Stay sober is hard enough. It’s even more complicated when your family and friends are your biggest triggers.
In Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 3, Sam was so close to earning the 30-day chip that Olivia wanted her to avoid all triggers so she wouldn’t backslide.
That proved challenging when her biggest trigger was her mom, ex-BFF, and current best friend.
Getting a 30-day chip is a huge accomplishment. It’s hard work trying to stay sober when real life keeps on happening around you.
Olivia reminded Sam of that and cautioned her to avoid her triggers.
Olivia: You are so close to 30 days, maybe find joy in things that aren’t triggering.
Sam: Like what? What do you do?
Recovering addicts and alcoholics need a plan in place, even long-time ones, so Olivia’s daily schedule made sense to some degree. It told how chaotic even Olivia’s life was that she scheduled sex on her weekly calendar.
It gave us insight that even long-time addicts still need help from their sponsors when dealing with triggers. Olivia’s triggers were trying IVF with Stephanie and how scared she was.
The Alcoholic Anonymous program has steps for a reason, but Sam missed her friends and wanted to make her amends now. Olivia told her it was too soon.
An apology is like jumping over a puddle. An amends is like rebuilding a bridge you blew up.
Olivia
Sam never listens to advice, and she makes her relationships worse by trying too hard.
Sam felt in limbo. She thought that she and Felicia only hung out at bars, which tempted her, so she started avoiding her, making Felicia suspicious.
Sam knew her two friends hated each other, yet she invited Felicia and her son Zack to the skating rink where Brit was celebrating her birthday. Drama was bound to happen.
While Sam was getting the help she needed, people kept living and living their best lives. It’s a rude awakening that not everyone’s lives revolve around her.
Sam meant well, but showing up at Brit’s party unannounced put everyone on edge. No one believed she just wanted to take Zack skating.
Her apology started sincere as she awkwardly thanked Brit for being there when her dad died of cancer. These two have a layered past, and hopefully, we will explore it.
While it’s totally against the girl code to date and marry your BFF’s ex-boyfriend, at least Brit tried to Sam the news in person. Sam kept ignoring her messages and ghosting her.
Sam doesn’t know how to apologize effectively. She began apologizing for ghosting Brit but blamed her for stealing Joel, thus devaluing the apology.
Both Brit and Sam’s mom Carol, mentioned needing just one night for themselves and not to think about Sam. Brit seemed more torn, while Carol appeared to Sam’s number one drinking trigger.
Hiding that her daughter had a problem made Sam feel worse. She was proud that she earned her 30-day chip.
Carol was embarrassed to tell her book club that Sam had been arrested for alcohol issues.
She was even more embarrassed when Gail, Sam’sprobation officer, showed up out of the blue.
Everyone knows someone like Bob, who is overly welcoming and sticks their nose in where it doesn’t; belong.
This time, Bob did the right thing by including Gail since he wanted Carol to let down her guard.
Carol: Bob, what are you doing? That’s Sam’s probation officer!
Bob: She’s a delight. She fits right in.
Carol: I don’t need book club discussing Sam’s weird relationship with alcohol.
It was sad that Carol felt she had to lie to her friends. Addiction and alcoholism is a common thing. Many families struggle with it, so there isn’t a reason to hide it from others that you could support her.
When she finally exploded by throwing the appetizers and screaming, she felt a sudden release. Hopefully, she and Sam can begin working on their fraught relationship now.
“I’m Sorry, But…” explored the journey of recovery and the importance of having true friends that tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it.
Sam had always thought of Felicia as her drinking buddy since they usually went to the bar, but Felicia was so much more than that. She always defended Sam to people. She made Sam her son’s godmother.
She would do anything for Sam, which was why she felt so used that Sam used her as the cover to get her into the skating rink to talk to Brit.
I waited 25 minutes in line to get a corndog with no condiments just the way you like it.
Felicia
Felicia stood up for herself and left Sam stranded there.
Sam burned many bridges while trying to make amends. Therefore, neither her fellow sponsees nor Olivia was there when she received her 30-day sobriety chip.
Sam looked so lonely as Olivia presented her with the chip with pride. While Sam has put in some work, she still has lots more to do.
Show up for the people that matter and they will show up
Olivia
Watching best friends make is so amusing. Sam sincerely apologized to Felicia for taking her for granted, and then she started listing all of her qualities, and Felicia just ate it up.
When the two of them sang The Climb, it was as much about the journey of their friendship as it was about celebrating the journey of Sam’s recovery.
Over to you, Single Drunk Female Fanatics. Did Sam try to make amends too soon? Which triggers should Sam avoid?
Do you think her mom is her biggest trigger? Chime in the comments below.
Remember, if you missed the episode, you can watch Single Drunk Female online right here via TV Fanatic.
Single Drunk Female airs at 10:30/9:30c on Thursdays on Freeform.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.