The fact that they didn’t even bother to resolve the original crisis onscreen means that reintroducing it seems narratively impossible, as there hasn’t even been a sniff of any management challenges in the following five episodes.

the show bypassed the story during its Christmas episode (the most logical time Jamie would have been with his family),

lol, Nate the First of his Name, Father of Dragons... He will take what is his, with fire and blood... and the fan base will be divided!

Is it possible that Nate is the new Tart of the season?

When I travel outside the US, I simply notify my carrier and add an international plan while i’m traveling. I don’t recall the specific costs, but I would imagine Ted has the means to go that route. Especially of he is concerned about losing touch with his son.

Surely this will only worsen the behavior that’s made him a somewhat toxic presence, right?

Ironically personal freedom only applies if you are doing what they want... Wearing a mask isn’t considered personal freedom by these dopes.

If he’s trying to emulate Matt Gaetz, he doing it wrong...

That was likely the first ploy, which I assume was met with laughter.

It all seems pretty bizarre...

I think it’s also a bit of problem with how the English language is formed. Many words have a duality to them that is situational and if you ignore context and/or the nuance of usage, you can absolutely default to the worst intention.

Seems like the Bio mom might be a bit salty at the prospect of the someone else cashing in on her kids....

Never said that, but Ok. No, no one should be grateful for that, but it is a component of success sometimes. /shrug

More efficient, sure.... The Roy Kent way? He really is a ring the bell, ask if you’re a dentist and walk away in disgust when you say no, kind of guy.

And although Higgins’ second-eldest son brings up Sam’s protest positively when the latter is the first guest to arrive at the Christmas party, the show doesn’t unpack the moment, or give us any clear indication of what (if any) fallout has occurred in the month(s?) since it happened.

Not everyone has a good relationship with their parents, but also, no one needs to know that information. Putting it out there now, in the world we live in today, knowing full well it will blow up (for him and her) is just stupid.

I disagree. She started as the classic, one dimensional “model girlfriend of the star player”

She’s just not that character.

Anyway, we’ll see if I’m reading too much into Keeley reading too much into that.

Although I’ll respond to your first point by noting that the very title of the show states that it isn’t a story about the mother.