Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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The reason Sky died is revealed, as appears to have ran away and a death at The Vil forces David to step up in a way a 14-year-old shouldn’t.
| Network | ||
| OWN | ||
| Director(s) | Cheryl Dunye | |
| Writer(s) | John J. Strauss, Jaquén Castellanos | |
| Air Date | 10/2/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Willie Derrick | Solomon Valdez | |
| Congressman Reed | Raheem Babalola | |
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Recap
School Daze: David, Congressman Reed, Dr. Woods-Trap
With a congressman visiting the school, David gets a bit excited, and this leads to him telling his story since the congressman can relate. However, in doing so he displeases Dr. Woods-Trap who despises the idea of exploiting his pain for gain. Leading to David going off on her because he is being increasingly torn between two worlds and she has gone from being an advocate to someone contributing to his stress.
Where Is Seren?: Dr. Bree, Principal Fallow, Jessica, Ray, David, Starry, Mx. Elijah
Jessica gets a call from the school that Seren didn’t show up so she rides in like a bat out of hell throwing accusations left and right. This leads to David getting involved and letting Principal Fallow know, and Dr. Bree, Seren’s home life isn’t all gated communities and lemonade.
Mind you, he doesn’t go in explicit detail, but he pushes the point enough for Dr. Bree to get it. But, despite the situation with Seren being the main focus for all, Dr. Bree makes it clear he knows David took his prescription pad and he wants it back pronto. Since now, after him doing what he did, while Dr. Bree may recognize David’s life is hard, he seems pretty through with him.
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Getting back to Seren, based off the way Ray talks, he likely went to go see his father Aaron and it appears Mx. Elijah arranged for it. After all, Starry was heading to Tampa anyway so them giving Seren a ride wouldn’t be out of their way.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Whose car was Starry driving? Assuming that whole sequence wasn’t a dream.
Life For A 14 Year Old Shouldn’t Be So Rough: Teo, Raynan, Shinobi, Willie Derrick, David, Desmond
On top of Dr. Bree and the Seren situation, Willie Derrick overdoses on pills and appears to have died, which is another thing for David to worry about. Then, to make things worse, Raynan and Desmond get arrested, Shinobi is grieving Willie D and is unresponsive, and Teo learns about Raynan and David’s side hustle. Leading to David having to put some bass in his voice and do damage control.
How? Well, first and foremost, start directing Teo’s focus on Desmond since he is clearly out of pocket and a threat to David, Raynan, and maybe Shinobi. Also, with the cops knowing Raynan a bit too well, David has to calm Raynan down who is ready to fly the coop. He even advises David to do the same but with Sky dead, his dad having nothing to do with him, and his whole life being The Vil, where is he going to go?
Oh, and speaking of Sky, Raynan is the reason Sky is dead. You see, after Raynan crashed his car, Sky went off and beat his ass. Following that, Raynan went to Teo, Teo passed the word to Desmond, Raynan revealed where Sky was and then David got traumatized for life. And with Raynan revealing all this to David and those two having a row, it changes the dynamics of their relationship. Making it so David isn’t a little brother but an equal. One who can stand up and punk both Raynan and Shinobi and potentially take over the entire operation.
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Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Was Willie Derrick related to Shinobi?
- How old are Shinobi and Raynan?
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
Never apologize for asking a favor from those who can help.
—Representative Reed
I’m trying to live and you worry about me being shamed?
— David
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Review
Highlights
David Advocating For Himself/ Manning Up
It isn’t necessarily clear what led to David snapping on multiple people, be it Seren leaving or him just having enough, but you have to appreciate him bringing that Vil attitude to school. Specifically when addressing Dr. Woods-Trap because, while I understand he is a 14-year-old talking to a grown woman, I feel that she sometimes doesn’t fully understand the power she sways. Especially the mental backflips her advocating for David one minute then being dismayed with him the next brings.
For one, she isn’t his mom so it isn’t like he can really pick up on her patterns of when she is having a good or bad day. Dr. WT, at best, only gives subtle facial expressions and movements, all of which are so ambiguous that even someone with a carefree life, which none of these kids have, could decipher her mood.
But, outside of going off on Dr. WT, you have to love he kept that same energy with Shinobi and Raynan. Two people who are physically more formidable and also male. Because, if David only bucked up when talking to a woman, or when he thought Raynan would protect him, essentially he would be a punk. However, him coming for Raynan and Shinobi? Managing all the dealers in the area? It shows that while his emerging talents are being put towards ill tasks, he could become a bonafide leader someday.
Also, it helps you understand why Sky saw something in David.
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Seren Getting Free
Let’s assume when Mx. Elijah said the package got to Tampa they meant Seren, this means the boy is free. Also, assuming they split the show up, we can not only get to see his father Aaron, and hear what happened between him and Jessica, but maybe keep Starry as well. Heck, considering Starry could use a friend, it could be nice to see Starry introduce Seren to the local LGBT community. Maybe take him to a ball or just help ease him into the idea of coming out.
A Different Side To Shinobi
I’m not the only one who thought Shinobi was one note right? Just someone David butts heads with until Raynan intervenes? So, to see him capable of code-switching, him getting emotional over Willie Derrick, and showing signs of depression, it brought out a new side to him. One far more compelling than him being a DL thug who comes in and out of Mx. Elijah’s apartment during the day time acting like no one would suspect anything.
On The Fence
The Constant Need To Wonder What’s Real & What’s Not
There is a precedent on this show of David going off on people, but it is often presented as just what he wanted to say. So it makes you question how much of this episode, despite him consistently rising to the challenge, may have been a lie? For we did see David go into a bit of a haze in the principal’s office which could have been a sign he got overwhelmed and checked out. Making everything we saw after just a dream he had while in the nurse’s office.
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How Things Can Be Handled If The Kids Go To Different Schools
Marissa is going to some kind of naval academy, Seren is in Tampa, and David is hoping to go to a school he’ll be sleeping away at for most of the week. How is the show going to balance this out? Or will it take the route, assuming David doesn’t end up trapped in the Vil, or prison, by just cutting characters off or down?
Mind you, while David is the lead, they could still keep track of other characters. It’s just, between budgets and stretching this show too thin, is that the best idea in the long run?
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