Caemeron Crain
The following recap contains spoilers for the series finale of Somebody Somewhere, S3E7, “AGG” (written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen & Bridget Everett and directed by Lennon Parham)
Holly has been the absent center of Somebody Somewhere from the beginning. Sam (Bridget Everett) lives in Holly’s house, and she hasn’t changed it much. Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) hasn’t been able to enter that house since Holly died, but after she arrives in “AGG,” upset that she (and Sam) forgot Holly’s birthday, she’s finally ready to do so.
What follows is the central scene of S3E7, as Sam and Tricia talk through their grief in all of its irrationality. Sometimes, a day goes by when they don’t think about Holly, and that makes them feel guilty. They’re afraid to lose their sadness because it feels like losing her. And so on. I can relate.
But Sam is right that the sadness isn’t Holly. We don’t have to keep doing this to ourselves. Ultimately, she gives Tricia Holly’s necklace, which Sam has been wearing throughout the series, and a big hug even as Tricia notes that Sam smells bad from her volunteer gig picking up dog poop. And they laugh.
Joel (Jeff Hiller) returns to his old church (which is in a new building), and Pastor Deb (Ora Jones) is thrilled to see him. Her forgiveness is so complete that the fact that Joel has stayed away due to his transgression immediately seems silly—to him, I mean. He used church space to hold an open mic night and deceitfully called it “choir practice.” It’s really not a big deal, and it’s striking how long Joel avoided this reconciliation because he was ashamed.
So, he tells Brad (Tim Bagley) that he won’t be going to church with him at Bethany anymore. While Brad may be slightly upset about this and somewhat disappointed that Joel didn’t feel like he could talk to him about his church-related feelings, it seems like their relationship will survive just fine as “AGG” ends, at least for the time being.
Sam dissembles when Tricia asks her how things are going with Iceland (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), saying that nothing has happened since their date. I don’t know if this is a lie, per se, but Sam lets Tricia believe that Iceland is the reason that nothing has happened, which turns out not to be true. When Tricia goes out to the farm to yell at the man, he informs her that he has called Sam and texted her. She hasn’t replied.
Tricia confronts Sam about this, and it’s striking how far the relationship between these sisters has come since Season 1. Tricia isn’t judgmental when she asks Sam why she has to make everything so hard for herself; she’s loving. She helps Sam be less afraid.
And so, Somebody Somewhere culminates with Sam inviting Tricia to the bar to thank her. All of Sam’s friends soon join them. Fred Rococo (Murray Hill) takes the mic, just like he did back at choir practice, and then Sam and Joel take the “stage.” Of course Somebody Somewhere had to end with Bridget Everett singing a song, and that song is “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
Of the performances in the series, I may have to rank this one below the glorious rendition of “Gloria” we got in the Season 2 finale, but thematically the song is perfect. As Somebody Somewhere ends, our friends’ problems aren’t all magically gone. Sam doesn’t get a “happily ever after” because that’s not real life, but she does get happiness with her life as it stands right now, surrounded by friends and family that she loves. As Joel said in a similar scene earlier in the series, “This is church!”
Iceland enters the bar halfway through Sam’s performance. He got the note she left him under the cement squirrel at the farm, and Sam is unfazed by his arrival.
When she finishes singing, Sam goes over to say hi, and we end with a single line from Iceland that sums up what we’re all feeling:
“That was amazing.”
