Andre is pulled down by his past. Tensions mount between Tomas and Naomi. Hayley and Ashley clash. Smitty disappoints Martin. Nicole's plan saves the night for Noah. Jacob enlists Grayson and Ashley to surprise Naomi. Vernon's plans for Anita get interrupted. Leslie's forced to reckon with her past in order to move on with her future. Bill and Ted bond over their shared history. Chelsea is haunted by unresolved trauma. Dani locks horns with Hayley. Madison gets conflicting information from two adversaries.
Episode 2.148
Heather won't take no for an answer. She's surprisingly upfront with Andre about being Joey's sister. That only heightens the threat. In the past, Andre was riding high while seeing her in London. His friend cautioned him to stay away. It was better to cut ties completely. If he saw anything about her organization, she wouldn't hesitate to kill him and anyone he cared about. That remains true. Heather knows much more about Andre now. She's eager to seduce him. She doesn't accept how he has changed. She doesn't treat his marriage to Dani seriously. She's not interested in hearing about the relationship either. Andre doesn't want to share his life. He knows any potential details will come back to hurt him. He remains stuck. Wallowing at Uptown is the only thing he can do. Jacob falsely believes it's because of Dani's actions at the hospital. The solution is the same. Both Naomi and Jacob believe Dani and Andre need to talk. Andre shuts down the conversation. He can't tell her about Heather. He doesn't even know Heather has befriended Dani. That will likely make his spiral worse. The danger keeps creeping in. He adds to it. He's not taking any action to improve himself. His marriage is on the verge of collapse. The family already questions if Dani and Bill are going to give in to temptation. The opportunity may strike once more given the danger Andre and Hayley provoke.
Bill is the only person Tomas truly respects. He won't say no to him either. From Naomi's perspective, it's her father and Tomas conspiring against her because they don't trust her to manage the firm. She continues to insist her presence is temporary. No one really believes that. Bill needs to work. He can't function without it. It's not rewarding to simply convince Vernon that he has no intentions of rekindling things with Dani. He's lying to himself as much as to the people around him. As a lawyer, he's in control of the narrative. Tomas has tried to learn from him. He also insists he doesn't have the luxury to say no. Naomi wants to be kept in the loop. She wants to remove any unnecessary stress while Bill is recovering. Chelsea knows work isn't good for him either. Her visit revolves around Hayley's absence. She's grateful her father isn't planting down any serious roots with her stepmother. There is still plenty of concern to go around. Everyone is souring on Tomas. Kat's actions speak a lot louder than her words. She doesn't make time for Tomas while she opens up with Izaiah. That may just be a new way to create conflict between Kat and Eva. It's not particularly exciting or imaginative.
Grade: B-
Episode 2.149
Vanessa has always been drawn to Joey's danger. His mystique excites her. Yet she also wants to blend her life completely with his without changing anything. She demands a better explanation about why she shouldn't trust Heather. She admires how Joey remains firm in his convictions. He's not going to hand over what he deems important. She expects more because they are partners. Nicole tells her this is the trade off in their relationship. It's not something she would tolerate. She didn't make the choice. Vanessa did. She has to accept that Joey has a good reason for being wary of Heather. She doesn't see this as a fight that could break them up. As such, the stakes are relatively low. Joey's busy trying to understand what Heather is doing in the DMV. He doesn't trust the men he has watching her. They keep messing up. He's frustrated. That protects Andre for now. Nothing is ever going to be as clean as these characters want. Smitty thought he accepted the resolution of the Impaler investigation. It didn't result in an arrest. He can't stop until the truth is revealed. That will place him in danger. He's being honest and upfront with Martin. They could sneak away and enjoy time together. That's not in the cards for them. They're busy with their lives and have to settle for brief moments of connection.
The nurses treat Bill and Hayley's intimacy more seriously than Ted does. It's a pointed contrast in their responsibilities at the hospital. Ted would let it slide. He doesn't see it as a big deal. Meanwhile, it escalates to the point where Ashley calls security on Hayley. That's used as further ammo in Hayley's arsenal against those determined to break up her marriage. She's obviously deceitful. She broke the rules. Ashley enforces the consequences. It's tangled up with the personal dynamics because it's Ashley. With Shanice, the situation could have been much more objective. None of this deters Bill from wanting to leave. He's constantly going against doctor's orders. It's no wonder no one has figured out what's wrong with him. He doesn't allow anyone to have the time and expertise to investigate. He wants everything now. He demands it. Hayley plays into that as it contributes to his declining health. Everyone else is right to worry. At a certain point though, that stubbornness is more destructive than anything else. It prevents people from truly knowing him. Dani is the closest to getting him to change his ways. Yet that too can't be seen as objective. It's caught up in their history which is always at risk of reigniting at a moment's notice. That isn't good for anyone either.
Grade: C+
Episode 2.150
350 episodes in and the show is dull. None of the stories here are entertaining. They don't intrigue in the slightest. Nicole assembles an impromptu open mic at her home just for Noah. She's going above and beyond for someone she just met. His performance impresses Anita enough that she invites him to her vocal sessions. She struggles to sing. That's much more interesting. Music means everything to her. The cancer may have taken that away. That's heartbreaking. That's hardly the focus though. Instead, everyone talks up Noah. He and Kial are becoming prominent parts of this family. Vernon hasn't even had a serious conversation with Kial yet. It felt like he was about to say Nicole was empathetic to a fault. She will always try to make things better for others. Kial understood there was a lesson in Noah missing out on the open mic at Uptown. Nicole had to put together this event. It's much more intimate and daunting. It's also inconsequential. It's meant to show a slice-of-life for these characters. That's the energy throughout the entire narrative. Not every episode needs to be incredibly dramatic. However, it's necessary for something to provide a propulsive energy. This week is seemingly full of conversations that don't matter or are forced into happening. That's beyond frustrating.
