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“Heading Out” recap (Ep. 6): Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Those of us who have stuck with Heading Out have often wondered what it would come down to in this final episode, wherein Sara finally gets the showdown with her parents that the entire series has been built around. A lot of folks guessed that either Sara’s parents would already know she was gay or wouldn’t be surprised; I also wondered if there would be room for the sitcom to grow once this premise was played out. And in these aspects, I have to say, well done, Sue Perkins! We were all wrong!

We start the episode with Daniel and Sara giving each other a hard time per usual at the vet office, which I actually don’t mind as much as I usually do in vet scenes, perhaps because there aren’t any distracting and ridiculous client plotlines involved this time. And maybe that pinpoints what’s irked me most in this show. I actually very quickly came to enjoy and care about all of the main characters, whereas all the extraneous characters each episode never made me laugh as much as they should have. This is probably why I enjoyed both this and the last episode so much–we just got to hang out with the main gang, and the main gang is the one that’s actually funny. For instance, here, Daniel is rearranging a skeletal display of a dog in hopes to create a model that can pick up its own shit, a fine invention, and after giving Sara crap about her pathetic dating life, she threatens him with a venomous snake called Florence. Now that’s not bad!

We then jump to Sara’s final session with Toria, where Toria asks Sara how she feels about the Big Coming Out Dinner and the possible consequences of her family “disowning you, attacking you, or vomiting.” Sara replies, “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting vomit to be on that list,” but then admits she’s terrified. Which I think shows her emotional growth in itself; she probably would have made an awkward, insecure joke to Toria back in the first episodes, as opposed to just saying the truth. Toria gives her a lucky charm, which appears to be some type of dirty handkerchief with jingly bells on it? In other news, I grow strangely more jealous of Toria’s outfits each episode.

We return to the vet office in the next scene, where Eve shows up again–hurrah!–this time sans dog. When Eve says that she’s just here to talk to her, no more dog games, Sara says she’s “slightly scared.” To which Eve says, “Good. I like you more when you’re rattled.” And eeeee, that is so cute and sexy and Sara don’t let her go! Sara suggests they sit down and Eve can talk while she swings her legs “like a nervous teenager.”

When it comes to criticism of this show, I can understand folks just not thinking it’s funny, but I’ve also heard people say that it’s because Sara just isn’t likable or desirable. And I really don’t agree with that at all. Sure, her deep rooted insecurity can be frustrating at times, but scenes like this one highlight her wonderful, dorky adorableness. While Sara’s attraction to Eve is clear because, you know, she’s quick witted and charming and lovely, I also completely understand Eve’s attraction to Sara in turn.

They wrap it up well themselves here. Eve says that she’s been thinking about her situation, which Sara clarifies as being the “I Live in a Fabulous House With My Beautiful, Perfect Partner” situation. Yep. That’s the one. Eve says that it’s coming to an end. You see, the beautiful, perfect partner phase is a nice one, but it turns out now she’s ready for a “specky weirdo phase.” Sara smirks and replies, “This is perfect timing, actually, because I’m entering a new phase myself.” After describing her strict 20 year program of only dating cuckoos, she says, “I’m looking to upgrade to someone much more beautiful than I am who’s going to make me feel panicked and slightly sicky the whole time.” Eve smiles and answers, “Well then, this could work.”

This is all so cute and wonderful and makes me really hopeful for both of them and also makes me really want to see more. In addition, Eve’s velvety crimson hoodie scrunched around her perfect face is killing me. She says to give her a few days to get things in order, and then maybe they’ll see about entering these new phases of theirs. After she leaves, Sara discovers Toria’s lucky charm has been stuck in her jacket the whole time. Maybe that psycho-therapist has been good for something!

And then Sara promptly throws the good luck charm in the trash.

The next morning, her good luck starts to turn icky from the start: she arrives at work to find that their vet office has been burgled. It gives me such great joy to be able to use the word “burgled” in a recap. Daniel’s already there and attacks Sara on arrival, believing she might be the burglars were coming back; she kicks him in the balls. He sinks to the ground yelling, “Oh god, my balls! Oh god, my balls! Oh god, THAT’S GOOD.” Again, I don’t know if I should like Daniel, but I just really do.

