When she refuses to leave, he calls security. She ends up hitting him in the head with the phone. Just like that, our protagonist faces the charge of reckless assault. The next scene cuts to Sam’s mother Carol picking her up from a rehab centre 30 days later. Not only must Sam move back in with her mom but according to her probation officer, she has to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every day for 90 days. At the first meeting, Sam meets Olivia, who is 10 years sober and seems to have everything together. She gives Sam her number and tells her that nobody should have to go through recovery alone. Sam also meets James. He reminds her that they’ve already met (and had sex) at a bar last Thanksgiving. Sam has made connections; things are looking up. That is, until she meets her friend Felicia at a bar. Sam insists that she can’t drink, but her proximity to alcohol is too tempting, and she ends up drinking and partying until she catches sight of Brit. Brit is her former best friend, who is at the bar celebrating her bachelorette party. Sam’s mood instantly sours. The party is to celebrate Brit’s upcoming marriage to Sam’s ex-boyfriend. Brit tries to talk to Sam outside, but she’s too angry. She gets into her car (she’s completely drunk) and crashes into the party bus that Brit and her friends arrived on. Luckily, Olivia bails her out of jail and decides to sponsor her. Even luckier, Sam doesn’t get jail time. However, she does receive more community service and the requirement to take a Driver’s Ed class. Added to that, her mom is making her get a job and pay rent. Olivia connects Sam with one of her other sponsors, Mindy, who manages a grocery store. The episode ends with Sam four days sober and getting dressed for work.
The Episode Review
Single Drunk Female’s premiere boasts some charming characters that brighten the unpleasant central theme of alcoholism. It’s a topic that’s actually refreshingly presented here, as it seems that TV’s portrayal of alcohol addiction has always tended to center on older men. Not so in this show; Sofia Black-D’Elia is magnetic as the 28-year-old recovering addict, instantly drawing us into her world of misfortune. It looks like if the show is going to struggle with anything, that will be making the most of each scene’s potential. At times, it felt like some interactions were simply vehicles to get to the next scene. Altogether, however, Single Drunk Female delivers a pleasant introduction to what will hopefully be a compelling character arc for Samantha Fink.
