Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Did you wonder if anything ever happened between Layne and Deon? Why Veronica is such a pimp? The answers are in “Baby Steps.”
| Network | ||
| BET+ | ||
| Director(s) | Chioke Nassor | |
| Writer(s) | Felischa Marye | |
| Air Date | 10/10/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Ken | Devale Ellis | |
| Debbie Roberts (Layne’s Mom) | Debbi Morgan | |
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Recap
Where Brooklyn At?: Tracey, Layne
Layne’s first friend at Dunbar U was Tracey, and, as we see in modern times, back in 2003, Tracey easily slides in and out of being poised and a hood booger. Yet, that was the first person who was willing to talk to the eccentric Layne, so they became friends for life. But not without Layne learning what Tracey’s triggers were since poor, Black, and from Brooklyn, made it so Layne had to doge a few land mines for a while.
Who Do You Think You’re Playing?: Ken, Debbie, Vince, Layne, Veronica, Tracey
While we know Veronica now for being this badass who is juggling multiple men without a care in the world, it wasn’t always like that. In college, Veronica was still bad and had game, but she would have been open to being a one-woman man. However, like in so many scenarios, one person messed it up for everybody. Said person is Ken, who was the president of the Lambdas frat. Someone Layne was trying to talk to so she could get her self-made fashion in the show, but he curves her left and right.
Also, he has the audacity to curve Veronica. Someone who liked him, probably because he was in a position of power, but also due to him feeling her. However, as Tracey makes clear when he embarrasses Veronica in public, while he might be feeling her, he doesn’t value her. And while those two didn’t get along at first, that realness Tracey presents, that is what connected them. As for how Layne plays a role? It’s just because she is sweet and adorable.
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However, being sweet and adorable also comes with being a punk. This is something Vince takes advantage of so that he can move about campus without Layne saying much or giving him much grief. For while she is helping him do so, and he spots her some cash, it seems he does so as he pleases and not when she wants.
Not to forget, while Layne shows more interest in fashion, it appears her mom is bankrolling her education, so she is a business major. And while Tracey lied to her mom and switched her major, Layne doesn’t have the guts. Even if her mom is all the way in Chicago.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- So what was holding Vince back from applying to school? He seems smart enough to get grants and scholarships, maybe poor enough to get financial aid, so was it just he didn’t know about the resources available to him?
- Is Layne’s family from the Chicago area or just her mom, Debbie, moved to there?
- What does Debbie do for a living to be giving the kind of money Layne is spending?
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What Could Have Been: Deon, Layne
While Deon was pledging, Layne saved him, and the watermelon he was protecting, and so they began a situationship. One that Layne would have liked to become a relationship, but with Deon learning how to curve from his big brother Ken, Deon and Layne just became friends. Seemingly due to him looking at her vision board and being scared off by it noting she was a romantic.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
It’s obvious that dude is feeling you, but fuck him if he can’t value you.
— Tracey
Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments
- They are 19 in this episode.
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Review
Highlights
An Origin Story – Minus Seeing When Vince & Veronica Got Together
From seeing how the friendships formed, to how Deon and Layne could have been a thing, this episode gave us a lot of insight as to how, 15 to 16 years later, the people we’ve come to know and love came to be. You can see why Veronica is the person who she is, playing dudes like she playing spades; that Tracey hasn’t really changed too much and still, at her core, is the same person; how Layne’s confidence got better, yet she still kind of operates based on her insecurities; and how Deon would rather go with the flow, and take the easy way out, than do something which could be a challenge.
Then, when it comes to Vince, I think we really get to understand that this man has long just been someone looking for a chance to do better. Be it him freeloading classes, and seeming like he could ace them if he could afford tuition, or really studying his craft yet not getting ahead. Vince seems like the comedians we grew up on who see social media comics fly by them and can only say, “What the f***?” as they get shows, comedy specials, and surpass them in terms of success and money.
On The Fence
Layne & Deon Together
I’m not going to say Deon and Layne aren’t cute together, it’s just between Reggie, Greg, and Deon, Deon would be at the bottom of my list. I’d put Willy before Deon. Mainly due to them being established as friends and them getting together seems more like a budget, and small cast thing, than him being the best choice for Layne.
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Plus, as noted above, Deon seems like the kind of dude who goes for what’s convenient, what’s he’s pressured into, and won’t cause him to work too hard. Layne, in my mind, isn’t difficult, but she is a weirdo, and with that comes Deon having to be flexible and willing to deal with having to step outside his comfort zone. Something that, during his interactions with Greg, it didn’t seem like he was that willing to do. So when it comes to Layne, who is already down after being rejected twice, I don’t want either of them to choose each other just because they feel that their options are slim. Especially Layne since that whole Greg saga seemed based on being chosen and bad enough when she was 19 she’d go overboard because someone talked to her. Now, in her mid-30s? It’s time to break bad habits.
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