The council evolves after a year of service to the Perrys.
Robin comes face to face with Anthony who has flown from Las Vegas to Atlanta and then driven to Savannah to rescue them on Council of Dads. Theo resists going with Anthony having just learned of his indiscretions. Robin insists that he let Anthony help him. Theo obliges only after punching Anthony in the face first. Then they head to the hospital about Theo’s ankle.
Theo soon gets treated for his ankle. The pain medication makes him a little loopy. He brags about punching “a guy”. Eventually, he passes out sound asleep while Robin goes to tend to Anthony’s shiner. Anthony finally explains how he got there and how he was worried about his family. Robin does not believe he has quite earned the privilege of stepping right back in to her family.
Officer Sam Baldwin then arrives to address a “domestic incident”. He meets Anthony and learns that Theo punching Anthony was the incident. Then Robin and Sam sneak away to her office for a hug and a kiss. She asks about seeing the damage at her house. Sam reports that Tybee Island will not reopen for a while.
Once the hurricane has passed Evan arrives home surprised to see so many of his neighbors at his house. Luly thanks her husband for being so wise to get the generator and improve the foundation. Now it is time for Luly to take Lauren, Ivy and Eliza the guinea pig home.
Meanwhile, Oliver waits at home with the beautiful baby boy that Sage just delivered. Peter arrives home and meets the precious baby. Robin picks up the other kids at Oliver’s house and learns that the other kids already know about the article. They are surprised to find out that Anthony came to town, however.
Larry is ready to assess the damage at The Crab Shack. Everyone begins to face recovery from the hurricane damage.
Read on for the full “Council Notes” for Council of Dads episode 10 ‘Fight or Flight’.
Keep the car?
The Perrys stay with Luly and comically share a bathroom. They suddenly hear a honk outside. It is Anthony bringing the new car he bought for Luly. Theo immediately describes it as a “guilt gift”. JJ does not mince words when he calls Anthony out for cheating and not using birth control.
Charlotte says Luly should take the car. It does not have to be anything more than a car. All she would be agreeing to is getting a cool new car. Luly ultimately accepts and offers everyone a ride.
Theo stays back to call Jules. Robin asks Anthony if he is returning to Vegas. Anthony says Larry is on the way there to pick him. The chef wants to help get The Crab Shack back in shape for business.
Maybe baby
Robin goes to the hospital to give Sage a postpartum exam. Meanwhile, Ollie and Peter wait with the baby in Robin’s office. Robin returns to her office and asks about the baby’s name. The guys have not agreed on one yet.
Then Robin brings up the testing for GSS. Oliver says no, but Peter says yes. Peter uses the word “if” as in “if we’re going to do this”. Oliver is upset that Peter has reservations. Peter admits he is scared.
Robin then asks Peter to take the baby to get his blood sample. She remains behind with Oliver and recommends that Oliver be willing to talk through the scary stuff with Peter. Robin had to do the same for Scott when he wanted to talk about the process of dying.
Crab Shack woes
Larry, Margot and Anthony take a look at the hurricane damage to The Crab Shack. They wade through the standing water and can clearly see the water line.
Anthony is anxious to rebuild. They understand the Gladwell Company is coming to start a claim. Anthony grabs food from the freezer to start cooking for the community. Larry agrees and suggests they use the restaurant as a donation center.
Margot says she saw Luly’s article since it made its way to the AJC newspaper in Atlanta. She points out that it would have been helpful for Anthony to have given her some idea that he was dealing with a lot of things. The breakup might have made more sense to her if she had known.
What’s cooking at the donation center?
Things get busy at The Crab Shack. The whole community gathers to share and receive donations. Theo is there to help in the kitchen. There is a potpourri of foods available. Theo says they can make the items work for she-crab soup. Anthony is impressed with Theo’s creativity and tells him to make the soup.
Margot and Anthony then speak with the Gladwell representative Chris Ashford who asks Anthony about Las Vegas. Anthony says he plans to stay and help rebuild The Crab Shack. Ashford then points out that Anthony was not faithful to his first contract with the company. Next, Margot escorts the businessman as they review the restaurant’s damage.
