Bad Monkey: Season 1 Episode 7 – Review & Recap

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Storyline Recap

The Fall Of The Dragon Queen – Asia (Lauren F. Walker), Gracie, Ya-ya, Nick, Eve, Egg

With Gracie’s life being spared by Nick and Eve, and Eve even taking a liking to Gracie, so comes the question of what is next? She could make a deal with the devil or stay on her path. Note, Gracie didn’t want to be the Dragon Queen, but with her parents dead and options few, she humored her grandmother and pretended she believed in Yoruba traditions as she scammed people.

But, with years going by and the same limited opportunities existing from before, Eve presenting a $50,000 check changes things. With that, Gracie starts smelling herself and curses at Ya-Ya, treats her friend Asia as if she is way too familiar, and slowly but surely, she turns her back on everything and everyone but Egg, but that might be due to him embracing his dark side as she is now doing.

It’s Not Love, But It’s Something – Yancy, Rosa

Rosa and Yancy have yet to DTR, but that’s fine with Rosa; she may prefer it. The lack of expectations, but still having some consistency, works for her. In many ways, it does for Yancy too, for Rosa has proven herself to be a friend and lover and someone who makes an excellent partner.

Momma, I Just Killed A Man – Mendez, Ro, Yancy

Mendez being on the run isn’t good for anybody. On top of being corrupt, he is a hot head and who knows what kind of revenge he could seek for Yancy not only ruining his reputation, but potentially ending his career. So, with knowing Mendez loves his cat more than his wife, Ro, and Yancy have a stakeout and are lucky enough to arrest Mendez.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t done in a police car, but Ro’s family car, so Mendez is able to find a means to get out of his cuffs, grab Ro’s gun, and he ends up shooting Ro in the leg, and Yancy goes on a chase which ends with Mendez being shot. It’s assumed to be fatal.

Unsure What To Do Next – Rosa, Mel, Bonnie, Agent Russell

Rosa’s feelings towards Yancy and her growing dissatisfaction with work push her to question what should be next for her? Should she quit her job to see if she can become a cop? What about Yancy? Mel is her soundboard for all this and can’t do much beyond noting she has no problem being the golden child while Rosa figures herself out.

As that happens, Bonnie was also questioning what was next but ultimately decided she was done being on the run and turned herself in to Agent Russell.

Bad Timing – Jim, Cody, Rosa, Yancy

While Bonnie may have decided to take the reins of her life, she hasn’t left Cody any direction, so he has latched onto Jim, who wants his peace and quiet back. So, his plan was to just drop the kid off at Yancy’s, since Cody is an extended problem that Yancy picked up. However, Rosa was there, and that was Jim and her’s first meeting, there is a need to explain the Cody situation, and as all of them come together, men with guns surround the house.

All of which has come just within a day of Yancy getting his badge back and the FBI telling him they don’t plan to pursue Nick’s case with any sense of immediacy.

Review

Highlights

Gracie Going To The Dark Side

While Eve is a credible villain, Gracie going from neutral to a selfish evil is wonderful to watch. For one, it isn’t often you get to see a Black woman play a villain in such a way, especially with an arc and development so that she didn’t just appear to be a villain. On top of that, you get it when it comes to Gracie. She is an island girl who may love her home but feels trapped by it.

Being the Dragon Queen clearly gives her a false sense of power. While the locals might be wary, people from the States can just show up and prove she is powerless and a nobody. For Gracie, this seems to be an issue since they are confirming what she has long feared and run away from.

So, how she decides to help Eve and Nick, or if this is a giant ruse to get back at them, will make for quite the storyline.

Bonnie and Neville’s Diminished Roles

Bonnie’s storyline lost its relevancy almost as soon as Rosa appeared, and with Cody being written and performed as he is, paired with Agent Russell not offering much to the show, wrapping up that storyline and putting Bonnie on the path to being dismissed is a blessing. Then with Neville, considering all of his conversations with Rosa happened off-screen, it seems he too is being prepped to be diminished, and the show is all the better. I mean, look at how Gracie is thriving now that she isn’t a supporting character in Neville’s story.

