‘Extended Family’ Recap: ‘The Consequences of Gaming’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

EXTENDED FAMILY -- "The Consequences of Gaming" Episode 103 -- Pictured: (l-r) Finn Sweeny as Jimmy Jr., Sofia Capanna as Grace, Donald Faison as Trip, Abigail Spencer as Julia, Jon Cryer as Jim -- (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Extended Family’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There is an old saying about raising children that still has great weight in the 21st Century, in that, it takes a village. And that holds weight simply because it does indeed take the efforts of an entire family to ensure that young children find their way and learn their lessons in the world. Because raising children is no easy task, and it is a process filled with trial and error and guessing, because no one really ever gets it right and… it’s only become more tough in recent years. For the family model no longer resembles what it used to decades ago, and that adds new pressures and new challenges, the kind that were put on display in the next episode of Extended Family on NBC.

For ‘The Consequences of Gaming’ took the time to explore several key struggles that accompany the divorce dynamic, especially when co-parenting comes into play. Such as how… it can be an exhausting venture that requires great sacrifice. Since Julia was away on an extended emergency PR nightmare. One that allowed for her and Trey to enjoy a little downtime on Pitbull’s giant boat, but that also meant… some struggles for Jim. Who had to pour energy into the two weeks he was watching the kids and deal with aspects of parenthood that he wasn’t comfortable with. Which put him in an exhausted mindset and made him eager to run and recharge once Julia, returned and that presented its own set of problems for her.

Because now she was behind the eight-ball and had to figure out how best to approach already festering problems. Such as the fact that Grace was flunking Math class, and that Jimmy Jr. was all about a video game that unsettled Julia, since it involved group efforts to slice up people, and well… she simply hadn’t a clue how to manage that crisis. Such as how to reach her kids and express her concerns in a manner that they would listen to. Which was a segment of the story, that deserves a serious round of applause. Because this is parenting in the raw, especially for families in this situation, and it was refreshing to see such frustrations and struggles on display and not have the story rush to bring about perfect resolution, as most stories in this vein are wont to do.

Instead, this is the kind of situation where the village mentality comes into play, and its benefits, and that came forth by way of Trey. Because he saw an opportunity to step in and fulfill his forthcoming role as Stepdad, so he worked to help the kids find inspiration and value, by scaring the living crap out of them. But it did work, and that did speak… to how it takes so many to raise a family. Because fresh eyes do help and sometimes… parents just need a hand because they’re people and this process can be overwhelming and exhausting and what’s truly amazing about the ending of this story, is that it is imperfect in nature, and it should be. Because parents are raising individuals, who go their own way and their lessons will have unique impact upon them.

Not to mention there is no perfect ending to parenting conundrums in real life, there’s just tomorrow and doing the best one can and that’s precisely what we saw here and that’s brilliant. Since it properly reflects the realities of parenthood and adds depth and gravity to a story that still found ways to be incredibly funny. Because once again, the jokes just work here, and the big gags were a true treat. Such as when Julia had enough with the internet, and well, in the end, what an amazing episode. One that also shifted gears and let Abigail Spencer really shine in the spotlight and let Donald Faison lean into his amazing comedic chops, and well… all this does indeed leave us eager for more. So, we can see what other amazing lessons and musings this series will offer the many parents of the world, searching for a hint of guidance. Until next time.

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