Vernon and Bill have a tense showdown. Eva finds strength from an unlikely source. Kat has a romantic surprise for Tomas. Jacob worries Smitty's investigation will hurt his father's reputation. Bill and Dani share a heart to heart. Dani is suspicious of Hayley. Nicole confronts Andre. Martin sets a plan in motion to absolve his past. Eva tackles her first day working for Ted. Ashley and Andre discuss their options. Leslie attempts to make amends with her daughter. Date night proves challenging for Chelsea and Madison.
Episode 1.79
Bill resented having to clean up messes in order to be accepted by the Dupree family. He hurt them when he left Dani for Hayley. He expects respect because of everything he knows. Yet Vernon's influence looms. Vernon could destroy Bill's firm if he doesn't comply. The two don't like each other. They need each other. In moments of uncertainty, this is what they do. The pressure makes Martin believe sharing the truth publicly would be easier. He's terrified. He's always looking over his shoulder fearing what awaits him. His family has been threatened. Kenneth expects so much. He's using this opportunity to get far more than he ever deserved. Vernon has plans. They aren't quick to occur. He's laying the pieces out. Martin must trust his grandfather. He remains the power player in Fairmont Crest. He makes things happen. His reputation remains pristine. All of the darkness has been transferred to Bill. He's always expected to take it. The stroke hasn't made him more aware of his mortality. He conducts himself in business the same way as always. It's also apparent the stress makes him lash out as well. He thought he had power against Vernon. He was sadly mistaken and decides to take out his rage on Tomas.
Meanwhile, Jacob and Kat hit roadblocks in their investigation without Leslie bluffing about sending Bill after them. That threat is hollow. They too fear she could pop up at any moment to disrupt their plans. Leslie's DNA matches what was found in the helmet. That still isn't enough of a case. It's frustrating. Kat wants so much more. It's driven by her wanting Leslie out of her life for good. She's spun herself up over this for weeks. She's bound to break at some point. She receives so little acknowledgement. Part of that is Leslie continually teasing her. She believes she's untouchable. That confidence is misplaced. But again, the connections the Dupree family have aren't enough to get her arrested. Jacob plays things honorably. He doesn't have the results others want. He knows it will be more satisfying to get her the right way. Even that doesn't offer any guarantees of conviction. Kat knows the truth. She can't prove it. Plus, life is moving on without her. She was never actually seen as Ted's office manager. He has high expectations for Eva. That freaks her out. Reassurance from Nicole is exactly what's needed to move forward.
Grade: B
Episode 1.80
Bill suddenly shows up to talk with Dani. He recognizes the role he played in the end of their marriage. He made her into the villain despite being solely responsible. He accepts that she is the only person who truly knows him. It's tragic because they are no longer together. The realization came too late. Now, he's starting a life with Hayley. It's fine. Something's missing. Sure, it's random when Hayley arrives too. That highlights the jealousy. These characters constantly feel compelled to meddle in each other's lives even when they don't have to. It's a way to keep the story involved. Yet it's much more compelling to be in the moment with Bill and Dani as they grapple with these hard truths. It's been impossible for Dani to move on. The world was gaslighting her. She thought her marriage was strong. She blamed herself for missing the signs. Bill's crisis resulted in a lot of pain. That can't be forgotten. He's not done inflicting it either. In fact, everyone still needs him. Problems need to be solved. Vernon refuses to let Martin's secret be exposed because of the sheer depth of the conspiracy protecting him. So many powerful people are involved in this mess.
Ted recognized Kenneth the moment he saw him at the club. He immediately went to Bill. Martin had the same impulse. He wanted to know what was going on. Vernon wasn't going to tell him. They both stumble upon a meeting of the co-conspirators. They all have a right to be there. It's intense. They spend a lot of time waiting. That allows everything to grow. They all have so much to lose. They aren't going to allow themselves to be taken advantage of by Kenneth. They need to concoct a plan. Yet Jacob and Smitty are beginning to figure things out. Jacob has complete trust in his father. He doesn't believe Elon could be compromised. He wants to protect him. Meanwhile, Smitty is afraid for his husband. He chose not to demand answers two years ago following the accident. He thought it was best not to know. He can no longer live in that ignorance. He must demand the truth. That's what he deserves in this marriage. He won't stop investigating. He calls Martin out for trying to control him. His actions don't make any sense. He confides in Jacob. That partnership is starting off with solid energy. They each have something to lose as well. It's all a matter of respect tied up with family. They can only bear so much before facing the truth. Dani received her clarity. Others deserve that same catharsis.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.81
Dani's suspicions about Hayley's pregnancy may actually be correct. It was easy to dismiss her. Nothing that happens in the hospital confirms it though. Bill missed the ultrasound. Hayley promises to share the picture once it's emailed to her. The doctor doesn't mention anything specific. The biggest clue is what Ashley discovers. She confirms that Hayley lied. An ultrasound wasn't ordered. That's the first piece of evidence that exists outside of Dani's conspiratorial mind. That's huge. The story still requires more internal agency from Hayley. This may all be a ruse to keep Bill interested. He was pulling away because of the bond he still shares with Dani. Hayley needed to put on a show to convince Dani. She's released rather quickly. It wasn't a serious issue. Plus, Dani and Andre are distracted by how Nicole has reacted to their relationship. She can't believe they kept that secret from her. Moreover, she views their bond as toxic. She makes assumptions about them. She can't listen to anything they have to say. It doesn't abide by her understanding of the world. She's adrift. Everything has changed. She needs certainty. That's difficult considering the harsh truths she must confront head on.
