The second episode of Not Dead Yet was about Lexi’s father not coming to terms with his daughter’s right to see other men. Nell, on the other hand, decided not to date Andres, the son of the state senator whose obituary she had to write. The young man was yet to get over the grief, and they decided not to date until more time had passed. Sam was losing her mind over the seven-year itch, which made her wonder if Keith was considering separation.
Spoilers Ahead
Was Nell Planning To Have Kids?
Nell was writing an obituary for an elderly woman named Estelle, who had given birth to thirteen kids and had countless grandchildren. Estelle may have died in peace, but she advised Nell not to have kids as it would be a burden to her. Estelle implied that her body was tired of giving birth and taking care of her children. She vehemently advocates not having children, for she never had any time for herself. Nell, on the other hand, talks about wanting children only if she ever finds the right partner. She seems to be in a dating desert, which is why having kids was not on the checklist. The ghost of the elderly woman requested that Nell love her nephews and nieces, as she believed being an aunt was probably the coolest job to do.
What Was The Awards Ceremony About?
On the same day, Lexi announced Sam and Dennis were nominated for a local journalism award, and her father, Duncan Rhodes, would be given a lifetime achievement award during the same award ceremony. Sam and Dennis were excited about it, but Lexi was looking forward to witnessing her father being given a coveted award for his long career in journalism. Duncan was arrogant about the award he was about to receive and never appreciated the work of the journalists and his daughter in making the SoCal Independent a better newspaper in the town than others. Nell was conveniently not nominated for any awards, which means she was happy to stay at home.
Is Nell Excited To Take Care Of Tilly?
Since Nell was not nominated, she was more than happy to offer Sam some help in the babysitting department. Nell wore the cool aunt hat as advised to her by Estelle’s ghost, and she looked forward to taking care of Tilly, who was like her niece. Sam and Nell were practically sisters, and babysitting her daughter for a night was something she would never say no to, and she wanted to test her maternal instincts by doing so. Since she knew Tilly from a young age, Nell did not have a hard time bonding with the child. Tilly was a pre-teen girl who was excited to spend time with her aunt Nell as well.
What Did Edward And Nell Argue Over?
As Tilly arrives, Edward unexpectedly ends up having a good time with the young girl by playing video games with her. Nell could not believe Tilly was more into digital games than over-the-top TikTok videos. Nell was shocked at how much the girl had matured in a few years, and she wondered if she would find Nell cool enough.
Edward and Nell argued over his judgment of her since he believed she was not putting herself out there well enough to achieve her goal to become a mother. Nell was offended by his narrow mindset and argued with him over his old-school values. Since Edward had an autism spectrum disorder, he never realized how harsh his words were, and Nell began to lose her temper because of his comments on the kind of life she led. Their argument reached a crescendo when Tilly asked them to stop fighting. She blurted out the fact that everyone she loved was constantly fighting, and she could not bear Edward and Nell doing the same. Nell was taken aback by the young girl’s words, and she wondered if all was well in Sam’s life.
What Was The Purpose Of The Faux-Awards Show?
Halfway into the award show in the evening, Sam had a rude shock when she learned Lexi concocted the event to make her father offer her thanks on a public platform such as this one. Lexi was desperate for her father’s validation, and she went to the extent of spending a huge amount to recreate a fictitious award show to make sure her father acknowledged her role in making the SoCal Independent a success story. Lexi was losing her mind as her father took over the office, and this was probably the most extreme step she had ever taken to make sure her father publicly congratulated her and mentioned her in his gratitude speech. Sam was bewildered by the extent to which Lexi went to gain the validation of a self-centered man. Lexi refused to see what a megalomaniac her father was and was not willing to hear Sam out. Sam and Dennis won the fictitious awards, and so did Duncan. Lexi couldn’t get to grips with herself and wondered if her father would ever mention that he was proud of what she had achieved in life. It was his attention she craved, but Sam tried to talk some sense to her, even though Lexi’s mind was spiraling.
Why Was Tilly Upset?
Tilly was upset, and Nell could tell from her energy that her parents were not on good terms. Being Sam’s best friend, she took over the role of an aunt who was pacifying the young girl into believing that Sam and Keith loved Tilly and that they were not fighting because of her. Nell understood she needed to handle the situation very delicately without giving any indication that Sam and Keith’s marriage was probably in trouble. Tilly was somehow convinced, and she believed maybe her parents were not mad at her. Nell could not give any answer regarding why the fights were happening, as it was not her place to divulge anything about her parents’ marriage. Nell herself was not aware of what was happening to Sam and Keith, but she needed to calm Tilly down in a manner that would not upset her.
Was Sam And Keith’s Marriage Over?
Nell asked Sam about the state of her marriage to Keith, and the answer she received was not positive. Sam didn’t consider the fact that Tilly heard her mother and father constantly fighting and would inform Nell about it. Sam comes clean about Keith and her being separated, which was the reason why he was in another city. Both decided to take a break from their marriage and try to work on themselves. Sam was affected by the separation, which was the reason for her mini meltdown on Valentine’s Day. Sam was exhausted from fighting for her marriage, but she did not realize the sight of her distress would affect Tilly as well. This is where Nell came into the picture and wholeheartedly offered to help Sam and Tilly emotionally as the mother and daughter were going through tough times. Nell wanted to be the best friend she ever was and planned to be present in the midst of their adversity.
Did Lexi Inform Her Father About The Faux Award Ceremony?
Sam was aware that the award ceremony and the whole show was fake. Dennis left the room happy, unaware of Lexi’s elaborate plan being a failure. Duncan did not mention Lexi in his gratitude speech, which devastated her. Lexi wanted her father to get on the podium and praise the amount of work she had put in all these years. She should have expected that her narcissistic father would not give her any media attention. The child in her wanted the consideration she had been seeking for many years.
Lexi did not have the heart to come clean with her father about the faux award ceremony. Duncan would further find a reason to not appreciate Lexi and make a jibe at her for pulling a foolish act. Lexi was eager to be on good terms with a father, but that was a far-fetched dream that could never be fulfilled. The episode ends with Lexi speaking to the cardboard cutout of her father placed at the entrance of the faux award ceremony. Lexi will probably never have the courage to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Duncan. She figured venting to an inanimate object would be easier than conversing with her father. Lexi might have a long way to go, but it looks like she will eventually find a way to have ‘the conversation’ with her father.
