[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 1, Episode 9 of Ordinary Joe, “Thankful.”]
Everyday Joe‘s 3 worlds are celebrating what they’re most grateful for in the most recent episode (and the very last for the yr), “Thankful.”
Between the most grateful is Charlie Barnett‘s Eric, who, in the songs globe, faces bumps in the highway with buddy Joe (James Wolk) and revelatory times with boyfriend Sai (Rushi Kota). In the meantime, Eric and Amy’s (Natalie Martinez) adoption approach grew to become a very little extra authentic as they sit about the Thanksgiving Working day desk in the nurse globe.
Underneath, Barnett opens up about Eric’s greatest times from the pivotal episode, reveals his very own private link with 1 of the storylines, and significantly extra.

(Credit score: Eliza Morse/NBC)
Joe is upset when he learns that Eric realized about Amy’s 1-evening stand with Bobby. Will that very little rift grow to be a even bigger challenge?
Charlie Barnett: Eventually, it’s a large bump in their romantic relationship, and I truly feel like Joe sees it as choosing sides. This is likely the only globe exactly where Eric and Joe are not as limited as any of the some others. His outlet into the romantic relationship with Joe and the continuation of it is generally by Amy and his operate. So it’s a sophisticated scenario. I consider in that globe as effectively, you know that his romantic relationship with Amy is just as solid [as it is with Joe]. The background is not there, but their friendship is as deep.
Eventually, Joe and Eric are equipped to transfer previous it, but individuals issues, you keep in mind and you have it with you. I consider you’re equipped to patch issues up, but that doesn’t imply that you don’t seem at the man or woman in a distinct way or don’t have to consider the time to rebuild that believe in in a distinct way, which is vital, specially in this friendship.

(Credit score: Matt Miller/NBC)
Sai opens up to Eric about getting HIV constructive. Is this depth intended to glow a mild on the authentic persons dwelling with HIV or will there be a extra central storyline revolving about Sai’s analysis?
I consider the two. I’m truly satisfied to see it there due to the fact it humanizes him and it humanizes our people. It delivers into the fold some thing that possibly not a lot of individuals facial area in their existence from family members or close friends. I know I have really shut close friends [who have dealt with it]. But for me, it just delivers into the fold, the working experience that individuals are dwelling by. And it requires to be mirrored not only in a queer setting but in each individual setting.
It’s labored into the globe and it is a major pinnacle, but it’s also absolutely nothing at minimum for Eric and Sai. It’s an chance to see them get nearer, to see their bond acquire extra. It has absolutely nothing to do with AIDS or HIV, it’s extra about the two of them getting equipped to share it with each individual other, which is so vital.

(Credit score: Eliza Morse/NBC)
Amy’s marketing campaign is hitting some bumps following Bobby’s widow determined to operate for his seat. How will that lead to problems for Eric?
Yeah. I’m truly intrigued to see exactly where it goes. The girl who’s participating in Regina (Christine Adams) is an remarkable actress and she’s a good deal of exciting to operate with. So, individually, I want to see extra from her as effectively. I have to confess, I don’t know way too significantly on the political facet of exactly where this will go and how significantly of an uproar it generates for the operate ingredient in just their marketing campaign, but I do know that it only will get extra and extra sophisticated.
In Nurse Joe’s timeline, Eric and Amy declared their designs to undertake a newborn. What can you tease about exactly where that storyline will consider viewers?
I’m so thrilled to see that storyline getting formulated. Individually, I was adopted. So for me, it’s a large link. We get to see that highway establish and establish and establish. I will say, it’s community tv so there’s a very little little bit of expediency to it, but I’m thrilled to see it getting championed and talked about. Inside of our adoption, it is a combined-race adoption way too. I am combined, which is some thing that to me was really private as effectively. So I’m truly thrilled to see that coming to community tv, but just also to be functioning on it in the exhibit.
On a private stage, which of the 3 thanksgiving foods would you like to go to for authentic?
The nurse globe setting. It’s not due to the fact I like the scenario extra, but it just felt like an a lot easier working day. Unhappy to say that Jenny doesn’t get to be there due to the fact she’s in Atlanta functioning on her aspiration and we’re all satisfied to see that of class. I truly like Elizabeth [Lail] and I just truly needed to have a scene with her. So I skipped that. But that globe is laid back again. Eric has a good deal extra electricity in the romantic relationship he has with Joe in that setting, and Amy is these kinds of a pinnacle element of his existence, the adoption getting a element of it.
The s**t likely on in the songs globe scares me. And then in cop globe… we ate way too significantly. The girl who cooks all of our foods on the exhibit… it’s the greatest foods that I’ve experienced in months. She’s astounding. But we acquired truly entire on the cop globe.
Very well, that seems fairly on-manufacturer for that globe, looking at Eric’s a cook dinner in the cop globe.
Yeah. I did not make a Thanksgiving Working day pizza, which I don’t know why that wasn’t place in the script. I must have pushed more durable for it [Laughs].
Everyday Joe, Returns Monday, January three, 10/9c, NBC