Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest drinking days of the year.
It’s one of the most challenging days of the year for recovering alcoholics, and Single Drunk Female Season 1 Episode 4 highlighted how both Sam and James struggled with avoiding alcohol throughout the day.
While “Shamrocks and Shenanigans” was an enjoyable episode, it didn’t exhibit as much humor as the previous ones. It felt more realistic to what recovering alcoholics go through.
Sam had forgotten it was Saint Patrick’s Day until Mindy pointed out all the green bakery treats.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day or as I call it, the purge for sober people.
Mindy
For once, Sam tried to listen to Olivia’s advice and avoid bars and drinking since she was now 62 days sober. Unfortunately, she realized there was drinking everywhere. And no one wanted to hang out with sober people.
While Felicia usually enjoyed low-key evenings with Sam, she wanted to party with her co-workers and get drunk.
Sam must have been desperate because she actually asked her mom and Bob to hang out with her. They looked as shocked as we felt, but they also had plans.
Therefore, Samantha was left alone. Even though she looked longingly at the champagne, she had enough control not to drink it.
Sam looked at her Instagram and saw everyone partying without her, to make matters worse. She felt she wasn’t wanted or needed, which is so common when everyone gets to have fun but you.
James also felt like his roommates never listened to his needs. When he lost his keys and needed an extra set, they told him to meet them at a bar, forgetting that he was working on his sobriety.
Luckily, Mindy offered to come along as backup. We’ve never seen Mindy and James interact one-on-one before, and their rapport was delightful.
She shared how she used video game objectives to meet her goals and remain sober.
You want to know my geekiest move ever? Treat every day like a video game. Check off my goals, rack up some points, and if I don’t give in to the temptations of the evil wizard Drink-o, I get a reward.
Mindy
James’s roommates seemed surprised he showed up, so Mindy used that to their advantage and pretended she and James were dating.
Maybe they will date for real. James could use someone with Mindy’s quick-thinking skills and charm.
Anyone who won beer pong quickly without taking a sip of the beer has some mad skills.
James has chemistry with both Mindy and Sam, though the trio has a natural connection as well. It’s lovely to see them have each other’s backs along this journey.
Sam wasn’t the only one struggling on Saint Patrick’s Day. Even after trying on hundreds of dresses, Brit couldn’t find the right wedding dress. The store owner and Brit’s friends would say anything so that Brit would choose one. They wanted to get drunk.
That store owner should’ve been fired. It doesn’t matter what day it is. You treat the bride with respect and make her feel special. It was unthinkable that the store owner thought Brit committed a hate crime and wasted her time.
Thankfully, Sam showed up to try and do just that. Ony the store owner, and her minions were rude and hoped Sam would just quickly agree with their choices.
Sam Fink didn’t take crap from anyone and told off that store owner, saying they’d try on as many dresses as it took for Brit to find the one.
Sam and Brit still know each other better than anyone despite their fight. Sam knew there were specific dresses Brit wouldn’t be caught dead in or others she was settling for.
This is the one. It’s the first dress that hasn’t made me want to burst into tears when I look in the mirror.
Brit
Sam was the only person who gave her honest opinion. Brit might be more comfortable in a dressy pantsuit, and that’s fine. Some brides look gorgeous in them.
But what if she’s not finding anything because she’s getting cold feet about the wedding? It generally doesn’t take over 5,000 dresses and a bottle of champagne to find the right one.
It was lovely to see a thaw in Brit and Sam’s relationship.
Hopefully, we’ll continue to see some more layers in their relationship. Brit did agree that Sam could help her find a wedding outfit.
However, the two of them are still awkward around each other and have lots of work to do before their friendship feels natural again.
Being honest with each other was a huge first step since Brit’s other so-called friends were jerks.
No one’s life is as perfect as you think.
Olivia seemed to be over-involved in her sponsee’s lives. Obviously, she cares about them, but inviting Sam on a personal trip with her and her partner was blurring the lines.
Stephanie seemed to be losing patience with the constant phone calls from sponsees, especially if she and Olivia were trying to start a family. If you have a new baby, the last thing you want is the phone ringing 24/7.
Olivia: If you feel lonely or anything, give me a call. The door is always open.
Stephanie(in the background): No, the door is closed.
Olivia: I love you. Hang in there.
It’s such a realistic argument since Olivia is in a demanding job where work often happens off-hours, but where do you find the balance. Hopefully, as we follow this couple on their IVF journey, they’ll find a balance they are both happy with.
Over to you, Single Drunk Female Fanatics. What do you think is keeping Brit from selecting her wedding dress? Did you enjoy the developing friendship between Mindy and James?
Will caring about her sponsees come between Olivia and Stephanie? Chime in below in the comments.
Remember, if you missed an episode, you can always watch Single Drunk Female online right here via TV Fanatic.
Single Drunk Female airs at 10:30/9:30c on Thursdays on Freeform.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.