Ep 8. Swimming With Fishes

In Assisted Living season 1 episode 8 "Swimming with Fishes," tensions rise as the family and staff at the nursing home struggle to come to terms with the aftermath of a resident's death. Cora and Jeremy are enlisted to plan and execute the funeral, but they clash over how to properly honor the resident's memory. Meanwhile, Vinny takes advantage of the chaos to make a daring attempt to escape from the home.

As the episode opens, the residents and staff at the Lawrence House Nursing Home are still reeling from the sudden death of Mrs. Wilson, a beloved resident. Cora and Jeremy are tasked with planning the funeral, but their differing opinions on how to honor Mrs. Wilson's memory quickly lead to conflict. Cora wants to keep things simple and understated, while Jeremy wants to go all out with a lavish ceremony. Their bickering reaches a boiling point at a meeting with the rest of the staff, and they storm off in opposite directions.

Meanwhile, Vinny is up to his old tricks and scheming to escape from the home. He enlists the help of his friend and fellow resident, Norman, to distract the staff while he makes a run for it. Their plan involves dressing Norman up as a doctor and causing a fake medical emergency to draw away the other staff members. Vinny manages to slip away during the chaos, but quickly realizes that the outside world is not as welcoming as he had hoped. He struggles to find his way, encountering various obstacles along the way.

Back at the nursing home, tensions continue to rise as the funeral planning leads to even more disagreements and hurt feelings. Cora and Jeremy eventually come to a compromise and decide to honor Mrs. Wilson's love of marine life by holding the ceremony at the local aquarium. The funeral turns out to be a touching and beautiful tribute to the late resident, but the drama is far from over.

As the episode draws to a close, Vinny is eventually caught and brought back to the nursing home. He is scolded by Cora and Jeremy, but also praised for his resourcefulness in trying to escape. However, the relief of having him back is short-lived when they discover that he has smuggled in a live fish from the aquarium as a souvenir. The staff scrambles to find the fish, eventually tracking it down to the bathroom where it has been swimming in the toilet. Vinny is punished for his mischievous behavior, but the situation ultimately brings a bit of lightheartedness and comic relief to an otherwise heavy episode.

Overall, "Swimming with Fishes" is a poignant and emotionally charged episode that explores themes of grief, family, and the bonds that form between residents and staff at a nursing home. The conflicts that arise between Cora and Jeremy demonstrate the challenges of balancing tradition and innovation when it comes to honoring the deceased, while Vinny's antics provide a much-needed dose of humor to an otherwise somber storyline.