If you live with Frankie, you’re bound to wake up to more than a few unpleasant surprises. This morning, Grace wakes up in her fabulous pajamas to find that her dishwasher is completely broken.
She leaves Frankie a cheerful voicemail, despite Frankie’s impenetrable voicemail message. Frankie is walking on the beach, eating butterscotch pudding and living a life most of us only dream of, when she discovers Sol sleeping on the porch. She knows immediately that Sol told Robert about their tryst. So, how did Robert take it? “I slept on your patio†Sol says.
Robert was furious, shocked, and hurt. He gave Sol a look that withered his soul. Frankie goes to comfort him, but stops herself: “Damn my Christ-like capacity for compassion.†She can’t deal with him alone, so she takes Sol inside for Grace to handle help. Sol reveals that he started reciting poetry. That did not help. Grace offers to go visit Robert to smooth things over and see if he’s okay. The entire audience cringes in anticipation. If Robert won’t take him back today, Sol just wants his tortoise raffia wallet.
Frankie isn’t prepared to spend any time with Sol alone. They haven’t been alone since the hospital wedding. Grace suggests that Frankie find a high-school talent show to distract herself. Once Grace shuts the door, Sol is trying to fix the dishwasher. He just wants to be useful. Frankie knows that if Sol putters around the house, she’ll have a real “If you give a Sol a cookie†situation on her hands, then they’ll be laughing together and stirring up all these complicated emotions. Frankie has got to get out of there.
She heads to her main boo-thang’s farm to distract herself. Uh huh, Frankie. We’ve all “distracted†ourselves. Bring some yam lube. Unfortunately, Jacob is getting ready to do some unsexy boar hunting. (Also unfortunately, he’s not building a Japanese fighting robot because that would be awesome.) Meanwhile, Bud is visiting his father at the beach house while Sol spins in a macrame chair. Sol isn’t hungry. He doesn’t want help. He just wants to lie there and moan. Bud doesn’t want his father to malinger; he’s seen this Lifetime movie. Bud is going to take care of everything at the office so Sol can continue to wallow.
Grace shows up at Chez Solbert to talk some sense into Robert. Robert is In. A. Mood. He’s incised that Sol ran to Frankie and he’s not excited for Grace’s gloating. Grace shouts at him to stop being shitty. If he thinks one night of betrayal is bad, try 40 years! Robert is furious that Sol marry him not 24 hours after sleeping with Frankie. Grace told Sol not to say anything. Yes, Grace knew. When Robert stomps off, Grace chases him and tells him not to close himself off like he did when they were married. He was always more concerned with winning the argument back then, but now he’s married to the great love of his life. Now is the time to do things differently. “I’m going to leave you to develop a sense of irony,†she says as she slips out the house, stealing Robert’s wine glass.
Jacob and Frankie are prepping for the boar hunt. Okay, Frankie isn’t so much prepping as attempting to sabotage his equipment. She wants to avoid talking about her problems, even if it’s hunting a very smart boar. Frankie digs Jacob and doesn’t want to explain the Chilean soap opera that is her life. Jacob says, “I’m your guy. I wanna hear all of it.†Damn, Jacob.
Grace comes home to Sol working on her computer in her kitchen. She wants to know why he came to their house, to Frankie. Why did he come to the worst possible place for everyone but him? Grace nails Sol when she says, “You walked out on your person, you got kicked out by your new person then you crawled back to your old person. This is why you irritate people.†Damn, Grace. Sol says he’s got no safe space left. Tough titty, Sol. He sees that Phil is messaging Grace, then she slams her computer shut on his fingers. Get. Out. Sol!
Frankie and Jacob eat a little picnic in between firing arrows at the boar. Frankie lays out her current emotional turmoil: She can’t figure out if she feels sorry for Sol or just plain sorry. Frankie enjoyed spending time with Robert (when they would make fun of Grace) and she knows some small piece of what Robert is going through now.
While Frankie is busy with this very unusual second date, Bud and Coyote debate what to do with a letter from the adoption agency. The letter is either information about Coyote’s birth mother or a polite dismissal. He asks Bud to open the letter, but Bud is tired of doing everything for everyone, including his soon-to-be-ex-stepfather/boss/uncle, so he flails around like those inflatable guys at a car dealership and the letter flies under the fridge. Coyote understands how hard it is for Bud to shoulder all the responsibilities and thanks him for all that he does. He’s the only one who can do it. As they fish the letter out from under the fridge, Bud agrees to give Coyote one more shoulder to lean on and reads the letter. Coyote’s birth mother wants to meet him. They also find a CCH Pounder-signed headshot under the fridge.
Frankie leaves Jacob’s farm, knowing what she has to do. She gives him two big smooches on her way out. Grace is at home, staring at her Facebook (or FaceUnion if this is in the Law & Order: SVU universe) because Phil-with-a-P-H sent her a message. He sent … a hello. Grace ropes Sol into helping her because she needs a girlfriend. Okay, Grace, settle down. Sol says Grace should send him a thirst trap about her drinking a glass of wine in her bathing suit. Damn, Sol.
Frankie goes to Chez Solbert to give Robert something she’s owed him for a long time: An apology. Frankie wanted something to happen between her and Sol too, since it was the only way to find out if everything was really true. After they slept together, she knew that Sol loved Robert in a way that he could never do for her. It’s a beautiful and sad moment, as Frankie (maybe) finally lets Sol go.
After she leaves the house, Frankie gets a phone call from her boyfriend and asks him if it’s okay she called him her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Grace is sitting in a giant pashmina drinking wine talking to her crush. Well done, ladies.