Ted and Eva discuss Leslie's manipulations. Sharon confronts Anita with the painful truth of their past. Naomi and Hayley find themselves in a life-changing situation. Dani struggles with her insecurities about Andre. Doug has unexpected news for Bill. Chelsea makes a mysterious connection. Kat receives unexpected news. Ted coaxes a confession out of Eva. Eva and Tomas share an intimate moment. Vanessa confronts Doug about his gambling debts.
Episode 1.64
Vernon considers himself the foremost expert of Anita Dupree. He wakes up every day eager to learn more about her. Yet she has purposefully withheld the truth about what caused the Articulettes to break up. It was more than her desire to go solo. Her career was forged in the image Dante Green created. He only wanted her. She was willing to surrender her power to him after a tragic event. The show remains vague with details. Despite that, it's powerful how two people have wildly different understandings of the same event. Anita believes the decision was made collectively. She had equal power with Sharon and Tracy. Meanwhile, Sharon always viewed Anita as the bulldozer willing to force others into accepting whatever she wanted. Anita is uniquely responsible for everything that happened. She convinced Sharon and Tracy to go along. She was the only one who benefitted. The others were left behind living Anita's worst nightmare. It's all about trust. Sharon can never give that to Anita again. As such, it's difficult to believe anything she has to say. That bond was broken long ago. Anita's actions need to prove she has changed. She's pushing for this reunion beyond her need to be viewed as a saint in public. The audience reckons with that understanding. It will be more powerful once the truth is known about the past.
The same applies to Martin's secret and whatever is going on with the mysterious busboy at the club. Similarly, Leslie deserves to be in jail for the crimes she has committed. Nicole has already resigned herself to the fact that she won't be held accountable. That's horrifying. It allows Leslie to continue appearing as the villain tormenting the Richardsons. She aims to make the world bend to her reality. She's smart and cunning. The evidence Kat lays out may not be helpful because her DNA compromises it. It allows Leslie to create reasonable doubt. That's not the only investigation into her behavior. Jacob is making his own progress. Plus, Eva is leveraging what she knows about her mother to ensure she treats her better. That's how she was raised. She takes ownership over this. Ted will be there for her should she let him in. Yet nothing can return to the simplicity of the past. No one can be blind to the pain that has occurred throughout this community.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.65
Can the show's most invigorating scene-stealer breathe some life into its dullest characters? Not really. Leslie's run-in with Derek and Ashley is important. It's just completely one-sided. Leslie is establishing her theory of the case. It's impossible for her to be treated fairly in Fairmont Crest. The Duprees control everything. She can't get a restraining order against Kat as the family owns the police. None of the physical evidence against her can be trusted. The family has easy access to all of it. Kat got the hospital security footage from Andre. It wasn't through any legal channels. She just happened to find the jacket with damning receipts in the pockets. It's all too good to be true. Leslie aims to distort perceptions. Kat's frustrated because Leslie should be arrested already. Tomas provides a reality check of what the law requires. He tries to explain it. She's still determined to punish the people who destroyed her family. That includes Eva. Kat trusts Tomas to provide this clarity. His questioning about Naomi isn't innocent. He's been ordered by Bill to get information about his daughters. Bill wields so much power over Tomas. The underling must comply or risk losing his job. That behavior creates a toxic workplace. Any changes are going to be minimal.
Moreover, Bill's humanity is still allowed to be seen. Naomi and Hayley are only united in their concern about his health. They noticed the numbness in his hand. It escalates with his sudden inability to form sentences. It's alarming. Something more is going on. Everything else must be set aside to address that. No one can forget about Hayley's pregnancy either though. Naomi senses a scheme just like Dani did. She doesn't believe it. Meanwhile, it's fascinating how neither Dani nor Chelsea told her about the news. She had to find out because Bill scheduled an appointment with her. She was willing to delay the meeting to provide support for Anita. Her grand didn't want that. She needed time alone to process her blues. That leads to the reveal of a fourth member of the Articulettes. She was pushed out by Dante Green first. It's implied that her suicide resulted in Anita further disassociating from the group and leaving them behind. She remains haunted by being blamed for it. Everyone views her as a monster. She doesn't deserve the fond memories of the past onstage. The family doesn't see her that way. The narrative provides that full complexity.
Grade: B
Episode 1.66
For decades, Anita has been suffering for what happened to Barbara. She was paralyzed with the understanding that nothing she could do would ever make up for what she did in the past. Vernon offers forgiveness. He sees how this pain has been torturing her. She finally confides in him. He extends grace. That's not what she is looking for. She doesn't want someone to absolve her for what she did. She doesn't believe it's possible. It was foolish for her to dream about a reunion. The group can never be what it once was. Someone will always be missing. Anita has been blamed for that loss. Tracy and Sharon may not even know about the letter. Sharon sees an opportunity to be selfish for once. She doesn't want Anita operating under the illusion that they are a family once more. She wants to kick off her own solo career. She will use Anita's influence to get what she wants. These interactions have been painful. They have forced difficult conversations. They each have to reckon with their shared histories. Vernon refuses to give up. He reaches out to Tracy believing the reunion concert can be salvaged. Anita isn't willing to entertain that thought any more. She wallows in despair.
