‘Kevin Can F**k Himself’ Recap: ‘Broken’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Kevin Can F**k Himself’.
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There is a prevailing belief in our modern world, that when we are close to achieving our dreams and having everything, we want in life… that a calm will wash over us. As though our souls and minds understand what it is about to happen, so there is no point in worrying about our troubles anymore, for they are finally about to end. But that is a belief, that has been proven to be false. For time and time again, when we are close to what we actually want… we find ourselves terrified and emotional that something will go wrong, and we’ll be back at square one. Because it’s human to worry and human to think we might not deserve this and well, that unsettling aspect of life is relevant to our discussion today, largely because it served as one of the key focal themes of last night’s episode of Kevin Can F**k Himself.
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Because ‘Broken’ saw Allison lock down a date for the end of her husband’s life. Which meant she was finally in the home stretch and that soon her nightmare life would come to an end, and she could begin anew with Sam and enjoy all that life had to offer. But it didn’t take long for that fear and that worry to settle in, and Allison went through the emotional wringer because of it. Because knowing that the finish line was in sight, motivated her to reflect upon the journey thus far and how hard it has been for her and that brought about a bevy of emotions, even some sense of remorse as well. Because despite the evil that Kevin does on a consistent basis, he is still a life, and knowing he would die at her beck and call… wasn’t easy to process.

Nor was her freedom for that matter, and that is important to note as well. Because this episode also dug deep into the fact that sometimes the panic we experience when we are near the end of our troubles, is related to the fact… that we don’t know what life would look like without our struggles. For we’ve survived for so long in the muck, that survival instinct is all we know. But where this segment truly shines, is that it goes deeper than informing us of the fact that we all struggle with happiness and letting go of negativity. No instead, this part of the story really is poignant and powerful since it puts the plight of domestic abuse survivors on display. For we often hear folks lament that they should know better and be ready to walk away when the ugly stars, but this segment helps to teach us… it is just not that black and white.

Because there is history here and a life, one that Allison believed in at some point would guide her to happiness and just seeing that end is no easy task and kudos to the writers of this show for putting that hard aspect of toxic and abusive relationships on display, since that is something, we don’t talk about enough. Plus, this segment also deserves serious credit for reinforcing the harsh reality of how hard it can be for someone to just exit that kind of situation when they have no money or destination to escape to, which is the case with Allison and really, all of this made for some powerful moments, the kind that could have carried this entire episode from beginning to end. But as if often the case with this series… it had plenty more poignant bits of storytelling to offer beyond Allison’s stunning plight.

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For instance, this is a story that also took the time to expand upon how manipulative an abuser can be. Because Kevin went all out in this particular tale, once Neal revealed to him that Allison took a fertility test. An act that was all part of the grand plan to manipulate Kevin before his end and well… that certainly backfired. Since Kevin embraced this possibility and used it to his advantage by discussing what fatherhood and family life would look like in the McRoberts’ home and while this is handled in a classic sitcom manner, the underlying horror of it is inescapable. For this is one of Allison’s dreams, and hearing Kevin speak to it and potentially want it, only helped the conflicts within her to grow, and that kind of manipulative behavior was both stunning and disgusting and it definitely leads one to wonder how far and low Kevin can or might go, depending on how the end of this story is resolved.
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But before we get to that, we also need to talk about Patty’s journey here as well, since it was also powerful and significant. For when we last left her, she was beginning to explore her sexual identity thanks to Tammy and that exploration continued here as well. Because Patty finally came to realize that men weren’t her preference and that she’d been lying to herself about that all along to fit in and this is just… huge for television. Since it gives us a coming out story that is also grounded in realism since so many LGBTQ+ individuals go through a learning process akin to Patty’s and it is just refreshing to finally see a major primetime series go through that journey for a change. Because it is sorely needed on the small screen and it too deserves credit for making it clear… that Patty is outright in love with Allison and is unsure of how to handle that since this all new to her and of course, telling someone who is your closest friend… that they are your person… likely is no easy task.

However, while it will be interesting to see where that takes us, there was mention of a powerhouse ending to this story and now is the time to discuss that, because it was indeed loaded. For instance, it showed us how miserable Sam is at home and how done he is with his staged life, since he walked out on his annoying wife and of course… we have to talk about that cliffhanger. Because it turns out that Nick screwed up bad at work. To the point where he was likely headed back to jail and rather than go that route, he opted to collect on his contract and get out of town. But unfortunately for him, Kevin found the gun that Patty buried in the backyard and well… that led to a brief showdown in the McRoberts home when Nick busted in… one that ended with a gunshot, and little answers as to who was on the receiving end of a bullet.

In fact, all we know at this point, is that the police are involved, and Allison had to speak with them and well… it should be fascinating to learn if Kevin McRoberts is dead at last, and Allison can start her life anew or if he has once again escaped fate’s clutches. But while we wait to see how this all plays out; we can revel in the wonder of one powerful and engrossing tale. Because not only did this feature some deep and resonating themes, but it also offered up a bevy of storylines for us to chew upon. The kind that offered character growth for just about everyone outside of Kevin (in fact, he might not be capable of growth) and that’s no small feat and well… now that we’ve reached the end of this magnificent story, the time has come for us to play the waiting game once again and this week’s holding pattern won’t be easy in the slightest. Because next Sunday’s episode, is the season finale of this brilliant story, and we will all be waiting with bated breath to see where this revolutionary tale is going to take us next. Until then.  

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