Rosa’s Uncertainty

Rosa could easily be diminished to Yancy’s love interest or a supporting character in his life. However, “Bad Monkey” must be given credit for, even if a woman on the show is introduced as a love interest or potential love interest, she evolves beyond that. Bonnie is more than Yancy’s complicated ex, Eve has far surpassed the interest Nick brings to the show, and Grace has risen to the point of competing with Rosa to be considered the female lead.

But, setting aside the idea of any of the women being in competition, what we appreciate about this episode is Rosa questioning what’s next for her. It seems she no longer wants to see people after whatever has happened to them but perhaps be on the prevention side. Alongside that, as much as she is comfortable, likes, and maybe even is growing to love Yancy, she isn’t diving in head first and being stupid.

One could submit her being involved with him while he was suspected of murder and going as far as she has done in his investigation could be considered stupid. However, Rosa’s background has just begun to be fleshed out. We know her dating life hasn’t been great, and she has been the golden child for most of her life, but is it just because she might be first generation? Could it be because her friends burnt out early, and she didn’t want to end up like that?

All we really have when it comes to Rosa’s life is her conversations with Mel, in terms of who she was before Yancy, and I hope between her own journey of self-discovery and more conversations, she opens up to viewers more.

Cutting Out Mendez

While it seems “Bad Monkey” is starting to wind down the stories of less essential or not essential characters, it doesn’t mean they can’t regain prominence. With Mendez, however, he was shot, and I’d submit he should be dead. As a thorn in Yancy’s side, he felt unnecessary since Yancy can talk his way into trouble without the help of a crooked cop. So, here is hoping Mendez is gone and that his wife doesn’t replace him as a pain in Yancy’s behind.

The Cliffhanger

It isn’t clear who exactly is surrounding Yancy’s home. While we can assume Nick was part of something bigger, the show hasn’t dove much into that. Yes, Yancy’s neighbor, who we barely, if have ever mentioned, could be involved, but it is hard to say overall.

Beyond being retired and wanting quiet, maybe Jim could be the target, and Yancy could be collateral damage?. It’s all hard to say, but it makes the next episode something of great interest.

The Gist

The TLDR Recap/ Review

1. With a murder charge no longer something for him to worry about, Yancy refocuses on Nick’s case, but with Bonnie showing up, Jim, Cody, and his relationship with Rosa blossoming, he is a bit distracted.
2. What doesn’t help is that, for a little while, he and Ro did catch Mendez, but then Mendez shot Ro, shot another person, and forced Yancy to kill him because he had become such a danger.
3. But the positive in all this is that Yancy did get his badge back after all his reports and Neville’s evidence. However, the FBI decide against aggressively pursuing the case.
4. Back in Andros, it is revealed Nick and Eve kidnapped Gracie, and with Eve desiring to befriend Gracie, and Gracie’s willingness to head to the dark side, she decides to turn her back on nearly everyone but Egg for she has decided to put her dreams and wants first.
5. I love how Neville, the bane of “Bad Monkey” barely got to speak, and beyond providing evidence, he was shoved off so Gracie and Yancy could continue to operate as the male and female lead.
6. I’d even add that I like the complication of Yancy and Rosa’s relationship, especially as Rosa questions what her future will be, beyond how things with Yancy could evolve.
7. However, the big thing for me is Gracie starting her villain arc for it isn’t clear where that may go considering she has long wanted off the island and just got her chance.
8. So, thus far, it seems “Bad Monkey” is focusing on its strong suits, and the weaker characters, like Neville and Bonnie, are being diminished and prepped to no longer be bruises worth mentioning.

General Information

Episode Title	A Total Cat Person
Director(s)	Liz Friedlander
Writer(s)	Ashley Nicole Black