Meanwhile, the doctors believe Bill has been suffering from a series of mini-strokes. He's terrified of being in the hospital. He fears he will never leave once he's admitted. It's potentially dangerous to send him home. That will require Naomi to be even more involved in his life. He wants that. Love is still present. She cares for him. The situation remains messy. In this moment, Hayley realizes that she remains an outsider. She doesn't have the years of experiences with Bill to know how to calm him down. She prepares for a fight with Dani. Instead, she's jealous. Bill needs that rational mind to get himself right. This highlights the love Dani still has for Bill without needing to be over-the-top with conspiracies. That's exciting too. The genuine moments of connection are powerful. Andre pushes for something more meaningful with Dani. Yet both remain stuck on dynamics they can't have. They grow deeper. It may not be built to last. Furthermore, the show is already setting up something mysterious with Madison the moment Chelsea starts flirting with her. Those are the natural instincts of the genre. Everything must remain tense. People have ulterior motives. Honest reflection can be just as rewarding.
Grade: A-
Episode 1.67
Vernon separately tells Anita and Tracy that if they believe something good can still happen from the reunion concert then they should fight for it. He doesn't do so when the Articulettes are together. His advice is perfect for the situation. He aims to pull his wife out of her depression. She knew all of this history when she had the idea to reunite with Tracy and Shannon. She knew the path would be hard. She still feels the importance of speaking her mind. She doesn't believe opinions have changed. It's better for her to pull out instead of being rejected. Even Sharon admitting she's in isn't enough. They can barely stand to be in a room together. They still have too much bitterness. That energy isn't productive. They want a happy and successful experience. Anita deserves to lean on Tracy and Shannon. They were so close once. She refuses to be the only villain in the story. They all must be willing to take responsibility for what happened with Barbara. Anita owns up to it. Ted does in his story as well. All of this is refreshing even while the show is finding new ways to put its characters together this week.
Laura has never met Eva. She has no opinion of her. Meanwhile, Kat is determined to prove her guilt. The family doesn't understand how Kat was so distrustful of Eva right away. They casually discount it. It doesn't make sense. And so, it can't be rationalized in a logical way. That shouldn't be an excuse to once again ignore her instincts. Kat is right to suspect that Eva helped Leslie conceal evidence. Jacob finds nothing upon searching Leslie's apartment. In fact, Leslie remains free to terrorize the people of this community. Eva doesn't want her mother to go to jail. She also hopes to forge a relationship with Nicole again. They still can't speak to each other. It's notable that Nicole listens to Ted until Leslie shows up. That ruins everything. Eva knows what her mother did. She remains conflicted. She's more than willing to meet Laura and navigate through the new scheduling program for Nicole's work. They don't have to interact again after that. Eva is generous. She knows she has hurt people. She has to be willing to own up to her own actions. Forgiveness is possible. That requires the truth to be fully exposed. That may not happen given how Leslie continues to insert herself in everyone's lives.
Grade: B
Episode 1.68
Vanessa finally learns about Doug's gambling addiction. He isn't the one to reveal the truth. Instead, Joey shares just how nefarious his intentions have always been with the couple. This story hasn't been a focus of this week's episodes at all. It's dramatic because of all the setup previously. It all intensifies after Vanessa and Joey had sex. That probably played a role in why Joey is taking this action now. Vanessa is rightfully furious. She's betrayed by the two men she thought she had genuine connections with. People warned her about Joey. Doug was told to confide in his wife. They made bad decisions. Now, they must face the consequences. Similarly, Bill was told to rest after leaving the hospital. He returns to work immediately. No one outside of the immediate family knows what happened. And now, he's back in the hospital. He may have had an actual stroke this time. Of course, that's also tied into the reveal that his new doctor is Madison. Chelsea didn't know anything about the woman she flirted with. The mysteriousness was perceived as a red flag by Naomi. Yet they are all destined to keep running into one another. Chelsea doesn't want her father to die. She still cares about him despite what he has put the family through.
Tomas continues to insist that his heart belongs to Kat. It will be reassuring to her listening to him shut Eva down when she goes in for a kiss. Tomas and Eva have a genuine friendship though. That bond is easier to believe in than what he has with Kat. Yes, Eva is scheming as well. It's not overwhelming her life. Chelsea mentions that Kat is distracted. She's not giving her all to their business. Instead, she's harassing Jacob about the police not doing enough to arrest Leslie and Eva. Once again, she believes she has found the incriminating evidence to lock them up. Eva believed she had leverage against her mother that would protect her. Now, it's damning that the helmet and gloves were found in her hotel room. People don't believe Kat's suspicions to their own detriment. She deserves vindication and recognition. However, she takes things too far sometimes. That's always risky. It threatens what she hopes to accomplish. Yet progress always occurs that she feels like celebrating.
Grade: B+
