Naomi is faced with her worst nightmare. Leslie hijacks Chelsea and Madison's wedding dreams. Carlton and Kial lock horns over Nicole. Dani makes a concession for Andre. Kat doles out some warnings to Izaiah. Eva is in desperate need of Ted's help. Shanice leans on her aunt. Bill and Anita engage in a difficult discussion. Leslie's renovation is thwarted, which puts her at odds with Vernon. Joey gives his blessing to an old friend. Vanessa seeks Nicole out for some advice. Kial makes a surprising move.
Episode 2.050
Naomi is terrified Jacob will die in the line of duty. She experiences vivid dreams of that possibility. Even a moment of joy could be snatched away. She has to be careful. She's afraid because of the unknown. She doesn't know what's happening with her husband. She's grateful he reaches out to maintain their connection. That's dangerous too. It risks exposing his undercover identity. He takes this risk because he needs to be with her. He's ready for more work. He needs to go deeper within the smuggling operation. Naomi reaches out to Ashley for support. She needs her friend to help her process these fears. Ashley is there for her. She's the only one aware of what's going on in Naomi and Jacob's marriage. Everyone else has been kept at a distance. Naomi has even researched details to make their cover story more believable. She doesn't want to expose Jacob to any unnecessary risks. She wants him to succeed. She's not honest with her husband about her fears. She can't take away this opportunity. She has to remain strong. Her nightmare could be setting up the inevitability that something happens to Jacob. That's amplified by the episode actually making it seem real. That suggests these concerns are valid. That was always the case. Now, the narrative teases that as more likely.
It's ridiculous that Leslie is planning Eva and Izaiah's wedding. They aren't engaged. The only purpose of this story may be to force Chelsea and Madison to get married this year. Chelsea starts planning with Dani and Kat. They're positioned at the club where Leslie can overhear everything. Instead of having any original ideas of her own, she steals from them. Madison wants to complete her yearlong research fellowship before walking down the aisle. Everyone has time. Leslie creates drama. It's exasperating. Will Izaiah's words have any impact whatsoever? It's doubtful. She needs a change of pace though. So him standing up for Eva showcases how serious he is while seemingly taming Leslie. Similarly, the pettiness between Carlton and Kial isn't all that charming. They say all the right things when they are with Nicole. In fact, the audience can respond positively to both couplings. When the guys are together, they are immediately combative. They need to one up each other. They are rivals with Nicole as the prize. That's not sexy. It's the precise energy Nicole doesn't want. This behavior could ruin both of their chances with her. She makes that clear. Again, only time will tell if the lesson is learned.
Grade: C+
Episode 2.051
Leslie believes someone will always bail her out. She can behave however she wants. Eva rationalizes it because she knows her mother repressed herself in a loveless marriage. Leslie doesn't want to hide who she is anymore. It's exhausting to everyone around her. The skill may be figuring out how to manage her extremes. Izaiah believes he has the tools to do so. Keeping her mind occupied may keep her from inflicting more damage on the Duprees. They aren't the only people she directs her anger towards. She confronts Derek over taking a lunch break. He's still working at Orphey Gene's. She thinks she can fire him. She never wanted him anyway. She wants Eva to be managing the clinic. She expects Ted to fire their daughter. She doesn't care how that will damage his relationship with Eva. It's all about what she wants. She needs Eva to be involved because that's the only way she thinks the clinic will survive. The business can function without her. Leslie creates drama. Everything would run smoothly without her. She needs to feel important. She robs from others. She attaches herself to their celebrations to make herself feel better. Nothing will ever get her to change her ways. Even Izaiah's compromise requires Eva to appease her mother's worst impulses. That only ensures this behavior will continue. Problems get solved after the fact instead of producing any meaningful changes.
No one can escape from Leslie either. Dani's enraged over Leslie stealing Chelsea's wedding plans. She's relieved Andre will talk with Ted. She's even more thrilled when Kat shares that Eva and Izaiah aren't engaged. Leslie doesn't consume their lives. She's an annoyance. They always have to carefully monitor her. They aren't obsessed with her. Sure, Kat carries much more vitriol than the rest of the family. Her loved ones have expressed their concerns. Her grudge is justified. She doesn't want good things to happen to Leslie and Eva. She blames both of them for destroying her family. She won't accept them. These thoughts have paralyzed her before. At the moment, she is capable of celebrating alongside Dani and Chelsea while being there for Anita. That's where her focus needs to be. She warns Izaiah. It's up to him whether or not to listen. He has chosen not to. He separates Eva from Leslie. She isn't complicit. She's just as exasperated as everyone else. The audience has a different conclusion. She encourages her mother by not setting firm boundaries or cutting her off. That doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. And so, more characters get pulled into the drama and try to take Leslie down with their words. Monica delivers that here. She probably won't be the last to do so.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.052
Bill is shaken by Anita's appearance. Vernon and Anita are grateful he found a way to stop construction on Leslie's house. Leslie's outraged. She thinks she can solve this problem by throwing money at it. Bill called in a favor. He got her in trouble for going an inch over the property line. The approval process has to start all over again. Kat got to witness Leslie freaking out. She basked in the joy of karma finally getting her. It's only a delay though. Construction will start again at some point. Right now, Anita needs peace. She wants Bill to be honest with her too. She needs to know if cancer is beating her. She resembles Bill's mother. She died following a long battle with depression. She gave up. He doesn't want Anita to feel the same way. He demands she tell people exactly how she's feeling. It's not good enough to assume they know. She needs to be vocal about her pain. People can only help if they know what's going on. His words inspire. Bill remains such a complex character. He's not always involved in the most interesting stories. His marriage with Hayley has stalled out. However, he's an excellent utility player who can enhance any corner of this world. His hug with Kat is actually quite moving. He's not delivering bad news. Things haven't changed with Anita. He wants to be there for the family no matter what they need. He has that introspection despite the pain he has caused. He's tried to move on. He remains attached. Many of the Duprees are grateful for his services.
This episode is designed around characters being blunt with one another. Kial shares that he wants to get a little more serious with Nicole. He apologizes for his past behavior in her office. He doesn't want that childish outburst to ruin his chances with her. He wants to open more of his life up to her. He's not pressuring her to do the same. He follows her lead. He's being honest about his feelings. Moreover, he meets Kat. She wants to know his intentions with her mother. Meanwhile, Izaiah seeks Joey's permission to tell Eva about their history. He wants to be completely honest with his girlfriend. He appreciates Joey for seeing the good in him. He got him to a place where he could have all this happiness in his life. He's grateful for that. And finally, Vanessa wants guidance from Nicole about how to handle Deanna. It's devastating that her daughter wants to be distant from her. Patience is the only way forward. Joey offers candid advice too. He doesn't caution against contacting Deanna. Instead, he pitches a voicemail so Deanna can listen when she's ready. Vanessa wants to be involved in her daughter's life. Deanna has to be willing to let her in. She still needs time to process her mother dating so soon after Doug's death.
Grade: B-
