Joey gives Donnell what he wants. Deanna's blast from the past has a mission for her to accomplish. Shanice gives Ted her decision on their future. Martin and Tyrell have an important father-son talk. Leslie crashes Garland's press conference. A fallen hero is memorialized. Dani schools Bill on his selective memory. Ted's vote of confidence in Nicole rubs her the wrong way. Anita and Vernon's night of romance is interrupted by Kat and Martin. Jacob and Naomi have a raw conversation about his undercover operation.
Episode 2.094
Is Doug still alive? Or is his recent appearance nothing more than a figment of Deanna's imagination? That was the mystery established at the conclusion of last week's episodes. It appears to be the latter. When Deanna steps in front to hide him from a country club staffer, he disappears. She doesn't take any of this as a troubling sign. It could indicate a major medical condition. Instead, she's happy to see her father again. She wants to share this news with her brother. However, Donnell has once again bought into Joey's fake sincerity. He accepts that Joey wasn't involved in Doug's death. Meanwhile, Deanna gets confirmation from Doug himself. It's just her mind confirming what she already believes. The impact is still real. Doug never interacted with his children onscreen before. This twist allows that dynamic to be seen. Deanna was shaken by her father's tragic death. It hit her harder than Vanessa and Donnell. As such, she was more willing to accept this sudden appearance. She cries out for him to return. She needs his presence now more than ever. His guidance can help her remain strong against Joey while simultaneously getting her to extend grace to her mother. That's the energy she needs moving forward. It's delivered in a way that compromises her. That means the malicious people in this world may continue to get away with their deceptions.
Speaking of medical ailments, Bill would be foolish if he doesn't immediately contact Madison about his hand tremor returning. He has always been afraid of hospitals. However, healthcare should be more accessible now that Madison is part of the family. He trusts her medical opinion. That means any delay in addressing this problem reflects poorly on him. He can't write it off as being over-caffeinated. That's what he tells Hayley before she poisons him again. She's frustrated the slow-acting poison is taking forever. Randy tells her to stay the course. No one is eying them with suspicion. Bill tells Tomas to drop the Lynette investigation. Tomas and Kat only have theories. Nothing has disproven the idea that Lynette simply left town. Bill is done deploying resources to this task. Kat may not give up so easily. She hasn't even talked to Jacob yet about Lynette's connection to Lia. Of course, he's busy. He's dealing with the fallout from Lia and Ren's arrests. Leslie believes this will reflect poorly on her. She doesn't want to be incriminated by the clinic's role in the smuggling operation. No one is investigating her. That's frustrating given her past crimes. She wasn't involved in this case. She's not even sympathetic over Derek's death. She doesn't care. Instead, she gets exactly what she wants. Eva has agreed to temporarily work for her at the clinic.
Grade: B
Episode 2.095
Derek's parents didn't visit when he was injured. He was paralyzed for months. Ashley had to carry the emotional and physical burden of caring for him. They appreciate her call telling them about his death. Derek's father, Brian, arrives to collect the body. The show already has plenty of characters grieving this loss. And now, a new angle is introduced. Brian blames Jacob for Derek's death. He believes an officer never should have put Derek in a compromising position. Derek was a hero. He didn't have to be. That's how Brian rationalizes what happened. Naomi is concerned about Jacob. He hasn't stopped working. Elon will look out for him. He thinks everything is fine. Naomi is worried. Jacob lost his best friend. Derek wasn't involved in this investigation until that night at the warehouse. Everything went awry. Grayson's been protected. He won't face any professional consequences. In fact, Leslie is willing to hire him as a salaried employee at the clinic. She's concerned her business will fail because of its association with the case. Garland was compromised too but no one thinks the hospital will suddenly fold. Leslie goes to the extremes. She puts on a show in front of reporters. It's a new facet of her manipulative abilities. It's still making the situation all about her. As such, it's frustrating when the show offers no consequences for those who were involved in this lengthy storyline.
Elsewhere, Mona discloses her recent type 2 diabetes diagnosis. It comes across as nothing more than a PSA. Yes, it's important information. The narrative has done well in spotlighting health issues that disproportionately plague the Black community. It was much more seamless when Anita was diagnosed with cancer. It was rooted in character first. She chose to use her platform to advocate for health screenings. With Mona, it's busy work. It gives her something to do. That makes it words on a page instead of actions. That's disappointing. It's something new. That's refreshing. It's not like Ted once again claiming to establish boundaries with Leslie. He makes that clear to Shanice after she recommits to their relationship. He tells Smitty not to print anything Leslie has to say. It probably won't be long until Ted sympathizes with Leslie. That's been his pattern for a long time. There's no reason to believe it will change now. He's an adult who must own his decisions. Messiness between Jessica and Tyrell can be explained by them being teenagers. Martin's talk with his son is moving. It sets up expectations for the future. Then, Jessica comes in with a different plan altogether.
