Disney+ Retrospective: Love, Victor Season 2 Episodes 7-10

OK, time for our final look at Love Victor season 2, starting with episode 7 and in this exciting episode:

• Adrian wonders what a lap dance is
• Felix and Lake go to an aquarium
• And Pilar watches Who Wants to be a Millionaire

Table for Four

We open at the coffeehouse, which I just realised doesn’t have a takeout window like the one from Love, Simon did, huh. Anyway, it’s Benji’s birthday. Victor says he’s borrowed a bottle of champagne from his mom for their evening celebrations. Benji’s mother (Checks wiki) Margaret arrives bearing gifts, whilst Benji is busy making her a latte, Margaret invites Victor to their birthday meal as a surprise for Benji. There’s a confusing as hell dress-code to go with it.

Mia and Andrew are having to console Lake, who’s desperately trying to find a way to get Felix to forgive her for accidentally committing his mother to a psych ward. Mia promises to help her, even as Andrew very much a third wheel in this party.

Meanwhile, Victor and Pilar are concerned about Felix’s hygiene, I want to fucking scream. Pilar will get her chance later in the episode, but Victor is not involved in this story and given that Felix is now around his house, he should be consoling his friend, catching up on current events and maybe even apologising that he couldn’t help sooner. I truly hope that all happened off-screen from a meta-perspective but it is damning that it didn’t happen within the confines of the show.

I get that it’s supposed to be funny, but if they wanted to make this joke, they should've got the sympathy stuff out of the way first, the way it's presented makes Victor [and Pilar and Rahim to a lesser extent] come across as callous. Victor’s choice of outfit for the restaurant is… Not up to task and given the contents of Victor’s wardrobe, fashion-conscious Rahim offers him his shirt instead.

As Victor heads to the restaurant, Isabelle is heading to a PFLAG meeting, hoping to get advice on talking to Adrian.

Victor meets the family at the restaurant and we’re introduced to Charles, Benji’s father. Don’t worry, you’ll grow to hate him later. Benji isn’t as pleased to see Victor as they might’ve thought.

Back with Mia and Lake, Lake comes across a deep-sea fishing visit at an aquarium, very much down Felix’s alley. Mia asks if this is the right call, given what happened between them which Lake takes offence to.

At the restaurant, Benji tries to talk to his mother before she says something he regrets but it’s too late, she reveals to Victor that Benji is sober or teetotal as we brits tend to call it and has been going to AA meetings. He has been for a year, likely since the accident.

Felix gets a call from the social worker, based on the Doctor’s evaluation Dawn has been placed on an extended hold for up to two weeks. Rahim and Pilar decide to do a J-Lo marathon, Adrian got ahead of them and is now wandering what a lap-dance is. Congratulations, a funny joke!

Isabelle enters the PFLAG meeting and sees Armando with one of the women he met there, this ultimately pushes her to leave the meeting. Benji had gone outside as Victor goes to find him, when asked about the cabin, he reveals that, as we saw, he switched cups. He prefers to pretend to drink than continue to be asked why he doesn’t. Victor is still somewhat… What’s a lighter term for offended? Perturbed? I’m gonna go with perturbed, anyway, Victor is still somewhat perturbed that Benji didn’t tell him.

And honestly, I get it, it’s never easy to reveal the darker sides of yourself, especially to people you care about, perhaps he sees himself as broken in the way Rivet did in Rift Apart and doesn’t want to share that burden. That being said, the argument that ensues isn’t all on Victor, Benji mentions having to put up with a lot of Victor’s shit whilst they’ve been dating, which immediately puts Victor on the defensive.

Victor and Felix talk in the aftermath and Felix does remark that even from his perspective, it’s been difficult to watch Isabelle treat Victor the way the she has the past few months, Victor responds with a similar theory about Lake. This isn’t what I was gunning for earlier but this as close as we get so I’ll take it.

Felix decides he’s going to go the aquarium and hear Lake out, much to Pilar’s visible disappointment. After the meeting, Isabelle confronts Armando about Shelby. Ultimately, Armando affirms that as part of their break, he wants to see other people.

Felix meets Pilar at the aquarium, Lake gives her a rousing speech to try and get back Felix’s good graces, it doesn’t work. Felix understands why she did what she did but that he doesn’t mean he can forgive her actions, currently even looking at her is reminding him that his mother is currently in the psych ward, and he’s not able to see her. He makes the breakup official.

