Jacob and Kerissa, after spending most of the season, and Kerissa’s case the show, in the background, have the type of performances that will leave you shook and will explain why this episode is called “Point of No Return.” Episode Focus: You Better Check Yourself (Jacob, Kerissa, James, Pastor Skanks, Grace, and Lady Mae) With…
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Jacob and Kerissa, after spending most of the season, and Kerissa’s case the show, in the background, have the type of performances that will leave you shook and will explain why this episode is called “Point of No Return.”
Episode Focus: You Better Check Yourself (Jacob, Kerissa, James, Pastor Skanks, Grace, and Lady Mae)
With Aaron helping Cavalry block the construction of Triumph II, Pastor Skanks isn’t looking to deal with lawyers and draw all that out, he can’t afford it. Instead, he marches into Cavalry, with Jacob following closely, and stages a sit-down. Something which bewilders Lady Mae and Pastor James to the point they turn to Aaron since they have no clue what to do. What ends up happening is Jacob, after hearing Skanks side of the whole “Darryl is my father and he was killed in a church fire” story, goes off on Lady Mae and Pastor James. A part of what he said is noted below in the Collected Quote(s).
However, don’t think Jacob is okay with Skanks’ antics. As before, he isn’t necessarily fond of Skanks’ antics, yet he sees what Skanks is providing him as the opportunity his dad took from him, once Grace came back, and what his mother would never push for. After all, while Lady Mae can be very caring, at the end of the day she isn’t going to bite the hand that feeds her or, like Grace, start a crusade over what she thinks is right, should happen, and what have you. She picks and chooses her battles based off how she’ll come out in the end. Which is part of the reason she is told off just as much as James.
But then there comes Grace. With Grace throwing everyone’s life into a whirlwind, perhaps the only people to not address her about her actions are Kevin and Jacob. However, Jacob, being that he was on a roll, decided that when Grace called his and Skanks’ actions childish, she needed to be read real quick. He reminds her that she was the one who disappeared when she learned Uncle Mac was messing with Faith and left her to fend for herself. He reminds her that she was basically given the red carpet treatment upon her return and didn’t just return to the pulpit, she snatched away Jacob’s opportunities. So for her to say what he is doing is childish, when he is just trying to be a man and not rely on his parents handing him something, and not running away because things were getting hard, he asks her to check herself. Leaving her stunned.
Oh, and before I forget, Kerissa finally stops using child gloves with Tasha and lets her know she is not the light skinned Aunt Viv from The Fresh Prince. No, she is the real, dark skinned, will set you right with some attitude Aunt Viv. Which, being that Tasha is kind of basic, it leads to her breaking down because things are hard. Apparently, Skanks is borrowing or “making commitments” to whoever he needs to so Triumph II can happen and it is making things so bad that they can barely afford to deal with Jacob and Karissa’s electrical problems. Which, surely, will be a red flag for Jacob in the next episode.
Commentary
While Kerissa has never been my favorite character on this show, her and Whitfield’s way of dealing with other characters are part of the reason I keep coming back. For Grace and her crusade against Mac is just tired. To the point where, when Sophia says, “Why not give it up to God” I was seriously like “See, this is why they keep this child around, even if she has no real kind of storyline.” Yet, Grace can’t let it go. As became clear when Jacob told her about herself, she is trying to make up for when she ran away. So now we gotta suffer.
That aside, all eyes are seriously on Jacob right now. If only because, he has finally, both the actor and character, become someone to take notice of. The reason I say this is, that passion Pastor James noted wasn’t there when he did let Jacob preach, we see that passion in this episode, especially when he is telling off his mom and dad. I mean, I got a little teary eyed for you can tell there was some pain in there. Like he was either speaking for someone else or saying to these actors which he wishes he could have said to someone before. It is just he didn’t have the words, and/or the courage to do so at the time.
Making this whole Skanks situation definitely, what I hope, becomes the main focus of the 2nd half of the season. For honestly, what more can be done with Mac at this point? He is trying to move on, isn’t slipping up or seemingly pursuing any kids, and legally, they let him off! So what can Grace do but use Darius to make sure the court of public opinion damns him? Which, let me tell you, compared to all the secrets Bishop Skanks has, is not interesting what so ever. Especially since, in this episode, Skanks says he personally knew Daryl and while it isn’t clear if he was or wasn’t a secret child, you can see a mountain of potential there which the Mac storyline doesn’t have.
Subplot 1: Let The Divorce Proceedings Begin (Kevin, Charity, Lady Mae, Jabari [Sean Dominic], and Aaron)
It’s over and done with, but the particulars of what Kevin’s life will be afterwards is up in the air. What is known though is that Jabari is inviting Charity out to Nashville and she is strongly considering it. Also, Lady Mae is already prepping to lawyer up and Aaron, when he sees Kevin, recommends a lawyer to him. Leading you to wonder if these two, Charity and Kevin that is, may end up in a nasty divorce which may try to steal Jacob and Karissa’s thunder?
Commentary
I’m starting to think the main reason why we were introduced to Kevin’s mom is to set up a nasty divorce. One which will have custody issues, possibly alimony issues, Kevin accusing Charity of infidelity and her revealing she thinks he is gay, bi or whatever and I’m kind of here for it. If only because I could use some outright malice instead of people trying to be shady and subtle. Also, I feel like, with Grace being put on the back burner, they need to bring her siblings to the forefront so this show can thrive. I mean, Jacob and Kerissa really proved themselves this episode. So next is Charity and Kevin’s turn and since their marital issues have been on a slow boil since the beginning of the first season, I need things to pop like water in hot grease. Burning everyone in the vicinity of the pan. For with there being no real villain this season, since Mac is more absent than seen, and Skanks being so likable, with his eccentricities, this season has felt a little aimless.
I mean, yes, you can say Skanks secret is driving things forward, but it isn’t a tentpole type of storyline. It isn’t like season 1’s Grace vs. Mac one which affected every single last character. It isn’t an all-encompassing storyline. So this show needs something real to connect everyone together besides them all working for, or against, the same church, and seldomly interacting with one another as a family.
Collected Quote(s)
“[…] when you see what I can do without any help from you, you’re gonna mourn the pride you could have felt in me when all you had was pity.”
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