The third episode of Fleishman Is in Trouble goes back in time to retell the events that led to the fall of Toby and Rachel’s marriage. The episode is now streaming on Hulu.
Recap
After finding out from a group of Rachel’s friends that Rachel was napping in the park, Toby somehow ended up walking back to his apartment with no memory of how that conversation ended.
Back in time, Toby met Rachel during a party. Much like him, she was not into drinking either. They both get along, and Toby takes her to his apartment, where they make out.
For the very first time, Toby felt that he is in love. Rachel was everything he thought a girl should be. They went for walks and ice skating together. At night, they would have these deep conversations about their past that brought them closer.
Toby eventually proposed to her for marriage, and she said yes. He no longer needed support from his family, as he had Rachel by his side.
They both pursued their individual careers, and Toby often went along with her to her theater shows. Toby adjusted whenever required, but Rachel wasn’t like him.
At times, when he couldn’t attend these shows, Rachel would get mad at him.
Their relationship began crumbling, though Toby tried to keep everything together, believing that couples do fight sometimes. The worst thing about being with Rachel was the fact that she hated Toby’s best friends, Libby and Seth.
The last time Toby met Libby was when he attended her book’s first-ever reading. Libby noticed how much Toby has changed since marrying Rachel.
Toby came back home to find Rachel waiting for him. She broke the news that she is pregnant. The couple rejoiced, and from that point on, all Toby cared about is that baby.
While she was pregnant, Rachel had her own setbacks. She failed to get a promotion, and the doctor who delivered her baby ruptured the membrane to break Rachel’s water without her consent.
Rachel went on to tell this story to every other person who asked her about her delivery. After Hanna’s birth, Rachel began realizing that something is really wrong.
Unlike the other mothers, she didn’t know how to handle and care for her baby. Six weeks went by, but her baby never smiled. When the doctor suggested that it’s an imitating behavior and it’s the parents who should smile more often, it broke Rachel.
Toby advised her to go to a pregnancy and postpartum support group or a therapist. When the idea of a support group failed, Rachel expressed that all she needs is some help with the baby.
Rachel and Toby hired Mona, a babysitter who instantly made a connection with their child.
Once Mona came into their lives, Rachel got busier as she formed her own theater agency. Supporting Rachel cost Toby a bit, as his career continued at a slow pace.
After Solly’s birth, Rachel and Toby bickered over the school they should send their kids to. Their fights got worse, and the night their marriage came to an end arrived.
The couple fought inside the kitchen while their friends were present at their house for dinner.
When they came back to join them, their friends pretended to play a game where they mentioned names of people they would sleep with if their better half turned a blind eye.
Every person at the table took a celebrity’s name, while Rachel, unaware of the rules, took the name of Sam Rothberg.
In the present, Toby searched for the same name on social media, believing that Rachel is definitely with him.
Review
- The episode provides a glimpse into Rachel and Toby’s marriage but unlike the first two episodes, the third episode lacks the adrenaline the show initially had.
- The episode could’ve been more fast-paced as it seems like these flashbacks don’t provide anything vital for the viewers to understand why the marriage failed. The show had already given enough reasons for the viewers to acknowledge the fall of their relationship.
- The second half of the episode should’ve built upon the mystery of how Rachel ended up in the park. It instead left us with another mystery of her affair with Sam Rothberg.
Fleishman Is in Trouble season 1 episode 3
Director: Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton
Date Created: 2022-11-24 00:00
2.5