Chelsea and Tomas try to referee while Eva and Kat go to war. Smitty and Martin clash over how best to parent the teens. Ted tries his best to get through to his daughter while Leslie gloats over hers. Derek leans on Shanice. Naomi helps Ashley move on. Dani and Andre make a decision about their future. Vernon worries his secret may be found out. Kat and Smitty have an awkward run-in. Anita is forced to placate Leslie. Vanessa thinks of Doug, which spurs her to help out a friend.
Episode 1.169
Leslie always seems to get away with everything. Kat wants to embody that mentality. She should stand proudly in her delusions. Her heart has been broken by her father. She fears he is replacing her with Eva. She can't grapple with their relationship. As such, she lashes out. It's destructive. Eva causes her fair share of drama. That's the whole reason why she went to Kat's home. She wanted to fight. Kat fears these threats will turn deadly. That's how she views this situation. Nothing about Eva is genuine. Kat's guard must be up at all times. That's a hindrance to her other relationships. Chelsea and Tomas provide some tough love. Her actions aren't entirely rational. She doesn't listen. She wants to keep hating Eva. She blames her for everything wrong that's happened. Kat is deserving of all of Ted's love and attention. She wants to be a priority. She hasn't been for a long time. She's angry at the wrong person. Now, she's leaving her father. She doesn't want to talk. She vents and demands complete agreement. She makes valid points. She is often dismissed by her loved ones. Taking things to the extreme doesn't do her any favors either. It simply showcases the continued dysfunction in this world.
It's also insane that Eva believes Tomas wants to check on her and Hayley wants to get to know Izaiah better. Those are developments that are only going to invite more trouble. So much history exists between Tomas and Eva. The suggestion of anything more would be seen as a slap in the face to Kat. Meanwhile, Hayley caring about Izaiah is bound to expose her for the fraud she is. It's a distraction when she can't afford it. Time is better spent highlighting the similarities in how Martin and Kat behave. They are volatile and refuse to back down. That makes their current tension interesting. It also highlights the calming presence Smitty has on Martin. Kat doesn't have that. She continues to sit in her rage. Smitty offers Martin a compromise. It's beneficial that Samantha comes to her own realization about being out of line. She didn't believe it when she said she hates her family. June imparts a lesson. Samantha can't escape from her problems. Martin and Smitty are the best equipped to handle her. They don't take away her dream. They extend her grounding. They set new rules for working at ChelseaKat and dating in general. The true test will come when they face any additional adversity. Then, these sincerities may go away again.
Grade: B
Episode 1.170
Kat is justified to worry others won't listen to her. Ted believes Kat is upset because of how Eva entered their lives. Plenty of transgressions have happened since then. He saw one side of Eva. He views her as a genuine person who cares for others. Kat sees the manipulation. It's directed towards her. Eva doesn't have ulterior motives with her father. She's desperate for her mother to stop thinking she and Ted will get back together. She recruited Jan believing she would help. However, Jan is back to taking everything Leslie says at face value. Eva's frustrated. She wasn't clear with her intentions. She knows her mother. She sees her clearly. She expects everyone else to now as well. Kat has the same expectation regarding her feelings towards Eva. She will never trust her. She will never accept her as her sister. Ted decides to remain optimistic. That's how he feels at the end of his conversation with Kat. His daughter shares that Eva slept with Tomas. It's not even a major point of discussion. Ted breezes past it. He doesn't have a reaction. That amplifies Kat's frustration further. She wants her dad. She loves him. It's important they talk. Nothing is actually resolved though. The two remain firm in their beliefs. At some point, one will have to break and admit the other was right. Kat is more reliable in that regard.
Meanwhile, Dani calls off the photoshoot before she and Andre get on the plane for Los Angeles. She notices something. It's a jarring turn of events. Andre talks about this relationship and career switch as a risk. The dialogue points that out repeatedly. Dani may sense that his heart still isn't fully in it. It suggests something deeper to the audience. He clearly must be hiding something significant. It comes at a time when Anita and Vernon accept their marriage. They are finally happy for them. Andre is a part of the family now. He truly belongs. Dani's actions alter the moment. More explanation is needed for why though. It can't just be another example of these characters being indecisive. That's not the most compelling quality of their stories. That applies to Ashley as well. Suddenly, she thinks she was too harsh on Derek. Naomi sets her straight even though Ashley was lying too. It's a messy situation. One where the new exes keep running into each other. Derek's progress is now out in the open for all to see. He can't hide any longer. He can't dictate how others respond either.
