Summary
Feel Good Season 1, Episode 5 sees Mae’s insecurities coming to the surface as George learns the crux of their issues.
This recap of Netflix Series Feel Good season 1, episode 5 contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 1 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 6.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (4)
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Feel Good Season 1, Episode 5 begins with George showing Mae her favourite stand-up comedian, Arnie, who Mae will be meeting as part of a comedy night. George says she was really into this man when she was younger. The comedian ended up having a mental break down so he only does little shows now.
Mae brings George to one of her meetings. At the meeting, Laura asks George if she is “in it for the long haul” regarding Mae’s sobriety. After the meeting, George is frustrated by Laura’s question at the anonymous meeting.
Mae meets Arnie before the stand-up show and confronts him when he gets cocky with the other acts — she asks why Arnie does so many syllables and if he remembers being relevant? Arnie takes it as a joke and warms to her.
When Mae gets home, a sleep-talking George tells Mae that she’s the only girl she likes and that she’d go back to boys if they broke up. Mae takes her secret oxytocin and goes to sleep.
It’s obvious where the insecurities are coming from.
The next day, Mae starts having sex with George with a strap on — George says, “Come inside me” and then Mae stops, claiming that she can’t be what George wants her to be. George tells Mae that her insecurities are all in her head. When Mae leaves the house, George learns that there is oxytocin in Mae’s coat. She knows something is not right.
At the stand-up night, Mae tells Arnie that she’s not positive about her gender at the moment because George wishes she was a man. Arnie tells her to make her experiences into a stand-up routine.
And so she does; Mae shares her experiences about her relationship with George and how it is exhausting trying to be a man — “She doesn’t love me for who I am”. The audience loves her alternative routine but she didn’t realise George was watching the entire set. Afterwards, Arnie asks Mae to tour with her. She sees him take drugs so asks him about it. Arnie asks Mae if she can touch his penis. When the club owner learns about this, he throws Arnie out. At this moment, Mae finds out that George saw the whole set and rushes home.
Feel Good Season 1, Episode 5 ends with Mae telling George that it was just a comedy set. George asks about the oxytocin and Mae says she uses them for her anxiety and to help her sleep. George asks the crucial question to Mae — “Do I make you happy?”. Mae admits she does not feel herself around George to the point where she doesn’t wear colourful clothes. Mae asks if she will ever good enough for the long haul. George tells Mae that she deserves to be happy and breaks up with her.
At this point, Mae states she is embarrassed — “Uou told me you loved me first // I’m not a girl, I’m not a boy, I’m a failed version of both”. As Mae walks out, George breaks down crying.
You can feel this scene, it’s heartbreaking.
