Dani suspects Naomi may be carrying a life-changing secret. Leslie issues a warning to June. Vanessa demands something of Joey. Bill gets an unexpected gift from a surprise visitor. Andre has hard-hitting questions for Dani about her ex. Hayley's birthday treat for Bill ends up in the wrong hands. Naomi and Jacob are at an impasse over what they see for their future. One family attends a joyous event while Nicole and Ted mourn the state of their marriage.
Episode 1.149
Ted hasn't been invested in his children's lives for a long time. No one even thinks to include him either. It's surprising when he hears Martin has moved out again. He didn't even know Samantha and Tyrell reconnected with their birth mother. He knew June as the new waitress at Orphey Gene's. He was blind to that family connection. He's missing out on a lot. Leslie is the only one who approaches him. Even when he says he wants her gone, he hardly ever walks away. June believes Ted is too young to be a grandfather. She becomes aware of the family tree even though it's confusing. She's struggling as a waitress. She hasn't been fired yet. Leslie is the only one who causes problems. It wouldn't be shocking if June knows how to handle Leslie better than the Duprees. They both had to overcome a lifetime of struggles to get where they are today. They haven't lost that scrappy nature needed to survive. That's easily accessible when the time calls for it. That's an intriguing new dynamic. It's familiar when Leslie chastises Nicole for not keeping Kat on a short lease. Leslie takes on Eva's problems. She carries them as her own. That removes the opportunity from Eva to grow from her mistakes. Instead, it allows Leslie to control even more. That's exactly how she likes it.
It's frustrating that when Andre is asked to reflect on what he wants in life he's placed in a story with Ashley. The narrative portrays Dani and Ashley as his only vital story options. It's all in relation to his feelings for them. It's not about how he feels. It's not exploring something new. Dani believes she's doing the mature and enlightened thing. She is giving Andre a choice. She also has to jump into parenting mode when Naomi needs advice. Naomi believes she ruined her mother's life. Dani was traveling the world. She had a fabulous career as a model. That ended when she became a mom. Naomi feared her mother resented her for having to give all that up. Dani has never acted that way. She's proud to be a mother. She's there for her girls. They changed the world for her. It was all for the better. She sees that clearly. She even guesses that Naomi is pregnant. Naomi doesn't want to admit that. Even after hearing everything, she's terrified of being a mother. She doesn't want it. She needs her life to be full without it. She wants Jacob to understand. She fears he won't. Dani is by her side giving her all the reassurance she needs. Naomi is firm in this decision. Difficult conversations must occur.
Grade: B
Episode 1.150
Despite everything he did, Dani never stopped loving Bill. Even though they are both married to other people now, they still love each other. It's a toxic bond of attraction. It's constantly pulling them together. He betrayed her. She created a special birthday gift commemorating a special moment they shared together. He left her for Hayley. Now, Dani and Bill are coming back together. Hayley approaches Andre hoping to lock things down with Dani. She doesn't want to deal with her anymore. It's all futile. Dani has been upfront about her feelings for Bill to Andre. She spends the episode with her ex instead of her current husband. They kiss once more. She didn't share that detail when it happened previously. Andre telling Hayley about his recent confrontation with Bill is enough to send her spiraling. She seeks reassurance from her husband. Instead, she witnesses the exes connecting once more. That allows her to drop all pretenses of what she wants. Randy is her cousin. She's determined to enact her plan with Bill quickly. This reveal was teased heavily. Hopefully, it becomes more fruitful now that Hayley can drop the act.
Joey is putting on a grand performance for Vanessa. He offers to end their personal relationship just so she's the one fighting for it. It's plainly manipulative. She panics when they are caught by Randy. She didn't even know he returned to the casino. She feels compelled to prove how much she loved Doug. Randy tries to stir the pot. With one look, Joey reminds him to be careful of his standing in this world. Anything can happen at any moment. Joey used Vanessa's trauma and Donnell's pure instincts to embed himself deeper. It's not nearly as genuine as the other romances depicted. Anita and Vernon continue to be the strongest and sweetest couple. Sure, it's a little ridiculous that Anita is frequently chatting with her Vegas impersonator. The show is obviously keeping that thread open for some reason. It's much more compelling to see Vernon sweep her off her feet at Orphey Gene's. Similarly, it's natural for Samantha and Tyrell to be thrilled that their parents are getting back together. That plot simply requires Martin and Smitty to mention the secrets they still carry and the pending actions that are bound to drop at some point.
Grade: B-
Episode 1.151
Hayley never loved Bill. She was conning him from the start. Dani was right to always question her intentions. All of this is finally made clear. It's questionable whether that was the show's plan from the start. This change in Hayley's motivation provides the opportunity for her to become a more compelling character. She's planning on making her exit as quickly as possible though. That probably won't happen. She's ready to retire as a con artist. She plans to kill Bill and collect his life insurance policy. That will set her up for a comfortable life. This episode confirms all the elaborate lies she has told over the course of the season. Her miscarriage was called out for being staged. She came up with a lie believable enough for Naomi. She's exhausted trying to manage the volatile emotions of the Duprees. She thought Bill would be an easy mark. She's losing her touch. She hasn't kept her hold over him. He's more jealous of Dani moving on. Bill and Hayley apologize when they finally return home. Lots of things are left unsaid between them. They aren't on the same page. They never were. Hayley liked the sex. That's it. She's been after Bill's money. She plans to take it and disappear for good.
