, Sara’s sister, enjoys a bath with her dog, Zlatan, nearby.
She receives a call from her father, who resides in a retirement home and frequently complains about the staff there.
Linda and Sara, who were separated during their parents’ divorce with Linda staying with their father and Sara with their mother, have not been in close contact.
They last met at their mother’s funeral. However, Linda learns of Daniel’s death and attends his funeral.
At the funeral, Elliot is delighted to meet Zlatan and takes a liking to Linda.
However, an incident where Elliot falls from a swing while under Linda’s care prompts Sara to ask her sister to leave.
Linda’s relationship with her boyfriend, Jasse, is troubled; he is temperamental and does not treat her as an equal.
Amidst these challenging circumstances, Linda seeks to rebuild her relationship with Sara.
One night, while Sara is putting Elliot to bed, Linda visits, and Sara, noticing Zlatan’s protective behavior over Elliot, decides to let her sister stay, despite her allergies to dogs.
Linda reveals that their mother’s claim of Sara’s allergy was a fabrication to avoid getting a dog.
The next day, Linda takes Elliot to preschool, much to Helen’s disapproval, as she had planned to do so herself.
Sara, recognizing the need for support, invites Linda to stay and help out, though Helen remains skeptical of Linda’s reliability.
When questioned about her occupation, Linda reveals she won the lottery years ago, having previously worked in a retirement home.
The conversation turns to their estranged father.
While Sara is adamant about not seeing him, citing personal reasons, Linda urges her to reconsider, given his declining health and uncertain future.
Ending explained:
Why does Sara hate her father?
One evening, as Sara and Linda sit together, they delve into their childhood experiences. Sara opens up about their father’s infidelity and excessive drinking.
Previously, Sara had misled Elliot, telling him that his grandfather had passed away due to alcohol, despite him still being alive.
This revelation leads to a heated discussion between the sisters about Linda’s choice to live with their father during their parents’ separation.
Sara confesses feeling a profound sense of loneliness during this time, exacerbated by her young age and the family’s fragmentation.
Linda, who has continued to care for their father, holds onto the belief that he is fundamentally a good person.
She attempts to persuade Sara of this perspective, despite their father’s troubled past.
Why does Sara push Linda away?
Linda reassures Sara of her support, promising to stand by her through the challenging times.
The next day, a Halloween celebration is scheduled at Elliot’s school, an event that Sara had forgotten amidst her hectic schedule.
Despite her efforts to quickly assemble a costume, Linda steps in, offering to take Elliot to the event so Sara can make her midwife appointment on time.
Elliot, showing his admiration for Linda, chooses to dress up as her for Halloween. Linda accompanies him to school, allowing Sara to attend her ultrasound.
During the appointment, Sara is moved to tears upon hearing her daughter’s heartbeat. Amid the recent turmoil, she had momentarily lost sight of the new life she was carrying.
Upon returning home, Sara finds Elliot with Helen. Helen informs Sara that Linda failed to pick up Elliot as planned, leading him to worry that something terrible had happened to her.
Linda eventually returns, explaining that she had gone to check on their father, only to find him missing. Her search for him had delayed her return.
Sara, feeling let down, confronts Linda, accusing her of once again prioritizing their father over her. In a moment of frustration, Sara asks Linda to leave.
How does Sara’s delivery go?
Linda, after the altercation with Sara, returns to live with Jasse, while Helen moves in with Sara to assist with Elliot and the upcoming birth of the baby.
Unexpectedly, Helen contacts Linda, inquiring if she has seen Sara.
Linda, having had no recent contact with her sister, expresses her concern, to which Helen responds with a worrying update: Sara had gone into labor and was admitted to the hospital but subsequently disappeared from her room.
Alarmed, Linda and Helen set out to find Sara. Linda, struck by a sudden insight, suggests a place from their childhood – a swing set where they spent many hours together.
They discover Sara at the swing, grappling with fears about motherhood. She confesses her anxiety about being cold-hearted like their father.
Linda, in a moment of sisterly bonding, reassures Sara that she embodies not only their father’s flaws but also his virtues, just as Linda possesses both the good and bad traits of their mother.
Encouraged by Linda’s words, Sara returns to the hospital and, after a tense few hours, gives birth to a healthy daughter.
This experience ignites a change in Linda. Witnessing Sara’s strength and resilience, she gains the confidence to end her dysfunctional relationship with Jasse.
In a gesture of reconciliation and family unity, Linda visits Sara, bringing their father along.
During this brief encounter, their father expresses gratitude towards Linda and apologizes for his shortcomings as a parent.
After his departure, Sara extends an invitation to Linda, suggesting they reunite and live together as a family once again.
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