Ep 4. Breathwork

In season 3 episode 4 of High Maintenance Web Series, titled "Breathwork," the focus shifts to an elderly couple living in New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood. The couple, played by Irma St. Paule and Dominic Colon, are struggling to cope with the wife's worsening respiratory issues. Despite her husband's efforts to keep her comfortable at home, she requires frequent trips to the hospital for treatment.

As the episode unfolds, viewers are taken on a journey through the couple's daily routines and struggles. The husband is shown making trips to the grocery store and pharmacy to pick up supplies, while his wife stays at home hooked up to an oxygen machine. The couple's interactions are tender and loving, with the husband doing everything he can to make his wife feel comfortable and at ease.

Throughout the episode, the theme of breathwork is explored - in both a literal and figurative sense. While the wife struggles to breathe due to her health issues, her husband is shown practicing deep breathing exercises in an effort to alleviate stress. A scene in which he attends a meditation class and experiences a breakthrough in his breathing technique is particularly poignant.

The couple's story is intercut with scenes of The Guy (Ben Sinclair), the show's main character, making deliveries throughout the city. While his interactions with the couple are brief, they are no less impactful - viewers are left with a sense of how interconnected all of us are in a city as vast as New York.

As the episode nears its end, there is a powerful montage in which the husband's breathing exercises and the wife's struggles to breathe are juxtaposed. It is a heart-wrenching scene that underscores the fragility of life and the importance of taking care of one's health - both physical and mental.

Overall, "Breathwork" is a beautifully crafted episode that explores themes of love, aging, and the human body's capacity to endure. While it is undoubtedly a tearjerker, it is also a reminder of the power of human connection and the importance of living every day to its fullest.