TV Review: Bill Is The Man On The Latest “The Little Couple”

It’s already been a landmark year for The Little Couple, and now they celebrate Jen’s 40th birthday on the latest episode.

Although titled “Jen’s Big 4-0,” this installment of The Little Couple really focuses on Bill, or more specifically, how much he loves his wife. Channeling his inner James Bond/Casanova, Bill has devised a very special way to mark his wife’s birthday milestone that is so heartwarming and sweet. I know I’ve written it time and again about this show, but “Jen’s Big 4-0” is the kind of episode that just pushes the relationship between Jen and Bill to the forefront, showing us the foundational affection these two have for each other.

The official story is that Bill has planned a small family celebration in Galveston for the weekend that includes some beach time, a nice dinner, and relaxation. The reality is an affair that sounds like it straddles the line between laid back and, to use Bill’s words, “a big ass party,” where the coupe will renew their wedding vows. We follow him as he heads to a dress shop where he commissions a custom made dress for Jen, complete with her favorite color and a way to camouflage her medical connections with which she still deals. After a quick doctor’s visit where Jen is given the all clear cancer wise, Bill hops into his car under the pretense of returning to work, but instead heads to Galveston to meet with the hotel staff and wedding planners to work out all the sweet details of the ceremony and Bill’s second proposal.

Throughout it all, we get to see Bill’s love for his wife put into action. He knows all her favorite things, be they food, color, location, etc. He wrestles with the guilt of having to lie to Jen in order to keep the surprise under wraps. The episode, and I’m certain it’s second part that airs next week, is truly a master class for husbands and prospective husbands in how to treat your wives. There isn’t a moment that didn’t make me smile, and there might’ve even been a little bit of lobster shell in my eye once or twice.

What separates “Jen’s Big 4-0” apart from the rest of the season is where we’ve mostly watched this family endure their struggles and find ways to come together, now we have a story of sorts with its discovery or execution as the stakes. We are right in the moment when Bill playfully teases his wife about her age or gets down on one knee to propose again. To put it simply, if you aren’t moved by the simple sweetness of this episode, you’re dead inside.