Lucky Hank – Season 1 Episode 5 “The Clock” Recap & Review

The Clock

The central theme of  Lucky Hank episode 5 is that Lily has got the Arlyle job. Tom and Ashley are excited and so is Lily. However, she keeps downplaying it as she knows the actual path to taking the job is filled with real-life complexities – like Hank Deveraux.

The Clock was indeed a big child of his past and growing up, he treated it like a friend, showing how deeply emasculated he was about real friendships. He would put his head inside it to draw out his parents’ arguing all the time. He tries lifting it himself but it is too heavy.

Lily and Hank are hosting a dinner for the English department and everyone is invited, but Hank wonders why adults have parties at all. Taking away the possibility of getting laid, there isn’t much left.

Teddy and June are the first to arrive, the former is beseeched by Hank but he soon gives in, citing his instrument practice as important. Lily tells Hank about the job but his reaction is a downer for Lily, who is not happy with how dismissive Hank is of her ambitions.

Hank thinks it is a great way to leverage a better offer from Railton High School. But that is about it. In the entire episode, Lily’s restlessness about the issue grows, as she breaks the news to June, and she to everybody else. The murmurs are too strong not to be heard. Unequivocally the party feels her not taking the job is an “impossibility.” Hank calls over Tony when no one else will help him bring the clock inside. He also opens up about Arlyle too, which he calls “Lily’s fantasy” and nothing more.

Paul dreams of buying Hank’s house one day and building his own deck for the lake. His wife, Joan, is content with where they are. Tony and June flirt, which prompts Emma to tell him that Teddy and June’s is an open marriage. He confirms it in the most uncomfortable and awkward of ways from the couple, who reserve the decision for now.

Once Paul gets a whiff, he immediately says he will buy Hank’s house at a premium. Lily and Hank have a little tussle, even though they agreed to “Talk about it” after the party.

Whenever characters say they want to “talk about” something, more often than not it is a one-sided conversation with their respective views. This Arlyle issue also seems to be heading that way. Gracie is over the moon with the news that she is being published in The Atlantic. Hank reads a text from Tom on Lily’s phone. We then see the stew boiling patiently but on the precipice of exploding; or is it an allegory of what is about to happen next? But that does not happen and Hank lets it go thinking it is a non-issue.

Dinner is served and Hank tries to drown out the noise but when it is too much, he ventures outside. “She loves me. It is just a job”. Hank tries to imprint that on his mind. He wants to work things out. “Julie, mom is leaving us.” What is wrong with Hank? Nothing. Oh, this is going to get tasty by the end. Hank gives a toast and celebrates Lily’s achievements. There is chatter about Hank, Gracie’s self-bloating, and who the Chair would go to if Hank leaves; it is all mixed up. Until Julie steps in and talks to Lily privately.

Hank tries to overhear but cannot. He knows he made a mistake. It was not something he ought to have done. Emma explains the Chair would go in the rotation if Hank leaves. Lily looks at Hank with disappointed eyes. Knowing how Hank betrayed her, she openly talks about her New York fantasy to get back at him. Lily engages in Paul’s fantasy to buy the place and Joan leaves the table upset. Lily announces publicly that she has convinced Julie and Russel to come with her.

Things get awkward pretty quickly as Hank and Lily make their positions clear in front of everyone. Lily calls out Hank for his contradiction. On one hand, he calls the town mediocre and himself unhappy settling with it. On the other, he is stoutly poised to remain in the town. Hank goes up to Lily and apologizes for bringing Julie into the equation. He asks Lily to take the job and that they will make the long-distance work.

June brings up how their marriage became open when they were long-distance and as Paul jumps into explaining his own long-distance story, Hank and Lily look at each other with an approving nod.

Paul’s jerky attitude soon turns into a beautiful story about how he met Joan. It is arguably the best scene in the series right now! Hank brings up Tom, bitterly, and the conversation again starts going south. And then we really understand why Hank is getting so emotional about Lily wanting to go to New York. He has abandonment issues, and all the old feelings are resurfacing in a tragic, poetic fashion.

We also saw that a younger Hank tried to commit suicide when his father was leaving. Hank bursts out in tears as he realizes the party is over. While doing the dishes with Lily, he tells her about what his mother said when she found out he tried to end his life. “We’ll never talk about this again.”

The Episode Review

This episode is everything that we expected of Lucky Hank. I think The Clock clearly lays down one thing – Lucky Hank is here to stay. This episode was all about unprocessed feelings from Hank’s childhood. The theme of abandonment had been buried under the wild shenanigans in the last few episodes but it remained an explosive issue.

We felt its pure might when Hank and Lily engaged in a disparaging game of wits and pity. The party setting was the perfect vessel for the makers to exploit the theatrical potential of drama from this episode. Bob Odenkirk is expected to deliver in such situations – and boy, did he! The actor is blessed with such an authentic sense of understanding real-life emotions, it is almost enviable. Props to Mireille Enos (Lily) as well for playing her part in the dynamic.

Cedric Yarbrough delivered the best moment of Lucky Hank till now as Paul. The story about how he met his wife is beautifully written, shot, and acted, making it a moment to savour. Lucky Hank has just got its wheels in motion. It is time to take off.