Physical Season 3 Episode 8 Recap and Ending, Explained

Apple TV+’s ‘Physical’ follows the ups and downs in the life of Sheila Rubin, who rediscovers her life with aerobics. She’d been stuck in a rut with her marriage and had no definitive solution regarding her other problems. But when she starts exercising, everything changes for her. However, success also brings more challenges, and sometimes, Sheila finds herself caving in. In the third season, she meets a rival in the form of Kelly Kilmartin, who borrows her way into Sheila’s mind, making her lose her only friend and do things without thinking about the consequences. In this episode, however, things take a turn for her as she gets Greta back. Here’s what the events of this episode mean for her. SPOILERS AHEAD

Physical Season 3 Episode 8 Recap

After losing Greta to Kelly and almost ruining her reputation and sanity, Sheila comes to her senses and apologizes to her only friend. With Greta back on board, they move full steam ahead, brainstorming ideas to make Body by Sheila something more that transcends the physical aspect of exercise. They think about adding childcare services to go beyond aerobics and add exercises that focus on strength. It requires them to expand, which means they need to find new instructors. They also think about franchising and taking their venture countrywide. Sheila also thinks they should change the name and agrees when Greta suggests Strength in Numbers.

Meanwhile, Danny breaks up with Fidelia, who is not that bothered because she has become focused on exercise and wants to become an instructor. She wants to be part of the greater thing Sheila is working on. Later that night, Danny gets drunk and takes Maya out for pancakes. He loses control for a second and almost gets into an accident. He asks his daughter not to tell her mother about it. He asks her to be quiet like a mouse, so she becomes a mouse, which worries everyone around her.

Physical Season 3 Episode 8 Ending

With all the plans that Sheila and Greta have come up with, they know it won’t be without a hefty sum of money. Greta doesn’t want to go to her husband for money, and Sheila suggests they should get a business loan. However, wherever they go, they find men in charge who are not interested in their business and dismiss them because they don’t think it’s important enough to bet money on.

Tired of all the men rejecting them, Sheila decides to go to a woman for help. She turns to John’s wife, Maria, hoping to get her project financed by him. He won’t say no if his wife asks him; Sheila is sure of it. However, in broaching the subject with Maria, Sheila lets slip that she is aware of the problems she’s been having. This leads Maria to believe that she and John are still seeing each other. At home, when she confronts John about it, saying that he and Sheila would never stay away from each other, he takes a drastic step.

John wants to save his marriage and knows that as long as he stays there, Sheila will always be around. So, he offers Maria to leave with him and go to Mexico, where they’d bought a piece of land and planned to build their retirement home. Maria is shocked by this but agrees to it. While getting rid of his things, John realizes he should tell Sheila about it, too. When he calls her, she asks to meet him to say their final goodbyes.

A little while before this, Sheila broke up with Carlos. She liked him in the beginning because he made her feel good. He was calm and composed and didn’t need much from life. Slowly, his attitude started seeping into Sheila’s, where she stepped back from the Hartman deal. Eventually, however, her ambition returns, especially when she patches up Greta. And now, Carlos doesn’t feel enough for her. She thinks about John, whose ambition matches her own, and how she finds that an attractive trait. So, later, when John calls her to say goodbye, she asks to meet in person.

In between this, Debbie discovers that Danny and Maya were in an accident, and she realizes how dependent Danny is on her. He is not used to being alone and wants someone around to bear his burdens and responsibilities. Debbie decides to leave the house, leaving Danny alone, and he calls Fidelia to make up with her. They meet at Sheila’s studio, not knowing that right outside it, Sheila and John are meeting up to say their final goodbyes.

Things get emotional for Sheila and John, and they start kissing each other, but then John notices that the lights are on inside Shiela’s studio. He thinks it might be a burglar, but they find Danny and Fidelia together when they go inside. It’s a shock to both parties and how Sheila will react to her ex-husband dating her secretary remains to be seen. But she has a bigger question to address in her own life: How will she get the money for her venture, especially with John leaving town?