Hayley tries to reconnect with Ashley. Chelsea reassures a wary Madison that her ex is in the past. Joey sends Marcel on a dangerous assignment. Naomi follows a lead into June's past. Martin reveals the truth about what happened two years ago. Vernon and Bill clash over who's really calling the shots. Jacob arrives with grave news for Smitty. Vanessa imparts information that sends Nicole on a fact-finding mission. Anita has some choice words for her daughter. Samantha makes a plea to her father.
Episode 1.89
Vernon never would have authorized a murder. That was the solution Joey offered once Vernon left the meeting. Bill argues that he was forced into taking this action. It's what was required of him by Vernon. Multiple characters speak with passive voices about the decisions they make. This was something Bill had to do. Vernon never would. As such, it was kept from him. It was the only way to ensure Kenneth was dealt with for good. Vernon doesn't appreciate what Bill has to say. He takes no responsibility for the man he has become. This is the path as Bill saw it. He had other choices. He accepted this as the inevitable fallout. Nothing else was visible. And now, Martin is more desperate and angry than ever. When he meets Bill, he too believes he's been forced into taking an action he doesn't want to do. Everyone else has failed to protect his family. Of course, he's alienating them enough on his own. They want answers. He runs instead of providing them. He wants to kill Kenneth. He must do so himself now. He makes his own plans. He shares some details with Bill. He's not trying to find a way out. Instead, Bill and Vernon once more have to find a way to protect Martin. They genuinely don't want to see him corrupted in this way. They too seek to preserve his sense of love and family. Smitty gave an ultimatum though.
Hayley is passive when it comes to her decision to get with Bill as well. It was something that happened. They fell in love. They couldn't deny it. In doing so, she betrayed her friends. She left them behind. Ashley begins to suspect that it was all carefully plotted from the beginning. She's vague when she talks to Jacob about Hayley lying about her pregnancy. She reaches out to Hayley to pry for more information. It's an honest conversation. One where Hayley still refuses to own up to her decisions. That prevents her from having anything genuine. It's a familiar conversation. It's heightened too because of the scheming involved. It offers intrigue from characters who haven't had much over the course of the season. Similarly, Chelsea and Madison are suddenly concerned about Allison. She presents as a stalker. She concocts fantasies about a relationship with Chelsea. It never happened. Madison loves the way Chelsea looks at her. It's so magical. Their bond is disrupted by Allison. She constantly interrupts. She makes her presence known. She isn't going to stop either.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.90
The impulsive action Martin takes is calling a press conference to confess the truth about what happened two years ago. He's willing to go public with this story before telling his own family. That amplifies the betrayal they each feel. Samantha and Tyrell spiral over not knowing whether their parents will survive. Smitty gets another piece of the puzzle by tracking down Kenneth. He understands his husband is being blackmailed. He also knows Martin did something bad. The family bonds over the pledge to talk honestly and openly about everything. They will make decisions together over what will keep them all safe. Martin took unilateral action. His family doesn't know about the press conference. Instead, Bill is successful in stalling the announcement long enough for Marcel to kill Kenneth. That image is shocking to Martin. He wanted to escape the tragedy of this secret. It's unlikely to be over despite the immediate threat being dealt with. Martin recognizes that Joey likely has his own reasons for helping the Dupree family. Joey invites Vanessa to be his alibi. He's carefully managing the situation. Martin is right to be concerned. His world is falling apart.
All of this is incredibly tense. The narrative offers some truly unpredictable moments. It's shocking when Smitty meets Kenneth. Meanwhile, Vernon sees Marcel holding Kenneth at gunpoint. That forces him to question his longstanding belief in nonviolence. He allows Bill and Joey to take control of the narrative. Bill pledges to support Martin no matter what he decides. That too is just a ploy to manipulate the situation. That's how Bill operates. He remains sharp. He's acting out of self-preservation. No one wants Martin to share the truth. That exposes them to liability for failing to report a hate crime. The secret is tearing them apart. Naomi is concerned for her cousin. She and Jacob can't do anything to help. Smitty largely ignores Jacob's advice. He makes big decisions while heated. He's angry with Martin. He's not at home fighting for their family. Instead, he's trying to handle a dangerous situation alone elsewhere. Some other plot points occur as well. Vanessa encourages Dani to restart her modeling career. Naomi discovers June has an estranged sister. The focus remains prominently on Martin. It's very intense. The show has built up this moment. It's all exploding now.
Grade: A-
Episode 1.91
Two years ago, Martin and Vernon got a flat tire on a dark isolated road. They were then attacked by two white men. To defend his grandfather, Martin instinctively killed one of them and seriously maimed the other. In the immediate aftermath, he was in complete shock. As such, Vernon decided to cover it up. He had the contacts to make it all disappear. Elon got Martin home safely. Marcel disposed of the body. Ted fixed Kenneth's face. Joey provided the money to make the witness disappear for good. Smitty never would have allowed the coverup to occur. His family were victims. He sees that plainly when Martin finally shares the truth. He understands how it has tortured his husband for years. Their family still deserved to know the danger they were in. Kenneth has lurked for weeks. It didn't suddenly escalate. Martin thought he could handle it by himself. The conspiracy is much bigger than him. He's just the volatile personality that needs to be controlled. He doesn't buy Bill's story about Kenneth being killed before Martin revealed the truth in the press conference. He knows it was murder. Vernon does too. He didn't want that. Bill and Joey were calling the shots. Because of their involvement, the Dupree family is now compromised in ways they never could have imagined. Smitty and Anita are let in on the severity of the situation. It remains pure agony. No one is particularly happy or relieved. In fact, the conversations only reveal just how destructive these choices have been for a long time.
