Lost in Translation Dissatisfaction

These two bros unintentionally hit the nail on the head. We're pretty sure Bob thinks "That's not him. It looks like him, but it's not him," every time he passes a Suntory billboard, catches one of his old flicks on cable, or shaves in the morning.

We get the sense that Bob thinks he's too big for the "Johnny Carson of Japan," but that both he and Fred know deep down that he's not. (Okay, so it’s not really "deep down" for Fred.) Of course, once Bob meets Charlotte, he's more than willing to stick around another day, even if it means appearing on a show that he doesn't want to do because he thinks it's beneath him.

Sometimes, Bob puts his dissatisfaction with his career trajectory right out there in the open. Like when most of the people on set don't speak English, so he can vent without seeming like a prima donna.

Here's another quick and tidy example of Bob acknowledging that this isn't where he thinks he should be (and nobody cares).

Boom! Here's Bob in a nutshell: He's unhappy with his marriage, with never seeing his kids, and with being a sell-out instead of a serious actor. He buries it all beneath a silver-tongued veneer of sarcasm. To quote esteemed medical professional Dr. Phil: How's that workin' out for ya, Bob?

Sorry. We promise to never quote Dr. Phil again, buuut clearly, this whole glib, aging actor thing isn't paying spiritual dividends for Bob. The fact that he's so honest with Charlotte is a step in the right direction, though.

Here we have Charlotte's motto: "I wasn't doing anything, so…" Charlotte's transitioning from the guarded bubble of university life to real-deal adulthood, and it's not going smoothly. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, and she doesn't appear to be in any rush to figure it out.

Is he having a mid-life crisis? Is it that easy, or is there more to Bob than realizing he's not a young sought-after actor anymore and freaking out about it? What do you think? Want us to stop asking so many questions?

Wow, Charlotte sure sounds like a kid. Because she is a kid. Bob gives her a great piece of advice here: Stick with it. Charlotte seems to think she's "supposed" to be something, like a nurse's uniform is going to fall from the sky, and she's going be all, "A-ha! I'm supposed to be a nurse." In reality, Charlotte needs to stop trying on hobbies and make a real push to figure out what she wants, not what she's supposed to want.

Let's approach this one from both angles. First, it's hard to get ticked at Lydia for lashing out at Bob here. Remember, she's stuck at home in the states, taking care of their kids by herself again, and has no context for Bob's sudden desire to eat yakisoba for dinner instead of fettuccine alfredo. It probably sounds pretty self-indulgent to her.

Bob, meanwhile, is trying to communicate to his wife that he's been unhappy for a long time, and he wants to make some changes. He's being honest with her for once. The best part? He wants to make these changes with her, not independent of her.

Now, let's just hope she never finds out about Sausalito. Ew.