‘Lucky Hank’ Recap: ‘George Saunders’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Lucky Hank’. To revisit the Series Premiere, click here.
​
When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous and fascinating new AMC series, Lucky Hank, we talked at length about how this show… did a wonderful job of presenting the mid-life crisis in a brand-new light. One devoid of cliché and free from silly and bombastic moments to instead ground us in a world of reflective misery. Wherein poor Hank came to realize that his path had not taken him to the promised land that he thought it would have ages ago. Which in turn prompted him to lash out in frustration and rattle the saber at his school and of course, put him perilously close to losing his position as Chair of the English Department at Railton College. But what mattered more about this opening chapter of a critical story in Hank’s life… was that it set the stage for a detailed examination of what the mid-life crisis looks like beyond the epiphany moment of said crisis. 
​
Which the next episode of this story, wasted little time in diving into. For when we caught up with Hank in ‘George Saunders’, he was of course… attempting to get back to his usual routine in life. As though he was trying to acknowledge that perhaps he experienced nothing more than a momentary lapse of sanity. One pre-empted by tough times and a pressure filled situation. So, he worked on budgets with the dean and even entertained the possibility that he was about to become a grandfather. Since Lily spoke to needing to discuss something urgent with her parents. Which turned out to be nothing more than an attempt by her goofy boyfriend to grift mom and dad into helping him build a silly business that would likely fail. Making it seem in a way, we weren’t going to dive into something deeper, but the devil was in the details here.

For in essence, Hank was in denial over the thoughts in his mind and was trying to shove them aside and well… when we do that and work even harder to ignore what is eating as us and needs to be resolved, the universe tends to give us quite the uncomfortable but necessary shove. Enter George Saunders. A beloved writer that hit the market at the same time as Hank and obviously, their career paths diverged in a noticeable manner. For Hank went off to Railton and George enjoyed all kinds of critical and financial success and to make matters more complicated for Hank, George was coming to Railton to do a public speaking event about his career and his life and that… put Hank in a tough place mentally. Because he was asked to moderate said event, and that ask, and having George in front of him again, brought the mid-life crisis back to the forefront of his mind.

---

In fact, this reunion of sorts, since they had met on the circuit ages ago, truly forced Hank to think upon his path and whether or not some of the best moments in his life were lies. After all, he was a junior and there was a real possibility some of his best reviews came from his father’s influence in the industry and that put him in a low spot. Not to mention, George basically embarrassed Hank in his own classes. Since he was eager to teach and teach in a style not quite as abrupt as Hank, which Bartow loved to no end and well… that managed to sink Hank to an even lower point. One that truly made him feel that he made every awful choice a writer could make and truly settled in life instead of seeking the path that could have brought him emotional and mental peace and critical acclaim and financial success.
​
Which in turn, prompted him to back out of the moderation at the last second. Since he expected these concerns and these feelings to overwhelm him and embarrass him on stage and sink him further. But a quick push from Tony, one that hinted that he could take his frustrations out on George and enjoy a sampling of explosive frustration again, brought Hank on stage and also put him at a fascinating crossroads. Because in a moment vulnerability, George told Hank how much he admired his work and how much talent he believed he had and that… flipped a switch for Hank. One that let him handle the event in a smooth and respectful manner and those kind words, also gave him a newfound direction. One where he pondered upon finally embracing his talents as a writer so he could begin a new chapter in life, one where he finally walked the path he always wanted. An epiphany that may have come at just the right time since Bartow is up to something with his excellence idea.

But what mattered more, is that this journey informed us, that like many points in life, we have to go through hell to find clarity. And in the instance of the mid-life crisis, that means not fighting it and embracing the panic it sends our way and allow for it to wash over us. For when the wave of worry recedes, we are cleansed and able to look objectively at our lives and what needs to change and that’s exactly the process that Hank went through here, with those kind words serving as the ice-cold blast of water he needed to clear his head. And this episode deserves another round of applause for offering up a unique exploration of the mid-life crisis that was both subtle and real, and for also exploring the importance of letting go of the parts of the past that don’t help us, as evidenced by Gracie’s fascinating journey. And now that Hank has some clarity in his day, it will be interesting to see what unique lessons regarding the mid-life crisis will be uncovered in the weeks to come, as Hank’s quest to reclaim his writing agency gets underway. Until next time.  

---

Powered by JustWatch