Hello Tomorrow! – Season 1 Episode 3 “A Traveling Salesman Travels” Recap & Review

A Traveling Salesman Travels

Episode 3 of In Hello Tomorrow! starts with Joey upping his game at selling shares over the phone, even surpassing Herb, who gets pulled away by Myrtle.

The housewife signs up for the next quarterly launch. But that’s before she learns it isn’t scheduled for several more months, which isn’t soon enough for her. When Myrtle confesses to Herb she has nowhere else to go, he has an unconventional solution for her.

Later, Ed drops in at Herb’s place to find Myrtle in his bed. She claims Herb let her stay here and promised her an earlier launch. When she departs, she also leaves her scarf behind. And Herb’s wife Betty picks up on it the next time Herb calls her from his room.

Meanwhile, a rocket lifts off to the moon. Jack tells Joey it’s likely one of Brightside’s own. But something in his eyes betrays the lie–to us, not Joey, who believes Jack’s every word.

Shirl continues to pitch bigger and better ideas for Brightside, but Jack again dissuades her from innovating, alluding to “Stan Jenkin’s” disapproval.

He tries to use his persuasive tactics on Joey as well, to convince him to leave his mom and continue traveling with Brightside. But Joey can’t even be bribed with a new car. He just can’t leave his mom.

Jack later tries to persuade him again. He says it’s noble for him to stick by his mom, but he shouldn’t live his life for someone else. He can love her and do his own thing. Joey admits he wants to go; he doesn’t want to be a nobody. But he can’t be like his dad, who left Marie and didn’t look back. He doesn’t even know his dad’s name, and doesn’t care. Finally, and seeming to pull from his own experiences, Jack convinces Joey that he’d hate his mother if he never left.

While Fred pays another visit to Eddie to remind him of the money he owes, Shirley receives a visitor of her own. An investigator named Lester Costopoulos informs her that Brightside will need to fill out the necessary forms to be able to make certain claims about what they’re selling in Vistaville. They have 16 hours to comply.

Herb confesses to Shirl he feels the need to be number one salesman because he doesn’t want Betty to think something is wrong. But will be more difficult to convince his wife everything is okay after Myrtle rushes into his room while he’s on a video call with her. Betty hangs up while Myrtle yells at Herb for misleading her. She wanted to leave for the moon immediately and has been trying to get help all day, to no avail.

When Jack later introduces Joey to his mother, she’s happy to meet her grandson but upset by Jack’s actions. She makes sure her son knows he’ll regret making Joey abandon his mother and not telling him he’s his dad.

Back at the hotel, Shirley and Eddie can’t wait to get out of Vistaville. Ed gifts Shirl with a jewel to distract her from his “other issues.” But she notices an injury to his leg anyway. She gives him some money, likely from the company, and tells him to settle his debt and pay her back soon.

At the hospital, Jack talks to an unconscious Marie. He initially tries to justify his actions with Joey to her. But eventually he admits that she raised an incredible young man and even talks himself into staying in Vistaville.

Meanwhile, Lester notices Myrtle at the bar. He hears her complaints about being on the phone all day and getting no help. He hands her a form. She’s a customer, and customers have rights. It just so happens to be his job to protect them.

The Episode Review

Another installment of Hello Tomorrow! drags its feet with little plot advancement. I feel nearly as frustrated as Shirley must waiting on an imaginary boss to lend actual meaning to her job. There’s certainly valuable meaning in this futuristic drama, and layers to unpack–but it’s all dragged down by uneven pacing.

Finally, at least, we get some outside adversaries! Lester and Myrtle look like promising characters. And of course, there’s always the possibility of Shirley catching wind of what really goes on in Brightside. Unfortunately, I think it will take a lot of force to punch through Jack’s sheer charisma.