Vernon and Anita believed it was best to never talk about that night. They could forget it and move on. Martin never could. He was still haunted by the violence he displayed. It was terrifying. Smitty doesn't want an apology. He demands answers. Martin confides in him even though Tyrell and Samantha are involved too. It allows for more intimacy. It also highlights the breakdown of this marriage. Martin showed where his loyalties lie. He always prioritizes family. However, he will abide by his grandfather instead of protecting the family he made with Smitty. That's what stings the most. Martin didn't trust his husband enough to face this together. Instead, he lied and deflected. He pushed his family away. And now, Smitty wants him out of their home. It's a perfectly reasonable reaction. Martin has to earn back trust. This is the latest relationship to break as a result of secrets. The Dupree family has a terrible track record at this point. The threats are still severe despite Kenneth being dead. Martin believes everything will calm down now. He projects that confidence to Smitty. He shares why he feels that way. That isn't reassuring. It only showcases how far people will go to protect their interests. Martin was involved in the decision-making. Things aren't magically resolved now. In fact, Joey exerts his influence and control even more.
Grade: A-
Episode 1.92
Anita and Vernon counseled Martin to forget about that terrible night. He needed to heal though. He just killed a man. He agreed to that decision while in shock. He had multiple opportunities to share the truth with his husband. For two years, Smitty has seen Martin in pain. It intensified in recent weeks. He always knew Martin was keeping something from him. Trust is gone in their marriage now. Samantha expects everything to go back to normal after Martin shares the truth. Tyrell understands that they weren't told everything. As such, they don't know everything motivating Smitty to kick Martin out. They believe everything will be okay eventually. Smitty remains in a compromised position. He has leaned on Jacob for so much support. Jacob still wants to work the case against Marcel. He already knows something is wrong with Kenneth's death. Smitty has answers. He can't provide them. He too must protect his family. He's caught up in this mess. He's entirely complicit. He has to reckon with that. This is what Martin has invited into their lives. Vernon believes he can take full responsibility. He sees the error of his ways. The cover-up destroyed their lives in ways the truth never could. It's even more crucial that they maintain secrecy now. The retribution from exposing Joey would be even more deadly.
Smitty wasn't the only one kept in the dark. He experienced Martin's stress daily. He asked for more from his husband. And now, Nicole wants answers about what her family has been up to. Vanessa tells her about the cancelled press conference after the fact. She doesn't know anything about a family emergency. She's always one step behind. She doesn't like being kept away. She demands the truth. That will only shatter the image she has of her parents. Their betrayal may cut even deeper than Ted's. She was ashamed for strangling Leslie. She has a new fire motivating her into action because it involves her family. Meanwhile, Dani sees the impact Vernon's words had on Bill. He confides in her about always craving his respect. He hates that he disappointed him. That explains why he is always compelled to get involved with the Dupree family. He can never escape them even though it would be healthier for his life and business. He believes he's doing what Vernon wants. It requires true self-reflection for him to understand he followed an easier path and ultimately created more problems. That humility is in short supply. Everyone is right to be angry at the situation. It exploded. And now, they can't escape. They just have to accept whatever consequences come next.
Grade: A-
Episode 1.93
Anita is still trying to justify all the actions she took in the name of protecting her family. Vernon has come around on a new perspective. That's informed by his struggles in handling the drama over the last few weeks. Anita has only had a few hours to process all that has occurred in her absence. She's now responsible for telling Nicole the truth. From Nicole's perspective, her parents didn't believe she would be helpful in this situation. That's a slap in the face to her professional career. Anita believes Nicole has been sheltered. She couldn't handle the ugly decisions made in the wake of Martin killing a man. Nicole's pain is real and devastating. She now thinks her parents don't consider her strong at all. She immediately knows Martin needed help for two years and didn't get it. She connects that to his nightmares. She knows all of this erupted into Smitty asking his husband to leave. It stings even more to know Ted's skills were deemed useful. He could provide immediate relief. Of course, she doesn't know that's the only involvement he had. He didn't check on Martin to see how he was doing with all of this. Instead, that burden fell entirely on Vernon and Anita. They wanted to forget that night. That was the wrong decision. Martin followed their instructions to lie to his mother and his husband. He's welcome at their home. Yet the world has changed as a result of how they decided to protect their family.
All of that is just starting to sink in. Vernon refuses to believe Martin and Smitty's marriage is done. He tries to convince Martin it's still worth fighting for. Their love is genuine. Martin doesn't have the energy to do anything right now. He's exhausted. He doesn't know what will happen next. He once again depends on Vernon and Anita to handle the situation. Meanwhile, Smitty is forced to cover for Martin when he's still reckoning with the truth. Jacob keeps showing up demanding answers. Smitty is now the one deflecting. He essentially confirms that Martin is involved. He has made his allegiance known. Jacob is all alone in this investigation now. That was always a possibility. It's become a reality. One where he may not be able to manage the fallout because of the vested family interests involved. Even Samantha and Tyrell aren't buying the story that has been shared with them. Samantha tries to equate Martin's lies about that night with Smitty not disclosing Martin's nightmares. They aren't similar at all. The impact feels the same. Everyone is hurting. The problem may be solved with Kenneth's death. The danger has passed. But the family is broken. Vernon and Anita strived to preserve the public image they revere so much. In doing so, they hurt the people they love who wouldn't have made the same decisions.
Grade: A-