Pilar can hear Felix’s door close and decides to check on him, he’s watching who wants to be a Millionaire and Pilar asks to join him. Sad are angry are kinda her default so his less than operative mood doesn’t phase her, better yet making it competitive like it was with his mother actually cheers him up.

Victor texts Benji to come and stutters and apology, Benji doing the same. The two begin kissing and it soon leads into Victor’s bedroom. Mia and Andrew’s make-out session is interrupted as Lake returns, seeing that Lake needs Mia at this point, Andrew decides to leave.

Isabelle returns home and opens Victor’s door to find him and Benji having sex.

The cracks are starting to widen as we close in on the climax, still, the omission of a few sympathy scenes with Felix do drag the episode a little.

Rating 7/10

Coming up:

• Victor and Rahim meet in a dark room
• Pilar and Felix have coffee on a bench
• And Benji talks to another man

The Morning After

We return to the start of the sex scene already in progress and with Isabelle walking in on them. She is not happy, and Victor is somewhat embarrassed over the whole affair. Benji though is angry, thinking she wouldn’t have said anything or even been angry if Victor was doing this with a woman. All the commotion has woken up Adrian, something which probably would not have happened if they'd just had sex as was intended. Heated up, Benji reveals to Adrian that he’s Victor’s boyfriend. Isabelle asks him to leave, and Victor, wanting to avoid any more drama, concurs much to Benji’s aggravation.

The next morning, Victor decides not to call Benji to talk, Armando has come around and Victor thinks they’re about to ground him or something for what happened last night but Armando knows nothing about it and it’s a joint effort to talk to Adrian regarding Victor being gay. But Adrian is pretty smart for his age (wait, Spongebob is gay? I missed that bit of discourse. God that explains so much) Adrian accepts with barely a second thought.

Pilar wakes up at Felix’s house, the two having slept on the couch. Felix gets a text from the hospital; his mother wants him to visit. He’s apprehensive but Pilar assures him that going from not being able to have visitors to actively wanting them can only be a good sign.

Mia is called down to breakfast, Harold has prepared breakfast burritos which she associates with bad news. The President of Stanford University is retiring and Harold has been offered the job. But it means from Georgia to California by the end of the year. [Bear in mind that the wedding is in a week, I’ll have a point about it when I eventually review season 3] He asks Mia how she feels, and she tells him to take the job.

Benji and Victor meet at Brasstown the next morning but their conversation quickly devolves into another argument. Victor saying Benji has accepting liberal white parents is hilarious given what we’ll find out about him next season. In the end Benji storms out.

Meanwhile with Pilar, Rahim gives her advice on her next move. He’s so good managing other’s romances and not so much is own, as the coming episodes will make abundantly clear. Felix is feeling awkward having lunch with the gang, but Victor convinces him to do it anyway. Hilarity follows, apparently.

Mia tells everyone about the move. She never saw the talk as a choice, she believes the choice is already made and that fighting it is pointless. With Benji nowhere to be seen all day, Victor heads into the photography dark room to make a call to him, but he doesn’t answer. Turns out Rahim was there the whole time and the two get talking, Victor letting slip that Benji is a recovering alcoholic.

With regards to the argument, Rahim relates to Victor’s struggle with his parents. But it becomes another conversation about a lot of their potential homophobic belief come from their parents, I refer to my previous thoughts on the matter as I’m not bogging down this review with another rant. Suffice it to say I don’t buy into this at all.

At church, Adrian has a class there or something and was told by Father Lawrence that Victor being gay will mean he goes to hell. After reassuring Adrian, Isabelle takes him back into the Church, saying she forgot something.

Neither Lake nor Andrew want Mia to move and begin their first steps of doing something about it. Victor heads over to Benji’s house, finding Benji talking to his AA-sponsor and hugging his AA-sponsor. Lake heads to Harold’s computer and Stanford, do you really want to be headed up by a guy who doesn’t know to set a password for his computer.

Andrew is finding her actions somewhat unnerving, but Lake says she can’t lose Mia, especially with awkward things are with Felix as well. Andrew ultimately steals away the keyboard before Lake does something she’ll regret. Andrew uses the word love in relation to Mia just at the right time for Mia to overhear. Hearing this convinces Mia to fight for them

After his visit to the hospital, Felix meets up with Pilar in the park, she got them both coffee. The hospital is unsurprisingly sterile and anything that might trigger emotions is banned, apart from visits from her son apparently. Anyway, she’s on new medication and will be discharged next week. Pilar gives him some kind words, and Felix shares a few of his own, Pilar makes her move and kisses him, taking Felix aback somewhat. Pilar apologises and leaves.

