Dhruv Trivedi
Sheila takes her first big step towards experimental home workout videos in episode 5 of ‘Physical.’ The brooding comedy series that follows Sheila’s journey from unfulfilled housewife to exercise celebrity picks up steam as the self-deprecating lead shoots her first (chaotic) video on the beach. Her husband’s repulsive friend Jerry is also put in his place when Sheila gives him a long-overdue piece of her mind. Things seem to be looking up for the binge eating heroine, but the specter of the stolen camera still looms large. Let’s take a closer look at ‘Physical’ episode 5, titled ‘Let’s Agree to Disagree.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
Physical Episode 5 Recap
The episode opens with a glimpse into Bunny’s life, where we see her living in a van by the beach. After receiving a letter, she heads to the mall to meet her sister. Through a mostly bitter conversation between them, we find out that they’re originally from Lebanon but have moved to the US to escape the war. Bunny seems to not be in contact with her family and is chided by her sister for it.
Back in the aerobics studio, Rose explains her home workout video plan to Bunny but is quickly shot down as the latter thinks people will stop coming to her classes if they can just buy the tape once and keep watching it again and again. Unperturbed, Sheila forges on with shooting her first exercise video on the beach. The production is chaotic, with Sheila’s daughter Maya being finally restrained on a leash to stop her from running away while her mother exercises in front of the camera.
Danny, meanwhile, gets a spot on a TV debate that pits him against the famous property developer John Breem. Despite being nervous and against all expectations, Danny effortlessly outmaneuvers Breem. Soon after, however, Sheila goes on one of her junk food binges after suddenly leaving her husband’s celebratory dinner.
Physical Episode 5 Ending: Why is Sheila Worried About Danny’s Ad?
The next morning, Sheila gets some good news. After seeing the footage she filmed on the beach, Bunny agrees to let Sheila make the exercise videos. Upon arriving home, however, Danny shows her a defamatory ad about him that’s being aired by his political opponent. Sheila thinks it might be a good sign, but Danny is furious and wants to make a rebuttal video immediately. He orders Shiela to call the cameraman she had told him about. The episode closes with her face frozen in fear.
Sheila seems more concerned about the ad her husband is planning to make than the one already airing on TV defaming him. Danny wants the ad made the following day. However, Sheila has just agreed with Bunny to shoot their first aerobics video, something that took a lot of convincing to do. Being limited to Tyler and the stolen video camera, Sheila will now have to choose between shooting her exercise video and her husband’s political ad.
The bigger worry here is the stolen video camera that Sheila picked up from her wealthy friend Greta’s house, thinking no one would notice if it went missing. Unfortunately, Greta’s husband Jerry is particularly attached to the camera (mostly because it had an incriminating tape of him in it) and has now gone on a rampage trying to find it. Despite it being unlikely that he would ever track it down to Tyler, who alternates living in the mall and his van, Danny’s ad being shot could prove dangerous. Jerry, who funds Danny’s campaign, will most likely be at Danny’s ad shoot and could notice his camera, causing Sheila’s entire plan to unravel. It would also most likely result in Jerry pulling funding from the campaign.
Why Does Sheila Start Eating Junk Food Again?
After Danny’s successful televised debate against John Breem, Sheila, in a shockingly rare instance, feels proud of her husband. However, she is quick to remind herself that now, with her husband shining, she alone is the dead weight on the team. Later, during Danny’s celebratory dinner with Jerry and Greta, she watches the men eat impossibly greasy food while the two women watch. Unable to take it, she unexpectedly rushes out and ends up binge eating again.
It is concerning that Sheila’s eating disorder is back after she successfully dodged it the last time by giving all her junk food to Tyler. Despite Danny’s success, at dinner, she realizes that he will continue to be the boorish, uncaring husband that he is. Combined with her self-loathing, which is further exacerbated now that she knows that she is also responsible for her trusting friend Greta’s woes (for the stolen camera), our acidic leading lady is once again pushed over the edge. To boot, the greasy food, which Sheila looks down upon but also binges on, further triggered her to go an eating bender again.
What is Bunny’s Backstory?
Bunny is the spikey aerobics studio manager who seems to have a dislike for Sheila. In this episode, we find out that she is, in fact, a refugee from Lebanon. Her sister and her, along with their family, escaped to the US after the war broke out in Beirut. We also learn of their family home in the Lebanese capital being destroyed in the war and that Bunny is no longer in touch with her family, for which her father is threatening to cut her off.
Bunny seems largely unconcerned by her sister’s threats, saying that her family already cut her off a long time ago. However, she is distraught about their childhood home being destroyed and asks about her mother, showing she is still quite attached to her family. Her perpetually stressed-out demeanor can most likely be explained by Bunny’s turbulent past and possible guilt for not remaining connected to her family.
Read More: Is Physical Based on a True Story?