Ted wants to tell Nicole about what happened to Martin two years ago. He's inspired by Eva. This is the only way to regain trust in his marriage. He must give her all the information. She needs to carry it too. Only then will they be able to figure out if they can reconcile. He doesn't get around to that reveal. Instead, they fight about the secret she already knows he kept from her. Ted lied out of self-preservation. That isn't the sole motivation. Nicole can't boil everything down to that. Martin is in danger. Everyone is trying to protect him. They refuse to share the plan. Keeping him in the dark is frustrating. It's not the decision Bill would make. Vernon is leading the charge. Martin doesn't get to know what was discussed. The first payment to Kenneth has been scheduled. So this plan will go into motion soon. It will likely be disrupted. That's what happens. Kat was ready to have sex with Tomas. However, he doesn't believe she is emotionally ready for it. And so, he pulls away. He's not tempted by Eva. Yet the complicated dynamic between the sisters still shapes how he views Kat.
Grade: B
Episode 1.82
Anita hasn't been gone for too long. It was long enough for family dynamics to shift significantly. She worries about the changes. She fears she is missing out. Everyone is grateful to have her back for one day. She needs to spend time with each of them. These conversations are important. Dani and Nicole need the most mending at the moment. Even when they go to Uptown, they are still combative. Nicole is lashing out. She's directing her rage towards Dani and Andre despite knowing it's misplaced. Her spiral is just as significant as Dani's was at the start of the series. It's not motivated out of jealousy. Dani is right to point out that Nicole always wants her to be more of a mess. Dani still has her issues. She wants to move on from Bill. He keeps popping up. Dani is better though. She accepts Hayley's pregnancy even though doubts still remain. She isn't driven entirely by that suspicion anymore. Andre is ready to commit fully to their relationship. Yet he's also going on a date with Ashley. These relationships are messy. They aren't neatly resolved either. In fact, these characters know how to get under each other's skins. They provoke out of instinct. It's a coping mechanism but one that also makes things harder than they have to be.
Martin is anxious about paying off Kenneth. Vernon calmly assures him that the drama will soon be over. He has a plan. Martin just needs to believe that everything will be okay. He fakes it with Anita. She can tell something more is going on. Vernon shields her from the pain. He aims to protect her. So many of the men have rationalized their lies that way. Anita already knows about Martin's secret. She isn't aware of Kenneth's return. It also seems like Martin is expressing his love for Smitty as if he won't get the chance to do so again. That's frightening. It sets up expectations that something is bound to go wrong. That's somewhat inevitable because all the details of the past haven't been exposed yet. Jacob tells Smitty to demand answers from Martin. That's the only way he can advance his investigation into Marcel. He deserves the truth. It should be unbearable to see Martin in pain. That's not how Naomi and Jacob's marriage operates. They too see potential in asking Vernon about what's going on. Not everything can easily be controlled. This family knows each other. And so, they know precisely what to do to get what they want.
Grade: B
Episode 1.83
Eva struggles to reconcile the mother she grew up loving with how Leslie has behaved in Fairmont Crest. Leslie aims to reconcile with her daughter not because she regrets her actions. She's lonely. These two have been co-dependent for a long time. They can never cut each other out of their lives. It's not long before they fondly reminisce over the past. It's disrupted by Jacob and Kat showing up at Orphey Gene's. Jacob finally has a good update for Kat. She believes Leslie is cooked. She's certain. She can't accept anything else. That has resulted in Eva believing she has to attack Kat before she can attack her. It's defensive posturing. They both want Ted to succeed. They can't get along. They refuse to do so. It's impossible because Eva is still loyally protecting Leslie. That remains the big divide. Kat knows the truth. She is desperate to prove it. It's out in the open for the audience to enjoy. Meanwhile, Martin is purposefully directed away from the casino. He must instead relax at the country club while Bill and Joey handle Kenneth. That produces an ominous warning that Randy kills the blackmailer. That's how important this secret is. It compels people to kill. That's just a tease though.
At Uptown, Chelsea and Madison show a lot of emotional maturity. They see the depth in this relationship already. They want to share everything. Vernon and Anita were concerned it was moving too quickly. That was Chelsea failing to address her feelings about Bill breaking up the family. However, it truly does seem like these two care for each other. They arrive at the same conclusion. They too express concerns about the bold nature of their love. Chelsea panics when she fears Madison has ghosted her. The doctor has a perfectly reasonable explanation. Chelsea accepts it immediately. She fixes the damaged phone too. Instead, the threat to this relationship comes from external pressure. Allison returns. She shares the truth of why she rejected Chelsea. Craig gave her an ultimatum. Her husband is violent and controlling. Chelsea offers Jacob as a resource if Allison wants to report it. That's not what is driving her actions. She regrets letting Chelsea go. It's slightly odd to bring this dynamic back given the intensity of Chelsea and Madison's storyline. But it also highlights that Chelsea can't so quickly move on from the past despite her world being changed by new love.
Grade: B+
