Kat receives some surprising advice from Nicole. Izaiah gets guidance on how he should handle holidays with the Hawthornes. Leslie makes an unlikely connection. Tomas is put on notice regarding his future at the firm. Joey and Vanessa find a way to privately celebrate the holiday together. Bill finds comfort in a Dupree tradition. Eva finally spends a holiday with both of her parents. The Richardson-Smiths welcome a special guest.
Episode 1.178
Ted and Nicole only want to talk to Kat about Eva. Whenever they think about their daughter, their focus shifts to the feud between the half-sisters. Kat isn't innocent either. She pivots the conversation to it as well. Her parents expect her to accept this new addition. She refuses to do so given all the pain Eva has caused. Nicole finds a way to sympathize with Eva. She isn't a monster like Leslie. Trying to force Kat into liking Eva isn't working. No one is trying something else. And so, neither parent will be with Kat during Thanksgiving. She decides to spend the holiday weekend away with Tomas. She's still essentially lying to her boyfriend about working to not be angry about Eva all the time. Nothing has changed. Everyone else has these high expectations. They want her to be better than this. It's a standard that only applies to her. It's not fair. That pushes her away. Kat even suggests she could cut Ted out of her life because of his relationship with Eva. He checked with Kat first about Thanksgiving with the expectation of Eva being free. Eva rejected him too. She planned on spending the day with her mother. Ted created this whole drama for no reason whatsoever. Nicole encouraged it because she has a blind spot towards Eva. That truth can't be ignored. Kat forgave Tomas for sleeping with Eva. As such, Ted and Nicole don't treat that as a big betrayal. Yet they constantly undermine Kat by trying to include Eva in their lives. That's not something Kat imagines. It's what's actually happening.
All of these expectations come to a head in preparation for the holiday. Izaiah believes his family will be better off if he doesn't show up. That would disappoint his mother and enrage his father. Of course, Elon would find some other way to be upset with Izaiah's choices. Jacob feels compelled to advocate for his brother. He voices his own insecurities about living up to what Elon demanded of all his children. Elon's actions haven't radiated love. Jacob and Izaiah will spend the day together. Parts of the family are aligned. It's all in reaction to what Elon wants. Meanwhile, Marcel engages with Leslie after Jacob once again states how upsetting it is that she is still free. He knows she's guilty of attempted murder. He even suggests Marcel should be concerned about his legacy. Leslie knows who he is. He can't hide. Interacting with her possibly provides an opportunity to show a different side of Marcel. He could get what Jacob couldn't. That may earn him his respect. That's a long shot. Jacob continues to be self-righteous. That infuriates Marcel. It offers a new dynamic that hopefully connects back to how the season started. Driving Laura off the road set so much in motion. A lot has changed for Leslie. It's all been good. That may not last because others aren't so quick to forget.
Grade: B-
Episode 1.178
The first Dupree family Thanksgiving depicted onscreen was mostly a flop. It was basically the show going through the motions without actually trying to deliver a grand scene with the entire family. That's expected next month with WinterFest. That's the big event. Thanksgiving was the afterthought. The show put in the effort to explain why Kat wouldn't be attending. She would rather spend the holiday with Tomas than deal with her family drama. Meanwhile, Chelsea's role is essentially skipped over. The season put in the work to explain Madison's tension with her mother. Chelsea got involved. And now, she is spending time with both of them. That's dialogue offered to conveniently explain why she isn't at the country club. It leads to an atmosphere that feels strangely empty. Bill is on the outside looking in. That's not a new position for him. Hayley is upset because he so clearly yearns for what he once had. That played differently before the big twist with her was revealed. Now, it just annoys her. She aims to suffer through this marriage until the poison works. However, Bill can't focus on her at all during the celebration. That's at least more significant than Dani and Andre in a Cascade commercial. All of the fun of their pairing was washed away by the product placement. It's so weird they're isolated when they are on good terms with the rest of the family.
The show felt compelled to break away to various different events. They were meant to highlight the many unique families throughout this world. The Duprees were still built up to be this super imposing and impressive family. They would go to war to defend one of their own. This story only offers people wanting to get away for their own happiness. That isn't tied to a strong connection with family whatsoever. It's just strange. Izaiah shows up at the club before any of Anita and Vernon's children or grandchildren. His presence is notable because Jacob wants to spend time with him. No one really struggles with the aftermath of what comes next. The focus is just meant to be on this particular moment. Sure, Ted and Eva eventually meet up with Martin and Smitty. Those two stories are largely separate. In fact, Leslie starts scheming about how to exploit Izaiah's family connections. One can appreciate all that has changed for June within the last year. She's blessed. Everything she has ever wanted has come true. The effort is made to keep that little corner of family together. That feels like a more meaningful celebration than what occurs at the club or Uptown. Vanessa and Joey are involved when they don't particularly need to be. The same goes to Ashley, Jan and Mona. The ensemble is broad. Yet the episode required more focus to actually deliver a moving message.
Grade: C
