Bill confides in an unlikely ally. Kat spies on Randy. Hayley surprises Chelsea and Naomi. Chelsea gathers intel from Caroline. Leslie gets to know Noah. Tyrell's plan blows up in his face. Anita doles out a deadline for her daughter. Vernon meets with Izaiah. Eva gets terrible news. Dani rattles Randy. Leslie and Ted clash over Eva. Nicole and Carlton come to a new understanding. Hayley gets what she wants. Andre seeks Smitty's help. Joey's sister befriends Dani and Vanessa. Nicole updates a shocked Kial about a change.
Episode 2.138
Hayley's actions don't match her words. She apologizes to Naomi and Chelsea only to ease tension with Bill. She expects everything to be forgiven because they're family. She's not wrong to make that assumption. The Duprees function that way. They are protective of their own. They must come together to handle whatever life brings. However, Hayley's sole family is Randy. She demands without offering anything in return. She doesn't understand his moral uncertainty. Mona chips away at the damage done to his soul. She's even willing to face off with Joey in the name of redemption. She's committed to the cause even though she can't explain why she's drawn to Randy. She sees doubts. Randy has been shaken by what he has done. Joey isn't the only powerful person in the DMV though. Vanessa reminds him that Bill has plenty of connections too. Going after him may lead Randy down the same path. Randy jokes about death. He lost his best friend. The narrative puts in the effort to showcase his dimensions as a character. Meanwhile, Hayley expects things to work a certain way. She's frustrated when others don't abide by her expectations. She wants Chelsea and Naomi to call before coming over. Bill extended the courtesy to his daughters. Hayley didn't. She showed up unexpectedly which allowed all of this tension to reignite.
Everyone is still slowly piecing together Hayley's story. Kat is determined to uncover the truth. She stays at Orphey Gene's to spy on Mona and Randy. Mona is a friend of the family. Kat doesn't want to see her get hurt. Yet Randy has become a mystery that must be solved. Vanessa declares his innocence. He has nothing to offer Hayley. The Duprees aren't aware of the family connection. They know both Hayley and Randy grew up in Philadelphia. That allows the speculation to run rampant. They want to figure out a motive for Hayley's deception. They rule out money because Bill is too smart to lose everything. That's precisely what Hayley is focused on. That was her plan all along. Anything is possible. Kat, Naomi and Chelsea have to accept that possibility. Meanwhile, Bill reckons with his own mortality. He knows the Duprees will take care of his daughters. Joey doesn't need to provide any extra protection. Bill needs to know that the ugliness of the world won't harm his girls. Joey offers that certainty. Plans are being made in preparation for death. Hayley's been at it for awhile. Bill is now as well. He's not living in denial even though he refuses to return to the hospital.
Grade: C+
Episode 2.139
Both Nicole and Hayley have neglected certain relationships. It's a consequence of Carlton and Caroline being absent from their respective stories. Nicole has already mentioned that her relationship with Kial has developed. She has no intentions of breaking up with Carlton. She clearly prioritizes Kial. Carlton sees that. Nicole rejected his offer to spend the night together. She then leaves with Kial. She's wrapped in his embrace. Even though Kial's work takes him out of the DMV as well, the effort has been made to keep him in Nicole's orbit. Meanwhile, Hayley is no longer hanging out with Caroline. They were friends. They delighted in scheming together. Caroline was always a mark to Hayley. She gathered information. She exploited her connection with Bill to help get her ahead. She no longer needs that. Naomi and Chelsea's concern about how Hayley is treating their father is valid. The family is trying to expose her for having an affair. They will exploit any opening to get the information they need. Chelsea isn't trying to be friends with Caroline. Their interaction at Uptown is friendly. The Duprees may have to behave like Hayley to expose her deception. No one may emerge unscathed as a result even though Jacob is fully supportive of this investigation. Tomas wants plausible deniability. However, he will likely be on the receiving end of Bill's judgment no matter what given his relationship with Kat. They can't easily be separated despite their best intentions to do so.
