The first season of It’s Not Like That came to a close this week on Wonder Project and Prime Video, leaving viewers with an emotional Christmas Eve celebration and a major romantic cliffhanger for Lori. The episode, titled “Hope and Peace and Joy and Love,” delivered on its promise of healing and unexpected surprises, but also put Lori squarely at the center of a love triangle that remains unresolved .
The Aftermath of the Accident Sets the Stage
The finale picks up right after the dramatic car accident that closed the previous episode. Merritt crashed the car after drinking, and it was Flora who pulled them both to safety when the vehicle ended up in a lake . The accident sends shockwaves through both families, forcing everyone to confront issues they had been avoiding.
Lori and David are called to the hospital together, and David is visibly shaken when he learns his son was driving drunk. The moment hits particularly close to home given David’s own history with alcohol . In a raw conversation later, David speaks honestly with Merritt about the dangerous path he was on, making it clear he doesn’t want his son repeating his mistakes .
Penelope Finds Her Voice
The near-loss of Flora sparks a change in Penelope. She hugs Flora tightly, relieved she’s okay, but also pleads with her to stay away from Merritt going forward . Penelope’s transformation continues when she finally stands up to Dakota and the mean girls at school. Inspired by Casey’s free-spirited nature and how she found her place with the wrestling team, Pen tells Dakota she was never a real friend and quits cheerleading altogether .
The rift between Pen and Casey also heals during the finale. Casey shows up at the house, apologizing for how she handled things after Jenny’s death. She admits she feels guilty, knowing Jenny was like a second mother to her. The two girls patch things up and plan a Gilmore Girls marathon together .
Three Men, One Woman, No Clear Answer
The central question of Lori’s romantic future becomes more tangled by the episode’s end. At work, she gets a call from Cuppa Joe checking in on her, and she realizes she’s a mess emotionally. Between her cryptic text to Malcolm, the ongoing situation with Joe, and her recent night with David, Lori genuinely doesn’t know what she wants .
Things get visibly awkward on Christmas Eve when Joe shows up at Lori’s house unannounced. Both Malcolm and David watch from the window as Joe offers Lori a New Year’s getaway trip, essentially asking her to start a new relationship with him . Immediately after, Lori pulls David aside and tells him plainly that their night together was a mistake. She explains she’s not looking to get back with him, calling the encounter a step backward rather than forward .
Later, during Malcolm’s Christmas Eve sermon, Merritt walks out midway through. Outside, he finds Flora and confesses he didn’t come to see her because he was drunk and scared after seeing how David reacted .
Christmas Morning Brings Jenny’s Final Gifts
The most emotional moments come Christmas morning at the Jeffries house. Jenny, Malcolm’s late wife, had left gifts for each family member before she died. Justin receives a box with home videos of himself as a baby, while Penelope gets a jewelry box. In a touching gesture, Pen also gives Casey a bracelet from Jenny’s gift .
Flora receives Jenny’s Bible, complete with handwritten notes in the margins. Malcolm’s gift is a letter from Jenny. In it, she pleads with him to try and find someone who will love him and their children as much as she did .
The Confession That Never Happened
Jenny’s letter pushes Malcolm to finally recognize what he truly wants. He realizes that person is Lori and heads straight to her house to confess his feelings. But when he arrives, Lori is in the middle of sharing her own confusion, telling Malcolm she’s torn between Joe and David and doesn’t know what to do .
Malcolm has the perfect moment to speak up. He could tell her he loves her. Instead, he stays quiet, not wanting to complicate things further. He listens, offers support, and heads back home alone with his feelings still locked inside .
The episode ends without showing what Lori will decide. She’s left weighing three very different options: David, her ex-husband who blindsided her Christmas morning by giving her a bath as he always promised and asking to get back together; Joe, who is sweet but also pushing hard for a relationship that would take her away from her family; and Malcolm, who stood right in front of her but couldn’t find the words.
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A Season Finale That Stays True to Its Title
The first season of It’s Not Like That wraps up most of its secondary storylines while leaving the central romance intentionally open-ended. David and Merritt begin to repair their relationship. Pen and Casey are friends again. Flora finds her faith. Justin gets the validation he needed. But when it comes to Lori and Malcolm, the show remains faithful to its title: it’s not like that. At least, not yet .
Fans will have to wait for a potential second season to see if Malcolm ever works up the courage to speak, or if Lori will choose between the two men actively pursuing her — or the one standing silently nearby.
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Craving more info about your favorite streaming dramas? Check out our full season coverage for more recaps and analysis.
