Private Practice: Season 3 Episode 15 Til Death Do Us Part' Review

No one really prepares for their fifteen year old child's wedding. It is actually something you put at the back of your head, as you watch them grow into the individuals you can be proud of. You would even want them to either follow in your professional footsteps, or get them to have the better life you could not afford yourself. We always want the best for our children, so we can relate with Sam and Naomi's story.

It took guts on Naomi's part, attempting to stay away from everything that was taking place. I am certain she hoped that if she closed her eyes and turned her head enough times, all her problems would go away; she would no longer have to face a pregnant daughter, in love at an uncertain teenage time and she would no longer have a wedding to deal with. If you really think about it, this situation would be overwhelming for any mother.

Maya showed a great level of maturity for her age, while she tried to get Naomi to fess up and realize what was happening. Sam was right, the more Naomi ignored everything related to what her daughter was going through, the more Maya would form her own family having her mother on the sidelines as though she were a stranger. Naomi believed she failed as a mother, and that's natural, especially given how strict Naomi was, it's no wonder she would consider herself a failure, ashamed to confront her friends for fear of scrutiny. On the other hand, there was only so much she could hide from, according to Sam, she had to be the adult and avoid having him deal with everything on his own. It was happening whether or not she willed it away.

On the topic of Sam, I still can't figure out his obsession with Addison. They were very good as friends and you could tell they loved each other on a deeper level, given everything they've been through together. Which is why I can't understand Sam's distaste towards her. Especially when he implied the notion that Addison was seeing Pete; without any hard facts. It somehow felt that when Addison first confessed to seeing someone, she was trying to rub it in Sam's face. I don't know if she meant it that way, but it was not too long ago Addison and Sam were lip-locking as a means to suck the passion from each other, only to have Addison mention some guy she was seeing. How serious could it have been, and shouldn't Sam have known about it since they used to be so close? It surely wasn't Noah.

Sam had no right to treat Addison as though she went behind his back. He has no jurisdiction over Pete. He can't say Pete is his friend and make Addison feel guilty, it just doesn't work that way. Had he said that his only concern was with Violet and how their relationship would affect her, then I could have given him a pass for being such a shrew. I was very disappointed in him. It's a shame how relationships become dismantled the moment things cross over to a 'friends with benefit on a sometime-ish' notion. Do you believe Sam would have acted so cruel if nothing happened? Surely there would have been a few eyebrow raisers, because it would mean that Addison couldn't keep her business in one place, but Sam would have given her a long speech and probably guide her in the right direction.

I am not so into Addison and Pete anymore, that ship sailed a long time ago, which is why I was thrown off guard by their sudden passion for each other. I think I would use this time to plead with the writers to maintain one good friend in Addison's life, I admired the connection between her and Sam and now that's ruined. I mean what makes Addison become the funny person I admire in her, was the friends she held in her heart. She showed enough respect for Naomi to leave Sam alone, now Addison needs to save some for herself.

I would look forward to the development among these relationships; the Maya-Dink-Sam-Naomi-Addison-Violet round about would be fascinating. I only hope the best for Maya, she is trying to live out her youth and juggle being an adult, it would truly be a difficult task.

Sideline Note - What was Cooper doing with that Charlotte look-a-like and and sound-a-like? That goes to show how much Charlotte is on his mind, that he would bring someone so similar as his date. I believe Charlotte made a huge mistake sleeping with Cooper again. Why go down that road if it leads to the same place? I really had no idea how Charlotte was going to take off her dress, wash it and dry it in time before the reception was finished, she should have just gone home. Charlotte either tried to seduce Cooper in that moment and he fell for it, or the writers tried to pull something to get Cooper and Charlotte in the same room together, to ignite that flame. There is only so long a candle keeps burning before the wicker blows out. I would prefer it had things been sorted out properly between them before jumping into a boiling pan, I can't handle anymore arguing from them.

Back on track - Maya's wedding was beautiful, and the fight scene between her and Sam about RSVP-ing was enlightening. It makes sense that at fifteen, attending a wedding seems just like saying you were attending a party two days in advance or the day before or on the day of. You ignore catering and finding the appropriate accommodation before time. All of those responsibilities don't register at once. Which was an interesting handle on the writers part to include that scene, to show that at fifteen, responsibility is a whole different challenge, compared to school chores.

Another interesting pointer was how well they made use of all characters, including Dell. Dell is one of the most underused characters and they managed to find a home for him in Private Practice, I am glad he was there for Maya. On a more cheerful note, I hope the writers would now script less emotionally draining episodes; that premature baby was another heart-breaker. Let's hope on the brighter side of things, that the end would be 'til death do us part' for Maya and Dink, just like they vowed to each other. Beautiful wedding indeed!

Lexa

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Four Stars

Grade B-
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