It’s Not Like That Season Finale Review: Lori’s Love Life Leaves Us Hanging

Critic’s Rating: 4.3 / 5.0

4.3

It feels like we only just started watching It’s Not Like That, and now it’s over.

Admittedly, I’m going to miss watching the Jeffries and Soto families come together and try to navigate life the best way they can, while leaning on each other or sometimes clashing.

It’s Not Like That Season 1 Episode 8 is a serviceable conclusion to a warm family series that fills a void.

After the terrifying cliffhanger on It’s Not Like That Season 1 Episode 7, we can let out a collective sigh of relief that Merritt and Flora are okay.

But that was such a nerve-racking ordeal. And what made it worse was knowing that everyone was likely thinking of the last time they lost someone: Jenny.

Malcolm, having those flashbacks to when Jenny died, was heartbreaking. What he was clinging to, then and in the present, was Lori’s presence.

Lori and David both showing up proved to be a surprise to him, and he was even more shocked and put out that David came at him with some animosity.

But I can understand his energy when he found out his son was in an accident with Flora. He’s already been on edge about just how little he knows because Malcolm and Lori confide in one another and exclude him.

However, the real tension came when David got back there and saw Merritt.

Once he knew he was okay, he laid into him about the drinking, and he, better than anyone, knows the road Merritt is headed down if he doesn’t get help.

He could’ve killed Flora and himself, or someone else, with that behavior.

Level heads prevailed with Lori putting an end to the tirade. But I am glad that David really stepped in to tell it to Merritt straight. I’m also thrilled that he and Merritt got to talk about how hurt Merritt was over what David said to him.

It was reasonable that he’d have hurt feelings about his father basically implying he could hurt Flora, but not extending the same protective streak toward him. The implication was that Merritt wasn’t good enough for Flora, even though that wasn’t David’s intention.

The tension between father and son has been brewing all season, and it has taken a long time for them to get back around to actually understanding each other. It still feels a bit rocky.

The fascinating thing about these two is that they’ll have a productive conversation, and then end up back at square one again later.

It felt like the finale skated past the drinking issue a bit after things with the accident settled down, not so much the effects on some other people, but Merritt specifically.

We saw him retreat into himself a bit, and David had that conversation, reminding him that alcoholism is a disease, but I wish we had gotten to dig into what the next stages are for Merritt. It gets lost in other aspects of the finale that they have to focus on.

It’s also another example of how sometimes the best part about these two families — their leaning into each other — can be their most challenging issue, too.

Part of the issue for Lori has been that she can get lost in supporting Malcolm or considering his children, and it has come at the expense of her family and keeping up with what’s going on with her own children.

After what happened with Merritt, the Sotos probably needed some alone time as a family, but instead, they rolled right into their annual Christmas Eve dinner together because it was tradition.

Things were rough for Merritt, but at least he got to speak with Flora, clear the air, and support her during her debut singing at church for Christmas.

They have such a special connection that I would hate to see it tarnished. Clearly, Merritt needs help right now, and that should be the priority. Part of their connection was that they both struggle with things, so the wounds they share are another point of connection.

Before anything else, they’re great friends, and that’s a dynamic that’s essential for both of them.

Similarly, it’s a relief that Pen has finally realized that Casey is and has always been in her corner.

She finally had enough of Dakota and her bullying, especially after the latter showed so little concern after Flora’s accident.

Pen is so much more enjoyable when she’s free from the shackles of trying to fit in with a crowd that doesn’t mean her well, and it was a choice she had to make for herself.

She’s spent so long, almost resentful of Casey’s strength and ability to be herself unapologetically, and now, she’s finding her own strength and embracing her own identity.

I loved those two girls coming back to each other like that; they really have been like sisters.

Justin’s time to shine came in the family moments.

His emotional state when he got upset about forgetting his mom’s special cookie ingredient had me tearing up. There’s nothing worse than not remembering a recipe you treasure from someone who has since passed on.

Flora and Pen handled that moment beautifully, and some of the best moments of the season have been when these siblings show up for and support each other.

And Jenny having the mind to leave everyone special gifts that perfectly suited what they needed most at that time for their first Christmas without her was such a great moment.

Navigating grief is hard and such a long process, and It’s Not Like That shines in those moments.

But ultimately, the season concludes on its messiest arc: the nature of Lori and Malcolm’s relationship.

Of course, it’s evident that the series wants us to root for Lori and Malcolm, and Hayes and Foley have such great chemistry.

Lori ends the season with three different men vying for her heart. But this love quadrangle is really more of a triangle, isn’t it?

Cuppa Joe is nice, but he’s such a non-factor. He has no real regard for Lori as a mother, and that’s not sustainable for her or for a future relationship.

Every time he brings something up, it requires things like going on adventures for extended periods. He’s always talking about camping, mountain climbing, or riding around in a van.

David and Malcolm both stared out the window together and watched Cuppa Joe bring Lori flowers after randomly showing up at her house on Christmas Eve, which was hilarious. It was also representative of where this love situation lands.

Cuppa Joe isn’t a player in the game like Malcolm and David.

But as much as I should be rooting for Lori and Malcolm, I’m so endeared to her and David. They had a rough go of it this season, but flashbacks provided some context, and we actually saw David start to own his poor decisions and take accountability.

He loves his family and recognizes how he failed them. David relapsed, but he got right back to those meetings, and on his path to sobriety, and with Merritt’s issues, I doubt he’d slip up again.

David loves Lori, and he’s been trying to prove himself for a while. And Lori sees the growth. She still loves him, too. Heck, she wasn’t the one who wanted to divorce in the first place.

A reunion between Lori and David feels right — it feels like they earned it. It’s something I would love to see, and I’m invested.

J.R. Ramirez brings this earnestness to David, a man trying to do right. I find it so compelling.

I feel like the pathway toward them working things out is right there for the taking, and it’s something I actually care about seeing.

It’s not to say that I don’t enjoy Malcolm and Lori, too.

But as much as I’ve gotten to see how their relationship has transformed, I still feel some of the same concerns I had during It’s Not Like That Season 1 Episode 1.

Their codependency is so prominent that it feels like a cause for concern for them as a couple. They tend to prioritize each other at the expense of others. It doesn’t feel the healthiest.

And it still doesn’t feel like they’ve considered the full gravity of what a potential relationship between them would mean for their families and community.

Right now, Lori feels indecisive. She doesn’t know exactly what she wants or who she wants, which doesn’t bode well.

And Malcolm is fixated on Lori — it feels like she’s just the safest option, and by now, anyone he attempts to date he’ll just compare to her.

Having that confirmation that Lori would want him to be happy is his official confirmation to move on. And now his sights are on Lori, but the timing is off. It’s a heck of a place to leave things!

Over to you, It’s Not Like That Fanatics?

Did you enjoy this series? Are you rooting for a renewal? Which romance are you rooting for?

You can stream the entire season of It’s Not Like That on Wonder Project via Prime Video.

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