She finds him stoned and kisses him. Apologizing for it, she then goes back to the party. Melissa gives her a look–not judgmental, but perhaps knowing. Frances leaves early, without Bobbi. That weekend, Frances visits her mom. She mentions Melissa and Nick and gets somewhat defensive when her mom thinks she’s been carried away by their posh lifestyle. She then goes to see her dad, Dennis. They awkwardly make conversation, and she does his dishes. He knows he hasn’t been good company to her. Not wanting her to see him as a deadbeat, he insists on sending her money. Nick texts her an apology for their kiss, claiming he was stupid. Frances says it was her fault. “No, it wasn’t,” he says. “I’m older than you and it was also my wife’s birthday.” He’s not inclined to kiss girls at parties. At least, not since he got married. “Well, I should be honoured then,” Frances texts. Bobbi tells Frances that she and Melissa got drunk and kissed at the party. This shakes up Frances. Bobbi says it so flippantly, while she feels guilty about her own kiss with Nick. She doesn’t say anything, but Bobbi thinks she disapproves of her kissing a married woman. Frances later tells her friend and coworker, Philip, that she kissed someone she shouldn’t have. She said it was worse than if she had kissed Bobbi. She and Bobbi run into Nick and Melissa at a coffee shop. Frances and Nick allude to meeting up later. Bobbi senses a disconnect between Nick and Melissa, but Frances thinks they seem the same. Later, Frances smiles on the subway. She’s on her way to see Nick.
The Episode Review
The tone and pace of Conversations with Friends so far is brooding and slow, but it does further establish the complex relationship between Frances and Bobbi. They’re best friends, sure. But their closeness has boundaries. The young women are a model of contrasts. Whereas Bobbi talks about everything swirling around in her heart and mind, Frances keeps her thoughts and vulnerabilities close to her chest. To Bobbi, kissing a married woman isn’t a big deal. To Frances, it’s forbidden fruit. This episode just touches on these differences, nicely setting up grounds for future conflict between the best friends. A romance is brewing between Frances and Nick, and between Bobbi and Melissa too. Can both parties make it work, or will their unconventional dynamic overcomplicate things?