Eva agreed to share her transplant story during Chelsea's livestream. She saw the benefits. She hoped to inspire more people to consider donating. She doesn't want the surgery to define her. It's the same thought process Kat had. They came to different conclusions. Kat wanted her privacy no matter what. She didn't want her part in the story to be known. Eva wants to be seen as more than fragile. Leslie and Izaiah are protective of her. They endured the potential of losing her. Eva wants to move on. Yet she doesn't think Izaiah will view her as attractive anymore because of her scar. His feelings haven't changed. She's nervous about being intimate. He doesn't want to hurt her. They have to push past these insecurities to connect again. That's more difficult than leaving Noah behind to deal with Leslie. Eva agreed to keep her mother away from Derek when he managed the clinic. She makes no effort to do the same for Noah. Instead, she leaves him behind to learn for herself just how unhinged she can be. He's met with her story of betrayal. She paints a different picture of the Duprees. Despite that, Noah still wants to hear the other side of the story.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.140
Surgery was necessary to save Eva's life. Her scar signifies that she survived. She doesn't view it as such. She's still healing. Yet she wants Carlton to perform a miracle. She needs to erase this scar and get back to who she was before the tornado. That isn't going to happen. She has to heal completely before anything can be attempted. Even then, the scar will remain. That strikes a blow to Eva's sense of beauty. She no longer feels like herself. She isn't desirable. Leslie and Izaiah love her for who she is. The scar doesn't change that. They spent every moment in the hospital praying for her recovery. They are grateful Kat donated her liver. They get to spend more time loving Eva. She appreciates that. She doesn't feel it for herself. She would benefit from talking to someone about this. Nicole would probably be objective if she was asked to help. That's not the direction immediately pursued. Instead, Leslie is allowed to be comforting. That's in contrast to her behavior throughout the episode. She has no reason to be privy to Nicole's personal life. She uses the information she's gathered to force herself into Nicole's relationship. It's enough to send Nicole to her mother seeking guidance. Anita benefits from the distraction. It's heartbreaking when she struggles to sing at the piano. She fears cancer has taken her greatest joy a year after the Articulettes' reunion. That thought isn't allowed to linger for very long.
The narrative provides more of a rationalization for why Tyrell holds onto the people he loves so deeply. It all stems from being abandoned by June as a child. He found a perfect family. He mended his relationship with June. And yet, these patterns persist. He thinks it's rational to visit Jessica every weekend in California. He makes those plans without considering how she feels. She already thinks her interests are being sidelined in favor of her relationship. He wants to spend every moment with her. Martin and Smitty believe their son is acting this way because it's his first relationship. The depth of his feelings are an extension of that. Samantha explains otherwise. The family must be more considerate now that Jessica has broken up with Tyrell. That was her plan. She had clarity. It was always going to be painful. She agonized over it. Ultimately, it had to occur. Tyrell refused to ever see that as a possibility. It mirrors the dynamic Nicole finds herself in. She's going to hurt someone by ending one relationship in favor of the other. She doesn't have to wall herself off from love. Nor does she have to commit deeper to one romance simply because she has clarity on the other. A deadline is the perfect response for how to avoid agonizing over this and being paralyzed as a result. She has the maturity to recognize that unlike Tyrell.
Grade: C+
Episode 2.141
Multiple people have their suspicions of Hayley and Randy. Vanessa and Dani actually approach him insinuating they know what's going on. No one has uncovered the true plot yet. Bill's ego is too big to entertain any evidence that Hayley is deceiving him. He believes it's impossible for anyone to fool him. Chelsea doesn't come with any proof of an affair either. She wants her father to listen. She has no evidence. Bill remains stuck in his ways. He's even more defensive on Hayley's behalf because this is the anniversary of her "miscarriage." Hayley uses the stress from the Duprees to convince Bill to travel with her. It isn't safe for him to get on a plane. Bill expressed that concern. Caroline thought that too. Hayley erupts at anyone who gets in her way. She has no patience. She only puts effort into her deception with Bill. It's not even all that convincing. It's just enough to get him to go along. He hasn't committed to the vacation yet. Hayley sees that as inevitable. She has her plans set. One more dose is all it will take to kill Bill. She'll dispose of the body before the Duprees can get any of their questions answered. She'll never return to Fairmont Crest. She'll get exactly what she wants. It may have took longer than expected. She doesn't see anything disrupting her plans. Of course, it's inevitable she'll be discovered. The amount of attention on the planning makes it certain to fail.
