Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Leanne’ brings back the eponymous protagonist, following a new chapter in her life. The last season traced her journey in the aftermath of a divorce that brought her three-decade-long marriage to an abrupt end. While she found the way to settle into this new reality, she also found love again with an FBI Agent named Andrew. It looked like the beginning of a happily ever after for her, but life never goes where one expects it to. In the ten-episode Season 2, Leanne reinvents her life as she tries to get to know herself before embarking on a new life-changing journey. All these events bring her full circle, and she comes to a startling realization that shapes her understanding of herself in a new light. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Leanne Season 2 Recap
The second season of ‘Leanne’ takes the protagonist on a journey that challenges her in new ways. The season begins with her on the brink of her 60th birthday, reckoning with her increasing age, while also coming face to face with the fact that her parents can’t care for themselves anymore. They move into her house after their kitchen burns down. Living together is an adjustment for everyone, leading to new conflicts, such as her father’s refusal to get a will and his determination to get a driving license, even though he is very bad at driving. Leanne’s personal life also takes a turn when Andrew proposes, plunging her into a crisis that leads her to make surprising decisions.
Meanwhile, a new love interest comes into the picture for Carol. Initially, he seems to be the perfect match for her, but she starts to reconsider their relationship when she discovers he has a son. Bill, too, goes through a major upheaval in his life as he starts to reconsider his relationship with Faye. They break up when he confesses his love for Leanne, leading to some interesting encounters that push Leanne to reconsider her feelings as well. The arrival of Leanne’s cousin, Jessie, who has also been cheated on by her partner, opens the doors to new realization. At the end of the day, Leanne has to decide what she wants for herself and whether she can embark on this journey on her own, without relying on anyone else.
Why Did Bill Leave Leanne? Why Did They Break Up?
The story of ‘Leanne’ started with a divorce in Season 1. At that point, the separation had already happened, and Leanne had deep resentment for her ex-husband, Bill, who had had an affair with another woman who was pregnant with his child. Since the story is told from Leanne’s perspective, Bill is portrayed as a despicable cheat who later desperately tries to get back into her good graces. Her anger towards him continues in the second season as well, even though it becomes clear that they had been married too long to be cut off from each other’s lives so easily.
This proves that things are much more complicated than they initially seemed, and the finale sheds light on what really happened to Leanne and Bill’s marriage. The first anniversary of her divorce throws Leanne into crisis mode, and she shows up at Kimi’s salon to get bangs. Kimi realizes that this decision is driven by a turbulent state of mind, so she asks Leanne to pour her heart out rather than let her feelings lead her to do something she will later regret. This is when Leanne reveals that Bill broke up with her via email and then disappeared, so she couldn’t get any answers from him or direct her anger at him.
She drowned herself in fries, shakes, a Diet Coke, burgers, and donuts. Then she went all the way to Chicago to share her heartbreak with Carol, who immediately dropped everything to be there for her. Leanne feels guilty of getting Carol to do that, though later, her sister assures her she didn’t do anything she didn’t want to. Eventually, Leanne also confesses that the cracks in her marriage with Bill had started to appear long before he cheated on her. Her daughter, Josie, was the first one to notice this, pointing out that without her, her parents would have nothing to talk about.
Leanne Accepts Her Part in the Divorce
Going further back into their marriage, Leanne recalled how happy they were in the beginning when she would cook a happy meal for him while he could come home with a big bouquet of flowers. As they had children, she got busy taking care of them, and the bouquets grew smaller and eventually went unnoticed. Even as the children grew up, the distance between them did not go away. Bill stopped bringing bouquets home, and she stopped caring. Eventually, he would come home, and she wouldn’t be at the table waiting for him. Thus, Leanne confesses that Bill isn’t entirely to blame for their divorce. She was likely 23% responsible for her and she is ready to accept that fact.
The conversation does the job, and Leanne decides not to get bangs after all. She goes home and talks to Carol, thanking her for being there in her most difficult time. The next day, it turns out that Bill, too, is going through a similar crisis. He comes to the salon, asking to have his hair dyed a deep black like Elvis’. Once again, Kimi sees through his chaotic state of mind and tells him to talk about it. It leads him to cry out loud that his life sucks, which isn’t entirely a secret, since he has been going through a rough time all season. It is assumed that, like Leanne, he pours his heart out and eventually walks away with his natural hair. It also shows that he is ready to accept his fallacies and maybe finally start to process his crisis and start to fix himself.
Who Does Leanne End Up With: Bill or Andrew?
‘Leanne’ Season 1 started with a newly single Leanne ready to find love again. ‘Leanne’ Season 2 begins with her in a happy relationship with Andrew, who is seemingly perfect for her. Although his job often keeps him away, they love each other very much, and Leanne is quite happy with him. Things are going so well for them that he asks her to marry him, and that’s where things go sideways. While Leanne likes Andrew, she doesn’t know if she wants to get married again so soon. While her friends encourage her to accept Andrew’s proposal and get settled, Carol asks her to take a step back. She points out that Leanne doesn’t know how to be with herself, and until she learns to do that, she will always be dependent on someone else for love.
The divorce is her chance to explore herself, and if she marries Andrew, she won’t have that chance. At first, Leanne agrees to this, but then, she goes on a date with Andrew again and is reminded of how great he is. She drops the idea of being by herself and accepts his proposal. This makes Carol angry and disappointed, but Leanne thinks she isn’t built to be by herself. Later, however, she realizes that Carol is right. She must learn to love herself before she can ask it of someone else. Still, she doesn’t want to break up with Andrew. She wonders if they can take a break, but he has been alone his entire life, and he is ready to settle down. This seems to be the end for the couple, but then they cross paths at a local store, and Leanne realizes just how much she misses Andrew.
She wishes to be with him, so she goes to his house and leaves a message on his machine. Her heart breaks all over again when days go by, and there is no response from Andrew. Carol assures her that it might be because he is away and hasn’t received her message yet. Leanne, however, is ready to accept that her dream man has slipped from her grasp, and now she has no choice but to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Since there is still no reply from Andrew, his answer remains a mystery, even if Leanne seems to have given up on him. There is a good chance we haven’t seen the last of him, which brings us to Bill.
Leanne and Bill Will Always Be a Part of Each Other’s Lives
At the beginning of the season, Bill realizes he is still in love with Leanne and says it in front of Faye, who leaves him. While he tries to patch things up with her, she refuses to take him back, though she agrees to let him be a part of their child’s life. Once again, Bill spirals, firing all his staff and deciding to close his business. Leanne gets him back on track, but the road to recovery is long and full of many challenges. At one point, Leanne’s attraction for Bill is reignited, but as soon as she kisses him, she confirms her doubts about not being in love with him anymore. Bill, on the other hand, is left surprised and confused.
The fact that he still remains an important part of her life, especially through her parents, shows that they cannot entirely cut themselves off from one another. There will always be a bond between them, and over the years, they will likely become more comfortable in each other’s presence. However, whether or not they will get back together remains to be seen. The chances for their romantic reunion are pretty low, especially since Leanne is already on a path of self-discovery. In the finale, she finds some sense of closure when she accepts her responsibility in their divorce. This means she will prefer not to go back to Bill, and given the arc he has been through in Season 2, it is high time he learned to move on as well.
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