Casual 4.08

Finale

I started watching Casual soon after it first dropped. It was the Summer of 2015. I was out of a job and unemployed. I watched that first season at home during the day. There was something about it that spoke to me. My love for the show has wavered over the years since. I was about ready to give up on it after the third season. I'm glad I came back to it for the fourth and final season.

The episode opens with a dream sequence although it wasn't clear to me that it was a dream, at first. Alex, Val, and Laura were in a church for their mother's funeral. She passed away since 4.06 (Polytropos) when they tried to go and visit her. She really did die and there is a funeral for her but the opening scene is dream that Val had.

Casual 4.07

All About You

Everything seems to be coming to a head. Two or three of the storylines seem to get wrapped up for the most part, but I'm sure that there will be more in the final episode.

Leon and Leia go to a mediator to help them with their separation or divorce. That gets the ball rolling. There is lots of Leon in this episode but little of Leia. She shows up at the beginning and the end. Leon is obviously torn over their relationship. He wants to have a child. She does not. He can't seem to reconcile staying with Leia and not having a child. Leia breaks the impasse when she she shows up at the end of the episode. Based on what happens next it seems like they are going to stay together, even though they both have their doubts.

Casual 4.06

Polytropos

Alex and Val embark on a trip to see their mother. Laura comes with them even though she is still hung over. They travel in John's car, which he loaned to Val. Along the way things get a little weird. Laura throws up in the car. Alex puts unleaded gasoline in the car, which only takes diesel. They get stranded in a small town at least a hundred miles from home.

Alex keeps seeing a beautiful woman. He wants to commit himself to Rae but the vision of this woman drives him a little nuts. He is distracted by her when he is filling up the car. He spotted her before that in a diner where they stopped for a bite to eat. She is also staying at the motel where they are staying while they wait for John's car to get repaired. Alex runs into her at a bar and freaks out. He blames her. She sprays him with pepper spray.

Casual 4.05

The Last Super Bowl

Leon agrees to host a Super Bowl party. He and Leia still aren't okay. He winds up canceling the party but after talking to Alex he agrees to move the party to his place.

Not much happens with Valerie and John, well nothing monumental. They are a couple. They spend time together in bed, later they go to the Super Bowl party. Even though they are in the episode they seem to be in cruise control or autopilot.

Casual 4.04

Dreams Stay With You

Valerie runs into some obstructions on her way to opening a wine shop. John, the owner or manager of the restaurant where Laura works, tries to help out but he is also interested in Valerie. He takes a look at the space which she has started to fix up, for her shop. He points out one problem and then invites her to a social event which will include some important people in the local wine industry. Before going to the event Val gets a notice that her liquor license is being held up.

Leia finds out that she is not pregnant. She has mixed feelings. She admits to Leon that she felt relieved when she found out she wasn't. Leon has a hard time hearing that.

Casual 4.03

Virtual Reality

Alex decides after a series of bad dates to experiment with virtual reality. He meets a woman. She seems great but in the end it appears that she was just trying to scam him. I had such high hopes for Alex after the last episode only to have them dashed on the rocks. *grumble*

Valerie says goodbye to all her clients. Some take it better than others. She recommends some of them to Leia. She spends the rest of the episode trying to decide how to set up her wine shop. She gets some professional advice but that really doesn't help her decide.

Casual 4.02

The Missing Piece

Alex cannot get over the fact that Rae is happy with Jeff. He tries talking to Jeff. He invites him over for dinner with him and Leon. It doesn't seem to help. He tries to get Jeff to talk about his relationship with Rae. That doesn't help. Eventually Jeff gets the message and leaves. Leon leaves at the same time. Alex invites Annie, his current hookup, to come over. He wants what Rae has but with Annie but she isn't interested in that.

Valerie gets morose over the direction in which her life is headed. Seeing her dead neighbor's stuff dumped on the curb doesn't help. Talking to Rita, one of her other neighbors doesn't help either. She winds up going out with Rita and Leia.

Casual 4.01

Carrie

Years have passed since the end of season 3. This episode seems to be mostly about catching up, which isn't unusual for a season opener, and setting the scene for the final 7 episodes.

Valerie is having weird dreams. She doesn't seem to be in a relationship. She's anxious about something.

Alex has shaved his beard. He and Rae have a child now, Carrie. They are all living together but Alex and Rae are dating other people. It's a little weird. Alex can't seem to enjoy himself. Alex decides to assemble an earthquake survival kit. At the end of the episode he is angry at Rae for bringing her boyfriend home with her.