Eva was right to push Leslie to examine her relationship with Marcel. That dynamic is suddenly reconfigured. Before, it was just about sex. They weren't looking for something serious. Now, Leslie issues an ultimatum. Marcel steps up and she rejects his offer. It's reasonable to not want to live on a boat. Eva criticizes her mother for once again prioritizing a fantasy with Ted. That didn't necessarily have to be the reason. Eva creates tension where there is none. And then, it's suppose to be better when Leslie expresses herself through song. It's all one painful contrivance after another. The same applies to Joey seeing Izaiah as his legacy. It's proof he's more than his sinister reputation. Izaiah is grateful for the guidance. It's not some miraculous story built on him turning his life around. That's how it is played. It would better if Joey was being opportunistic and used this relationship to force Elon to work for him. That complexity isn't allowed to occur. Similarly, Dani and Andre refuse to communicate. They aren't connecting even during sex. Nothing has changed. It's a lot of effort for nothing. It doesn't even feel like anyone is trying. That's the most unfortunate aspect. Too many of the same dynamics without applying new behavior. No reason to invest in any of the dynamics as they're all forced.
Grade: C-
Episode 2.151
Ted and Leslie were lonely when they first met. For Ted, it was only momentary. He and Nicole weren't connecting. He was frustrated and sought something else out. It was refreshing to be with Leslie. He appreciated how bold and funny she was. It wasn't complicated. For Leslie, this was the first time she actually felt seen in her entire life. She finally had a friend. It developed into so much more. They were having an affair before they kissed. In hindsight, Ted can see that Bill was looking out for him. He didn't want Ted to make the same mistakes he did. He also believes Ted could have been redeemed by stopping at the kiss. That's not true. The betrayal would have been the same because Ted kept the secret. It festered for decades. Leslie's emotions did as well. She felt betrayed by the one person who knew her. She wanted to keep him in her life for as long as possible. Ted only stayed because Nicole got pregnant. They found their way back to each other. He wasn't honest about how broken their relationship had gotten. He just wanted to celebrate the happiness. He reckons with that now. Meanwhile, Leslie remains fixated on Ted. She can't move on. That's why she needs to depend on Eva all the time. She's the one person who will never abandon her. Eva sees her mother differently. Izaiah can relate because he has the same view of Joey.
Izaiah's meeting with Joey plays with more context after the fact. He explains to Eva that his friend was denied parole. He will be spending the rest of his life in prison. That could have been his life too. Joey saved him. He always needs to show his appreciation. He doesn't believe it came out of opportunity or manipulation. The show wants to present the best possible case for everyone's motivations. It doesn't want to be shrouded in ambiguity. That's been frustrating for awhile. It leaves the narrative feeling stuck. This episode helps provide new context for Ted and Leslie's relationship. He was loving. He's not making the same mistakes now. He projects being able to move on as a better person. Leslie can't do that. It has to be all or nothing. That's the only way she knows how to live. She won't live on a boat with Marcel. And so, their relationship is over. That's the dealbreaker. She desperately seeks out Ted. He's not there. He wouldn't have been even if he was at the hotel. He's made his stance known. She keeps pushing for more. She lives in the past. It doesn't matter how much her life has changed. Eva calls out her behavior. It's not enough. It suggests the show knows how to do more meaningful character work. It just needs to do so on a more consistent basis.
Grade: B
Episode 2.152
It's been a year since Chelsea's abduction. She hasn't thought about Allison in months. The anniversary triggers a traumatic response. The horrors of that experience come rushing back. Moreover, she's convinced two random phone calls are Allison haunting her once more. It's a stretch. It can't be seen as a coincidence. The family is there for Chelsea no matter what she needs. They all reach out. She needs the space to come to them if necessary. They respect that. She wants to focus on work. That's impossible because of this trauma. It returns to the forefront. Madison came home to be there for Chelsea because of the anniversary. She didn't when Bill was hospitalized. Chelsea reached out but didn't get a response. Madison didn't immediately return. No explanation was given. Bill is still in the hospital. He's safer there than at home. Hayley is plotting to give him a lethal dose of the poison. She won't be deterred by this latest setback. The doctors haven't discharged Bill. Him wanting to have sex with Hayley is trivial. It's inappropriate to do so at the hospital when the nurses are literally monitoring his heart. He has to take it easy. He hates having nothing to do. It's safer for him that way. He's out of danger for the moment. Hayley can't risk poisoning him now. She has to wait for him to be vulnerable at home. This latest brush with death hasn't diminished Bill's fire. He still has the energy to criticize Tomas for his poor decisions.
Tomas isn't Bill. He wants to be his mentor so bad. He aims to impress his boss with any opportunity that arises. As such, he falls into Mike's trap. He's not the lawyer on Madison's case. Mike reaches out to him to divide the team. Instead of telling Mike to contact Naomi for a meeting, Tomas jumps into action. He gets Madison into the office and stays for the meeting. He doesn't know the details of the case or the strategy the firm is utilizing. Instead, he argues for why Madison should settle now. He's passionate about it despite being completely ignorant. He's oblivious to what Madison wants. He causes her unnecessary anxiety. That energy could be better spent focusing on Chelsea and Bill. Instead, Tomas invites drama in. Naomi sees through Mike's strategy. She handles herself well. She knows time is running out to finish Madison's deposition. That's not reason to settle. It simply requires Bill trusting Naomi to step up and handle this case on her own. He agrees with her completely upon hearing about what Tomas did. This isn't the way to help the firm. This isn't the first time Tomas has been called out like this. Nothing changes though. He makes the same mistakes over and over again without the lesson sinking in.
Grade: B-
