Maggots

 is the eighth episode of Season 1 of the Freeform series, Everything's Gonna Be Okay. It aired on February 27, 2020 in the US.

Synopsis
Alex puts Nicholas in the naughty corner! Nicholas and Alex work through their relationship issues at home. Matilda and Genevieve find themselves confronting sexuality at school in very different ways. Genevieve is forced to grow up.

Plot
As the episode open, Nicholas is scrolling through his phone as Alex nervously sits down on their bed. Matilda is playing a song on the piano, underscoring the tension. Alex blurts out that he’s worried Nicholas doesn’t love him anymore but didn’t know how to say it. Nicholas reassures him, but Alex notes that he didn’t say “I love you” in response to this confession. Nicholas asks if he has to, and Alex responds that it would be a nice thing to do. He notes the dramatic music, and Nicholas yells to Matilda to use the keyboard.

Tellulah tells Genevieve she’s been texting Leonard, Genevieve’s old crush. Genevieve says she doesn’t mind, but wants Tellulah to date someone nice, not a bully. Tellulah, being the instigator she is, suggests they try to get Leonard to send them a nude pic. Tellulah sends a text asking for one, but Leonard replies that he wants one from Tellulah first. The girls debate what to do, with neither wanting to send a real photo. Tellulah decides to send a photo of a random person, with her and Genevieve searching the internet for options. They debate the definition of what a “good vagina” is before they choose one and send it to Leonard. He responds with a picture of himself, and the girls are stunned.

The next morning, Alex and Nicholas continue their discussion. Alex feels Nicholas didn’t do enough to comfort him whereas Nicholas feels Alex is asking too much. Alex just wants Nicholas to take him seriously, but Nicholas laughs it off. He dramatically goes to stand in the “naughty corner” as Alex watches.

At school, Barb and Genevieve get to class and discover their whole class has the photo Tellulah sent. Leonard must have shared it. Barb points out that this is child pornography since he’s underage, and the two panic. Genevieve quickly moves to delete the photo, but Barb asks to see it first. Both are very impressed with what they see.

Nicholas and Alex have a serious conversation. Alex asks why Nicholas didn’t want to make him feel better by telling Alex he loves him. Nicholas is about to answer when Matilda’s teacher calls to “bask in the glory” of Matilda’s Julliard acceptance. She wants to make a plan now that Matilda has decided to enroll, but much like his conversation with Alex he brushes her off. When he hangs up, he bluntly tells Alex that he finds it hard to say “I love you” when he doesn’t mean it. He says there are just times he doesn’t feel it, so he doesn’t say it, which Alex finds hard to believe. Nicholas asks if there are times when Alex doesn’t love him, and Alex says no. They sit in awkward silence.

At school, Matilda, Drea, and Jeremy are running tech for the school play. Over their headsets, they lament that no one ever invites the tech crew to the cast party. Matilda asks them over to her house instead, then says she thinks Drea has a crush on her. Matilda says she’s “sex positive” and has thought about the fact that with college looming, they may not see each other again. Jeremy responds that he didn’t apply to college because his mom didn’t think he was ready. Matilda asks if they want to have a threesome when they come over, a prospect that both excites and terrifies Jeremy. Jeremy wonders if he should ask his mom first, noting that “she’ll want to know everything.” Drea seems more worried about the sensory issues involved with touching, but when Matilda lays out the plan, both agree.

Nicholas and Alex are still discussing Nicholas’ revelation. Alex is upset that Nicholas doesn’t love him all the time while Nicholas says he should have just lied to keep the peace. Nicholas then calls Alex “an open sinkhole of need,” which is just what you should say to a loved one when they’re seeking validation.

Alex is understandably upset at this, but before he can react, Genevieve calls. She tells him the situation with Tellulah and asks if she should tell Tellulah what has happened. She’s worried Tellulah will think she’s secretly happy about it because of her former crush on Leonard, to which Nicholas sarcastically responds “who is this Casanova?” Genevieve decides to tell Tellulah and hangs up.

Drea, Jeremy, and Matilda arrive, with Nicholas immediately showing his love of Drea’s dog Duke. An impatient Matilda escorts them to her room as Alex is sad none of them want the soup he made. Drea leaves Duke downstairs. What follows is an incredibly awkward discussion between them where they try to discover what to do. Jeremy, overwhelmed, leaves. He leaves behind a list of things he had wanted to try in case they want to do it instead. As he makes his way downstairs, he encounters Alex and Nicholas kissing in the kitchen, trapping him in the hallway. Drea and Matilda have an honest discussion about their needs and desires, since Drea is hypo-sensitive to touch and is specific about what she needs from Matilda. They kiss, and it seems they are both enjoying the encounter.

Genevieve arrives home and interrupts Nicholas and Alex, which in turn makes Jeremy reveal himself. Nicholas realizes Jeremy must have witnessed what happened between him and Alex (and was obviously out of the “threesome”). He offers Jeremy soup, and Jeremy gratefully accepts. In an epilogue, Genevieve recites slam poetry as she takes down her glow lights from the ceiling.