The hostage situation takes a violent turn. Leslie gets the rug pulled out from under her. Eva sees a new side of her father. Naomi doesn't like what she sees when her parents are concerned. Ted confronts Nicole when his efforts aren't rewarded. Smitty and Martin reconnect. Chelsea shocks Kat with an abrupt decision. Hayley is fed up with Bill pushing her aside. Dani confides in Vanessa about her feelings. Samantha schemes. Kat spies two duos in close moments, and she's upset by both. Ashley makes a very bold move.
Episode 1.124
Chelsea has been rescued. Kat and Jacob's lead was correct. Allison was holding Chelsea at the cabin she inherited from her grandmother. Jacob arrived before Chelsea had to decide how far she was willing to go to escape her stalker. During their fight, Chelsea knocked the knife out of Allison's hand and wrapped the chain around her neck. She fears she would have killed her. This situation would have changed her forever. It will certainly leave a lasting effect on her. She's out of danger now. She's surrounded by family at the hospital. Everyone is so relieved. They are overwhelmed by emotions. They are grateful Chelsea has been safely returned to them. They each take a private moment with her. They rallied support in finding her. They were singularly motivated to achieve this goal. Kat didn't care about the consequences. She had to rescue her cousin. It's all so emotionally draining. It's incredibly rewarding too. It forges strong bonds within the family. Madison cements her place amongst the loved ones. Meanwhile, Hayley feels on the outside looking in. She suggests this could alter her own placement. It's too calculated and fake. Naomi sees that immediately. Hayley offered support for Bill. That's it. The family's feelings towards her haven't changed.
Nicole is delayed in reuniting with the family because she's dealing with the aftermath of Ted's scheme to humiliate Leslie. That was his true plan. He played into Leslie's ego. He offered Nicole's house to her because he knew she couldn't resist temptation. It's still frustrating that he doesn't warn Nicole about the threat coming her way. Nicole is more than capable of handling things on her own. She reveals the truth to Leslie. She owns her home. Ted lied to her. All of this produces a rare moment of vulnerability from Leslie. In turn, that motivates Eva to take up the cause of targeting the Dupree family. She asked Ted to stop her mother from buying the house across the street from Anita and Vernon. She's outraged over the actions he took. This isn't what she wanted. And so, she returns to defending her mother no matter what. That's a familiar position. She can't understand Ted's thinking. Instead, she promises to unleash Leslie. She will do whatever she wants. Her happiness is tied to getting revenge on this family. She has the resources to make it happen now. Eva is no longer an innocent bystander. She becomes complicit once more largely out of shame for getting Ted involved in the first place.
Grade: A-
Episode 1.125
Chelsea must set the pace of her recovery. She's exhibiting all the signs of PTSD. A big party with the entire family welcoming her home is overwhelming. She freaks out when it's only Anita, Vernon and Kat. Everyone has good intentions. This experience was agonizing and traumatic for Chelsea. She wants control over her life again. It remains impossible to escape all that Allison did. Her kidnapper has been arrested. More details have been released to the public. Chelsea reads the comments. She has shared so much of her life online. Plenty of people have opinions over what should happen next. The story continues to be framed around Chelsea and Allison. While the majority online support Chelsea, a few believe Allison's story. She was a woman in love. She continues to profess her feelings. This is all one big misunderstanding. Chelsea hopes to find some peace in confronting Allison. Instead, it only reveals how much power the criminal still has. She has ruined what made Chelsea's life so meaningful. Chelsea delighted in sharing herself with her fans. And now, that intimacy has been twisted. Chelsea may never enjoy it again.
While all of this is going on, Ted wants credit for handling Leslie. He confided in Nicole. She appreciated that. She invited him in for a brief moment. That wasn't with the promise of something more. He expected that. He demands to be showered with praise. His gambit with Leslie didn't even work. Instead, it motivated Eva to target the Duprees as well. Leslie antagonizes Vanessa to force her compliance. She needs to be in the house across the street from Anita and Vernon. She will double her offer to make it happen. She doesn't want to be pushed anywhere else. She's the one with the resources to make this happen. Vanessa can't keep her out. She belongs here. She demands to be noticed. Meanwhile, Eva hopes to recruit Tomas to her side in this conflict. She pumps him up with the idea of taking charge as the new Bill Hamilton. It will be more rewarding if he makes it happen instead of waiting for it to be handed to him. That agency will conjure more respect. He doesn't answer but is enticed by the offer. He doesn't deny his interest. That's in contrast to Bill who suggests his repeated comforting of Dani is innocent when Naomi confronts him. She's protective of her mother. She sees how this situation has brought them closer together once more.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.126
Ted and Martin believe a singular choice resulted in ruining their marriages. It was actually a series of decisions they made over time. The other person was left feeling as if they could no longer trust them. Everyone has more empathy for Martin. It's understandable what he did. They wish they could have helped soon. Ted was entirely selfish. He claims he recommitted to his marriage once Nicole was pregnant with Kat. He led everyone to believe they were happy together. He's outraged now. He sees the Duprees welcoming Bill back into the fold after embarrassing Dani. He demands the same treatment. Bill certainly made unreasonable requests over the course of the season. He also presented with genuine compassion for the family. Now, Ted just expects everything to fall in line. He put the bare minimum into regaining their respect. It's not good enough. He's the only one blind to that. Everyone has fun laughing at his expense. Nicole no longer loves him. It's still painful to accept that her marriage was built on a lie. Smitty loves Martin as well. They are capable of connecting sexually. That may have been a mistake. It led Martin to think everything was back to normal. Smitty still can't trust his husband. They are working through those issues. It can't magically be solved in a second.
