As we ended the Brothers season 1 episode 5, we saw two of the kids, Matthew McConaughey's son Wyatt (Nolan Almeida) and Woody Harrelson’s daughter Kai (Oona Mei Yaffe), get together. They’ve been friends a long time, and now it might be more.
That leaves Woody and Matthew trying their best to be supportive, which naturally makes things more awkward. Brothers season 1 episode 6, “The Dance,” is a blend of both. Let’s dive in.
A big swing
Wyatt has a school dance coming up. He wants to take Kai to the dance. But it all comes down to the ask. So, the entire families are gathered as Matthew pops the garage and Kai rolls out in the car — and outfit — from Dazed and Confused. It’s certainly a choice, and perhaps an awkward choice. But Kai says yes, so it seems their gathering is set. But is everyone ready?
Kai begins to struggle. She doesn’t have a lot of experience with school dances. So, Olive (Highdee Kuan) helps her come up with an outfit. And Woody tries to offer some advice, but it doesn’t really land. Matthew tries to offer some advice to Wyatt, too, but it doesn’t quite land. Still, as they head off to the dance, Matthew and Woody decide to join them.
For Woody, it makes for some good distraction. He’s gotten the envelope with the results of the DNA test. But he’s weary of opening it. So, he pockets the envelope and decides to be there for his daughter—whether she wants it or not.
The dance is sufficiently awkward. Kai and Wyatt have good chemistry, but they don’t know how to be with each other, especially in this very public place. And it’s not easy with their parents hovering. Matthew tries to pour into Wyatt, but his advice doesn’t seem to be pointing in the right direction. Woody tries the same but gets a similar result.
Kai, who hurt her foot after taking a tumble down the stairs during her big dress reveal, manages to find a place to hide. Matthew finds her and offers to slip away, but instead she wants company. They have a heart-to-heart, and it really helps some things land for Kai. Matthew helps her down and out, and she goes to find Wyatt.
It’s been an awkward night. And they still don’t totally know how to be together. But Kai and Wyatt want to be together. So, they end with a sweet dance on the dance floor that offers a bit of closure to the episode’s main story.
Jimmy in town
Meanwhile, last week Jimmy (Skyler Gisondo) arrived at the end of episode 5. He wants to win Olive back, but she’s not ready to talk. So, Jimmy is just hanging around. In the morning, he’s pitched a tent near the bus. He tries to connect with Woody, but it’s an awkward time. Still, it’s clear that he’s not going anywhere.
That’s something Woody makes clear to Olive. She wants to focus on the envelope to avoid the big question of her relationship that had imploded at the start. She’s been ignoring Jimmy, too. But he’s not going away, and he’s determined to at least plead his case. So, Olive finally has a conversation with Jimmy. It’s clear things aren’t settled, but it’s at least a start.
As her father returns from the dance, they discuss it all. Olive’s attention turns back to the envelope. Woody pulls it out, but he’s still not ready to open it. In fact, he might never be ready to open it. He folds the envelope up and puts it in the trash. He decides that the answers in that envelope don’t matter. He doesn’t want to know and doesn’t want anything to chance. And he asks Olive to let it go, too. But can she let it go? As we leave this episode, it’s not clear how it’s going to turn out.
There is a lot of fun in this show. I like how it’s expanding to focus on the kids and other parts of the family. Still, there’s some interest in the DNA results.
If we’re really letting that go, that feels like a weird choice. I have to believe Olive will save that envelope, and it’s going to come back at some point in time.
Brothers streams Wednesdays on Apple TV. Check back next week as we recap all the action of the season.
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