Is This Thing On? 2025

Alex signs up for Comedy Cellar open mic after Olive Tree Cafe trouble

After failing to pay the cover at the Olive Tree Cafe, Alex signs his name up for the open mic at the Comedy Cellar. This marks the start of his regular stand-up routine following the breakup. He also meets Jill, a fellow comic, who becomes a romantic spark early on.

Alex starts performing regularly and flirts with Jill

Alex lands regular slots at the Comedy Cellar and throws himself into stand‑up as a new outlet. He begins a fling with Jill, a fellow comic, as he tests boundaries and humor after the breakup. The club becomes his new social focus.

Tess rediscovers volleyball and starts seeing Laird

Tess reignites her passion for volleyball and inches toward coaching a Olympic team in 2028. She also begins dating Laird, indicating she is moving forward with her personal life. The return to the sport revives her confidence and ambition.

Laird brings Tess to the Comedy Cellar; Alex is featured that night

Laird takes Tess to the Comedy Cellar, the same venue where Alex is performing as a featured act. The chance encounter intensifies the undercurrent of unresolved feelings between them. This night becomes a pivot point in their evolving relationship.

The confrontation outside the club; a reluctant reconciliation and intimacy

Outside the venue, Alex and Tess confront each other about moving on quickly and the possibility of romance. They reconcile and end the night with a moment of intimacy, showing they still care for one another. The tension between independence and partnership remains unresolved.

Friends Balls and Christine discuss relationship confusions

Back with their friends, Balls reveals his own divorce thoughts, inspired by Alex and Tess's separation. Christine admits she has looked down on Alex, and that his decline reminds her of her past self. The conversations highlight how differently people handle separation.

Tess learns of Olympic coaching offer; she clashes with Alex's photo

Tess receives an offer to be the women's volleyball assistant coach for the Olympics, a key professional milestone. She becomes upset upon discovering a photo of her as an athlete hanging in Alex's apartment, which she reads as him clinging to an outdated idea of her. The dispute deepens their sense of mutual insecurity.

Alex delivers a bitter stand-up set; Jan attends and cautions him

Alex's next stand-up routine is a bitter take on relationships, and his father Jan attends the show. Jan warns that his outlook is dangerous and that a true relationship requires rubbing against each other. The performance sharpens the emotional stakes for both characters.

Balls checks in; he and Christine are okay with their confusion

The next morning, Balls visits Alex and says he and Christine have talked through their confusion and are okay with it. The moment introduces a sense of fragile acceptance among the friends. It signals a temporary truce that allows Alex to pursue his own feelings.

Alex visits Tess and clarifies his feelings

Alex shows up at Tess's door and explains that the issue wasn’t their relationship itself but the unhappiness they’ve endured together. He expresses a desire to stay in the relationship and to share the journey rather than walk away. Tess responds with cautious openness, setting the stage for reconciliation.