Over at Madeline's house, she and Michael sit at her dining room table while a chubby, touchy-feely therapist is literally putting Michael to sleep with a bunch of therapy-speak about bridges built from trust. "I'm detecting a lot of negativity in this room," the counselor says, and you might almost miss Michael pointing at his mom from behind his hand. The counselor gives them a homework assignment -- or a "lifework" assignment, as he calls it, as in the title of the book he's writing. He wants them each to make a list of five things that they're grateful to the other person for. Madeline loves the idea, which is probably not going to be something that goes on Michael's list.

Afterwards, they head out to the garage, Michael asking after his dad's old gas company jacket. She says she threw it away long ago, and when he won't tell her why he needs it, she reminds him that he's supposed to be honest with her, so Michael impatiently snaps, "I need to get a shut-in and her yappy dog out of her house. I'm going to tell her she has a gas leak." Madeline immediately pulls out an old coverall and suggests Michael pose as an exterminator instead. "Tell her you're spraying her yard with some toxic material and now her poor little puppy is gravely ill and has to go to the vet." If Michael appreciates Madeline's suggestion, it's overshadowed by how disturbed he is by the speed with which she came up with that.