Leslie uncovers a truth that has her riding high. Ted offers some hard-won advice to Smitty. Kat leans on her mother. Fairmount Crest mourns one of their own. Kat makes a bold move in the relationship department. Martin and Smitty struggle to find a path forward. Tensions erupt when Hayley and Dani go head-to-head. Bill and Andre clash. Hayley puts her husband's feet to the fire. Eva asks for Mona and Jan's help. Naomi and Jacob have a difficult conversation that leaves them with more questions than answers.
Episode 1.144
Have Smitty and Ted ever shared a one-on-one scene before? If not, it's wild for Ted to just slide into the Orphey Gene's booth expecting to commiserate over their pending divorces. He hasn't been heavily involved in Martin and Smitty's marriage. He has an idea of family. They should stay together no matter what. He continues to invade Nicole's life despite her objections. The situation always leaves just enough ambiguity to suggest reconciliation can occur. It's been more believable with Smitty and Martin. Of course, it's also repetitive for Martin to declare that he will turn himself in for his crimes. He suddenly has clarity. The way for Smitty to trust him again is to be respected. The lie shattered that illusion. He threatened to do this before. That threatens to make it all ring hollow now. Previously, it was about him not being able to withstand the internal pressure. Now, it's a self-sacrifice to preserve his marriage. That may only work if he's genuine with his offer. If it's ever perceived as a ploy to quickly win Smitty's love back, then their marriage truly will be over. It feels like the former. The latter can't be discounted.
Elsewhere, Kat is still too furious with Tomas to talk with him. Yet plenty of movement occurs. Chelsea runs into him at the office. She's upset. She knows Kat hates Eva more than she loves Tomas. She makes that opinion known. Tomas only hears that Kat still loves him. As such, he pursues her. When he's rejected again, he engages with Eva once more. It's a vicious cycle. None of it ever changes. Eva receives a pep talk from her mother about fighting for what she deserves. If she loves Tomas, then she has a duty to try to steal his affection. Eva sees her mother's delusion as it pertains to Ted. Her own matters of heart cloud her judgment. Tomas hurt her. She sees reason for hope. Kat feels the same way about her parents getting back together. She wants that and won't accept anything else. She remains resolute in her feelings because of how correct her instincts have been previously despite being dismissed. Not everything will be perfect right away. It's necessary to change strategies sometimes. That's what Anita and Vernon do after Bill can't stop Leslie from demolishing the house across the street. They welcome her in only to tease her about how out-of-depth she is in this world. It's all about her ability to thrive. It's petty too. The Duprees don't want Leslie here. She continues to win. They know to expect more. They continue to just believe she will implode at some point. That isn't a given.
Grade: B
Episode 1.145
While Doug's tragic death has forced the entire community to reflect on what matters, the narrative hasn't particularly offered a celebration of his life. The focus largely remains on Joey shaping the story. Vanessa and Donnell seek clarity about how Doug's life ended. The evidence points to it being a tragic accident. The audience knows better. Joey has the tools to alter reality. He knows it's a problem for Marcel to be seen with Doug. The detective slips out when Joey walks into the precinct with the footage. It only shows how tragic Doug's final moments were. Vanessa regrets not being there for him. They fought during their last conversation. He sought comfort and was betrayed. She leans on Joey for support. The narrative never rallies around this central event though. Nicole was preparing her eulogy. It's never actually delivered onscreen. Instead, characters just remark on how moving the ceremony was. Anyone who conveniently isn't present had the opportunity to participate via a livestream. It's meant to carry significance. It's just less vital because the show has other stories on its mind. It knows how to juggle a lot. It simply leaves Doug feeling like a minor character instead of one that several significant players are meant to mourn for a long time.
The country club is even involved in other storylines. The business doesn't close entirely to cater to Vanessa and her grieving family. But the tone of Kat and Eva fighting over the mediocre Tomas is wildly different. The women are more vicious when in a room together. The tenor of their conversation shifts. Kat finds it endearing to see Tomas stand up for her against Eva. Her half-sister tried to steal him away. She fails. She blames her mother. She listened to bad advice. It's Eva's fault though. She behaved this way. She must now handle the consequences. She's complicit. Kat is right to warn others about her. That doesn't mean she should feel satisfied because Eva suffers. That isn't healthy either. In fact, it's odd how playful the show chooses to be when Kat and Tomas finally connect sexually. It's much more genuine when Dani and Chelsea interrogate Carlton about his intentions with Nicole. That offers the promise of something healthy. And yet, that too pivots to another conversation about Dani and Andre's marriage. It's important to get Chelsea's take. Ultimately, everyone just has to accept Dani's wild antics. She acknowledges how others were blindsided. They just have to accept that she's happy. Everyone has opinions. That's true of many relationships. It's important to express them at key moments. It's also crucial to know when that time has passed.
Grade: C+
Episode 1.146
There isn't anything Drake can share that would help Donnell reckon with his father's death. Donnell thinks something is missing. He can't reckon Doug's addiction with the man who raised him. The story extends far beyond that. He's not even questioning the strain on his parents' marriage and Vanessa's connection with Joey. That may not be buried for much longer. Jacob takes Donnell to Uptown when he needs a break from the station. That's where Vanessa and Joey are decompressing. Nicole and Dani know Vanessa needed someone to lean on throughout the day. Donnell is pursuing his own investigation. Vanessa relies on Joey. Nicole knows that. She doesn't want to spread gossip. She has no confirmation. She sees things clearly. Plus, she gets distracted with her declaration of being done with love. That's extreme. It's yet another symptom of everyone believing her marriage to Ted was perfect. She heard that so much. She internalized it just like the rest of the family. If that was perfect and it ended in betrayal, then she doubts anything else can measure up. It's not worth the investment. Dani tries to steer her away. Carlton is a viable option right now. Love doesn't have to make sense. Ultimately though, each of these characters will make their own decisions no matter how reckless they may be.