More news
Luly tells Robin about the offer she received to write a weekly “Dear Dad” column. Robin is nervous about her writing about their family. Luly assures that the column will primarily be about other people’s letters but sometimes their own business.
Sam brings water to the donation center from the police station. He and Robin talk about how everyone is figuring out that they are seeing each other. Robin admits to Sam that she worried that she may have lost everything at her house. Sam then reminds her how much she has either way. He reminds her that she has her kids, the dads, and a man who loves her. Robin smiles.
Gladwell disappoints
Later, Margot catches up with Larry who is pushing baby Hope in the stroller. She informs Larry that Gladwell has chosen not to rebuild the restaurant. They want to build condominiums in its place. Larry is shocked and terribly disappointed.
Larry then begs Margot to tell him where the Gladwell representative Chris Ashford is staying in Savannah. Margot gives Larry the name of the hotel.
Larry finds Chris at the hotel bar. Chris offers Larry a drink, but Larry gets right down to business. Larry reminds Chris of the original agreement to keep The Crab Shack the way the Perrys wanted it. He tells Chris that he had trusted the company to “protect Scott’s legacy”.
Chris talks about the matter of money. Condos are a more lucrative business opportunity. Larry then pleads with Chris to change his mind, but he will not budge. The businessman offers Larry a drink for the second time and Larry firmly tells him no before walking away.
It’s more than okay to cry
Anthony joins Theo in the kitchen to taste the she-crab soup. The chef gives his approval. Then Anthony thinks he notices tears in Theo’s eyes.
Anthony asks Theo if he is crying and shares that he cries often, especially when he was in Las Vegas. Theo reminds Anthony that he never returned his calls while he was in Vegas. Theo then admits that Jules just broke up with him via text no less. Jules is staying in Atlanta and then going to California.
Theo tries to brush it off, but Anthony tells him not to “minimize” his feelings. Anthony hugs Theo as he cries and apologizes for letting him down. Anthony tells Theo he feels very badly for him about Jules.
Think about life
It’s time to feed the baby at Oliver and Peter’s house. Peter prepares the bottle and Ollie apologizes for not always recognizing Peter’s concerns. He admits he should have been listening to him before the whole “Eddie thing”.
Peter shares that he is stressed. He points out that if the baby has GSS, it will be Tess’s responsibility to care for an ill sibling. Peter does not want to make a final decision about adopting him until he can think it through more.
Oliver implores Peter to think more about the life the baby has now. He wants Peter to really look at the sweet baby boy. Oliver then leaves and tells Peter to feed the little guy.
Baby gets his name
It’s almost time to go see the social worker to sign for the adoption. Robin, Sage and Oliver wait at the house wondering where Peter is. Oliver tells Sage about Peter having second thoughts. Suddenly, Robin gets a call. It’s not Peter. It is the baby’s test results.
After more waiting, Tess walks in with Peter. Peter then introduces Tess to baby Hampton. He explains that Oliver chose the name honoring Fred Hampton who was a Black Panther.
Peter explains that he left that morning not sure what he wanted to do about the baby. But he ended up driving to get Tess so he could introduce her to her baby brother. He proclaims his desire to be a father to Hampton.
The two dads then ask Sage for her final answer about them adopting Hampton. She wholeheartedly agrees and explains that she is happy that they are not perfect. Tess holds baby Hampton.
Peter talks about searching for a cure. Robin and Oliver announce that Hampton does not have GSS after all. So, Peter says they will still search for a cure for Sage. Robin wants them to take a family picture. The dads, Tess and Hampton sit on the couch. Then Oliver reminds Sage that she needs to be in the photo, too.
Looking good for Luly and Evan
Back at the donation center, Luly is sorting through clothes. She suddenly comes across her dad’s jacket. She puts it on right away and says she feels his presence. Her thoughts about her dad are shifting to ones of remembrance not just sadness.
Soon, Denise walks up to the table and asks Evan for a bid to work on her grandma’s house next door. Luly and Evan are delighted with Evan’s first paying house job.