Randy steered Hayley away from Joey. That may be the most sensible thing he has ever done. He procures whatever Hayley needs at any moment. He expects his share of the profits. This isn't the only scheme he's running in Fairmont Crest. He's gotten involved in Joey's business again. Hayley even knows about the botched murder plot with Kenny. She can't let that happen again. All of this is exciting and new while confirming events of the past for what they were. The other characters are largely catching each other up on recent events. Nicole tells Kat about Ted and Leslie sleeping together. That's why she can't mend her marriage. Kat is finally disappointed in her father. She was wrong to suspect everything can heal between her parents. Hopefully, that helps her evaluate what she wants in her own relationship. She stopped putting pressure on Tomas. They finally connected. That may not be enough. Dani making space for Andre may not either. He wants her to let him into her heart and mind. He sees the work she has put in to forget about Bill. She hasn't moved on yet. She's still finding ways to interact with her ex-husband and act on their connection. Dani doesn't tell Andre about kissing Bill multiple times. Everything is being set up for disaster.
Grade: B
Episode 1.152
Naomi and Jacob may no longer be compatible. His entire worldview changed upon learning she was pregnant. He has done a lot. He hasn't listened to how she's feeling. She has tried to understand his perspective. She feels betrayed because his views changed. He feels resentful because she's not trying to embrace the unexpected. June notes that he would be a good father. That conversation proves this is something he has thought about. He didn't just create his idea of a family game night. That's something he yearns for. That feeling won't just go away. The audience has reason to be concerned for Naomi too. She ate the cupcake Hayley specifically made for Bill. She didn't finish the pastry. She goes to the hospital wanting confirmation from Ashley about her pregnancy. She can't hide how she's feeling. Chelsea recognizes that Naomi isn't present. They both roll their eyes at Hayley's performative intimacy with their father. They feel the need to support Bill on his birthday. They can't miss this moment. Hayley really lets her guard down too. She's no longer putting in the effort to hide her deception. That's more noticeable than ever. The tension is high because she plans to kill. The process is being dragged out though.
In fact, a lot of the intrigue appears to be waning. It's ridiculous when Chelsea screams out that her mother has been robbed. It's meant to be over-the-top. It comes across as silly. Dani is making space for Andre. She's opening up her closet. Chelsea can't believe her mother would let go of these pieces. That's the moment of levity before Dani and Pamela try to convince Andre to become a model. It doesn't quite feel like they are taking him seriously. He's proud of his work. He's not trying to change his profession. This may become a requirement to stay married to Dani. That's serious even though the tone doesn't suggest as much. All of this is paired with the more trivial nature of Samantha's dating woes. Plus, Smitty gets down on one knee to ask Martin to marry him again. The two of them are truly committed to their marriage once more. They've made all this progress without going to therapy. They agreed to that. They didn't pursue that action. They've just accepted who they are and what they mean to each other. That's suppose to be enough. It could be them masking the pain of the past. It could also just be the show choosing to move on to pursue other interests.
Grade: C+
Episode 1.153
If Martin and Kat can recommit to their current relationships, then why can't Ted and Nicole? That's what Kat thinks. She forgave Tomas for cheating with Eva. She believes it was a simple mistake. That's exactly what her father did as well. With the passage of time, her mother should get over it even faster. That's an unhealthy mindset. Kat demands this of her parents. She's also prioritizing her relationship above all else. She wants to recreate the romantic date that went awry with Tomas. They form new, happy memories together. It means missing Martin and Smitty's vow renewal ceremony. That's genuinely the most moving moment of the episode. In fact, it's slightly annoying when the camera cuts away from the pair to highlight the parallels happening between Ted and Nicole. They've been delivered their final divorce papers. Many emotions are coming to the surface now. It's all hitting Nicole. She's happy for Martin and Smitty. She wanted them to work things out. It's a joyous celebration. She isn't destined for the same path. And yet, she ends up back at Ted's hotel room. He believes it's her accepting that their love is still real. She is finally coming back. That may not be true. They are interrupted by Leslie who pulls the fire alarm. She can't allow this possibility to occur. She's worked too hard to be rejected by Ted again.
It's playful to see Leslie operating with multiple identities again. It requires her to be more crafty with her approach. Of course, Tomas and Eva figure out her scheme right away. Plus, she doesn't have to abide by this pity mentality anymore. She's rich. She can interfere in new ways. More opportunities are available to her. Eva is right to be concerned that her mother is stalking Tomas. She projects her own issues onto her daughter's life. That's not healthy either. It's not too much of a problem right now. Similarly, it's not a big deal when Naomi returns to Bill to apologize for leaving so abruptly earlier. She had to take care of herself. It wasn't in reaction to anything Bill or Hayley did. Bill wants to comfort her. He pledges to do better. She doesn't disdain how often he was gone when she was growing up. He was absent because he was building his successful career. She idolized that. She claims that she no longer holds him to that same standard. It's clearly left an impression on her. She can't have that luxury if she has kids. Everyone expects her and Jacob to have a family at some point. That's not what she wants. She can't articulate that with her father. Instead, she points out how he could have avoided his mess with Dani if he listened to her earlier. Now, he's on thin ice with Hayley.
Grade: B