Grade: B-
Episode 1.171
It's frustrating when characters talk around a plot point that's the foundation for the entire conversation in the first place. It leaves scenes feeling particularly empty. Something more is going on with both Andre and Vernon. It's too early to be let in on those secrets though. That results in the viewer having to slog through them making excuses. Dani sees the fear in Andre's eyes about the photoshoot. That's why she cancels. He offers a convenient story about forcing himself to do it for her benefit. He fears his presence will ruin her comeback. The nerves actually come from whatever he's running from in Europe. The audience has the benefit of knowing that backstory. It was provided by Bill needing to protect Dani. With Vernon, it's a complete mystery. It's suggested he and Sharon are having an affair. He left his cufflinks behind at her hotel room. Anita noticed they were missing. She even remarks on the perfume he carries upon returning home. All of a sudden he's presented as up to no good like so many of the other men. It rings false and hollow. The reveal needs to come soon. Hopefully before something concerning is shared about Anita's health which is alluded to here.
Those scenes at least have the dramatic structure of soap opera storytelling. So much elsewhere is just boring. That's always been true with Derek and Ashley. Whenever they have prominence, the quality of the story dips. There are no narrative stakes over her struggle taking a break to have lunch with Naomi. Similarly, Derek kissing his co-worker is random. It's disrespectful because it occurs at Ashley's apartment. He's lucky no one walks in on him. He was expected to remove himself from this environment. He's still causing drama. He even mentions that he still loves Ashley. The narrative is already trying to pull them back together. No matter what it does though it won't be interesting. The same action can only be done so many times. It's frustrating too to see Eva try to reign in her mother. She knows Leslie plans on causing more drama. She wants to set realistic expectations. It never works. The cycle repeats with no lessons learned. That's true for everyone. Kat is right to be wary of Eva. Meanwhile, Ted tells Nicole that Eva will be his plus one to WinterFest. He deems that important to share. He too seems to undervalue the threat coming from Leslie learning Barbara is the inspiration behind the event's charity work this year.
Grade: C+
Episode 1.172
From the moment Anita announced the theme for WinterFest, the family knew Leslie would once again be a problem. Instead of anyone coming up with a solution, they panic when she suddenly appears. So much attention has been placed in the planning of this event. This was a complete oversight. It was predictable. Everyone acknowledged it. They didn't take any actions to prepare. The outcome is inviting her in. She will become part of the event. Being honored as a sponsor isn't enough. She demands the spotlight. Anita working alongside Leslie appears as the only way to contain what she will inevitable do. Anita is horrified by the prospect. She doesn't want her anywhere near this event. She worries for Laura's safety. Leslie continues to torment her. She will have more access and opportunities to do so now. Everyone sees her as the person responsible for the attempts on Laura's life. No evidence linked her to the crimes. She has gotten away with everything. This season has been the rise of Leslie. The Duprees have been especially powerless to stop her. Anita stopping payments to the trust isn't enough. Leslie has the fortune to make her dreams come true. That means targeting this family and receiving very little pushback. That's frustrating. It also weakens the overall impression the audience is meant to have of the powerful Dupree family.
Leslie is a troublemaker while Hayley and Joey are master manipulators. Hayley is caught in a lie. She's taking birth control even while talking nonstop about wanting a child with Bill. It's the only topic she wants to bring up. Naomi and Jacob receive this news. Instead of warning Bill, it becomes their latest fight. Suddenly, it's okay for Hayley to be lying. Naomi doesn't want to get in the middle of her father's relationship. Hayley cuts off those concerns immediately. She clocks that Naomi discovered her secret. And so, she confides in Bill that birth control is the prescription for her hormone imbalance following the miscarriage. It's presented as a rational argument that Bill accepts. He has no reason to question his wife. She fools him once more. Meanwhile, Vanessa faces the ugly truth of the casino. It preys on people's weaknesses. Doug succumbed to his vices. She warns others away from the same mistakes. That angers Joey. All he has to do is drop the "love" word to distract Vanessa. Suddenly, she is focused on their relationship instead of what doomed her prior marriage. He walks out of the room with a grin on his face. Nicole will never see Joey as a good man. This is further proof of that even though the viewer is the only witness.
Grade: B-
