The Unicorn Episode 1
The show opens with Wade (Walton Goggins) rummaging through the refrigerator looking for something to feed his two girls for dinner. A recent widower, Wade’s wife Jill died a year ago and there are still so many platters of food in the freezer. Wade found something that he thought was lasagna, but it turns out to be brownies. He offers the kids brownies for dinner.
A glimpse around the house shows the dishes are piling up in the sink and the dogs are up on the counter. Wade and the girls have clearly given up on household chores.
Not with it…
At a soccer game, Wade is the referee and he his not paying much attention to the calls he should be making. Tracey Wilvers comes up to him and begins to hit on him, but he is completely oblivious to it. His friends Michelle and Ben, and Delia and Forrest, can’t believe that he doesn’t realize it and they want to help him, but they decide to stay out of it until Wade tells them he is ready.
Back at the refrigerator looking for food, a short montage shows Wade plowing through the rest of the food there. He realizes it is gone and that Jill is really gone too. His friends come over and they suggest that he start dating again. At first he is reluctant, suggesting he has too much to do, but really he has nothing to do. Then he suggests that he wants to tell his girls, Natalie and Grace, but his friends suggest lying to them. He doesn’t want to do that and ends up telling them. Nat feels like he is trying to replace her mom, but Grace is very supportive of him.
It’s a set up…
Wade’s friends help him set up a dating app profile. They go through a series of questions and the ‘relationship status’ question comes up. He selects ‘widowed.’ He immediately starts to get several responses. Michelle tells him that he is the ‘unicorn’, the type of man that all women want.
She tells him that all the men on these sites are having a midlife crisis, getting divorces, getting Porsches, and hooking up with 25 year olds. She tells him that he is a devoted father, a devoted husband, and he hasn’t had sex with anyone other than Jill in 20 years. Wade thinks that these women selecting him may only be into him because he is widowed. He doesn’t want pity dates and changes his profile to single.
It’s time…
He is getting ready to go on one of his dates and his friends are helping him. They suggest taking off his wedding ring, but he doesn’t think it will come off. He does eventually get it off and he goes on his date with Danielle.
Unfortunately, it is one of the first things she sees and tells him that she doesn’t date cheaters.
As she is getting up to leave, he tells her that his wife died. Most of the restaurant heard, and she sits back down. A bottle of wine comes to the table, complementary of one of the other guests and the waitress comps the appetizer. He tells Danielle that this is what he was trying to avoid. She offers to have him come back to her place and initially he accepts, but then tells her that he can’t do this. He needs to figure out who he is. She likes him and says that he isn’t like the other guys that she dated. She suggests that when he figures out who she is, he should click on her profile again.
Danielle: You don’t drive a Porsche, do you?
Wade: I drive a dirty pickup.
Danielle: God, you’re hot
And with that, she leaves.
Time for… Waffles?
Back at home, Nat is getting ready for bed. She says that she is still mad at him. He tells her that his date was a disaster and suggests going to get waffles. As Wade goes to get Grace, he finds the neighbor’s son, Andrew, in her room. Very politely, Andrew asks how Wade’s date went. Natalie comes out of her room yelling ‘Waffles’, but begins to laugh when she sees Andrew.
At the waffle house, Wade realizes that Grace only wanted him out of the house so that she could have Andrew over. He asks, ‘Do you know what your mom would say?’ Both girls answer ‘yes’, but Wade doesn’t know. Jill always handled discipline and he always put the toys together. He decides that things need to change around the house. No more dogs on the counter, and brownies for dinner. They can get through this together.
Wade has backyard barbecue, and comes out of the kitchen with his chili. Ben and Michelle have a bite and remember how awful Wade was at cooking. Tracey Wilvers comes over to him and tells him how great his chili is. She wants him to show her how to cook it. Now he finally understands that she is hitting on him.
Thoughts:
This was a great introduction to the characters of the show and sets up the premise really well. When I initially heard about this show, I thought it would be a drama, but I quickly realized it is more of a comedy.
The show balances both elements really well. Wade will learn more about his girls and also about dating. After being out of the dating game for 20 years, I imagine there will be more hilarious moments as he begins to date again.
The comedic moments when Wade’s friends were helping him, were entertaining as well. He seems to have a great support system in his friends, and this it will be helpful (and comical) to navigate this new journey Wade and his girls are on.
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