Mia talks to her father and it’s an emotional conversation… Harold at the time agrees to not go for the Stanford job. Isabelle goes to confront Father Lawrence. If anything, Isabelle was somewhat inspired by Adrian accepting Victor without more than a second thought. She decides to leave this particular church for one that’s less homophobic.

Harold calls Stanford but, unable to bring himself to refuse he decides to take the job. The talk between Benji and Victor is interrupted when Rahim texts Victor, letting Benji know that he knows about Benji’s alcoholism. Bruised by this betrayal of trust, Benji decides that they need to take a break. 

Once again, the drama is good, if a little scattered this week. The comedy is hit-or-miss as per usual but there aren’t enough bad jokes to detract, and Isabelle leaving the church is a powerful scene.

Rating 8/10

Coming up

• Victor and Rahim eat some lunch
• Victor and Rahim get pedicures
• And Victor and Rahim sing karaoke

Victor’s Day Off

OK, full confession, I’ve never seen Ferris Bueller’s day off, from which this episode gets its title so if there are any references in the episode itself, I won’t be able to point them out.

Anyway, we begin with Victor contacting Simon for help but not getting any responses. Isabelle tells Victor about her confrontation with the Church, hoping it would make Victor happy but he’s still moping from the Break, something he is not ready to talk about with her.

Rather than confronting high school and having to have pre-calc with him, Rahim offers him another choice, skipping school. For him it’s easy as the school office are apparently incredibly gullible, he just needs to make up a Muslim holiday and that’s all there is. For Victor it’s a tad more complicated but Rahim badly bullshits his way through it, claiming Victor’s sick after eating chimichangas. He does this this by pretending to be Victor’s mother.

So with that, they’re skipping school, Rahim says he does this any time he needs to breathe, but as it’s Victor’s day to do so, they’re heading somewhere where Victor hasn’t been before, unfortunately, someone who has is Armando, who Victor sees with (checks notes) Shelby, Armando tells him to get back to school but he’s even more shook up now.

In other news in that scene, Rahim reveals he had come out to his parents, and that they already knew having come across some of his internet search history. Seeing how Victor is feeling, Rahim decides to continue their adventures, so the two head to have pedicures. Rahim gets a message from someone from a dating app he’s been chatting with. Victor encourages him to ask him out, and he does so.

They’re meeting at Brasstown, so Victor makes himself scarce, still, Benji isn’t working today so that’s one problem avoided. But the date doesn’t go great, he was expecting someone more masculine than the very effeminate Rahim and chooses to end it quickly. Rahim goes back to Victor, feeling more than a little dejected as Victor tries to lift him back up, even calling him ‘super handsome’

They both mention a gay bar, and you remember I mention ID checks in the New York episode from the last season, turns out they just didn’t check. But they are in the one here. They decide to sneak in through the side entrance and avoid the checks. Stripper tipped, conversations had, and drinks a plenty for these two underage denizens they start talking about their types, Rahim’s type is a decent description of Victor and Victor’s type is Benji, not even a description of him, just him.

Rahim had signed them up for karaoke, and chose Justin Bieber’s Holy for some reason. They’re better than the vast majority of karaoke singers, pity it’s such a crap song [and yes, I get its thematic relevance given their religious backgrounds, it’s still a crap song].

Unfortunately, the euphoria from this singing is dashed as Isabelle has finally caught up with them, having tracked his phone with help from Adrian. Cornered, Victor admits that he and Benji have hit the rocks and he’s worried Benji might break up with him. He didn’t tell his mother, fearing she’d be secretly happy about these events.

Isabelle finally gets her moment of redemption after her arc this season, it’s another powerful moment for her character, moving another step forward after starting the season being painful to watch. Victor remarks about always having life-changing moments outside of gay bars, this isn’t followed up on because that would mean Victor explaining he decided to hightail it to New York on his own to meet up with people he’d only ever contacted through text message. They wouldn’t be wrong to lock him in the house after that.

They drop off Rahim, who’s worried about smelling of alcohol, given his religion. Victor thanks him for the day and they wish each other good night with a stare lasting several moments too long following on. As he heads back into the car, Victor gets a call from Benji telling him he’s not coming to the wedding with him.

