Loudermilk Season 4 Has Potential To Branch Out Into New Territory

Season 3 left us with Mugsy (Brian Regan) defeated and humiliated after relapsing at his daughter Cappy’s (Cassandra Naud) work function. Though Mugsy leaves the Sober Friends group led by Sam Loudermilk (Ron Livingston) at the end of season 3, swearing that he’s so broken that he’ll always continue to hurt the ones he loves, he can make the positive changes he needs to be a better father figure in season 4.

Personally, I’d like to see him start leading the group meetings after he works through some of his personal demons.

New Guy (Ricky Blitt) is one of the easiest characters to hate in Loudermilk because his good intentions are often overshadowed by his inability to control his impulses, leading to disaster 90 percent of the time.

If Loudermilk sees a season 4 renewal, New Guy can redeem himself and his legal career, if only he could lay off the Red Bull and keep his mouth shut. Being held in contempt after mouthing off to a no-BS judge may be a blessing in disguise, because New Guy isn’t so bad when he’s put in his place every once in a while.

One of the most depraved fictional characters to ever exist in a comedy-drama, Ed (Timothy Webber) will probably just keep being Ed. Though everything that comes out of his mouth is problematic and somehow always circles back to his various not-so-romantic exploits (read: chicken loving), Ed is exceedingly wealthy, comfortable in his own skin, and, most importantly, consistent with his sobriety, making him a Sober Friends mainstay, and a healthy source of comic relief.

Mat Fraser’s Roger Frostly is one of those recurring characters who you want to see thrive. Despite his thalidomide-induced phocomelia, he can play the hell out of the drums, and I’m hoping to see him return to music in Loudermilk season 4. But for all our sake, he should ditch the big hair and spandex when he finally has his comeback.

One thing that makes Father Michael (Eric Keenleyside) such a great character in Loudermilk is how morally ambiguous he can be at times, which is something that needs to be further explored in season 4. Maybe one of his unsanctioned boxing matches… sorry, fundraisers, gets raided, and other shady activities come to light, making him less of an authority figure to the the community he so proudly extols the virtues of The Good Book to.

We’ll definitely be seeing Jack Loudermilk (Tom Butler) in season 4 because he’s back from the grave (read: faked his own death and changed his mind) to raise the 1-year-old son he conceived with Annette (Melinda Dahl).

Since he’s overcompensating for never having been a proper father figure to his first son, Sam, we can expect a disproportionate amount of misguided “gentle parenting” from the geriatric tomcat who’s trying just a little too hard to course-correct.

Unfortunately for Annette, the biological father of her infant is Sam Loudermilk’s promiscuous father, Jack, which will be an immediate source of tension in season 4. Though Annette is desperate for help raising her child, she may have rushed into a relationship with somebody who’s probably better off not being in the picture in the first place. Since Jack already faked his own death, maybe we’ll see some Double Jeopardy style murder plot unfold.

Tom (Brendan McNamara) was an innocent victim for most of season 1, as he didn’t really have a substance abuse problem, but rather was covering for his boss who had multiple DUIs and was ordered by the courts to join the Sober Friends group.

After his overzealous sponsor, Cutter (Danny Wattley), inadvertently ruined his entire life, Tom shows up to the group at the end of season 3, actually needing real help this time. Realizing that his addictions have grown out of control after his downward spiral, Tom would be a worthy addition to Loudermilk season 4 because his transition from casual drinker to hardcore addict proves that while addiction doesn’t discriminate, neither does recovery.

It remains to be seen if Cutter will return to Loudermilk for season 4, but now he has a real opportunity to shine now that Tom is back in the mix. Think about it, Cutter is mostly responsible for Tom’s downfall despite his good intentions, but now he can say “I told you so,” and subject his sponsee to even more tough love, with actual results this time.

Let’s just forget about these Loudermilk side characters, and move on with our lives in season 4. Or maybe through some zoning error, their showcase house has to get demolished so a Starbucks can be built, which to them is the worst thing that could ever happen.

In season 3 of Loudermilk, we learn that Felix (Benjamin Rogers) never once touched drugs or alcohol in his life, but there were also hints at a budding romance between himself and Claire Wilkes (Anja Savcic) that could be explored in season 4.

Though he kicked Claire out of his band because she’s an awful tambourine player, his feelings for her have always been apparent, and he’s more than compassionate about her past missteps with addiction. Plus, Felix is the perfect foil to Sam Loudermilk, so if he’s in the picture more we can expect more heated debates about Radiohead.

He may also see his big break on the rockstar front after performing in the backing band for Lizzie Poole’s (Lissie) comeback before she heads back to LA to get the old band back together.

Lizzie Poole’s character arc in Loudermilk came out of nowhere mid-way through season 3, but could lead to the primary storyline in season 4. We find out that she quit music because of Sam’s scathing Rolling Stone review, which he has since apologized for. Having heard her album again later in life, Sam encourages her to follow her dreams, which sees her moving to LA during the season 3 finale.

Whether Sam decides to pack up and help her fully realize her potential remains to be seen, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

Of all the characters who have pushed their demons aside and worked through their obstacles, Claire’s evolution throughout Loudermilk will continue to blossom in season 4. Maybe she’ll finally settle down with Felix while she finishes her art degree, and continue to stay on the straight-and-narrow now that she’s with somebody who so clearly loves her despite her checkered past.

It’s a relationship I’d like to see play out because they started out as antagonists, became friends, and know each other so well at this point that it’s pretty much a match made in heaven.

If there’s one supporting character in Loudermilk who deserves a shot at happiness in season 4, it’s Ben Burns (Will Sasso). Not only was Ben a great father figure to Sam’s infant younger brother, Clive, but he finally found his passion in fine dining after a season-long stint with his illegal food truck.

Should Sam move to LA with Lizzie Poole, Ben already has a new roommate lined up in the form of New Guy, who shares his enthusiasm for eating Chinese takeout without wearing any pants.

Loudermilk couldn’t have a season 4 without the man, the myth, the insult legend himself, Sam Loudermilk. We last saw Sam finally opening up to Lizzie Poole after they buried the hatchet, and there are a few different factors at play.

Not only is Sam toying with the idea of moving to LA with Lizzie, season 3 concludes when Sam gets a call from Random House publishing because they gave his new book the green-light.

After three seasons of stagnation and trying to help others confront their own struggles with addiction, Sam is finally taking steps forward with his own life by actively practicing the advice he dishes out every single week during his Sober Friends meetings. Season 4 may very well see Sam Loudermilk reclaim his place as an author, and maybe he’ll finally find himself in a healthy relationship with the very musician whose career he derailed during the height of his addiction.