M&A attempts to find a father who was reported deceased and is the only viable organ donor for his ailing son. New details around Sir's accomplice fuels the manhunt for their arrest. Details of Jamie's childhood kidnapping are revealed.
Margaret expected a happy reunion with Jamie. That didn't happen. The truth was far more complicated. Jamie had to navigate through thirteen years of lies. He never forgot Margaret. He was simply told she no longer wanted him. He was expected to be grateful to Carrie for taking him in. She wanted to replace the son she lost. However, she lied about the circumstances of what happened to her son. He was taken from her by protective services. He is still alive. That was yet another lie that fueled the false reality she lives in. It was all about control. She couldn't reckon with the truth. Instead, she inflicted harm on others. Even now, Margaret hesitates to tell the rest of the family the truth. She was told to move on. She refused to do so. She knew this reunion was always possible. Her returning to the public eye with M&A helped Jamie reach out to her. As a young adult, he strived for more independence. He started looking into her life. He loved Carrie. He didn't want to betray her. Every action he took sent that message though. She refused to ever let him go. She could never allow him to grow up. They had to be together forever. That's the fate she wanted. Jamie responded as a normal teenager. He wanted his freedom. That simply resulted in him facing the truth that defined his entire life.
Both Carrie and Lena are fugitives. The police have extensive manhunts looking for them. Gabi's team will more than likely be responsible for bringing them in. That isn't the core focus of this episode though. That's striking given how urgent everything felt in the previous hour. Gabi didn't have a moment to deal with everything she endured. She was thrown from one emergency to the next. She doesn't have time to catch her breath. That lessens here. As such, it's difficult to understand why everyone continues to deflect from their emotions. Instead, they act as if everything is okay. They don't know what Carrie and Lena are capable of. They remain ongoing threats. The narrative is comfortable shifting the focus to a new case Jamie delivers to the firm. He understands what it's like to be a victim. He wants to be a part of the solution now. He agrees even when the rest of the team has genuine concerns. He's very impulsive. He wants to take charge. Yet he also passes judgment on others for how they react to these tragedies. In doing so, the audience becomes aware that Zeke's family doesn't know who took him. Zeke continues to shield them from the truth. That sets up important story for the future. Things remain tense between him and Lacey as well. This drama is expected. It's depicted. It follows the natural progression.
Elsewhere, Sir has apparently made a deal with the FBI. Gabi and Trent aren't the only people who are interested in his criminal insights. He has made those deals frequently. Gabi forced him into helping her by confining him in her basement. Trent has reached out repeatedly while Sir has been imprisoned. The episode opens with something happening to Sir in his cell. Then, it closes with him emerging in the outside world while M&A mourns Christian. They discovered the truth about what happened to the one good Evans sibling. Lena killed him. The second autopsy confirms it now that the investigators have more evidence to go off of. Gabi believes Sir doesn't know the truth. She assumes he has been manipulated by his sister. That lifts Lena up as someone who rivals Sir's villainy. That's a worthy aspiration. But Sir always maintains that position. No one can ever come close. The only person who can truly surprise him is Gabi. That's the expected twist of the storytelling. It's refreshing when the show changes up its pace. It must still do so in a way that rewards all that came before. Instead, Gabi is right back in a prison after barely escaping a day ago. Drama is being set up to explode later. That makes for a disappointing entry late in the season. Sure, it offers new purpose for Sir. He always finds a way to survive. That continues to torture the M&A team.
Moreover, the missing person case is complicated without providing enough of a resolution to satisfy all the plot points set up. Gabi makes the decision not to tell Allison and Austin that their mother knew their father was still alive. She kept that secret until she died. The family continued to pay off his debt. He wasn't a good man. Allison still saw the good in him. She always hoped for the best. She was right in believing he could still save her brother. It's a rush to get to the operating room for father to donate his kidney. Everything is a success. Yet Henry dies because of a medical condition he didn't disclose. He gave his life for his family. That should be incredibly moving. Instead, it's just all too rushed without enough payoff. Gabi is the only person in the room when he wakes up following the surgery. He wants to deliver a message to his kids. He doesn't get to do so. He dies because his blood doesn't clot. He carried this secret for over a decade. He gave up so much time with his family. It was all apparently in the name of covering up someone else's crime. His return threatened to undo all of that. Gabi exposes it all. Yet she can't celebrate because of the outcome. It's a jumbled mess that doesn't quite justify the amount of time devoted to it throughout the hour. Instead, the narrative tries to do too much. As such, it ends up not satisfying any of its needs. That's disappointing given the strong run of episodes the season has delivered as of late.
