Kat turns to an unexpected source for guidance. Ted becomes a shoulder to cry on. Smitty and June have an overdue heart-to-heart. Vernon and Sharon meet under watchful eyes. Kat and Martin's feud hits a boiling point. Dani and Andre receive an important delivery, then make a declaration that will affect their future. Martin chooses a side during a sibling rivalry. Shanice puts Leslie on notice. Ted helps an ailing Peaches out. Tyrell shocks his dads with his choice for the future. Martin seeks some advice from his grandfather.
Episode 1.173
Hayley and Eva aggressively flirt with Izaiah. For Hayley, it's a distraction. It runs the risk of unraveling all that she has plotted with Bill. She can't hide her attraction from Caroline either. Her friend warns Bill not to mess up his second marriage. Hayley won't stick around like Dani did. He needs to have his head on straight. He can't make the same mistakes as the past. He doesn't believe he is. When Jacob shares a secret, Bill operates with confidence because he already knows what's happening with Hayley. He's comfortable because she has given him just enough of the truth to believe. He remains blissfully in the dark. Meanwhile, Eva's connection with Izaiah has the potential to offer new purpose. Sure, it's a complete lie that she tried to set her feelings for Tomas aside in order to have a relationship with Kat. It's hard to tell if that's her trying to present the best side of herself or the narrative trying to make this new relationship work. Kat genuinely wants to get over how enraged she gets about Eva. She redirects her feelings onto Tomas once more. That hasn't worked in the past. Yet they appear on the same page once again. She loves him and wants to make this relationship work no matter what.
Nothing is as grounded and relaxed as Dani and Andre's relationship. Some uncertainty still lingers. That pertains to Andre's secret past. However, he's honest about Ashley reaching out and wanting to reconnect. In that moment, he discovered how much his marriage meant to him. He's happy to be celebrating their honeymoon in Los Angeles. He's upfront about what happened. That too may be the show presenting a happy story before something bad happens. At least it's enjoyable. They deserve this celebration. Meanwhile, the narrative presents Leslie as truly missing her friendship with Mona. It was easy to win back Jan. Mona is more difficult. Eva tells her mother to be more direct. That move doesn't work either. Leslie has power and opportunity now. She's been entrusted with handling the invitations to WinterFest. Anita has already assembled the guest list. Leslie is meddling. She doesn't care what anyone thinks by inviting Jan. She makes her friend happy. Mona could never do that. She didn't have the influence to ask for her friend to attend alongside her. Jan is thrilled to go. Leslie made that happen. That will give Jan even more reason to believe her. She's already choosing to overlook that she tried to kill Laura twice.
Grade: B-
Episode 1.174
Leslie catches Vernon coming out of Sharon's hotel room. She immediately jumps to all the wrong conclusions. That's the scandalous way she sees the world. She's vibrant and disruptive. It's hard to take anything she does or says seriously. Yet her clocking this secret offers a complication that will force something more to happen. It's exhausting as the story insinuates Vernon is having an affair. It continues to be empty teases. It's not the only concern Leslie is dealing with. She rushes to the hospital after Peaches is admitted. She leans on Ted for support. Her pleas to save her mother feel genuine. Her elaborate and over-the-top nature never goes away. She threatens the medical staff trying to help. She lashes out at Shanice largely because she saw a close moment between her and Ted. The narrative continues to offer romantic possibilities for Ted. He has several options. It will be fascinating to see which direction he pursues. Of course, all of the women - Leslie, Shanice, June and Nicole - seem too good for him. He needs to prove himself worthy. He hasn't really put in the effort. Leslie throws herself at him. Every situation requires her to think of a way to include him. No one else operates that way. It's not healthy either. That's simply the toxic quality Leslie brings to the table.
The heart-to-heart between Smitty and June is the episode's other highlight. This family was worried about letting June into their lives. She's still making mistakes. She's not a good waitress at Orphey Gene's. She's better at listening and offering advice. She respects the family Martin and Smitty have built. She's not trying to destroy it. She's just another person looking out for Samantha and Tyrell. She helps Samantha calm down better than anyone else in the family. The focus shifts to Tyrell's perspective as Jessica says she's applying to UCLA. They fear distance will destroy their burgeoning relationship. Everyone sees how cute they are together. It may not be built to last. That's the journey they must navigate. Tyrell's future has seemingly been set for him. He has to make the decision. It can't just be what Martin wants. This could be another instance of Martin being overbearing. However, this trip to Orphey Gene's is the right solution to help everyone cool off after being crammed in the house all day. So, he's learning. That growth is meaningful even though the show can never escape some of its more elaborate soap opera trappings.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.175
Lust transformed into love. Dani's startled when Andre makes that declaration. Yet she feels it too. Somewhere along the way, they started truly caring for one another. It occurred after the wedding. It's too powerful to ignore. It's impressive how they can pivot from the low-stakes scenes enjoying their honeymoon to the knockout emotions of exchanging rings and vows. Dani and Andre are truly the most dynamic and compelling characters on the show. That switch happened. Now, they are the ones driving story in a meaningful way. It never comes across as forced either. It's two characters growing deeper in love. Their bond transcends all else. They understand each other completely. It's so wonderful to see. It doesn't need any of the heightened drama to work either. Of course, that's still fun elsewhere. Plus, they have their fair share of obstacles to overcome as well. It's not the narrative forcing theatrics into the situation. Their reactions are to one another as they truly are. Leslie's the one putting on a big performance. She acts one way with Vernon. Then, she immediately switches it up with Ted. She's ambitious and will do anything to get what she wants. That's exhausting to those around her. Yet she continues to climb. That invites even more of the narrative into accepting her.
