Our Kind of People: Season 1/ Episode 11 “It is not light that we need, but fire” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Angela finds herself wanting to make a deal with the devil, and with that comes a few surprises and loads of regret.

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Aired	1/18/2022
Network	FOX
Directed By	Jeff Byrd
Written By	Karen Gist, Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts
Introduced This Episode
Darius	Darnell Williams

Recap

A Lot Of Sacrifice But Very Little Gained – Teddy, Angela, Leah, Raymond, Tyrique, Patricia

Leah is starting to realize protecting her father’s interest is coming at too grand of a cost. It puts a strain on her marriage but has also destroyed this burgeoning relationship with Angela, who Leah has grown quite fond of and close to. But, with blocking her from the Graceties, Angela is pretty much done with Teddy, Leah, and Oak Bluffs.

However, what puts the nail into the coffin of her sticking around is Patricia going to confess and needing Teddy to pull the strings at his disposal. This, of course, he is willing to do if it means Angela being gone, of her own volition, and her no longer digging into his business. But, while Angela might be less of a worry, Tyrique is given a login into Franklin Holdings due to now being part of the stadium deal. So with his IT knowledge, he plans on giving Raymond a backdoor into Franklin Holdings.

This, alongside getting Jack’s shares, is a major win for Raymond. Hence, he wants Leah to quit her job and join him at Darmon to deliver a killer blow to Teddy. However, Leah doesn’t seem keen on the idea, and considering Teddy is looking into Jack’s death, and his investigator last pining Leah at the scene, alongside her not going anywhere, neither are Jack’s shares, it seems.

No More Secrets – Darius, Taylor, Lauren, Sloane, Quincy, Patricia, Angela, Teddy

With Angela committing to her deal with Teddy, it is revealed Darius, the man Patricia has long thought she killed, isn’t dead. He was just paid off to go into hiding and now brought out the woodworks. This is a huge shock to Patricia! Alongside him handing her a gun that belongs to Teddy, which gives Angela a second wind when it comes to her investigation.

But, while the adults have drama, don’t discount the kids. Lauren is sticking her nose into Sloane and Quincy’s business, and with that, Sloane notes she is well aware of Taylor sneaking in and out of Lauren’s room. That presents a serious problem since Lauren isn’t trying to lose her new family members, unlike her mom. Yet, at the same time, she doesn’t want to lose Taylor either so, she is between a rock and a hard place.

Only The Dead Sleep Peacefully – Rose, Angela, Leah, Nikki, Teddy

The end of the season’s big event, the Grand Illumination Ball, is coming, and with that, Leah is ecstatic that her mother, Rose, has been taking her meds and has been cleared to come home to help and attend the ball. But, she does find her mom being home awkward considering how Teddy reacts. He is cold towards her and talks about her like a burden, making Leah increasingly worried she has been betting on the wrong horse.

But, with seeing her father and mother share a sweet moment, that gets put behind her. Add in Rose dying the following morning, and while you and I may think Teddy did something, Leah is solely focused on her mother’s death. Which, with Nikki giving a push, leads to Angela embracing and consoling her sister at Rose’s funeral.

Questions Left Unanswered

1. Did Teddy kill Rose? It’s not like he couldn’t get away with it.
2. So is Teddy’s medicine working properly now since he hasn’t had a flare-up or any notable issues in a while?

What Could Happen Next

1. It’s the season finale, so definitely expect big reveals: Nikki learning Lauren and Taylor have been sneaking around; Teddy using Leah in order to get Jack’s shares from Raymond, and him having to choose whether to protect his wife or mother; and Angela perhaps learning what that gun was used for, like maybe Teddy killing Tyrique’s father, perhaps?

Review

Highlights

How Torn Leah Is Over Teddy

You have to feel for Leah. For most of her life, her mother has been in an institution, and their relationship seemingly was volatile due to her mom not consistently taking her medication. Because of that, she was a certified daddy’s girl and seemingly didn’t make any real friends or connections beyond Raymond and later Angela. Even with her own kids, she and Lauren are cordial, but Raymond is her go-to. Then with Quincy, all we see him do is spend time with Sloane at this point.

So it’s understandable why betraying Angela weighs on her. She was down when Raymond was hanging around his ex, has shown herself not to be anywhere near as bad Teddy portrayed her, and she gets it. Like Raymond, Teddy did her wrong, and all she wants are answers to the secrets Teddy has buried. Many of which Leah knows about, hence her trying to oust him at the beginning of the season (which seemingly the show doesn’t want to acknowledge at all).

The Portrayal Of Rose

Mental health depictions, especially on soap operas dramas, can be a bit much. Yet, I would say the way Rose has been handled has been given some grace. She struggles with her medication, isolation, perhaps being confused for various reasons, and let’s not pretend Teddy probably wasn’t abusive. So for her to end her time on this show smiling and with grace, it was a deserved dignified moment for her. One that reinforces why Leah would throw Angela under the bus.

All The Drama To Expect In The Finale

From the drama Taylor caused, the gun, Angela being seen as Jack’s potential killer, what Tyrique is involved in, and so much more, the finale is definitely going to be a big one. Now, will that convince FOX to renew this? That’s hard to say.

According to a Deadline article, Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment at FOX, notes they love the creative team of Our King of People, alongside the storylines. However, there is absolutely no comment on the likelihood of this getting renewed. Rather, there is a mention of waiting on delayed viewing data, which makes it seem that this isn’t doing the numbers they’d like in terms of a live (premiere) audience.

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