It was interesting to see the show focus on and develop a single story-thread for the episode. And yes, they’re building up a love-triangle with Benji, Victor and Rahim and I famously loathe them, but it kinda works here.

Rating 8/10

In the final exciting episode of the season:

• Rahim talks about his pocket squares
• Isabel brings Benji some chicken
• And Lake <SPOILER>

Close Your Eyes

Benji is staring at his wedding invitation and still hasn’t heard anything from Simon regarding his previous message. Needing to have a +1 for the wedding, Victor asks Pilar, who directs him to Rahim, who agrees to go.

Isabelle goes to see Armando, and makes her case for this break needing to end for the sake of the children. She wants to save their marriage and believes that’s possible if Armando agrees, either way, he needs to choose. Felix opens his door to find his mother, having been discharged from the hospital. The two catch up, Dawn say that on a hard day she’d close her eyes and picture what she’d lose if she didn’t get her shit together, and that was enough to get her to get her shit together.

Felix tells her about his breakup with Lake, Dawn ultimately tells him that although it may have been seen as a betrayal of trust, she was always be grateful for Lake putting everything on the line to ensure she got the help she needed.

Mia presents Veronica with her wedding gift, a hand-me-down from her grandmother, how delightful. At this point, the Stanford bombshell is dropped again, causing Mia to storm off. Felix has arrived ready for the Wedding and he and Pilar talk, it’s somewhat awkward after the kiss. Pilar makes it clear the only forward is to move backwards and not have these deep discussions again. Rahim arrives shortly after donning a white suit that’s bound to get dirty at some point.

Mia’s come back for the wedding, but still feeling dejected. Lucy is among the caterers at the wedding, and she and Lake talk. Lucy gives her some liquid courage to sit with Felix for a bit and immediately sense the tension between Victor and Rahim.

At Brasstown, Isabelle pays Benji a visit. Giving him a Tupperware full of pollo guisado, the meal they were supposed to have before school starts. She also gives him a mountain of apologies over anything she might have done that drove a wedge between them. Her words do have an effect on Benji.

Neither Victor nor Rahim like oysters, it turns out, huh. Anyway, what’s important at this reception is that Andrew has a few words with Harold, warning him that Mia may never come back from what he’s about to do with her.

Isabelle calls Armando and tells him that she made peace with Benji, nothing may come of it but at least she knows she tried. As the reception moves into the evening dancing, Lake asks Felix to dance, who accepts and Victor and Rahim dance too. Felix thanks Lake for giving him his mother back. Seeing that Pilar had given him Swedish fish candy for his mother, he heads off. Benji arrives to see Victor dancing awkwardly with Rahim. Taking the wrong impression, he storms off.

After that Rahim remarks that he doesn’t think their relationship is just them as friends, and he thinks Victor might agree. He kisses Victor and Victor now has to decide who to choose. Yeah, we’re doing this shit, get your #TeamBenji and #TeamRahim hashtags at the ready and yeah, they’re gonna leave this one on a cliff-hanger just so the hashtags can get trending like it’s fucking Twilight.

Following the advice of Dawn in the psyche ward, they close their eyes, picturing all the things they hope to happen in their life and who work out who they picture it with. Victor decides to take a run as Felix heads to Pilar and the two kiss. Lake sees Lucy, who says she didn’t picture her with Felix anyway, before taking a bottle of champagne from the catering van and asking her out.

Harold comes to Mia’s room, saying he’s made a big mistake, but he sees Mia’s room is empty, with only a note left behind. Andrew is taking Mia to see her mother. Armando returns to Isabelle and the two begin making out again.

Victor gets a call from Simon, and this time we see him… And he’s rocking a very different look, long hair, the beard, nice house for a college student. And he’s doing finals, in November??? OK… Victor tells Simon he’s actually good, thanks him for all the help he’s gotten but says he needs to complete this final phase on his own. Simon tells him not to be a stranger and looks somewhat upset about all this, though happy for Victor. I don’t want to read into this too much but it almost feels like him and Bram have run into difficulties also.

And yeah, we open to Victor ringing the bell and someone answering. Find out who when season 3 drops.

I can’t justify the cliff-hanger like I did the last one, but the rest of episode continues to be engaging. The weird Simon cameo may be down to a number of factors outside of the producers’ control but it was still weird, and honestly, I don’t care enough about Shelby to be that engaged with the plotline with her and Armando.

Rating 7.5/10