Meanwhile, Kat's furious at the world. She has a right to be too. Anita helps ground her in her feelings. She explains that it's fine to be upset with Ted and Eva. She must make nice with Martin. Everyone expects her to prioritize this relationship. They can't be mad at each other. That's not good for anyone. However, it frequently comes at Kat's expense. She has made plenty of mistakes. She goes too far sometimes as well. She overhears Martin and Eva casually making fun of her. Martin even explains that his parents coddled their miracle baby. That made Kat who she is today. Of course, neither Nicole nor Ted are truly elevating Kat above all else. So that explanation doesn't really work. It's the mentality Martin must believe. He's superior. He waits for Kat to respond and apologize. That's what he deserves. Kat is ashamed upon hearing what her siblings have to say. She lets her vitriol out on Eva. It's especially brutal. That's what Martin views as the problem. He returns to Uptown to hear Kat make her most devastating attack yet. She wishes Eva was never born. It's brutal and blunt. Kat pushes others away. They don't respect her. She isn't allowed the freedom to feel how she feels. Instead, the disappointment that she isn't better comes crashing down on her once more.
Grade: B+
Episode 1.176
Kat doesn't want to lose her family. Everyone has been telling her to find a way to tolerate Eva. She goes into a blind rage whenever Eva is around. She's convinced Eva is trying to steal every part of her life. She has to win no matter what. She can't allow this invasion to continue. Eva isn't some innocent bystander. The rest of the family is willing to accept Leslie as solely responsible for breaking up Ted and Nicole's marriage. They know it couldn't have been fixed after the secret was revealed. Kat refuses to give up that ideal. Everyone was happy until Eva showed up. And now, they're acting ridiculously while she's the rational one. Chelsea is the only person capable of talking some sense into her. It's basically the same message she has heard a million times. Kat didn't mean to say the world would be better off if Eva was never born. She only confides those regrets with Chelsea. Martin demands an explanation. Kat is too combative to mend these sibling bonds. Eva holds some responsibility too. Both Ted and Martin heard about her sleeping with Tomas. Outrageously, Ted said Eva was appropriate with her actions. Martin investigates further. He knows Eva was at least partially motivated by hurting Kat. It was more than her attraction to Tomas. Both sisters are fueling this hatred. Martin isn't trusted to be an impartial mediator. He's caught up in the mess too. Kat doesn't feel supported.
Naomi catches Hayley poisoning Bill's drink. It's enough to trigger a new round of suspicions. Nothing particularly comes of it. Hayley blames knocking the cup out of Naomi's hand on an active flu season. It's ridiculous. None of this keeps Bill from thinking about Dani. He would love for Hayley and Naomi to get along again. He sees Naomi's apology as a nice first step. His mind still wanders. He can't accept Dani's newfound happiness. Dani and Andre are beaming on their honeymoon. They don't want to leave this bubble. They have to eventually. Bill bursts in. He doesn't have a valid reason to interrupt their love. His presence is still made known. The strength of Dani and Andre's marriage only highlights how he missed out on something great. Even when he becomes available after Hayley's treachery is exposed, Dani won't be there waiting to pick up the pieces. She's moved on. Bill and Leslie are struck. Leslie threatens Shanice because she looked too close to Ted. Leslie still claims ownership over him. There are more important things to worry about. Peaches is in pain. She's been accepted into a clinical trial. Instead of focusing on that, Leslie holds onto her obsession with Ted.
Grade: B
Episode 1.177
One term in Congress was all it took for Martin to lose the fire within him. That's the blunt assessment Vernon provides. He's vulnerable to a primary challenger. He can no longer count on being the underdog. It's odd to position him that way. He's the grandson of a former Senator. His bid for federal office would have been one of the main stories. His political ambition has been a crucial characteristic. It has come at the expense of so much. He talked about running for President. Anita and Vernon dashed those hopes. It wasn't possible because of his terrible secret. That scandal is still waiting for someone to expose. The narrative teases that opposition researchers are already hard at work. Martin and his family must be prepared for his re-election campaign to be different. A mysterious challenger plans to enter the race. Vernon needs Martin to remember why he is so passionate about politics in the first place. Meanwhile, Smitty needs reassurance that their family will come first no matter what. Smitty handles Tyrell's interest in UCLA perfectly. Tyrell needs to make the best decision for himself. He shouldn't be motivated solely by his relationship with Jessica. As expected, Martin doesn't handle the news well. Smitty is the only one who has to manage it. It's familiar while largely setting the stage for what comes next.
The season is building to WinterFest as the big event to close out its first year. The Dupree family has fond memories of prior celebrations. They set the expectations high. The audience must do so as well. It's unlikely Hayley's poisoning of Bill will pay off until he has the mic at the event. Leslie demands to be involved in the planning. She exploits Anita's guilt over what happened to Barbara and Vernon's secret with Sharon. She delights in toying with Laura. She's never far removed from causing drama. Everyone else has empathy for what she's going through with Peaches. However, she's choosing to get involved in everyone else's business. Eva feels the need to apologize for her mother's actions. That's the role she always serves. People understand. They don't hold her responsible. She's still complicit though. She encouraged a lot of reckless behavior. Kat is the only one who frequently sees it and calls it out. Even that has proven to be toxic. Eva has the potential for so much more than her mother because she's viewed as sympathetic. She will be at WinterFest. Plus, Nicole allows Carlton to escort her to the event. Everyone is planning to make their moves when they will receive the most attention. It's careful preparation. It also prevents the viewer from staying grounded in the present.
Grade: B-
