Directed by Andy Palmer, The Re-Education of Molly Singer is a comedy-drama that revolves around the forever-party girl, Molly Singer, and an unexpected situation she ends up in where she has to head back to college after eight years. College was the best year of Molly’s life. She partied hard without any baggage, and as an adult with bills and responsibilities, she missed that life. Molly was currently the senior associate at a law firm, but her reckless behavior often got to her boss, Brenda. Even after all the fun nights in college, Molly managed to land a decent job, but there was a problem—she was easily distracted. Even when her job needed her complete attention, Molly once again behaved immaturely and ended up in trouble.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Molly go back to college?
Brenda threatened to fire Molly if she failed to deliver on the Pebblebrook motion, and as per usual, Molly promised that everything was under her control. The rest of the day, Molly worked hard to prepare for the hearing, but by night, she was once again enticed by the possibility of a fun night. Supporting Molly in all her misadventures was her best friend, Paulie. It was not easy for Molly to watch her nemesis, Trina, win in both her professional and personal lives while she was still struggling to prove herself at work. That night, Molly and Paulie ended up partying all night long, and by the time Molly woke up, she was late for the hearing. The judge waited for Molly while she ran to save her job. By the time she reached the courtroom, the judge had denied the motion for summary judgment. Molly’s carelessness cost the firm money, and Brenda immediately decided to fire her. While Molly started to gather her belongings, Brenda noticed that Molly went to Barnett University, the same college where her son was enrolled.
Brenda’s son, Elliot, was a recluse who had developed a serious interest in MMA and TikTok. Brenda was afraid that her son would struggle in college, especially after he became a laughingstock on his first day. Elliot indirectly ended up injuring the most popular sportsman in college, Demetrius Moss, and the entire incident became a meme. Elliot needed saving, and Brenda appointed Molly for the task. Since Molly was well-versed in how the college functioned, Brenda wanted her to make the entire experience enjoyable for Elliot, and if she succeeded in doing so, she would consider Molly for the job again. In the meantime, Molly would be paid half the salary she earned as a senior associate. The deal was straight out of Molly’s dream, and she was more than happy to accept the offer. Molly chose to relive her college days with Paulie. She convinced him to leave his job at the cafeteria and get his degree in the meantime. And thus began Molly’s journey back to college.
Did Molly manage to make Elliot’s college life easier?
Molly and Paulie befriended Elliot soon after managing to secure their housing. They convinced Elliot that they were seniors looking out for him and invited him to join them at the bar. Molly figured out that Elliot took a liking to Lindsay, and she lied that his crush would also be there. Before joining them at the bar, Molly suggested he change his style to become more appealing. After what was described as the “Pretty Woman Montage,” Elliot looked dapper in a pair of black jeans and a checkered shirt. After slipping some cash to the waiter, Elliot was served alcohol, but Molly’s entire arrangement started to fall apart when Demetrius Moss entered the bar. He and his followers harassed Elliot, but this time, Molly came to his rescue. She spoke to Demetrius in private and used her knowledge of the law to convince him to file a case against the university instead of cornering Elliot. He had nothing to gain by focusing his hatred on Elliot, but he could win millions by suing the university for their lack of riding and walking paths. Demetrius publicly stated that Elliot was not at fault, and it completely changed the way people looked at Elliot. That night, Elliot partied hard; he was no longer afraid and did not feel the need to hide. Brenda was not exactly happy about the entire situation, considering her son was posting videos of alcohol consumption online, but one thing was evident—this time, Molly knew what she was doing.
After fixing Elliot’s image on campus, Molly shifted her focus to bringing Lindsay and Elliot together. Lindsay was in a relationship with a typical frat guy named Stuart Gable, and he did not like Elliot. He publicly pulled down Elliot’s pants to embarrass him, but Molly somehow managed to balance the situation. Clearly, Stu was someone to watch out for, and Molly challenged him to a booze-catholon. If they won, Elliot would get a bid, and if Stu won, he would be gifted a car. The game was on, but Elliot was still in a terrible mood. He was tired of always being the target, and he missed his father more than anything else. Elliot’s father succumbed to cancer, and his absence continued to bother Elliot. He felt lost, not knowing where he wanted life to take him.
