Lessons from the Past

"I had a friend once who was in the exact same position you're in and he thought I didn't have his back, but I did. I wanted to see him go to the majors more than anyone else. And I knew that if I told him the truth, it would cost us our friendship." — Miles, "God Friended Me"

Life is about choices, and often with the advantage of time we spend time wondering about the road not taken. That was the focus of last night's episode of "God Friended Me," which returned from several weeks of hiatus with a new episode. Of course with no episode next week, it's not like we'll get a steady run to sink into.

And so this one will leave us with a few questions. We didn't get much forward momentum with Miles (Brandon Michael Hall) and Cara's (Violet Beane) potential relationship, nor did they do much to uncover the origin of the God Account. Which was actually somewhat refreshing. And it set in motion some stories for the other characters.

Rakesh (Suraj Sharma) got time to settle into his new job, where things weren't as easy as he'd hoped. He had to work to win the loyalty and respect of his new team, and in the process earned the attention of Simon Hayes, which promises to come to a head in future episodes.

It also shifted the focus on Miles' father, Arthur (Joe Morton), who took on an assistant priest. The new priest (Gaius Charles) brought ideas that were about bringing the church into the modern era. And after some initial trepidation, Arthur embraced the idea. But it became clear that this new priest's arrival may have consequences for him all the same.

But in the main story, Miles comes face-to-face with an old high school friend, Cal (Charles Brice). When they were in school, Cal was a hot pitching prospect and Miles was his catcher and best friend. Miles tried to help his friend find the right path, but their friendship dissolved. And years later, both were left to wonder if they'd made the right decision.

When Miles got a friend suggestion involving one of Cal's high school players, a pitching prospect facing the same decision, it opens the old wound. Both Cal and Miles wonder what might have been and how to move forward. And it leads them back to the same place, this time with a young kid stuck in the middle.

One of the things that I find moving about this show is how it explores these weekly themes in ways that feel real and grounded. Such is the case with Miles and Cal, and their disagreement over what happened years earlier and what should happen with this new pitched. And yet, at the end, they were able to resolve those old wounds and help put someone on the path to achieving their dream.

It was a good episode, albeit a seemingly stand alone one. And it will have to hold us over until the show returns again in March.