Character Analysis
Although Mclean is pretty protective of her dad and thinks that he is The Best Guy Ever, it's clear that he's kind of floating around and messed up after the divorce—just as much as his daughter is. He has turned into a workaholic who goes from town to town fixing up restaurants, and only thinks of the bottom line. He's also gotten really bad at making real connections with people, and dates women only if he knows that he's leaving town soon, which can't be healthy. Check it out:
His phone buzzed again, but this time neither of us looked at it. And back in Wescott, another awesome girl sat texting or calling, wondering why on earth her boyfriend, the one who was so charming but just couldn't commit, wasn't returning her calls or messages. Maybe he was in the shower. Or forgot his phone again. Or maybe he was sitting in a restaurant in a town hundreds of miles away with his daughter, about to start their lives all over again. (1.22)
But despite all of this, he's a caring dad and just wants the best for Mclean—even if he doesn't recognize right away that moving around all the time isn't the best thing for her. Heck, it's not even the best thing for him.
In the end though, he starts to heal and come around—even starting up a relationship with Opal and (gasp) not leaving her hanging when he takes another job. He also finally understands what the divorce has done to Mclean, and works with her mom to create a better, more stable life for his daughter. After all, she's done enough taking care of him—maybe it's time for him to take care of her now.