Calling a meeting
Anthony calls the council to order for a meeting. Robin says how proud Scott would be of the community coming together at the restaurant for a donation center.
Robin also comments on how good Theo’s soup is. Anthony then announces that he wants to move back to Savannah and be with family. He plans to open a cooking school there at The Crab Shack. He says he wants to be the kind of man Scott believed he could be and continue to serve on the council.
They realize it has been a year and wonder if there even is a council anymore.
Anthony also asks Larry if he can grease the wheels with Gladwell to get him another contract to run The Crab Shack. Larry is clearly shaken knowing of Gladwell’s plans to build condos instead. Larry tells them it was not a good idea to have sold The Crab Shack. Robin disagrees and points out all the benefits.
Larry begins crying when Sam arrives to tell Robin she can now get to her house.
Love of my life
Sam takes Robin to her house. Robin notes that the house has a lot of damage but it is “still standing”. She requests that she go inside alone.
Robin surveys the damage. Ceilings are missing. There is water damage all around. Items are ruined. She then finds a photo of Scott on the ground. She looks at it longingly and while tears well up in her eyes.
Finally, Robin walks out the backyard looking up at the house. We then see a lifelike version of Scott in the background behind Robin and he begins speaking. Robin begins speaking. It sounds like they are having a conversation, but I believe it is really just each of them saying things individually. It sounds like they are finishing each other’s sentences, though.
They recall how much work the house needed when they originally bought it. They both say how the items in the house are “just stuff”. Scott asks about the children. Robin then talks about the children. Robin talks about the council being tough at first. She also talks about Anthony and wonders if Scott would forgive him. Scott thinks he would. Robin talks about the full life Scott gave her with the kids and the dads.
Then Robin turns around. She is face to face with the presence of Scott. She finally tells him about Sam and how she may love him and is thinking about him meeting the kids. Scott agrees that she should.
Robin tells Scott he is the love of her life and how that will never change.
Scott tells her she should go now. After all, she has someone waiting for her.
Scott gives Robin the assurance she needs to move on.
The whole scene is completely heartfelt without feeling saccharine. It feels so genuine. I feel quite certain that many tears are shed during this scene.
Oh, Larry
Later, Robin returns to the donation center to tell her family, her whole extended, unconventional family about the many blessings they have. She shares news of the house but also speaks of cooking school for Theo, Luly writing her column and Peter and Oliver raising their newborn son.
Then Robin decrees that the council should now be for all of them supporting each other, not just the dads providing support. She then notices that Larry is missing.
In the end, we see Larry at a bar ordering a vodka, neat. He looks at the drink and then hears his phone. He has a text from Robin asking where he is.
The credits roll.
There is so much beauty in the final episode of Council of Dads. But it also leaves us with lingering questions that would most certainly be addressed in future seasons. Sadly, NBC did not elect to renew the series.
We are left wondering if Larry takes that drink. Could Gladwell possibly change their mind? Will Larry trust his council family to understand that Gladwell’s decision is not his fault? Similarly, we long to see if Lauren will ever allow Larry to be a part of her life again.
Fans also want to know if Theo pursues his passion for cooking with Anthony. What happens with Sam and Robin? We wonder how things will go with repairing the Perry home. We want to see the renovations in Luly and Evan’s neighborhood.
Fans want to see Peter and Oliver raising Hampton with all those plastic toys that make music. Likewise, we long to see Tess being a big sister. Viewers care about Sage’s health, too. We are also invested in the lives of JJ and Charlotte who both seem so wise for their ages.
There is a long list of unanswered questions for Council of Dads. But I will try to take solace in the many lessons the show has given us — lessons of hope, joy, forgiveness, inclusion, acceptance, honesty, recovery and faith.
Finally, if there is any chance that Council of Dads could resurface, I would proudly maintain the “Council Notes” for this amazing series.
Thank you Council of Dads!
Revisit the events of episode 2 , episode 3 , episode 4. episode 5, episode 6, episode 7, episode 8 and episode 9.