Molly promised to make his life better, or at least to make him feel more hopeful about the future. All she wanted was a chance to prove herself, and Elliot agreed to attend her party. It was time for the first booze-catholon, and after a few intense rounds, Stu and Molly were at a tie, and it all came down to Elliot. While Elliot initially chickened out, Lindsay and Molly convinced him to stand up to the challenge. Thanks to Stu for messing up his move, Elliot was declared the winner. Lindsay realized how problematic Stu was, and she decided to spend the night with Elliot. He opened up about his father and the reason behind his sudden interest in MMA. The story of an MMA fighter going through a similar struggle fueled his father to fight against the disease, and that stuck with Elliot. With Lindsay by his side and people in college becoming more accepting of him, Elliot finally felt comfortable with the way his life was shaping.
How did Elliot figure out the truth?
Brenda’s plan was panning out well, but that was before Stu recognized Molly at a city restaurant. Stuart was Trina’s brother, and she invited him for lunch. When Stu pointed out that the woman at the bar was a student at his college, Trina was surprised. She somewhat figured out what was going on and headed out of the restaurant with a plan. Meanwhile, Molly felt she was closer to her goal, and by homecoming, she would have her job back. Since the deal was coming to an end, her best friend, Paulie, believed it was his duty to give Molly a reality check. He reminded her of the importance of looking ahead in life instead of going back to the past to cherish the little highs.
In the end, Trina and Stu devise a plan to take the fighting condor mascot hostage from Hillhurst University and blame Molly and Elliot for it. Meanwhile, Elliot and Molly were at Sunrise Tequila, and Elliot expressed his gratitude to her for guiding him. Molly felt guilty knowing that Elliot would be devastated once he figured out that his mother paid them to become his friends and help him navigate campus life. When Elliot and Molly returned to Molly’s place after a whole night of partying, they found the mascot fixed to a chair in the middle of the room. The mascot threatened to sue them, while Molly and Elliot had no idea what was going on. They tried to help release the mascot, but by then, the police arrived and arrested them for kidnapping and harassment. Trina’s plan worked, and Molly was once again in trouble. Elliot figured out that she had been lying all along, and he was not ready to listen to her apology. Brenda bailed Elliot out, while Molly had to wait until Monday for her release. Brenda scolded Elliot for his reckless behavior, but he was not ready to silently listen after she played with his emotions by hiring her employee to become his best friend.
What happened to Molly, Elliot, and Paulie?
While Molly deduced that it was Stu who had set a trap, during the hearing of the case, she realized that it was actually Trina who came up with the plan. Paulie was in charge of finding evidence that could help Molly’s case, and Scott Perkins came to their rescue. He had surveillance cameras fixed in the apartment after a student died there. He suffered greatly as a result and wanted to make sure that the incident was not repeated. While it was very perverse of him to fix cameras in personal spaces without informing his tenants, the footage did help Molly and Elliot.
During The Re-Education of Molly Singer‘s ending, Molly and Elliot reconcile. Elliot thanked Molly for helping him because he knew that his life would have been a mess had she not stepped in. Paulie handed the surveillance footage to Molly, and she submitted it to the judge, and their case was dismissed. Trina and Stu were arrested while Molly, Elliot, and Brenda celebrated their win. Molly learned a valuable lesson in the end; she realized there was no point in wanting to live in the past, thinking that the best was already over. In the end, it is revealed that Elliot was dating Lindsay, and he played a decisive role in reshaping the Ki Mu fraternity. Paulie, who had always been interested in educating the future generation, graduated and aimed for a master’s degree next. Meanwhile, Molly Singer understood that her passion lay in teaching and guiding students, and that was the path she ultimately chose. After a long time, she was finally happy and thriving in her present. Even though the arrangement between Molly and Brenda was designed to help Elliot, in the end, the experience taught Molly valuable lessons, and she ultimately found her true calling.
