'A Million Little Things': Sophie's anger towards Delilah may be justified, but for how long can she rebel?
This story contains major spoilers for 'A Million Little Things' episode 11 'We're The Howards'
When 'A Million Little Things' returned from its fall break, we had expected Sophie Dixon (Lizzy Greene) to foster extreme negative feelings for her mother Delilah Dixon (Stephanie Szostak). Three months ago (in the show's timeline), Delilah had come clean about her affair with Eddie Saville (David Giuntoli) to her children.
Not much has changed since then. The show returned from its break with Sophie breaking Eddie's guitars in an angry fit. When it returned, it showed Sophie extremely distant from her mother. This must be exceptionally difficult for Sophie since she shared a closed relationship filled with love, affection and trust for her mother. Especially since Jon's death, Delilah had completely invested herself in her children's life. So for Sophie - who had regarded her mother and father's marriage sacred - to have this trust breached was the worst shock of her life. The betrayal filled her with a fury that has no end.
Since the show's return, it seems the mother-daughter's relationship is cracking under the pressure of Delilah's irreparable actions. Sophie is waging war against her mother - she won't give Delilah a chance to talk to her and rebuffs Delilah's every attempt at reconnection and then eventually, in a bid to fully avoid Delilah, goes to live with the Howards in 'We're the Howards'.
In the episode, Delilah is sleep training Charlie. The most difficult part of the training is overcoming the urge to go to Charlie when she wakes up in the middle of the night crying. Sleep training isn't just training the child but it is also training the mother to overcome her instincts and wait to do the right thing. Delilah is learning this lesson from her elder daughter as well. With Sophie living away from her, Delilah must train herself to provide her with the space to turn around and return.
This is a particularly difficult situation. Especially because there is always the looming threat that she might have lost her relationship with her daughter forever. And while we may try empathizing, fans find it perfectly fitting that Delilah is given this treatment from her daughter. But it brings us back to the question: for how long must Sophie remain this way?
She might have learned a lesson or two by the end of the previous episode after her little drunken escapade, followed by the glaring hangover. But will it be enough to have her return to Delilah?
'A Million Little Things' airs on Thursdays at 10/ 9c on ABC.
