Vernon has a secret rendezvous. Naomi takes her frustrations out on those closest to her. Jacob seeks expert help from Nicole. Ashley makes a stunning discovery. Nicole extends an unexpected olive branch to Ted. Dani and Andre discuss his painful past. Joey has a surprising reunion with an old pal. Someone's deceit causes heartbreak for two couples. Samantha pleads with Smitty and Nicole for help. Martin and Kat have a blowout argument. Eva's declaration drives a deeper wedge between her father and sister.
Episode 1.164
Leslie and Eva shower love and praise on each other. The rest of the narrative drowns in absolute misery. It's the suggestion of a devastating secret that will tear Anita and Vernon apart. He's suddenly up to no good. He's sneaking off to meet Sharon. A perfectly innocent explanation could come at some point. Right now, the show infers that he is the latest man being unfaithful. His marriage isn't as strong as everyone professes it to be. That's such a disservice to the audience. Anita and Vernon were built up as the central power couple. The show has pointedly made their love shine brighter than every other romance. That effort has been put in. That is all tossed aside now. It doesn't benefit from any of that trust already established. It's Vernon making excuses to get away. He pretends to be close to Anita and interested in planning Winter Fest. It's all an elaborate way to get out of the house. When Laura enters, she promises more organization for Anita. She also offers her own drama with Dave, who has been sporadically mentioned only a few times. His presence requires the audience to pay attention. Again, it could suggest more to come. Laura could meaningfully be elevated in importance. The more significant way to do so would be through Nicole or Leslie. That's not happening. Such strange decisions are happening.
Derek discovers Ashley lied upon being overwhelmed. She's still timid about getting married. Her feelings haven't really changed since the proposal. She forced herself to do this. She's holding back for a reason. The audience knows Derek is being deceitful. His response is to confront her publicly at work in front of their friends. That's a horrible way to get what he wants. He doesn't deserve a happy ending. Naomi is right to call him out for exploiting them. It's an over-the-top reaction. It's not unjustified though. Jacob thinks it was uncalled for. It was her projecting her feelings about the tension in their marriage. Every conversation turns into an argument. He doesn't think what Derek did was a big deal. He undermines it to make his own point to try to convince Naomi she is being irrational. It's pure misery all around. No one is truly happy. Except Eva and Leslie. They largely recap their recent encounters with Ted. They are hopeful for the future. They are proud of what they did to make this moment happen. That includes all the crimes. They are finally validated. That's not the right chord to strike either. It's a mess without any sense of redemption or entertainment involved.
Grade: C
Episode 1.165
The show offers more than just misery today. Practical solutions are offered to Jacob and Naomi. She isn't wrong for not wanting kids. It's a problem that she treats Jacob changing his mind as an indefensible betrayal. If that were the case, then she would get a divorce just like Dani and Nicole. That's not the outcome she wants. She still clearly loves him. Chelsea offers an objective outside perspective. Naomi knows how her mother doubles down on mistakes because she refuses to admit she made any. The situation is different here. She inherited that mentality from Dani. She will benefit from couples therapy too. Nicole can't provide it. Jacob is proactive in seeking it out. He's willing to make the effort to reflect. That means he'll have to decide what he truly wants. Will he be satisfied never having children? Will it be enough to volunteer with an organization that helps kids? Nicole offers that solution. She suggests Tomas as a resource for more information. These are productive steps. They acknowledge that there needs to be room to grow. That's healthy. It was a struggle to get here. Naomi still too frequently comes across as defensive.
Vanessa doesn't care what others think about her. Her meal at the club with Joey is relatively low stakes. He finally gives her more responsibility in the business. She will manage the escort service. She never paid for Diego's services before. Now, he's back in her orbit. She's just as vicious as Joey can be. The community needs to acknowledge that instead of seeing her as the innocent woman being deceived by a dangerous man. She is that. She strives for her own agency to feel like she isn't. Elsewhere, it's nice to see Pamela step up as a friend for Dani instead of indulging whatever behavior she partakes in. She fears Dani's comeback won't happen if she rejects the deal from Ridge Forrester. She would accept the denial if Andre had a good reason. Everything points to him having one. He's reluctant to share it. It's a secret he carries. Pamela pries for more. Dani's the one who will have to deal with it. She's already playing with fire by walking into Bill's office once more. It's not confrontational. Hayley makes it that way. She looks down on Dani for letting Bill betray her. It was so easy to turn his head. He was an easy mark. She now stands to inherit so much upon his death. She has no empathy for anyone. She's actually upset that Randy failed to follow their cover story for why they interact. She relies on him because he's family but he's not actually that resourceful or smart.
Grade: B-
Episode 1.166
Andre losing his parents forever shaped him. It informs so much of who he is. It's genuinely quite moving to hear him talk about them. Dani asks for more. She wants to see how much they meant to him. She's grateful that he shares everything. It's raw and vulnerable. It's an incredible movement. The show doesn't rob the impact of it by surrounding it with dull storylines either. Leslie being delusional about Ted is nothing new. Nicole's frustrations with Ted getting closer to Leslie once more are familiar as well. Those aren't particularly drawn out moments. Dani and Andre are given the time to breathe. The show focuses on their connection. It highlights how they both imagine a future together. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Others have their opinions. They ultimately bring out the best in one another. Andre agrees to the photoshoot because he can't bear being responsible for her quitting modeling again. She gave it up for Bill. It's easier now because she was never as committed to her comeback as Pamela was. Andre thought more opportunities would come. This offer is the only one of significance. It's make or break. He will make that sacrifice. He will share himself with the world. He's drawn to the idea of honoring his father with the proceeds as well.
