Here come the brides! Yes, Season 2 of this wacky yet endearing show is ending with a teen wedding that is just as ridiculous as it is sweet. Matilda and Drea are ready to start their lives together. Nicholas is freshly diagnosed as autistic, and Alex just wants to make amends. And Genevieve can’t believe this is actually happening. So raise your glasses and join me in a toast to two seasons of this wonderful show, and to #Dratilda!
Spoilers ahead for the Everything’s Gonna Be Okay Season 2 finale. You have been warned.
Pre-Wedding Jitters
Matilda walks around the house breaking in her very sparkly heels as Nicholas video chats with his mom. Alex is coming over to smooth things out before the wedding, because despite their breakup, Matilda insists that he be a part of the upcoming nuptials. Meanwhile, Genevieve is in her room on a video call with Barb. She says she’s having a hard time writing this speech Matilda asked her to write because she isn’t actually on board with the wedding and therefore doesn’t know how to write a loving and supporting send-off speech.
Alex comes over, and it is awkward. He’s gotten himself a nose ring, and clearly wants to make things better but isn’t sure how. He asks how Nicholas has been doing, and Nicholas plays off the question because he clearly doesn’t want to tell Alex about his recent diagnosis. Alex says he’s been partying, which Nicholas seems to interpret as Alex struggling with the breakup, and that seems to give him some comfort. Matilda walks in and confidently asks if Nicholas has shared his big news. Nicholas quickly become uncomfortable and tries to change the subject, but Matilda won’t change her mind. She says he has to be proud and share it, even though he says he wants to be “proud privately.” But she won’t leave it be, so finally he tells Alex he received an autism diagnosis. Alex wants to talk about it more, but Nicholas very quickly walks away, saying being autistic means he’s allows to abruptly change the subject and not talk about it and that he’ll see Alex at the wedding.
Matilda is in her wedding dress! It’s a beautiful gown and Matilda is in full glam. She’s rushing around putting more and more makeup on while Genevieve looks more and more uncomfortable. Finally she breaks and is finally honest with Matilda — that she still thinks she’s too young to be getting married and this wedding shouldn’t be happening… as Matilda is literally in her wedding dress. Nicholas comes in to find this bomb dropped and as usual is flustered and not sure what to do. Suze calls for the first time to ask where the Moss family is because they are not at the venue yet, and Nicholas assures her they’re on their way.
Nicholas says that Genevieve needs to be helpful right now, not upsetting Matilda. Matilda says all the websites warned her about jealous bridesmaids, to which Genevieve laughs because of course that’s the only reason Matilda could think of as to why she wouldn’t be thrilled about the wedding. Genevieve makes the fairly reasonable point that, “It’s not helping if you’re helping with hurting. It’s not helping if you’re helping by pushing them down the stairs.” Nicholas asks what about love and if Genevieve cares about them being in love, to which Genevieve asks if this is what love looks like to Nicholas. Finally, Nicholas confronts Genevieve and tells her that they are past the point of stopping the wedding and have to move on to processing it. Suze calls again and Nicholas, again, quickly assures her everything is fine and they’re on their way before hanging up again. Suze asks Drea if there’s anything she can get her, to which Drea, also dressed in a beautiful gown, quietly says, “A wife.”
Genevieve is doing Nicholas’ makeup thanks to an unfortunate lip plumping disaster, and Matilda explains that she’s is going through with the wedding so that she can move out and be less of a burden to Genevieve and Nicholas. They both assure her repeatedly that she’s not a burden, and that should not be the reason they get married. Suze calls again and Drea is clearly on the break of a meltdown as she’s rocking back and forth and stimming in distress. Nicholas promises her just five more minutes, and then says the only question Matilda needs to know the answer to is whether she’s in love with Drea. Matilda stands up with a smile and confidently says yes. Genevieve agrees to go but still refuses to be happy for Matilda or agree with any of what’s going on, or Nicholas’ choice to support her.
Vows, Rings, and Opera
Jeremy is officiating the ceremony! (After not seeing him all season, this was a nice surprise.) It’s at a local park by a lake and the area has been decorated with beautiful floral streamers. He calls Genevieve up to give her speech before they exchange vows, and Genevieve reluctantly stands up. She pulls out a notebook and starts blandly reading the speech that was written for her by Matilda. It starts with a greeting to the guests and then goes on to praise how great Matilda is, and she couldn’t be less enthusiastic reading these words that aren’t her own. But then, it takes a turn, as she says, “I know we all think of her as a role model, but not many realize that the biggest role model in her life is actually me.” She goes on to share that she is the person Matilda wishes she could be. That she is the funniest, most loving sister who has sacrificed so much, and that, though it will be difficult, she’s excited for Drea to fill that role now. By the end of the speech, Genevieve’s heart has softened, and she even sheds a tear.
Drea turns to the crowd and tells them because everyone has been so involved in their relationship, sometimes uncomfortably so, that they’re going to say their vows in private. Drea lifts Matilda’s veil over the two of them, and two opera singers begin singing behind them so no one can hear them. The camera cuts between the crowd listening to the singers and Drea and Matilda, so we won’t ever know exactly what their vows were. Drea tells Matilda that it would have been easier to hide in her cocoon rather than take the risk and be with Matilda, but that Matilda is the best person she knows. She’s her Muk Muk, and now wife, and she couldn’t be happier. After another cut, Matilda tells Drea that they found each other, and that they deserve each other. They’re giddy with love. Toby brings up the rings, which they exchange, and Jeremy pronounces them wife and wife. The two kiss, and the wedding concludes.
Drea and Matilda take wedding photos by the water as different pairs chitchat – Toby and Jeremy, Genevieve and Barb, and Nicholas and Suze. Finally Alex comes over to talk to Nicholas. Alex apologizes for dumping him and says he’s glad to see that Nicholas is working on himself. He means this as a compliment, but it isn’t taken like one. Nicholas tells him that he isn’t working on anything. Alex tries to clarify himself, saying that he meant he’s glad Nicholas is trying to better himself, but that’s even worse. Nicholas asks if Alex knows there’s not a cure for autism, which Alex replies of course he knows that. Nicholas tells him he’s not going to change, and that this is how it’s always going to be. He says he gave him his best, but Alex didn’t like it. Alex is flustered and tells Nicholas he’s trying to make them fall in love again, but Nicholas isn’t having it. He tells Alex maybe it would just be better if they found other people — someone who didn’t want Nicholas to change and someone Alex didn’t want to change. Alex tries to say more but before he can the photographer calls Nicholas over for wedding photos, and Nicholas is more than happy to get away.
The two families begin taking photos, before Matilda notices that Alex didn’t come over. Just like Alex predicted a few episodes earlier, Matilda asks him to join the photos. He tries to decline, but Matilda literally screams at him, so he comes over and fakes a smile as best he can. They all throw their hands up and cheer — as wacky as it is, it’s a really touching moment.
As the episode comes to a close, the Moss house is quiet. Matilda has moved out, and the common areas are still. Nicholas and Genevieve brush their teeth, unsure of what to say or do next. Nicholas asks if she wants to wrestle, of all things. Genevieve just responds, “Not now,” and they both smile.
And that’s a wrap on the second season! There is no news yet as to whether Everything’s Gonna Be Okay has been picked up for a third, but I’m definitely crossing my fingers. This show sets an incredibly high bar for what LGBTQ+ and autistic representation can look like, and I don’t think it’s done telling the stories it wants to tell. Stay tuned here at Nerds and Beyond for coverage of future EGBO news, and stream both seasons now on Hulu.
