Liv Healy, a food writer and a workaholic, was determined to explore every wellness trend to get her health back on track. The Netflix series “Wellmania” is all about Liv’s humorous exploration of finding the true meaning of wellness. With the opportunity to judge a television show in hand, Liv was finally living her dream. Before embarking on her new journey, Liv traveled to Australia to surprise her best friend Amy on her birthday. Liv was so engrossed in building a successful career and being the life of every party that she ended up ignoring her health. After returning to her hometown, she suddenly started to suffer from blackouts. Her hectic life came to a minor pause when she lost her green card and eventually blacked out at the US consulate. After going through a medical examination, her blood pressure and heart rate were found unsuitable for travel. Thus began Liv’s journey to find the fastest solution to getting her vital signs in order. She tried cleansing therapy, spinning classes, cupping therapy, and even meeting a guru to find a solution. She could not afford to leave the life that she had built over the years, and her only solution was a crash course in wellness.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Lorraine Hide Liv’s Green Card?
Lorraine had watched her husband die young, and she was afraid that Liv would meet a similar fate if she did not slow down. Lorraine was quite disappointed to find out that Liv did not have the time to attend her brother’s wedding. Her constant need to achieve her career goals, even at the cost of her health and peace, left Lorraine quite worried. Liv was forty with barely any savings or assets, and while living one day at a time sounds great in theory, Lorraine was concerned about her attitude. Her poor health reflected the impact of drugs and alcohol in her life. When Liv lost her bag at the beach, Lorraine was relieved. She wanted her daughter to stay back, but she knew that Liv would never prioritize a family event over her career. After Liv failed the medical examination, Lorraine decided to take matters into her own hands. When the police found Liv’s bag, they returned it, and Lorraine kept the green card away. She wanted her daughter to focus on her health and get her life back on track before getting on a flight to New York. She made a choice for her daughter because she knew Liv would never take care of herself otherwise.
Lorraine constantly reminded Liv that there were no shortcuts to wellness, but Liv did not have the time to go through an elaborate cleanse. She was glad when Liv decided to stay back for Gaz and Dalbert’s wedding. Liv’s stay helped her to understand Lorraine better than before, and she even developed a friendly relationship with her brother. She started to see the people around her and understand how she would often overwhelm them with her loud and, at times, annoying personality. While she could not help her self-obsessive nature, she learned to value her family during her stay. Liv was frustrated to find out that her mother was responsible for the mess she was in. Lorraine explained that she simply wanted Liv to rest for a few days before getting back to her life, but she did not anticipate that Liv would get her visa canceled in the process. Liv was too shocked to comprehend the reason behind Lorraine’s decision. She was disappointed and frustrated, and she chose not to discuss the matter again.
What Brought Gaz And Dalbert Together?
After spending time with Gaz and his fiancé, Dalbert, Liv realized that her brother was often dominated by his partner. Dalbert mostly made all the decisions, while Gaz was left confused and, at times, disappointed. Liv candidly pointed out the problem and added that Gaz used to be a lot more relaxed around his ex-lovers. The conversation left Gaz wondering if he was making a mistake by marrying Dalbert. He contacted his ex-boyfriend, Sebastian, who had cheated on him during their relationship. Sebastian further confused Gaz about his decision to marry, and even though he decided to remain friends, they ended up sharing a kiss.
A few hours before getting married, Gaz announced that he needed to have a word with Dalbert. Dalbert assumed that Gaz was going through wedding jitters, but he was devastated to find out that Gaz had cheated on him. With teary eyes, Gaz explained how he was confused at the time and regretted doing what he did. Gaz always relied on Dalbert to make decisions because he was extremely indecisive. After cheating on Dalbert, Gaz realized how wrong it was to mess with their perfect relationship. Dalbert had bought the candle holder that Gaz had wanted to buy all along. He wanted to keep it a surprise, but it was clearly not well-timed. Dalbert agreed to marry him after he came clean, and Gaz promised never to jeopardize their marriage. With Liv’s sudden blackout, their after-wedding party had lost its spark, but Dalbert managed to bring back the excitement and fun. While Liv had brought enough trouble into their lives, Dalbert was grateful to Liv for teaching him how to become the life of the party.
Why Was Liv Afraid Of Her Past?