Grade: C+
Episode 2.096
When Bill and Ted were married to Dani and Nicole, they didn't have to worry about staying involved with their families. They took it for granted. After their divorces, they've both proven how little they actually know about their loved ones. They make assumptions about their past behavior. Bill insists he was protective of Dani. He cheated on her and forced others to lie to cover up his affairs. He tolerated Mike's behavior. When he was threatened with consequences, that's when he took action. He insists it wasn't a problem before. Dani knows better. This contributed to Naomi not wanting to work for Bill. The firm he created was a toxic workplace. Many talented women chose not to apply for jobs. Bill missed out. Meanwhile, Ted believes Nicole would be excellent as Garland's Chief of Staff. He figures she could have changed her mind. He makes that connection due to her dating both Carlton and Kial. That's a leap. Just like Anita and Vernon, Kial believes Ted is looking for a way to work closely with Nicole once more. Nicole shares a story about helping a patient who left a cult. It's unclear if that's offered so the cult will become a prominent story or just to prove she is exactly where she wants to be professionally. It accomplishes the latter. Kial sees that clearly. Nicole isn't looking to advance in hospital administration. Dani points out Bill's failings. He's forced to face them. Nicole insists Ted's assumptions are wrong. He doesn't give up hope though. She doesn't effectively communicate with him about how this isn't what she wants. She too assumes he would know better. This is further proof of how disastrous their marriage ultimately was.
Jacob won't rest until everyone involved with the plasma smuggling ring is held accountable. He'll pursue justice no matter the cost. Derek turned out to be the collateral damage. At the memorial at Uptown, Vanessa is the only person who brings up the criminal organization. Jacob has his guard up around her. He fears she'll report back to Joey, who must be involved somehow. He's finally forced to slow down and reckon with the damage caused by this case. Derek died. He hasn't processed that. Everyone knows Derek sacrificed himself to save Jacob. That's frequently mentioned in the speeches. Many are grateful that Derek was a hero. They will miss all that they once did together. Eva realizes how difficult it is to manage the clinic. Ashley loved the times they spent together hanging out with their friends. Derek becomes a guardian angel looking over those he cared about. It's a nice sentiment. It's important for this realization to come for Jacob. He must carry this personal burden. The story should pivot to him. This should serve as a conclusion of sorts for mourning from Ashley. She can't be inactive while grieving. Derek receives his final call home.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.097
Jacob doesn't have to keep it all together with Naomi. She doesn't want his appreciation for her steely resolve while he was undercover. She was freaking out the entire time. She didn't know what was happening with him. She thought something would go wrong and she would never know. She was terrified when he didn't respond to her texts. She was grateful for the moments they could sneak away together. She expresses all of that now. He's finally home. The rest of the family realizes how afraid she has been for months. Jacob wasn't away training. He was undercover working on a dangerous assignment. Martin realizes the danger Smitty was in as well. They survived. Derek didn't. Jacob blames himself. He didn't react until it was too late. He didn't see the shooter walking up on him. He believes he should have taken that bullet. He was wrong to let Derek into the warehouse. From that position, Derek was able to respond. Jacob got his arrests. He also lost his best friend. He finally breaks. Naomi couldn't let him bottle all of these emotions up. He had to let them out. She provides a safe space. They grieve together. That's what they needed. As Vanessa points out though, grief pops up in unexpected ways. She's still mourning Doug. She knows Joey will provide comfort when she needs it. She also has to address the lingering memories of Doug. Meanwhile, it appears the Impaler will be unmasked by meeting with Joey instead of when Jacob gets to arrest him.
Levity is provided when Kat and Martin separately walk in on Anita and Vernon in an intimate moment. They don't actually see anything. Additionally, it's odd that the couple take the romance to a hotel instead of their bedroom. They have a house to themselves. They can do whatever they want. It's almost as if the show didn't want to construct a new setting. Instead, it could rely on the hotel where several stories have already been set. It's odd but doesn't detract too much from the two of them connecting. They've been waiting a long time for this moment. They needed romance in their lives. It's a rewarding payoff. Elsewhere, the narrative clearly wants Hayley to rely on Leslie at some point. Leslie keeps offering friendship. Hayley continues to reject her. But now, their contact information has been traded. That establishes the expectation that Hayley will have to reach out. That would require her con on Bill to escalate. That may be occurring with the return of his hand tremor. Hayley convinces him that it's stress-induced. They don't seek medical advise. That's concerning. It's not dangerous immediately. And so, the holding pattern largely continues.
Grade: B-