Martin thought a drastic action was needed to mend his marriage with Smitty. It's the exact opposite. They need to take small steps together as a couple. That means going to therapy and enjoying dates. They have to remember what it's like to fall in love and laugh. That's what they want. They are willing to work towards that goal. Smitty wasn't being irrational in thinking Martin's offer to turn himself into the police was a ploy to win him back. He feels that way before knowing Martin texted Jacob. He was ready to confess. He would do so without even thinking about the blowback for the rest of the family. The entire conspiracy would be exposed. He wouldn't be the only one facing trial. Moreover, Joey would punish anyone who threatens his business. These two don't even know the extent of what happened to Doug. They too think it was a tragic accident. Joey orchestrated it all. He keeps people around so long as they continue to serve him. Marcel and Drake can never be free. They just have to go along with the story Joey wants told. Joey plays his part perfectly to manipulate reality to his will. Vanessa becomes more indebted to him. He still has strings to pull with Martin too. Nothing is ever too easy in Fairmont Crest. It takes actual work to make any progress.
Grade: B-
Episode 1.147
The audience never got to see Doug interact with his children. Their presence in this story is entirely built in the aftermath of his death. The moment Vanessa and Donnell share at Uptown is the kind of moving celebration of life that was missing when the show didn't feature a funeral. It was a moment shared between those who loved him. Donnell had plenty of questions. He sought out answers. Grief hadn't fully hit him yet. Secrets are still being withheld. However, a moment is taken to actually address the loss. These two are there for each other. It remains ridiculous that Deanna is missing. Her perspective is key as well. That has the prospect of turning this story into Donnell investigating Vanessa and Joey's relationship. They aren't great at hiding what they mean to each other. Others speculate. The situation is full of drama. That's the natural next step for Donnell's presence in town. Joey offers support. Jacob does as well. The scenes at Uptown become more special when it's just mother and son talking about expectations. They are alive while Doug is dead. They mourn that loss while revealing how much they cared.
Similarly, Smitty needed to see Martin change his behavior. During their date, he's with a man who is romantic, compassionate and nervous. Martin's attention is solely on Smitty. Nothing distracts him. Their love burns brightly once more. Anita is ecstatic when she hears about their reunion. Nicole cautiously wants to make sure Smitty is taking Martin back for the right reasons. He sees a path forward. Their situations are similar but different too. Smitty and Martin were destined to get back together. That was their goal. The back-and-forth was exhausting and confusing. They have found peace once more. That matters more than anything else. Meanwhile, Dani delights in seeing the panic on Hayley's face when she knows Bill lied to her. Of course, she can't get the image of Bill kissing her out of her head either. Andre will go to the mat to defend his wife. Bill believes he is protecting her. She doesn't need that. Bill certainly doesn't have the right to control her life. He no longer gets to have an opinion on what she does. He exerts his influence once more. He's convinced there is something to find in Andre's past. He wants to expose it. He's doing more for his ex-wife than his current relationship. That leaves Hayley more insecure than ever.
Grade: B
Episode 1.148
Eva asks Mona and Jan to be Leslie's friends again. She no longer wants the emotional burden of caring for her by herself all the time. It's exhausting. She can never walk away from her mother. She believes Leslie loves her. Eva sees the good, decent person within her. It's difficult for anyone else to believe that given her actions. Eva would be embarrassed to know Leslie harasses Tomas at work. She projects her issues with Ted onto him. He sees that. He stands firm in his convictions even though she lands a couple blows. It's not all that interesting. Meanwhile, Mona has the right instinct to walk away. Everyone is willing to give Eva a second chance. They explain her behavior as following her mother's lead. Leslie is truly responsible for everything that happened. Eva was complicit. She became a co-conspirator upon hiding evidence from the police. Kat remains resolute. This isn't about her right now. Jan's heart is in the right place. She wants to know how Eva is caring for herself. She faces so many outside pressures. She has no time to enjoy her own life. That shouldn't lead to Jan welcoming Leslie back as a friend. They appear to pick up right where they left off. That's baffling. Jan follows Eva's beliefs. She trusts her all over again. That seems destined to end horribly just like before.
Elsewhere, everyone has made their opinions known about Dani and Andre's marriage. A talk with Pamela convinces Dani that she may be taking advantage of Andre's respectful nature. He may be too decent to end things. It's up to her to be the responsible one. That's a change of pace. It requires each of them to do some soul-searching. What do they actually want out of a relationship? It's easy to dismiss Jacob's confrontation with Andre because he too is projecting his own issues. His opinion on having children changed the moment Naomi told him she was pregnant. He expects her to change as well. She hasn't. That has created tension. Their talk offers no solution either. He only wants to see the happiness. He believes this disagreement won't end their relationship. It very well could. They want different things. That's abundantly clear now. Relationships can implode at any time. Bill doesn't provide Hayley with any satisfying answer when she confronts him. He gaslights her. In turn, she tries to dismiss Tomas' hurt feelings after she used him. These are selfish people who don't care who gets hurt in the process. That makes Dani feel comfortable in her new marriage. She still asks Andre to take some time to think about what he wants.
Grade: B-