When Liv attended a one-on-one session with sexual self-help guru Camille, she realized that her blackouts were deeply rooted in her past. The naked therapy session helped Liv to focus on her inner voice, which she had been ignoring all her life. She realized that she wanted to run away from the ocean (her hometown) because she was afraid of being a disappointment to her family. It explains her need to keep herself constantly busy with work and away from home. While the reason for her deep-seated fear was not revealed, her session with Camille was definitely eye-opening.
The death of her father had affected Liv in ways she did not even realize. Liv snuck out of the house with a lasagna tray and a bottle of wine the night her father passed away after Lorraine and Gaz had gone to bed. She attended a high school party, and her chug skill brought her into the spotlight. She and Amy became friends at that party, and she felt comfortable enough to share with Amy the real reason why she chose to attend the party. Liv was afraid that people in her school would only remember her as the sad girl whose father had passed away. She wanted to be more than that, and she decided to have fun before the condolences started pouring in. When she met the death doula on her way to Canberra, she realized that the pain of loss must not be buried. After her father’s death, Liv preferred staying away from funeral ceremonies, but that day she learned that death was not all about mourning; it was about celebrating the person who passed away and processing the bundle of emotions that the family members experienced together as a team. Instead of addressing the loss, her family preferred not to acknowledge it. Even after all these years, she and her mother barely had any conversations about her father. The past troubled not just Liv but also Lorraine, as she struggled to find meaning in her existence when she lost her job.
Lorraine expressed her disappointment in Liv for not caring about her health as she desperately searched for flights to New York. She was scared that Liv was repeating the mistakes that her father had made. Liv could not hold back anymore; she burst out, saying that she was responsible for her father’s early death. That morning, Liz forced her father to come swimming with her, even when he was complaining about his health. She swam further in even though she knew that her father was tired and wanted to go home. She blamed herself for her father’s death. Every time she returned home, the guilt of being responsible for her father’s sudden demise overwhelmed her. She was scared of being a disappointment because of the mistake she made as a teenager. While Liv had reasons to blame herself for her father’s death, she was young and did not know the consequences of her actions. Liv preferred chaos to silence the voice inside her. She had lived all her life believing that she was the reason for her father’s absence and had developed questionable habits to numb herself. Liv needed therapy and guidance, but she was not ready to stop any time soon.
‘Wellmania’ Ending Explained: What Did Liv Choose?
Liv traveled back to New York as soon as she cleared her medical test. She was physically better, but she had not healed from her past trauma. She made it to the set of the television show on time, and she barely got a moment to process it all. After getting dressed for the show, she realized that she was missing her father’s watch. She frantically searched the dressing room and her belongings, but she could not find it. She could sense that she was spiraling out, and she called Dr. Singh for help. With the doctor’s assistance, she managed to calm herself down, but she was not completely out of danger. Dr. Singh believed that Liv had suffered a panic attack and needed to consult a therapist to heal. But Liv did not have the time to focus on her mental health. She continued with her hectic life as usual.
Meanwhile, Lorraine decided to get rid of all of Liv’s belongings from her school days. Maybe she did not completely blame Liv, but she might have wondered how different it could have been had Liv not forced her father to swim. But we can assume that she was disappointed in Liv for not caring about her family even after all these years. Soon after dumping her belongings in the trash, Lorraine met with an accident. She was admitted to the hospital, and Gaz called Liv to inform her about it. Liv was busy with her show, and she ignored her brother’s call to focus on her work. It is true that one cannot have it all in their life. The choices we make are important, and Liz chose her career over herself and her family. Her wellness journey only focused on the physical aspect of it, but clearly, she could not live a content life without taking care of her mental health. After missing the calls from Gaz, she will regret not listening to Lorraine.
Can We Expect ‘Wellmania’ Season 2?
The last episode of “Wellmania” Season 1 leaves room for another season. Liv surely has a lot more learning to do with regard to wellness, and we also have yet to find out what happened to Lorraine. Unexpectedly, Liv’s mention of her best friend’s tragic sexual life in an article helped Amy and Doug face their truth. She learned that Doug was afraid of becoming unattractive as a result of his receding hairline, and Amy confessed that she had started plucking gray hairs. Their honest conversation helped them get past their awkward situation, and they were back to being inseparable. But it seems there might be some trouble in paradise. Amy mentioned that she was taking antibiotics for a UTI, and it looks like it is getting worse with time. Liv might return in the next season to reconnect with her family, especially with her mother. Perhaps she will realize how important it is to cherish the time she gets to spend with Lorraine. Her return could also help her heal from past trauma and understand the true meaning of wellness.
