‘The Moodys’: 8 catastrophic blunders Dan made to ensure his holiday breakup proved even more disastrous
The internet is full to the brim with articles and lists and methods on how to have an amicable break-up. Fox’s reboot of the Australian comedy ‘The Moodys’ serves as an unlikely lesson here. The lesson putting a particular emphasis on the ways one should definitely not do it.
Dan Moody (François Arnaud), in the show, is in a position very few people are likely to find themselves in, but the lesson still is a valuable one. Dan returns home to his dysfunctional family in Chicago for the Holidays after a terrible breakup with his girlfriend Ali (Megan Park).
Once home, however, he develops a crush on his annoying cousin’s girlfriend, Cora (María Gabriela de Faría). The crush is admittedly understandable. Cora is cute and intelligent.
Her relationship with Marcos (Josh Segarra) feels completely out of place. She’s the only one who is somewhat empathetic to Dan. So yeah. Of course, Dan developed an utterly inappropriate crush on her. In fact, to make matters worse, Dan even kissed her.
Thus far, it has been sufficiently established that Dan is an idiot. But what he does after that makes this epithet feel weak. Unsure of his feelings for Cora, unable to act on them, and constant taunts from his family (perhaps combined with a hint of not wanting to be alone during the holidays), Dan calls Ali, groveling to get back together.
He even asks her to move in. What he does not anticipate, however, is the efficacy of this voicemail. Ali decides to annul the breakup and visits him. This brings us to the aforementioned lesson: How not to break up with your girlfriend who dumped you, but who you begged to take you back, and who has now decided that your offer to move in together was a good one.
One, and this is the most important one, don’t call your ex saying you want to move in with her, just because you feel bad about yourself. You are helping no one here. Two, make sure that even if your ex is visiting you thinking that you are getting back together and even moving in together, she doesn’t get too close to the family.
Three, don’t let her bond with your family if you are about to break up. She will get attached and hate you (and you deserve it) and your family will never let you hear the end of it.
Four, don’t continue to fixate on the inappropriate crush you have on your annoying cousin’s girlfriend. Five, don’t visit said crush’s home, hoping to get together. You will find your annoying cousin there and things will get awkward for you.
Six, don’t break up with your girlfriend three days before Christmas. Seven, don’t break up in front of the family, especially when everyone is having a jolly time, singing carols.
And finally, eight. Don’t offer to pay for her Uber when she’s leaving you in a fit of anger that very night. That’s just mean. You may think it looks like you care. But really it doesn’t.
Summing up, it is highly unlikely anyone will ever get caught in such a specific fix. But in case you do, remember to do all the things Dan did not. It might still go badly, but it can never ever go this badly.
'The Moodys' episode 5 and 6 will air tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET only on FOX Network.