Similarly, everyone understands the impulse to lunge at Allison for her delusional behavior. She refuses to see what she did to Chelsea as kidnapping. She didn't harm her. It was all an expression of her love. This is what Chelsea wanted. Chelsea fed her fans with her presence. She thought she had a clear set of boundaries. Allison still became obsessed. That makes Chelsea doubt everything she has done in her professional career. She blames herself. She should never feel that way. Madison and Dani comfort her. It's difficult to get Allison's words out of her head. She feels responsible. Allison deserves all the blame. She's not going away either. Naomi won't be representing her. It was insane of her to ask. She isn't part of the Dupree family. She wanted to take Chelsea away from them. She wants to exploit all of this for more attention. That's delivering what Chelsea truly wants. She demands to be noticed. It's all about exploiting her identity for content. Chelsea sees how shallow that can all be. She was smart with her business. She's questioning everything now. That too can't quickly be healed. It's brutal for her to share all that happened during her imprisonment. It provides comfort to Madison to know Chelsea fought back. She wasn't sexually assaulted by Allison. The fear remains that this trauma will continue as the criminal case plays out.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.127
Chelsea wants to delete her social media profile. She doesn't want to give anyone the false impression about what she wants ever again. She no longer sees the good in being an influencer. At first, Kat sees how this will alter their business. She panics over how they will market their bags. She needs Chelsea to keep posting. She would understand a break from social media. Chelsea needs to regain her confidence. It's not until Dani enters that the two of them present the good that can come from using her platform. Chelsea has the ability to use her celebrity to garner attention for the causes she cares about. She can become a fierce advocate for anti-violence organizations. All of this still requires time to process. No one is asking her to make big decisions now. She needs to offer herself some grace too. She is surrounded by family. They are all frequently checking in. She is also curious about how close her parents have become. All their animosity went away during this crisis. They throw jabs at each other. They aren't antagonistic. In fact, they enjoy each other's company once more. They leaned on each other to survive. Dani never thought Bill would abandon their daughters. She had doubts about how committed he was to the family they built. Now, it's clear he isn't going anywhere. He's here to support Chelsea no matter what.
Dani and Bill could blossom into something once more. Hayley is afraid of that happening. She was pushed out throughout this entire crisis. She wanted to offer support to Bill. He didn't want her around. That didn't make her feel good. And now, she concocts a scheme with Caroline to make Bill jealous. It's blatantly transparent. Someone plays into Hayley's delusion. All of her feelings are reinforced. As such, she believes this is a rational action to take. She must remind Bill how much he cares about her. She is willing to engage in this risk. She will have to be comfortable with whatever outcome it produces. That's how all of these stories are playing out. No one wants to break Derek's heart about not being able to walk again. He doesn't want to give up either. He's also harming himself in order to feel something. He's hiding that progress from his doctors. That's dangerous. He needs to be honest about everything. That's the only way to ensure a productive recovery. Meanwhile, the only way to heal Vanessa and Doug's marriage is to avoid contact with Joey. They don't have any reason to go to the casino again. Their business transactions can occur remotely. Yet Vanessa gives into temptation once more and Doug is immediately there to catch her in the act. And so, all of this drama is bound to explode yet again. That requires actual consequences instead of the threat of them occurring at some point.
Grade: B
Episode 1.128
Intimacy is growing between Dani and Bill again. However, Dani notes that he's spending more time with her because he doesn't want to be home with Hayley. He doesn't want to admit that. He makes excuses for why he pushed her away while Chelsea was missing. That experience reminded Dani and Bill what truly mattered. He doesn't want to miss a second with his family ever again. It's no longer required for them to co-parent. Andre doesn't buy that excuse when he interrupts their breakfast. His physical attraction is still there with Dani. They go off to have sex. Meanwhile, Bill visits Chelsea and Naomi. He shows a sudden interest in their lives. He hears about Naomi's work with June for the first time. All of that information hits him at once. That story is complete. He missed it. Spending time with his adult children is important. It also has the consequence of being less available for Hayley. That's noteworthy. He is making that choice. The situation requires him to be more present and intentional with his actions. Naomi knows she would never be allowed to represent Allison. The conflict of interest is obvious. Chelsea yearns for control over the situation. Naomi reassures her just like everyone else. The recovery requires time and attention. Something better is coming. She should remain hopeful about that.
The focus on Chelsea is crucial. It's also a little ridiculous that Samantha brings a boy over to the office to avoid questions from her dads. It's a typical teenager believing they won't get caught. It's also a little insensitive given what has happened with Chelsea. Samantha uses her place for this scheme. Kat is rightfully outraged. Even that comes across as projection. She hates how Tomas always defends Eva. He only sees the good in her. Of course, Kat embodies the opposite extreme. She refuses to ever forgive Eva. She won't acknowledge her as her sister. She was complicit with the monster who destroyed her family. It doesn't matter that she tried to stop it. Right now, Eva is more committed to her mother than ever. Kat is right to be skeptical of her intentions. It's simply hard to see the difference between her reaction now and what it has always been. And so, others fall into the trap anew. Similarly, Ashley and Derek are always caught in the same dynamic. Things have changed following the accident. It has revealed just how dependent they are of each other. They can't simply be friends either. They conflate needing to be supportive with love. That prevents Derek from being honest with his recovery. It also keeps Ashley up at night thinking about the what ifs. Yet a marriage proposal occurs once again.
Grade: B
