All season, Dempsey has been balking at the idea of Statler moving in.
The two young women are on very different pages. To Dempsey, it’s “rushing.” To Statler, there’s no point delaying things if they’re in love.
Last week, Dempsey seemed ready to end things when Statler admitted that having kids was a dealbreaker.
Season 6, Episode 16 took some dramatic twists and turns before arriving at a bittersweet ending. Check it out:
Statler Riley and Dempsey Wilkinson
Things are off to an awkward stop on Season 6, Episode 16. Having just heard that Statler doesn’t want kids, Dempsey walks off, wanting Statler to leave her alone, and begins to pack. She seems to have decided that the relationship is over. But she also seems to have decided that Statler is the one who ended things. It’s complex, and they’re both feeling pretty overwhelmed.
Statler is at a loss
Dempsey doesn’t seem interested in talking to her. Dempsey is packing things up, and Statler is desperate to talk. And she feels confused … because she and Dempsey had both previously said that they felt undecided about having kids. Yes, in the time since then, Statler has come to realize that she can’t see herself having kids. But in that same amount of time, Dempsey also drifted towards a decision — that she does want kids. So Statler doesn’t understand this anger, since she’s not angry with Dempsey. The stress and anxiety seems to make Statler sick to her stomach. Her fellow IBS girlies can relate.
Then, they talk
Though Statler is now feeling straight-up sick and Dempsey isn’t initially facing her, they speak. Dempsey admits that she felt angry and shocked. Statler had told her that the topic of having kids could be a dealbreaker, which made her feel like their relationship was dead on arrival. Statler explained that she wasn’t going to lie. Right now, she can’t see herself having kids.
Ultimately, their love is more important
Dempsey and Statler both make it clear that they love each other enough to set aside this (big, important) difference. For now. This is something that they hope to work out later. That’s sweet … though, at the same time, we think of how some couples try to make it work … but the other never changes their mind, and they split.
Time to go home
All of this went down during their romantic birthday vacation. On the way back, they show plenty of affection. But Statler still worries about what the immediate future holds. Yes, even putting a pin in the topic of having kids, she needs to figure out her housing situation. And she’s already wondering when she and Dempsey can be together again.
When can Statler come back to visit?
At first, she jokes about just turning around and coming back to visit. But, to be clear, that’s a joke — even from Statler. She wants to live with Dempsey and be with her at all times, but she knows that Dempsey wants to wait and avoid rushing. Unless … ?
Dempsey has had a change of heart
She invites Statler to move in with her. As we know, Statler’s lease back in Texas will end relatively soon. So, in about a month, Statler will return and move in with Dempsey. Statler repeatedly asks if she’s sure, and Dempsey confirms that she is. At first, she balked at the idea. But she has spent this trip thinking about if this could work. And it could work better than she’d ever imagined.
She’s never felt like this before
Neither of them have. Dempsey does have lingering concerns. She likes her lifestyle, and she knows that she’ll need to make accommodations — basic quality-of-life upgrades to her home. Statler is also going to miss things that many of us couldn’t do without, like a decent internet connection. (Also, where does Dempsey get her food? I have several questions) But Statler knows that she is consciously making sacrifices to be with the woman she loves.
“Feels like time’s just flown”
Unfortunately, it’s time for Statler to go home. She’s returning to Texas, albeit temporarily, ahead of her move to the UK. But Statler also has a lot of anxiety about this. With her ex, things were going well until she left and got a long-distance breakup. Some part of her is always going to fear that from Dempsey.