This sort of episode is what I meant after I was ranting in regards to the want for some outdoors characters who truly knew Lydia and Paul earlier than Jacob died to indicate up and flesh out some particulars. “Full Disclosure,” through which we watch Paul spending time along with his nephew Nate as they attempt to observe down Mikey’s whereabouts — or reasonably, Nate tries to trace down Mikey, and Paul tries to throw him off the scent — actually fills out Paul’s character and winds up being an actual showcase for Romano.

When Nate exhibits up at his aunt and uncle’s doorstep, they invite him in and do their finest to welcome him — Aunt Lydia’s well-known sizzling cocoa! — whereas additionally mendacity by way of their tooth about not having any clue the place Nate’s dad is. They try and get him out of the home as rapidly as potential, however all of their horrible improvising about sleep hygiene — it’s even worse than JD, for those who can consider it — goes out the window when Nate will get a ping that Mikey’s telephone has been traced to Elysian Park, precisely the place Paul tossed it earlier within the day. Paul doesn’t have a lot of a alternative however to move out along with his nephew and ensure he doesn’t discover something incriminating.

Whereas their investigation doesn’t flip up a lot that Paul wants to fret about — the telephone is water-logged and unusable, and when he forces Nate to go to Mikey’s condo, there’s nothing there that implicates him or Lydia — it does power Paul to have a look at a few of his collateral harm. Paul has official causes to be offended with Mikey, however absolutely a few of the rage he’s been taking out on his brother is anger at and about Jacob that he hasn’t handled but. Whereas Mikey definitely isn’t unhurt by any of this, the very harmless Nate is getting harm, too. Watching his nephew get upset considering that the cryptic “love you” textual content he acquired from Paul pretending to be Mikey, paired along with his sudden disappearance, means his dad might need tried to kill himself is fairly insufferable for Paul.

As soon as he assures Nate his dad have to be alive with a half-eaten banana he units up within the kitchen as proof that Mikey’s been there not too long ago, which sounds insane, however I’ll have it does the trick, Nate opens up about his conflicted, complicated relationship along with his father. He tells Paul that when his dad acquired out of jail, he promised he’d give him $80,000 to assist pay for a home, however he hasn’t seen him since. “Why do I all the time consider him?” he asks his uncle. Effectively, now Paul is aware of what that $80,000 was for, or at the least the preliminary ask, however principally, it provides him perspective on Mikey and absolutely will get him enthusiastic about his relationship with Jacob.

There’s no approach Paul can have a look at Nate with out enthusiastic about his personal son. We haven’t actually seen Paul be weak, but it surely’s nearly as if he can’t assist it round Nate. He tells him that he believes his dad time and again as a result of he’s his dad, and he desires to consider him and consider that he can change. It was the identical with Paul and his personal father. “We didn’t have function mannequin,” he tells Nate. It’s when Nate begins speaking about Jacob, about the way it looks as if Paul was capable of do job along with his son, not like Mikey, and the way he needs there had been justice for what occurred to his cousin that basically will get to Paul. We’ve solely seen him brush away any mentions of his son or, like with Lydia, make enjoyable of her for her attachment, however he can’t brush it away right here. He thinks about that evening he died, about unmasking him because the robber, about having to lie about his personal son’s loss of life. We all know that he and Jacob didn’t all the time have the perfect relationship and that he was arduous on his son. Any and all the guilt and ache Paul should really feel about his son and his son’s loss of life are all lastly on the floor. I imply, this man isn’t going to bawl his eyes out, however the few tears we see on his face are big for Paul. And that “you might be by no means a waste of time, child,” he affords Nate as his nephew leaves is a lot extra poignant than the easy sentence lets on. It’s laced with a lot remorse and grief and love. Ray Romano! In a darkish comedy! Making me all misty-eyed!

If solely Lydia may see Paul now. Really, it’s in all probability finest she doesn’t see this as a result of she could be too offended to understand it. Why is she offended? Effectively, when Paul heads out with Nate, she is left to speak to Mikey about getting the placement of all of the proof he has stashed someplace. Wanting on the safety digital camera, she will see Mikey is in misery. She doesn’t need him to die! She cares about him! But additionally very a lot understands he’s very blissful to be a risk to her and her husband, what with all of the blackmail, and so forth. So she does break the wall down, and when Mikey tells her he’s in withdrawal and desires his capsules, she will get these capsules … however holds them hostage till he tells her the place the proof is hidden. (In a toolbox in his condo, he says.) Lydia’s getting shit finished! And what else? There isn’t any approach in hell she’s giving this man again his medication. She has already flushed them down the bathroom, she tells him. He may get clear and have a second probability with Nate. Why not at the least strive?

So Lydia helps Mikey detox. It’s truly very good. And when he admits that he had been sober till that evening when Jacob died, it’s one other reminder of the collateral harm all of those lies have finished. Will Lydia and Paul’s marriage even be on that checklist of collateral harm? When she blames herself and Paul for not being current sufficient with their children, a lot in order that that they had no concept Jacob was stealing from folks’s houses, Mikey has an fascinating response: Paul did know Jacob was having points stealing as a result of a 12 months earlier than he died, that they had caught the child stealing from a home they had been engaged on. Paul knew and by no means instructed Lydia. Oh, Lydia is seething.

By the point Paul locates the field of proof and will get house, he finds an empty home and an enormous gap within the wall in Jacob’s room. However then one thing humorous occurs. And never ha-ha humorous regardless that that is purported to be a COMEDY, in case you forgot!! (I’m saying that with love as a result of I didn’t count on this episode to have me all up in my emotions like this!!) Paul sees the sunshine in Jacob’s room flickering. However greater than seeing it, he will get it. He’s letting Jacob again in and all of the feelings that include it, and he lastly will get it.

• You actually must really feel for JD, who’s studying simply how a lot his spouse has been mendacity to him, as a result of — shock! — Margo’s useless brother Bobby, from her sob story about the home hearth, is alive and dwelling on JD’s boat, and in addition Margo’s actual identify is Luann. What else is she mendacity about?

• JD’s lies about being solid in Marvel’s Captain World Universe Man (extra of these improv abilities at work!) don’t appear so dangerous now, huh?

• Admittedly, I’m not very moved or concerned with Dennis’s story. Everybody’s nice, and maybe we’re supposed to attract parallels about different youngsters/father or mother tales right here, however principally, the entire thing feels so disconnected from the primary plot. Why do we’d like this? He has a breakthrough in his novel throughout his CT scan and Carla’s water breaks whereas at breakfast, making an attempt to make amends with Denise. On the hospital, when Carla confesses the place Dennis is and that he thinks he’s going to die identical to his father, Denise drops her personal whopper of a secret: He didn’t inherit something from his dad as a result of that man was not Dennis’s organic father.

• Carla retains ignoring calls from her dad. Inform me extra about this!

• Carla spitting some truths as Dennis whines about dying earlier than he has even gotten the correct checks: “As a Black girl giving beginning on this nation, it’s far more doubtless I’ll die than you.” Dennis’s response: “You’re simply making an attempt to make me really feel higher!”