Eva vents to Tomas. Izaiah and Kat have a heated exchange. Anita confides in Dani who then recommends a bold course of action. Bill tries to get to the bottom of his health scare. Dani admits to Andre that she kissed Bill. Smitty meets with his source. Joey lets Vanessa into his inner sanctum. Nicole and Kial go on a date. Shanice makes a revolting discovery. Anita locks horns with Anastasia. One couple gets engaged. Pamela conspires with Andre. Ted publicly confronts Leslie regarding her subterfuge.
Episode 2.021
After seeing Kat and Eva interact, Izaiah decides to get even more involved with Eva. It's somewhat crazy. All of her insecurities were apparent. Yet this moment revealed they want to have a more serious relationship. They don't want to be casual. Izaiah finds himself defending Eva against Kat. Meanwhile, Eva once again vents to Tomas. He actually has a calming presence on her. She's pointedly trying to create tension between him and Kat. He pushes past that to get to the root of her insecurities. It's all projection. Kat only sees the malicious intent. Eva's motives are never entirely pure. Izaiah doesn't see how she could be manipulating him. He's not some high-prized mark. That's not exactly what Kat is suggesting when she details Eva's deceptions. She just wants to be understood. Tomas provides that. Kat and Tomas appear to be on the same page. That's new territory for them. They imagine a future together. That's all they want. They won't easily be tempted. They trust one another. They built their lives on something stable. Heartbreak may still inevitably come. They aren't the most exciting couple. The show remains committed to their pairing. The same applies to Eva and Izaiah as they get serious.
The narrative clearly wants to clarify several dynamics. That provides them with new avenues to pursue. These relationships are secure. The most passionate coupling is Chelsea and Madison. They were on the verge of breaking up. Madison was running away to Copenhagen. And now, they decide to embark on this journey abroad together. This is the spontaneity Chelsea has been yearning for. It comes with several daunting concerns. She wouldn't be close to her family. She would have to work remotely. The couple appears willing to make that work. Anita wouldn't want her family to put their lives on hold because of her cancer. It's still important for the family to be nearby. Family has been such a priority for all of them. They lean on each other during tough times. If Chelsea commits to a year in Europe with Madison, they would only have each other. That could strengthen them. It may be viewed as selfish too. That dichotomy is always on display with Derek. He wants to feel sorry for himself. Shanice won't let him. Meanwhile, Jan and Leslie decide to plan his life for him. He may appreciate that. That means he won't have to put in the hard work himself. Shanice knows how to motivate him. Others want to make it easy on his behalf while glossing over his mistakes.
Grade: C+
Episode 2.022
Anita has started losing her hair. It's another thing cancer has taken from her. Dani inspires her to grab ahold of the narrative. She should dictate the terms. She isn't losing her hair. Instead, she's embracing a new style. She takes inspiration from her mesmerizing looks of the past. Dani can handle this makeover. It's terrifying to look in the mirror and see a cancer patient. Anita mourns the loss of her identity. This isn't a sacrifice. It's something new. She returns home to Vernon's adoration. He's impressed by his daughter's skills. He understands why Anita didn't tell him. She needed to grapple with it herself. Dani helped her process it. Dani knows what it's like to fear this exact possibility. She's not facing cancer. So much is happening quickly for Anita. That's not robbing her of her life. The family has plenty to be joyous about. Everything also proceeds with caution. Vernon warns Andre about Bill's true regret over the end of his marriage. It presents differently. Andre believes they've had this conversation. Vernon's fears are understandable. Dani would never allow something to bloom with Bill. Andre is confident in that. Unfortunately, his honesty requires Dani to come clean about already kissing her ex-husband due to nostalgia and vulnerability.
Meanwhile, Kat fears Chelsea is acting too impulsively with her move to Denmark with Madison. She thinks Chelsea will be bored and unproductive there. She has an interest in Chelsea's future. They are business partners. They need to work together for ChelseaKat to succeed. Remote work is possible. Chelsea knows inspiration can strike anywhere. More than that, Kat believes Chelsea is breaking from her values to be with her girlfriend. This love is one of compromise and Chelsea is giving too much of herself away. Kat may not be the most objective figure in that regard. Her concerns are valid. It requires true commitment and patience for this to work. That's if Madison ends up leaving town at all. She's devoted to Bill's health. She aims to pass the case off to another specialist. However, the results remain concerning. The longer Bill stays in the hospital the more likely Hayley's poison will be discovered. It's a victory for her when he decides not to stay the night. She manipulates that outcome into occurring. That's only a momentary victory. She has her work cut out for her to keep this deception alive. Plus, Bill successfully lobbies the doctors to get the tea out of his routine. That's a win for him despite being oblivious to its lethal dangers.
Grade: B
Episode 2.023
Can Dani and Bill stay away from each other? They've failed at that repeatedly. Dani insists their kiss was closure. That's what she tells Andre. The kiss signaled regret for Bill. He shared that with Vernon. Dani wants to draw a line in what their dynamic can be. She and Andre are stronger than ever. She also feels drawn to her ex-husband. She's concerned whenever his health is brought up. It's so easy for nostalgia to strike. She wants to move on. He caused so much pain. It has proven impossible to do so. He's obviously pushing Hayley away too. That allows her to more blatantly flirt with Izaiah. It's not reciprocated whatsoever. It's off-putting. He runs when he has an opportunity. That further highlights Hayley's recklessness. No one has identified her as the source of Bill's failing health. Instead, everyone is distracted by Caroline's birthday. Bill gifts her a new car. It's a sign of appreciation for her loyalty. That connects to what's happening with Smitty and Jacob's investigation. They are trying to get into an organization where loyalty is regarded above all else. The boss already knows someone has been snitching. That doesn't deter them away. It emboldens them because they are finally making progress. That requires more to directly occur onscreen.
