“Somebody Somewhere” Season 3 Premiere Recap: “Margarini”

On a deep, bittersweet note, I welcome you all back to Manhattan, Kansas. Yes, it feels so good to dive back into our beloved Someone SomewhereBut knowing that this Season 3 premiere is also our last makes me want to drink about a hundred margarinis and sink into a haze of denial on a cool bathroom floor somewhere. I know that all sounds dramatic and that's the opposite of what we love about this calm, beautiful show, but I am who I am – and isn't that lesson of accepting yourself part of this show too? Anyway, the end is near and I already know that I will miss Sam and Joel and their companions very much. Listen, change is hard. If anyone understands what it feels like to look around and see the things you counted on or loved suddenly disappear or look different, it's Sam Miller.

Someone Somewhere From the start, it's been about a woman who feels stuck taking small steps toward change. In the first two seasons, Sam has had to deal with her deep-rooted fears of letting other people in and letting other people see her, and while it's never been easy – her fears of abandonment and rejection are real – it has ended Sam's life always enriched. Her friendship with Joel, mending tensions with her sister Tricia, singing again and in public no less, were all positive outcomes for Sam. And yet she still seems hesitant, even afraid, to fully commit to change or wanting more for fear of failure or rejection. So it feels right Someone SomewhereThe final season would be about giving Sam one final, important push to see the good that comes from living outside of your comfort zone. not just wishing things were different or better, but making them that way.

One of the best ways to come to this realization is to witness everyone else in your life experiencing and benefiting from the same kind of change – to look around and see that everyone else around you has made progress while you are standing still . This is exactly what happens to Sam in “Margarinis.” At the end of the season three premiere, Sam is literally all alone, having watched all the important people in her life deal with the changes they've embraced.

First there is the newly divorced Tricia. Even though she knows she made the right decision in leaving her shitty husband Rick, she still fears she's taking a step backwards. Sam's attempt to cheer up her sister over chili con queso (or CCQ) and magarinis doesn't exactly have the desired effect: Tricia appears to despair over not being someone's person when Sam tries to comfort her with the reminder that hey, she's no one's person either, and look at her. Tricia immediately bursting into tears is as endearingly offensive as only Tricia can be. But Tricia's tears don't tell the whole story: She is a woman who is successfully getting through her divorce, even if she doesn't think so at the moment. She bought an Escalade with the money from her thriving pussy pillow empire and is all over dating apps. Tricia isn't content to sit around and not live the life she wants. Sam is happy and supportive – she wants the best for her sister – but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when Tricia cancels their planned meeting at the last minute to arrange another date. Sam's left mouth is open as her sister scurries out the door, giving her instructions on how to heat up the enchiladas she made for her for a night alone.

Sam also gets stuck with her friends. When she stops by Brad and Joel's church bake sale, she assumes people will want to go out afterward, but newlyweds Fred and Susan are on their way to their couple's fantasy football league (as if I were fantasy football couldn't hate football more), and Brad and…Joel has to clean up and then take the leftovers from the bake sale to a local senior center. Joel invites her, of course, but you can already tell Sam how much she feels like a third wheel. Plus, we've already seen her devastated by the news that Joel sold his house. He's worried she'll be upset that she won't be making money helping him with his little rental business, but more than that, it means Joel will officially be moving into Brad's house, and that's what we know is just another one Example of this is that Sam loves moving forward and making changes.

The signals couldn't be clearer in this episode; Someone Somewhere I might as well hang a neon sign in front of Chef's that says: Sam is afraid of change. Aside from feeling left behind by her friends, in this one episode alone Sam experiences what she has to lose if she continues to give in to her fear and what she has to gain if she gives in to it.

Can we talk about Pepper? I'm still very sad about Pepper. Sam falls in love with a fluffy little dog rat named after the spice on a pet adoption website. She clearly wants this dog. She heads to the animal shelter to give ol' Pep some cuddles, and honestly, has Sam ever looked happier than in her selfie with that dog? You'd think she'd just try and adopt, but it's a big commitment and a big change, and Sam leaves with adoption form in hand but no dog. Later, at a low point, after watching all of her people along with other people and a few Pinot Grigios inside her, she makes her way back to the shelter, this time sure that she won't leave without Pepper. That's her dog, right? However, it is definitely not Sam's dog. (It's Bridget Everett's dog Lulu, however, who makes an adorable cameo.) When Sam gets there, Pepper has been adopted by someone else. She was afraid she waited too long and she would miss something. Instead of enduring the loss and remembering that there are other dogs out there to love, her immediate reaction is to declare Pepper better anyway and then retreat to her car to cry. If that doesn't get to the heart of how Sam deals with all the relationships in her life, then I don't know what does.

And yet this episode also offers us – and Sam – a glimpse into what can happen when you face your fears. Sam insisted that she will not return to her parents' house and farm because they no longer belong to them. They rent the house to a man who she and Tricia refer to as Icelandic because he's from Iceland and they also don't understand how to pronounce his name (understandable!). She doesn't want a stranger walking around her house, she can't bring herself to do it. However, at some point Tricia fails to collect Iceland's rent check and they need the money – she forces Sam to do it.

And while, yes, the whole thing is a little strange and awkward – Iceland is a man who is, let's call him, rough and has very little to say – something interesting happens. Could it be…is it possible…is Sam flirting with this guy? It's obviously flirting in a very Sam way that's delightfully awkward and a little long-winded. Asking an Icelander: “Are these northern lights real?” is certainly a choice. And yet you can see his smile through Iceland's rather unkempt beard. He finds her charming. It's all so sweet that I can hardly stand it. Who knows if anything will come of it, but however small it may be, it feels like a big step forward for Sam. And all it took was being forced out of her comfort zone. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see what else awaits Sam Miller as she reluctantly ventures into the unknown.

• Susan, we were all rooting for you! While I appreciate Fred and Susan's wedding, could it be the worst? I mean, it's good that she pushed Fred to go to the doctor – he's actively avoiding them – and it's important to take care of yourself, but ban your husband from hanging out with his friends at their favorite restaurant ? It's a bridge too far, Susan, and I won't stand for it!!

• Okay, well, Fred's big compromise to still have some time with his friends is to form a “Catch Club” and have the group play baseball on the mornings they normally go to Chef's, and I'm excited to see what Sam and Joel looks like playing baseball.

• Someone SomewhereThe music selection remains (unsurprisingly) elite. It's a joy to see Sam enthusiastically singing along to Bronski Beat's “Smalltown Boy” in the car. And her “Shit, I wish I could hit the note” made me feel seen.