Minnie Driver as Maya, Holland Taylor as Andrea
Maya (Minnie Driver) leads a Thanksgiving rehearsal with the whole family ahead of the arrival of her mom Andrea (Holland Taylor) in Season 2, episode 7 of “Speechless.” ABC/Kelsey McNea

Maya’s mom, Andrea, is going to celebrate Thanksgiving with the DiMeos in tonight’s episode “Speechless.” And because it has been years since Andrea last visited the family, Maya wants their Thanksgiving dinner to be perfect.

In a sneak peek from Season 2, episode 7 of the ABC comedy, the DiMeos are in a middle of a Thanksgiving rehearsal when Maya (Minnie Driver) abruptly stops the dry run.

“Cut!” Maya says, before scolding her husband. “Jimmy (John Ross Bowie), if you don’t respect Thanksgiving rehearsal what will you take seriously?”

When Maya realizes that Jimmy doesn’t understand the need for a rehearsal, the DiMeo matriarch reminds him: “Tomorrow is the first time in five years that my mother (Holland Taylor) will have visited, [so] I would like it to go smoothly.”

While Maya’s intention to rehearse is good, the synopsis for the episode reveals that her goal to impress her established mother is only going to send the whole family into tailspin.

Andrea’s introduction in the series is seemingly part of the show’s plan to develop Maya’s character outside of her relationship with her immediate family, most especially with her eldest son, JJ (Micah Fowler).

“Going forward there will have to be,” Driver told the Los Angeles Times last April when asked if there’s going to be storylines about Maya that don’t involve JJ. “We haven’t really explored who Maya’s family is. We’ve known some of Jimmy’s (John Ross Bowie) family. I think there’s a lot to be mined out of that [like] what she was on the path to do before she found herself pregnant and then gave birth to child who has a severe disability. Do we return to some of that? Do we try to find that as JJ becoming more independent? Does Maya get her previous life? I don’t know. [But] I’m imagining, yes [because] these are all conversations we had and continue to have.”

Elsewhere in tonight’s episode, Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough) dreads spending Thanksgiving with his overbearing father, the Colonel (Keith David). Also, Jimmy deals with getting older and what that means for his oddly impressive digestive system.

“Speechless” Season 2, episode 7, titled “B-R-I– BRITISH I-N-V– INVASION,” airs tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

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