Anita closely guards her health. That leaves the grandkids having to update each other about what's been happening recently. Martin knows Anita collapsed after chemo and later kicked Vernon out of the house. Meanwhile, Chelsea comes in after seeing Anita's new look. Anita embraces the new narrative. She hosts a fabulous photoshoot with Andre. Some of the only regrets she has in life are not being more free. She felt pressure to always present professionally. Now, she's the one dictating the terms. She won't be afraid to do what makes her happy. That parallels nicely with what Nicole's been going through. That's not directly linked in this episode. Instead, the family is finding ways to remain connected. Chelsea admits moving to Denmark is probably too impractical. She listens to Anita when she shares her concerns. Madison is more than willing to accommodate long distance. They can make things work. They are committed to this relationship. That isn't going to change. They've overcome their recent hurdle. Madison knows how important family is to Chelsea. That extends to the mystery she knows is plaguing Bill. Chelsea only briefly hears that update from Hayley. Everyone wants to underplay it. It's deathly serious.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.024
Leslie's trap goes off at the perfect moment. Shanice was already questioning Ted's commitment to their relationship. Then, she discovers the underwear planted in his hotel room. He says all the right things. Shanice knows better. He keeps spying on Nicole's date with Kial. He can't rationalize the woman she has become. Shanice is proud of Nicole's fierce independence. She is doing what feels good to her. This is in direct response to her divorce. Ted is to blame. He hurt her. He doesn't get to decide how she responds. She doesn't have to share every detail about her life either. He's confounded. This isn't the woman he married. He still yearns for her. Shanice sees that clearly. She wants to be the priority. She only wants to be with Ted if he's over his marriage. He isn't. Nicole is only willing to take things up to a point as well. She stops when Kial wants to get intimate at his place. Kissing is very hot and heavy. She enjoys it. That's as much as she's comfortable with him right now. She has a firm set of boundaries. Her relationship with Carlton has progressed to more. She invited him to her bedroom. Kial has to earn that. It won't just be given. Nicole decides what's best for her. Ted broke her and doesn't get an opinion whatsoever. He has more drama to manage anyway.
Things progress between Joey and Vanessa. She enters his home. This is the first time she's seeing his place. That reveals how much he cares about her. She already wants to move in. She sees that as the direction of this conversation. He puts the brakes on that. He doesn't want his enemies to know how much she means to him. Of course, their relationship is already public. If people want to know, they are capable of finding out rather easily. That would be another thing he has to worry about. He wants to let his guard down at home. It's the only place where he feels the slightest bit allowed to do so. That would be taken from him even though he loves Vanessa. Meanwhile at the club, Anastasia tries her best to gate keep tradition. Jessica already believed in the privileged and spoiled nature of the cotillion. Anita offers a different perspective. That clashes with Anastasia who believes the most purebred member of this community deserves the most recognition and praise. Anita offers class. She throws down with her words. She inspires the next generation because of the acts of service attached to this event. It's about using one's voice to advance the causes that matter. Anastasia only wants to keep others out while acting entitled in determining who really belongs.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.025
This has been a whirlwind week for Chelsea and Madison. First, they were going to live together in Copenhagen. Then, they accepted being long distance. Now, they're engaged. It's not a desperate move from Chelsea either. It's a statement of their love. It's a happy celebration. They will face hurdles. They will find a way to make their love work. This relationship is strong enough to overcome anything. They may get carried away every once in awhile. This moment requires them to think carefully about what they want. This relationship has been so nurturing. A wedding doesn't have to happen right away. Given the nature of the show, plenty of drama will probably occur before they walk down the aisle. Denmark presents as one of those complications. All of Chelsea's family drama is another. The two won't be lacking for story material. That makes them compelling figures. It's not the same stories being repeated. It's hard to be invested in Eva and Izaiah as a couple for instance. She always fears pushing him away. He's not going anywhere no matter how crazy Leslie is. Eva will stand by her mother. She will never betray her. These have been affirmed. They need reassurance to continue believing nothing will change. That's boring. It's never truly tested. That makes Chelsea and Madison's story more engaging. It's difficult but has been given the space to evolve across several months.
Knowing Leslie's behavior makes it perfectly believable for Shanice to listen to Ted about the underwear in his hotel room. She thinks they belong to Nicole because of how much he still wants her. That's the problem in her mind. She can handle Leslie. Nicole is the real problem. Ted isn't over her. He confronts Leslie over her scheme. She refuses to listen. She believes she knows what's in his best interest. Nothing really changes. This could be escalatory. Instead, it's mostly just Ted and Eva being exasperated once more. Similarly, Derek's jealousy of Grayson could be read as consistent with his past actions. Ashley can't be friends with her ex if he continues to behave this way. He simply doesn't trust Grayson. Ashley hasn't been given a reason to be wary of her boyfriend. Derek pointing it out suddenly gives everyone the permission to view Grayson differently. He's obviously hiding something. That's a mystery that must be explored. Ashley could get hurt because Derek gave her every reason not to trust him. And finally, Andre has a perfect modeling opportunity for Dani. He goes out of his way to make it happen. He felt bad for ruining her previous opportunity. He made her give up her dream just like Bill. Unlike her ex-husband, he's trying to make up for it. He doesn't demand Dani to change herself. He loves her for how fierce and independent she is.
Grade: B