The strengthening of Dani and Andre's marriage comes at the same time as Ashley learning Derek's secrets. These stories shouldn't be linked all the time. It provides an outside connection for Ashley and Derek. Otherwise, they would frequently be trapped in their own corner of this world. That isn't rewarding. Ashley is right to be upset too. It was a bad decision to withhold this news from her. Derek wanted her to be surprised. She is. She also knows he has been lying to her. This progress didn't just suddenly happen. It was a gradual buildup of his muscles. She's impressed and happy upon seeing him stand. Everyone wants to believe he is a good guy. That doesn't line up with his actions. It takes being confronted with the truth for that to become clear. Shanice couldn't keep his secret any longer. She wanted to tell Ashley she was right for having second thoughts. Those shouldn't be because of her lingering feelings for Andre. He's strong with Dani. He deserves that happiness. She knows what's driving Derek's insecurities. That can't be avoided. He was never going to succeed in his plan. He handles the immediate fallout poorly. Consequences will spread because more were aware of what was going on.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.167
Derek betrayed Ashley. Yet Jan says he was justified in questioning her commitment. She was lying to herself about still having feelings for Andre. This isn't the first time the conversation has come up. Naomi pushed her on the topic. Everyone knows Ashley is indecisive. She wasn't given the trust to be there for Derek as he recovered. She was expected to be his caretaker. She wasn't his partner. He wanted a big surprise. Jan even understands the thought. Ashley shouldn't rely on her mother for support. That's unfortunate but the truth. Naomi runs to Ashley upon discovering what Derek did. Jacob knew too. That betrayal is the latest setback in their marriage. She doesn't have time to deal with it. She has to comfort her friend. Jacob is bad at communicating. His loyalty to his father and Derek came at the expense of his relationships with Izaiah and Ashley. He knew for weeks about Derek's deception. He did nothing. The pregnancy scare doesn't excuse his behavior. Meanwhile, no one told Izaiah that Elon had a heart attack several years ago. He shouldn't expect everything to be the same in Fairmont Crest since he left. He has grown. The community has as well. He was given the freedom to decide what these relationships should be in times of stress. Choices were removed from people who had every right to know.
Those who were betrayed aren't completely innocent. Ashley and Naomi believe Dani and Andre's relationship is purely situational. It's not meant to last. It's meaningless fun. They push boundaries that would usually be off limits. Naomi wants to protect her mother. Andre isn't going to stray. He has fallen in love with his wife. Their connection is deeper now than it has ever been. Naomi sees that when she goes to her mother. Dani's spark has been reignited. She knows she has made reckless decisions that have forced everyone to question her sanity. She's truly happy. Naomi doesn't have to fight her battles. It's exhausting enough keeping up with her own. Ashley reaches out to Andre. In the immediate wake of Derek's betrayal, she wants to know if they have a future. She has feelings for him. She admits that. She wants to know if it's possible they could explore things again. It's inappropriate. She missed her chance. He is no longer available. Their friendship is done. It's clear Ashley needs to be single to find herself. She must trust the people around her to be honest. Her instincts aren't well-meaning. They cause pain. She's vulnerable. That's not a good excuse. This is probably just the beginning too as everyone figures out how to move forward with these new feelings.
Grade: B
Episode 1.168
Samantha's boss invited her to a bar and talked about sex. That was unprofessional and inappropriate. Martin and Smitty are right to question whether Samantha should continue working at ChelseaKat. However, Martin impulsively quits on his daughter's behalf. He's furious with Kat. He spins out of control anew. Kat believes Nicole can reign him in. That's not her parenting style. She dismisses that Martin and Kat will fight for very long. To her, they never stay mad for long. She offered a productive solution to Smitty. Samantha can work Winter Fest. The charity's cause will allow her to see life from a new perspective. Right now though, she thinks she's being punished for wanting to have sex. She was inconsiderate and reckless. She wanted to have sex with Nathan on the family couch when anyone could come home. Of course, Dani and Andre are the only characters who have sex in bed. Everyone else has partaken in the act on a couch. It's weird actually. It's a big deal for Samantha. Her dads want to keep her from making a mistake. They recognize she would regret it. She doesn't have that clarity. She believes the world wants to punish and shame her for wanting sex. Kat is right to be considered about that. The characters are so frequently talking past each other instead of listening to their concerns.
All of this showcases the cracks that are still present between Martin and Smitty. They were determined not to make the same mistakes. They would make every decision together. Smitty doesn't let emotions overcome him. Martin does. That's disrespectful to his marriage. They just recommitted to each other. It's now on the verge of breaking down again. Smitty wants to know what happened. The kids need their freedom to come back. When they're gone, Martin must reflect on his own behavior. Everyone thinks they are doing what's best. They influence Samantha's actions. That has to be seen too. The lines were blurred between work and family. Samantha is impressionable. She idolizes Kat and Chelsea but doesn't listen to everything they share. She knows when they are actually passionate about something. They can't hide their feelings. Samantha picks up those signals and takes all the wrong lessons. Kat's instincts are typically right. She has no reason to forgive and accept Eva. She should have a reaction to hearing her call Ted "dad." It showcases how he cares more about his new family than his old one. Nicole should see that struggle and how it pains her daughter. Instead, she lets Kat storm off. Ted is busy at work. Kat has the emotional reaction. It's all busy and hectic. No one has any time to actually process what it all means and what they aim to do next.
Grade: B