Leslie is accustomed to saying whatever she wants and storming out as if she was in the right. Ted has run out of patience. He needs her to listen to what he has to say about Eva's recovery. He doesn't particularly do an impressive job. He mentions the importance of emotional support. That's what Eva needs. It's not wise for her to undergo another procedure. Then, he pivots to talking about a psychological evaluation. That's what happens under normal circumstances with organ transplants. It was a traumatic emergency for Eva. She didn't have time to reckon with what it would entail. She just had to accept it. That's more difficult. Leslie isn't making anything better. She storms off because she's once again convinced Ted doesn't care about their daughter. It's not a mature conversation at all. Across town, Carlton behaves differently. He knows Nicole has been pulling away. He agreed to be non-exclusive because he didn't want to lose her. Her actions indicate she doesn't want a relationship with him. He understands that. He also believes Nicole has convinced herself that her relationship with Kial is something it isn't. It's not entirely exciting and new. Kial has planted down roots. Nicole hasn't actively sought out fun elsewhere. She's committed to this path. She hasn't closed herself off from love. The pressure is there whether she wants to admit it or not.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.142
Hayley's certain the next time she calls Randy she will be a rich widow. She found a way to convince Bill to go to St. Barts with her. He had to stop by the office first. That means he collapses there instead. Caroline rushes into action immediately. This isn't the first time Bill has collapsed. Previously, he recovered quickly thereafter. As such, it's not as tantalizing a cliffhanger as it should. The severity is only heightened because of what Hayley believes about Bill's condition. Her plans are ruined because of this event. Yet she will likely find a way to pivot. She always does. She has maintained her con this long. She must simply face the Duprees instead of ignoring them from afar. She's done that for awhile even though they aren't as easily deceived as Bill. Even Caroline has started to question Hayley's actions. Bill appreciates his assistant for her discretion. She has proven her loyalty. That has come at a cost when she expresses her concern. He doesn't reciprocate that loyalty. He won't be deterred from doing what Hayley wants. That nearly leads to his death. His commitment to work is the only thing that potentially saves him. Even this action doesn't come with any certainty that the narrative is at a turning point with Hayley. She and Bill discuss things. Her story will only be more engaging when she's forced to deal with the others in his life.
Nicole is certain with her commitment to Kial. She wants to be exclusive with him. The choice wasn't just whether she wanted to maintain casual relationships. She accepts something more. Dani is happy for her. This was the outcome she could see. It was obvious. Carlton could see it as well. Nicole is the one who awkwardly tries to express herself. She eventually gets on the same page with Kial. He accepts everything she has to offer. He has no hesitation when she updates him on what she wants. Meanwhile, Joey's tentative about what Heather is doing back in town. Vanessa saw him clearly longing for his sister. That doesn't align with the woman she grew up to be. She's every bit as dangerous as him. He must keep his guard up at all times even though Vanessa sees Heather as harmless. The audience knows better. It's potentially dangerous for Dani to become friends with Heather. It comes at a time when Andre is being painfully vague about the threat from his past that has reemerged. He seeks out Smitty for advice. That's unexpected. Yet it also showcases how it's easier for him to talk with Smitty than someone closer to him. He hides the truth from Ted and Dani. He's guarded with Smitty. The reporter's interest is piqued even though Andre doesn't offer much. It just showcases that Andre operates with some specificity despite how little has been revealed so far.
Grade: B-
