SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for It’s Not Like That Season 1, Episode 3.

It’s Not Like That Season 1, Episode 3 is an almost jarring change of pace for the Wonder Project show. The series has been largely hopeful and uplifting to this point, but “Transition Towers” gets into the painful parts of divorce and death. Yet it’s also possibly the most important episode of the season, because it’s an hour that finally focuses on David Soto and his point of view.

David’s point of view matters in order to see the full picture of his family and his relationship with Lori. For the audience to truly believe in the pain and also the growth that’s in front of Lori and their kids, viewers have to understand what they went through, and that begins and ends with David—since he’s the one who initiated the divorce. His story is the context that makes theirs more impactful. And It’s Not Like That is also a better show for giving him a voice, and not simply writing him off as the villain in Lori’s narrative. It creates more layers for everyone, all of which are on display in “Transition Towers.”

The episode takes its name somewhat from the fact that David has found an apartment in a complex jokingly referred to as the “transition townhomes,” since a lot of divorced dads seem to take up residence there. (Think of Kirk van Houten in The Simpsons and you’ll get the point immediately.) David wants to have a cool bachelor pad, but his kids are staunchly against going there—particularly Merritt, who still hasn’t accepted his parents’ divorce. And when Lori agrees to stay there instead so that David can spend time with their children, it also prompts realizations for both parents. This is David and Lori’s hour to tell their story, albeit with understandably differing perspectives.

“Transition Towers” is the most effective use of flashbacks, as It’s Not Like That reveals important information about David and Lori’s marriage (such as that Jenny and Malcolm helped them find their home), but also allows viewers to see them when they were a happy couple. It’s not interesting to simply dwell on the bitter end. It’s clear that the show is going to regularly utilize flashbacks to contextualize what’s happening in the present, and while it doesn’t do that nearly as well as Hulu‘s Paradise mastered it last year, it’s still a clever tool. If the characters are going to be looking back, let the audience look back with them and thus form their own thoughts—not just accepting whatever is told to them.

This episode is the best yet at showcasing David’s vulnerability and his self-doubt. J.R. Martinez has made him plenty charming as he tries to be the “cool dad,” but Episode 3 taps into his confusion and hurt as a father and as a man. He’s not sure he made the right choice, while he’s also genuinely upset that he can’t smooth things over with his kids. All of this makes David a more watchable character, because fans are able to connect with him more clearly. To see how David reacts to being back in the house he left, and how Lori reacts to being in his apartment, says so much about each character—which was clearly the intention. Having Malcolm counsel both of them is almost irrelevant; he’s the sounding board for them to verbalize what the audience has already figured out wordlessly.

The secondary plotline focuses on the Jeffries family trying to decide how much of Jenny’s belongings they can part with. “Transition Towers” adds some further detail here by explaining that the rummage sale in question is something that Jenny spearheaded, thus it’s not simply donating her stuff, but also honoring her memory by doing so. That extra layer is what makes this plotline particularly poignant. Of course it’s hard to let go of the physical things that represent a loved one, as it feels like letting that person go, too. Yet It’s Not Like That utilizes this as a storyline to talk about something that Jenny believed in, and what her family members took from her in terms of memories and beliefs, not just stuff. It’s perfectly acceptable to tear up as Pen, wearing her mother’s dress, sees a woman trying on the hat she picked out for Jenny years ago. Yet that emotional reaction is also happy, because the writers make it about this positive legacy Jenny has created.

But ultimately, this comes down to David and Lori, particularly David. In the first three episodes, he’s the effective outsider. It’s Not Like That built itself around this idea of combined family and he removed himself from the family. “Transition Towers” brings him back into the group, even as it makes clear how he can never quite recapture that feeling. There’s a sadness even before Merritt tells his father that “You don’t belong here anymore,” because he’s just stating what the audience already knows, and what David is finally starting to realize. Yet he does have a part to play, and Episode 3 illustrates why David needs to figure out what that part is.

There is a little bit of drama going in this episode, as Merritt tries to convince Flora that their parents are already “hooking up,” and the duo happen to see Malcolm leaving David’s apartment while they’re out on a joyride. It’s appreciated that Flora doesn’t jump to conclusions despite Merritt’s insistence; that makes the scene feel more realistic. Because of that, it’s slightly frustrating when Merritt blurts out the same theory to David—as if the script just wants someone to believe him so there’s tension between David and everyone else. That ending scene teeters on the edge of “because TV.” But it’s the closest It’s Not Like That comes to seeming dramatic. This episode is the missing piece and it fits in perfectly.

It’s Not Like That streams Sundays on Wonder Project on Prime Video. Photo Credit: Steve Dietl/Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.