A “community support” police officer shows up, who ends up having no power at all except being a general twat. Sara refers to him as “an extra from the Full Monty.” Not shockingly, he leaves without giving much community support at all. While Daniel figures out that all the good drugs have been stolen, Jamie and Justine show up to help with the repair. Jamie is thrilled to have an opportunity for some deep cleaning, and Justine helps Sara figure out that dear snakey Florence has also gone missing in the melee. Sara instructs Justine to stand up on a chair while they look; Justine shouts, “Oh, hooray!” Like, she actually says, “Oh, hooray!” because it sounds like a fun game. God, I love Justine.

Sara ends up getting bit by the snake and Daniel jabs her multiple times in the ass with a needle which is too painful for me to laugh at. It also ends up that he shot her up with penicillin, which she’s allergic to, and shouldn’t everyone be more freaked out about all of this and between the snake venom and allergic substance shot right into her body, shouldn’t she be dead soon? Alas, she isn’t, and after a trip to the hospital is still able to show up for The Dinner with her parents. Except when she shows up, due to some reaction or another, her face has turned neon orange.

Justine tells the hostess she has a table reserved; the hostess asks under what name. Naturally, Justine says, “Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands.” She whispers to Sara that when you say stuff like that, you get treated better. Duh.

Sara’s bad luck streak continues as the community police officer from earlier ends up being their waiter. And when her parents show up, they first assume Jamie is Sara’s boyfriend. When she assures them he’s not, they ask where her boyfriend is then, and Sara laughs nervously as if recalling, “Ah, ha, yes, I told you I had a boyfriend who sold legs.” A swell start!

She also finally checks out what her face looks like in a bathroom mirror. As she stares at her oompa loompa self in horror, Justine lets out a short laugh and then says, “I wasn’t laughing. It was…just an upbeat sneeze.” Which is a line I must use at some point in life. Justine then asks where the lucky charm is and gasps when Sara reveals she threw it away. No wonder you’re cursed, Justine cries! She then asks what we all ask ourselves in these situations: What Would Toria Do? Something really annoying, Sara answers, like a lucky dance or something.

Definitely going to work.

It’s also been revealed earlier in the episode that Sara has a brother–who knew!–and that he, too, is coming to dinner. While they sit around the table waiting for him, we see that Eve and her beautiful, perfect partner have also shown up for dinner at the same restaurant. And here we learn that Anna Skellern’s character is a pretentious, condescending bitch. Which of course makes the whole plot point of why Eve’s leaving her much easier to understand, but still, Anna Skellern! The horror!

Bad Times at Gorgeous Lesbian High.

Sara, meanwhile, is doing her best to get up her courage and starts a few times to say hopeful things to her parents such as, “I have something I’d like to tell you,” but manages to get sidetracked each time. First, it’s by her mother starting to hum the bridal march after Sara’s first attempt.

Oh dear. No, not that.

Then it’s by Florence the snake, who, as animals are wont to do on this show, has been hiding the whole time in Sara’s bag. As Sara jumps up to help the waiter/cop who’s been bitten by Forence, she and Eve–and Anna Skellern–see each other for the first time.

The day is saved by Sara’s brother Ben finally showing up, who calmly picks up the snake and places it in his bag. Sara scolds him, “Will there ever be a time in my life when you’re not saving the day?” But then she whispers, “I’m so glad you’re here.” Ben appears to be a supremely charming and gentle guy with an acutely adorable face.

As they all sit down to eat, Ben and their parents start talking while Jamie continues to encourage Sara to just go on and DO IT ALREADY. And finally, finally, Sara’s going to take that final step, and even stands up to do it! Yet as she’s in the act of standing, Ben suddenly turns to his parent and says that he’s realized life is too short to not be honest with the people you love. And then: “Mom, Dad–I’m gay.”

Eve and Anna Skellern argue in the background.

Sara’s mom tells Ben he’s brave, and that she’s proud of him. She then turns to Sara, who has slowly sat back down in shock, to say, “At least we’ve got you to provide the grandchildren, eh?”

Really shouldn’t have thrown away that lucky charm.

Aaaand that’s a wrap!

So while obviously dragging along the coming out to her parents storyline forever will reach a breaking point, I really enjoyed the both-your-children-are-gay surprise angle. I want to see more of her brother, and I want to see more of her and Eve, and I always want to see more of Justine and Jamie. I know the reviews have been extremely mixed for the show overall, and I feel doubtful of a second series actually being approved. But after this episode, if by chance there was a second series, I know I’d watch.

What are your thoughts?

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