Leslie and Eva were united in their mission to get what they believed was rightfully theirs. They had two unique approaches. Leslie has a flair for the dramatic. She has always been getting into various antics. She is a performer. She sees herself in a movie essentially. She wanted everyone in the Dupree family to look back and see the clues she left behind. It was a very risky strategy. One that threatened exposure on countless occasions. She's still at risk of being caught for all the harm she has done so far. The family will likely have renewed questions about Laura's accident and infection given that it benefitted Eva in this scheme significantly. Eva wanted the chance to know and be accepted by her biological father. She was only given one side of this painful story. She came to see the kindness that Ted and Nicole offered. They were lovely people who accepted her completely. They didn't know the truth. That was a bombshell waiting to drop. It does ruin their lives. There is no disputing that. However, the episodes have strived to create doubts for Eva too. All of this could have been avoided if Eva told Ted the truth in private or if Andre forced Ted to confess to Nicole about the affair. No one has to shoulder this burden alone. Nicole has a family to protect her. Leslie has her eyes set on them too.
Leslie has been a marvelously devious villain. That energy has been compelling throughout the season so far. She is always lurking around with some new disguise creating drama. The family becomes aware of that deception. She has operated under many identities. Not all of them have been exposed. The reveal serves as validation for Kat's suspicions. Her initial instinct about Eva was right. She never moved past it. She needed to get to the truth. She was distracted by launching a business with Chelsea. As such, she too was powerless to stop this grand reveal in time. She is left devastated alongside the rest of the family. She fears she has lost what has always been solid. That's all she has ever known. Dani and Bill were the source of drama. They were the couple always on the verge of destruction. Dani strives for independence now by starting a modeling agency with Pamela. That's a promising development for the future. Right now, she wants to support her sister. Anita and Dani quickly tend to Nicole. That's the honest connection amongst this family. It's not the elaborate vision Leslie has for how all of this went. She believes she is victorious. The great Nicole Richardson has fallen. As such, it's time for Leslie to reap her rewards. She feels entitled to walk into Anita and Vernon's home. She doesn't have a claim for anything that belongs to them. She just isn't done stirring the drama quite yet.
Leslie has focused intensely on Ted and Nicole. She needed to destroy their illusion of perfection. That's just an outside perception. The couple know they are far from perfect. Ted has operated with this secret. It motivated him to recommit to their marriage. Nicole has long been in the dark. It doesn't matter that Ted has been a loving and trusting husband for over twenty years. This betrayal is fresh. The two haven't had an opportunity to talk yet. Everyone is still reeling over the truth. They don't know what to believe. They need confirmation from more than just Leslie. That requires Naomi and Chelsea to reach out to their father. They refuse to believe he would actually kidnap a baby. It's possible he would have threatened that. Bill has always presumed he should be in good standing with the Dupree family because of the secrets he has handled over the years. He left the family. He still demands their respect. He hasn't put in the work to earn it. He and Naomi are talking again. That's been a hopeful sign. Their relationship remains precarious. Anything could destroy it. The family takes care of their own.
If Bill remained married to Dani, he would have received the call to handle Leslie. Because he's an outsider once more, the family believes stepping up to defend their own will be enough. They don't need his shady tactics. Those may be necessary given their ambitions. Martin wants to run for President. Chelsea and Kat are launching a business. Naomi wants to change the world through the law. Vernon wants Anita to perform again. The family was raised to believe nothing can stop their dreams. They have to work hard to make them a reality. The past has a way of coming back to haunt each of them. Plus, the dangerous situations they find themselves in now are also capable of exploding. That makes many elements of the show satisfying. Not everything works. Ashley and Derek are so completely tangential. However, it's clear plenty of drama remains to create entertaining stories from this world for awhile. The audience went into Ted and Nicole's anniversary party knowing the show can deliver big events. That has been on display on many occasions already - Bill and Hayley's wedding, Nicole's award ceremony, Chelsea's final fashion show, Anita at karaoke, etc. It's curious why Leslie hasn't spent more attention trying to get revenge against Bill for his role in her departure. She can't stay hidden any longer. The element of surprise is gone. She remains a vibrant figure in this world. Eva is left devastated by the truth too. That sense of perspective is crucial because it informs how not everyone deserves the same amount of fury. Eva lied. She's devious towards Kat. Yet she will make her on stand in this world too. She doesn't act on it immediately like Leslie. However, that anticipation likely fills the next batch of episodes to come.
