Private Practice "Aftershock" Recap: Happiness Finally! Or is it?

Last night we finally found out who Addison chose after last season’s cliffhanger…eventually. Instead of jumping into the show with everyone interacting with each other as normal, Shonda Rhimes chose to show what happens to each person from their viewpoint.

I admit it started off a little slow for me, like Groundhog Day at Oceanside Wellness until stories started to overlap and I saw the layers of what actually happened during the day as a whole.  It’s different way of telling the story with slow reveals that built up the end of the episode to a huge “WHAT?!” moment.  I don’t necessarily agree with the way things are heading, but it’s potential for great storytelling when it all comes together.

The show opens with Violet’s day and her receiving a text from Pete saying that he’s going for a run and that he loves her no matter what happens at this trial.  Red Flag Warning: if you know Shonda’s writing at all, you KNOW things are not going to end well already.  Violet has a session with an older patient trying to make amends with his pregnant daughter, who goes into labor while arguing with him.  As Violet’s day continues, she learns at the courthouse that Pete is nowhere to be found an begins to panic that he’s run off to South America based on things she’s “remembering.”

Next up is Addison and… Jake. Yup, she chose Jake and they make quite the couple especially when snuggling with baby Henry.  As usual, Addison is flipping out and letting her insecurities of how perfect Jake is make her second guess everything.  Jake goes off to deliver the baby of daughter fighting with her alcoholic father from Violet’s therapy session. Meanwhile, Charlotte pulls Addison out her talk with Violet to examine her for maybe being pregnant.  Addy and Jake catch up later and she continues to fail miserably and hilariously at using words to describe her fear of being in a relationship with him and falling in love with him.  Note: Whenever someone compares their significant to the pain of cancer it’s time to stop talking.

We revisit Charlotte and Cooper at the beginning of their day, and learn that she really does think she’s pregnant, but is not thrilled with the idea while Cooper is, of course, overjoyed at the idea.  She is hoping that while Addison removes her IUD, it will result in a miscarriage.  Cooper goes with violet to the courthouse, spills the beans that Charlotte is pregnant and learns with Violet that Pete is missing.  Charlotte is relieved to get her period later in the day, or so she thinks.

We move onto Amelia receiving her year chip for sobriety and Sheldon standing by her side as she does. (Their friendship is one of the things I absolutely love on this show.) Amelia talks to Violet’s therapy patient about making amends with his daughter at the end of their meeting.  Sheldon goes back to the office and has a routine physical from Sam.  Amelia and Sheldon discuss Pete’s disappearance, and Amelia stresses that she doesn’t believe Pete ran off and she would be lost without Sheldon. The next scene is Sam pulling Sheldon aside to discuss his physical test results.  Time out of storyline recaps to say that I don’t need to be hit with a sledge hammer to know what’s going on here and I’m not happy about it.  More on this later.

Last but not least, we learn that Sam has a new girlfriend, Stephanie, the nurse assisting Jake with the daughter’s delivery.  Of course, everyone wants details and he keeps quiet. Addison and Sam have a moment where they are grown ups and decide to move on from their past.  Later, Sam and Stephanie are having a sweet moment in the hospital when Violet’s older patient collapses in front of him.  He saves the man and Amelia steps in to reunite the man with his daughter. All tied up nicely with a bow, which is predictable but still cute for the episode.

Onto the last 2 minutes of the show. Sheldon is clearly upset and drinking heavily by himself.  Charlotte is upset and punches Cooper in the arm for “knocking her up” with triplets. Jake reveals to Addison that he’s in love with her and wants to be with her.  Here the WTH moment though. The last scene is Cooper going to see Violet to hear the latest of Pete’s disappearance.  Violet very matter-of-factly says that Pete keeled over from a heart attack and died in jogging, he didn’t desert her or Lucas.  Uh WHAT?!

Here’s my take on the episode and how the season seems to be being set up: we need a little levity or as my good friend Karen Riel said “happy pills.” We all knew Tim Daly wasn’t coming back, but the lack of onscreen goodbye was a little jarring.

Don’t get me wrong, Shonda made her choices and wrote her vision, but it’s sad to think of no more Pete.  More importantly, Sheldon’s seemingly awful health news already has me stressed out that he’s going to bite it in a painful drawn out way and it’s going to kill Amelia.  I’m still dealing the stress of Amelia’s last year and this will only prolong it.   I admit I’m biased because Charlotte is my all time favorite character, so the following is my fan girl coming out.  Her love for Mason as her own child now while simultaneously having absolutely no interest in having Cooper’s babies leaves me dying to know how this is going to play out.  I’m also proud of Addison being a grown up and choosing Jake and a real relationship, but lord knows it’s early and at some point she’s going to screw it up and it will probably involve Sam.  Good news is at least she always has the best guy in the world to go home to now: Henry.