'Almost Family' episode 2: Roxy defends Leon's actions, accepts his help with her drug problem
Spoilers ahead for season 1 episode 2 'Related AF' of 'Almost Family'
When news of Dr Leon Bechley's (Timothy Hutton) fertility fraud went public, many understood the gravity of his crimes. Over the course of his award-winning career, Leon had wrongly impregnated women with his sperm and fathered several children. He kept it a secret most of his life and it would have probably died with him had a report not disclosed his actions.
Even as he should be owning responsibility for the crimes, he continues to believe that everything he did was to help countless women conceive. Apparently, he was sure his material would work.
Many think this is wrong. Many but Roxy (Emily Osment).
Osment's Roxy was the only kid among Leon's numerous others who was remotely excited about suddenly having a brand new family. In the pilot episode, we saw how her relationship with her parents is strained. They even take half of everything she makes, even pressurizing her to earn more money.
In this episode, we see her trying to reconnect with her "real" father. They connect in an odd manner. Julia (Brittany Snow) has been having a very difficult time coming to terms with her father's actions so she tries to keep her distance from him. She no longer wishes to be the "glorified assistant" of her father. So Leon also has no one to share his feelings with. At this time, when a lonely Roxy comes to him, they talk about several things under the sun, but they also discuss his actions.
In a conversation with Roxy, Leon tells her that he never thought he was doing anything wrong when he impregnated women with his sperm. He said that he was helping them. And Roxy, while hearing him out, sympathizes with him. In her own desperation and loneliness, she doesn't see his actions as damaging - she even defends him in front of Julia - she also thinks he was helping. They eat dinner and play games. Roxy's curiosity gets the better of her in 'Related AF'. Her meeting with Leon is so impressionable that she later tells her father "It's like I finally know what it feels like to have an actual dad," before being asked to leave their house.
While it is difficult to tell what Leon and Roxy share and how it will be taken forward, there is a good thing from it. Leon expresses that he wants to help Roxy with her drug problem. Roxy's issues stem from a lot of things, but it is not difficult to see that drugs really bring out the worst in her. And even Leon sees this and decides to help her out. Is this his way of redeeming himself?
'Almost Family' airs on Wednesdays at 9 PM ET/PT.