It is safe to say that right from the beginning, “George & Tammy” was going to be the story of a rather toxic, albeit successful couple. In Episode 2, we saw that Tammy wanted to give their marriage a chance, even after the scare she had with her husband. While it looked like some creative liberties were taken with “George & Tammy” Episode 3, the purpose of it was to establish whether Tammy’s gamble has paid off and the ensuing consequences of that. Just like the music of this episode, George and Tammy’s story starts with them being in love and bragging about each other and ends with them holding on to each other despite their fears and disappointments. Had we not known how their story ends, it would have been very sweet. But for now, this is how the episode unfolds.
Spoilers Ahead
George And Tammy’s New Life
The duo is a hit, and they are making music and money constantly. Taking their happiness to the next level, Tammy announces that she is pregnant. A few months later, she is in the hospital, waiting to deliver her child. Her entire entourage is outside, and we get to know that George is rather particular about his clothes. He has matched his suit and pants to the avocado-colored stripes on his shirt and judges the rest of the people for not putting in more effort with their dressing. Meanwhile, Tammy delivers a healthy baby girl, but it is not all good news as she has to undergo a hysterectomy. She was not consulted before it, and other than the obvious loss, she is also dealing with the invasion of her agency. Obviously, it was a common thing during those times to make women’s decisions for them. We wish we could say that this day and age were any better, but we know that the world doesn’t want to stop controlling female bodily autonomy to ensure the maintenance of its rigid and patriarchal social structures. Six months pass, and Tammy is not feeling well. It turns out that the doctor who had performed her hysterectomy had done a bad job of it. She was going to need lots of rest, but Tammy was worried because she and George had a show coming up in Vegas. The doctor ups her dosage and tells her to consider surgery if the medication doesn’t help.
While George is a devoted husband and a loving father, it is obvious that Tammy is the one doing the bulk of the emotional labor. She takes care of the entire family and is constantly on the watch for George’s mental health. He has put his alcoholic days behind him, but Tammy is aware that he is always close to temptation. Meanwhile, since the success of the duo, George’s individual songs have not really worked. Tammy has gone on to be the ‘Best Female Vocalist of the Year’ twice in a row, along with many more accolades, but their primary success lies in their being together. Once George actively becomes aware of this, insecurity rears its ugly head. At a dress fitting before the Vegas show, he loses his temper because his clothes are not the same material. He says that one is silk and the other is polyester. Could this be an indirect hint at what he perceives to be the difference between him and Tammy? Either way, Tammy steps in and handles the situation. She is clearly the one keeping everything together, despite being in great pain and fearing for herself. Yet right before they are about to leave for the Las Vegas show, George disappears, even though he got the coat he wanted. He is drunk and just wandering the streets when he is picked up by a woman in a car. Back home, Tammy is worried about him as they have taken a lot of money for this show, and George’s disappearance could have serious consequences. However, she goes for the show and hopes that George will be on the next flight. But he is nowhere to be found. The entertainment director insults Tammy’s manager and tells them to find George at any cost, but that does not happen. When Tammy gets on stage, she is alone for the first time since she started performing with George. She apologizes to the audience and manages to save the day by singing one of her greatest hits, “Stand by your man.” Her crew compliments her and tells her that everyone loved her performance, but Tammy replies that they only accepted it because she sang about George. Honestly, it is a little absurd because George was told that he has no individual value of his own, but on that stage, if instead of Tammy, who was the winner of multiple awards, it had been George, he would have received a much warmer welcome than she did.
‘George & Tammy’ Episode 3: Ending Explained – Does Tammy Find George?
The issue is that since Tammy’s discovery of her illness, it has become extremely clear to her how alone she is in the relationship. Sure, George loves her and would do anything for her, but he is unable to care for her, their family, and their business the way Tammy did. He was a loving husband but not a stand-up partner. They find George in Texas, drunk out of his mind, and bring him to Vegas. Tammy is understandably furious, and she tells George about how alone she feels. On the other hand, while he understands and acknowledges what she went through, he is not honest with the reasoning behind his actions. However, they put the incident behind them and move on with a new song about holding onto each other.
What Should We Expect From Episode 4?
In the coming episodes, we can expect to see the further deterioration of George and Tammy’s marriage. He is not honest with her about what he is going through—that is if he understands it himself. We can also expect to see the repercussions of Tammy’s health issues and how they play a role in her life. She is also realizing the lack of her agency despite being so successful, be it in her career or her life. There has to be an effect on that. These plot points are what we expect to see fleshed out in the coming episodes.
See More: ‘George & Tammy’ Episode 4: Recap And Ending, Explained – Do George And Tammy Get Divorced?
