When Pat and Eileen first decided to get a divorce, having him stay in the basement was a way of easing Jimmy, Kenny, and Shannon into the idea of no longer being a two-parent household. This way the family would retain some sense of normalcy while Pat and Eileen took their first baby steps toward independence. After being married for 18 years, the two had no idea how to operate without being someone’s spouse, so they needed the time to emotionally prepare for their reentry into the world as single people. But after spending the better part of a year in this arrangement, one that has brought additional discomfort the longer it’s went on, could it be time for Pat and Eileen to make their separation physical as well as emotional?
On the next episode of The Real O’Neals, Pat decides that it’s time to move out of the house. Not only do the kids seem to be doing well with the idea of their parents not being together anymore, Eileen has made great strides in putting herself out there, as she has her relationship with VP Murray and a new job at Jodi’s salon. While there’s a part of Pat that’s bound to be feeling pushed out considering how much time VP Murray has spent at the house recently, what’s driving him the most is something of a jealousy toward Eileen. She’s been able to better adjust to this new phase of life than him and until he’s out on his own and forced to make the changes necessary for adaptation, he’s not going to be able to catch up with her.
Elsewhere, the kids stage a celebratory “divorce ceremony” when they discover just how unhappy their parents were during their marriage.
The Real O’Neals airs Tuesdays at 9:30 on ABC.
Do you think Pat will go through with the move after all? How will Eileen take to being out in the work force? Which of the O’Neal siblings will take the discovery of their parents’ unhappiness the hardest?
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THE REAL O'NEALS - “The Real Move” - When VP Murray starts spending time around the house, Pat realizes it’s time to move out. Meanwhile, Eileen starts her new job at Aunt Jodi’s salon, and when the kids discover how unhappy their parents were during their 18 years of marriage, they stage a celebratory “divorce ceremony,” on “The Real O’Neals,” TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 (9:30-10:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network (ABC/Kevin Estrada)MARTHA PLIMPTON, BEBE WOOD
