Physical – Episode 9, Let’s Face The Facts

Throughout Physical Sheila’s, Rose Byrne (“I Am Mother”, “Peter Rabbit”), inner monologue, which has faded recently, has mostly been her telling herself how worthless she is.

With her food indiscretions now out in the open, or at least the money side of it is, we don’t actually know what was said or how she got out it, she is resigned to playing the good-little-housewife to husband Danny, Rory Scovel (“Robbie (TV)”, “Harley Quinn (TV)”), who feels scorned.

Throughout this episode of Physical though, Sheila, and her inner monologue, face up to some facts. As she meets Greta, Dierdre Friel (“New Amsterdam (TV)”, “Little Boxes”), outside of the school, Greta points out that Sheila hasn’t even apologised.

Sheila is taken aback, tearing up, and does apologise. She also admits to not being able to open up to people, which she blurts out when Greta tells her if she’d just asked for the video camera, she’d have leant it to her, she’s her friend after all. The two make-up.

Tyler, Lou Taylor Pucci (“American Horror Story (TV)”, “A-X-L”), gets some bad news about his hearing issues he’s recently been having. It transpires that if he keeps surfing he risks losing his hearing altogether, or perhaps worse.

A chance encounter with the big bad developer John Breem, Paul Sparks (“House Of Cards (TV)”, “Waco (TV)”), at a sort of political rap battle, sees Sheila facing some more truths.

He tells he he’s seen her videotape, he tells her there is a market and he doesn’t think the woman on the tape is the same one who stands next to her husband. She tells him where to go, but realises she does want to be part of the aerobics after all, she wants to find who is bootlegging their tapes and take back what is there’s.

Danny, ever the optimist, is sat with Simone, Ashley Liao (“Fuller House (TV)”, “Fresh Off The Boat (TV)”), and the two begin to get down and dirty, right up until the moment Maya walks into the room.

With Bunny, Della Saba (“Ralph Breaks The Internet”, “Zootropolis”), Sheila, Tyler and Greta having taken back the tapes, and the money, from the bootlegger, they are empowered, friendships have been bonded.

I’m not sure we are going to have everything resolved in the final episode up next. But, apart from Danny’s little indiscretion, it’s hard to see what else is actually left to resolve, except VHS superstardom obviously.

Physical is the latest TV foray from Apple TV+, or whichever way round that is, and is from producer Annie Weisman who brought us “Desperate Housewives” and the “About A Boy” series.

Directorial duties go to Stephanie Laing (“I’m Sorry (TV)”, “Made For Love (TV)”) with Rosa Handelman (“Casual (TV)”, “Little Fires Everywhere (TV)”), on writing duties.