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As a character gets the virus, we find many coming together under a banner of love as they are reminded what to be grateful for.
| Director(s) | Joanna Johnson |
| Writer(s) | Resheida Brady |
| Aired (FreeForm) | 8/23/2020 |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Recap
Reunited & It Feels So Good – Sophie, Sarah, Paul
Sophie’s discovery of her parents’ separation ends up being what brings them back together. For with being confronted about what happened, Paul decides to step up in ways he didn’t before. This means, with some help from Sophie, recreating a Venice experience for Sarah. An act that leads to Paul deciding to never mind Gigi and get back with his wife. Especially since they recommit to making one another happy instead of focusing solely on their roles as parents and trying to be providers stuck in singular expectations.
You Can’t Live In Fear – Sade, James, Nanda, Dedrick, Charles
Sade learning why James is so in fear of having a second child not only gives her perspective but helps them work through a rough patch. For with understanding why he suddenly didn’t want to have kids, it helped her know how to find a way back to him. Be it through reminding what their ancestors went through, Nanda’s involvement on how faith got her through, and in the end, this ability to not live in fear even opens James up to speaking to Dedrick.
This was a blessing for him since he is coming to the point of realizing, with his mom, Charles can’t just come home, and things will be the same. Charles has more than a bout of pneumonia to deal with, but dementia. A disease Nanda didn’t want to admit was plaguing her husband, but she finds herself forced to come to terms with it.
However, with Dedrick loving now being closer to his mom, and wanting a closer relationship to his dad, he volunteers to help when dad gets back. Now, whether or not James’ fears of Dedrick taking advantage of his parents come true? Well, that isn’t the focus of this limited series.
You Can’t Quarantine Love – Nanda, Charles, Elle, Oscar, Sean, Adam, Dedrick
What is the focus is the idea love continues no matter the circumstance. Case in point, Dedrick helps unite Nanda and Charles on their anniversary, and, with the help of James, Nanda and Charles get a parade celebrating them.
But, not to up James and Dedrick’s work, Sean gets Oscar a plane with a banner. You see, Elle and Oscar realize that while the sex wasn’t horrible, they just don’t work in a romantic capacity. Thus allowing for Oscar and Sean to reconcile. Now, as for Adam and Elle? Well, like Oscar, she reveals what happened, in terms of the sex, but it doesn’t seem to end the possibility of them together.
However, Sean takes the cake, and while Elle performs a lovely song, Sean’s banner gives not just hope to Oscar, but Nanda as well. Making his act to declare his love a symbol that completes the limited series and brings everyone under the same faith for a better tomorrow.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
Having kids means you gotta make peace with the world as it is.
— James
Review
Highlights
Sophie’s Family Grows On You
For most of the series, we didn’t really care for Sophie’s family. But, as of the finale, I think it might have just been the case of not getting a break. For if there is one thing we’ve learned about binge-watching through Netflix and Amazon is that most shows aren’t made for that type of consumption. It makes the weakest links more glaring, and in the case of Sophie’s family, and her character, they didn’t hold up well.
However, by the end, as you grow to appreciate their place in the story, they grow on you. Yes, Sophie is dramatic, but take note of the life she lived. Her mom sacrificed her career to be close to her, and while his father worked to provide, and likely wasn’t there often, she still loves him and sees him as more than her financer.
And when you expand on Paul and Sarah, you can see two people stuck in their roles as parents to the point they grew apart. Sarah mentions her part of the problem was being a supermom, and in the process of trying to be that, it might be she forgot about being a wife, a partner, or even a friend to Paul. Then with him, as the protector, the one expected to bring in the money, he got so lost in that role he forgot to be there for Sarah in her time of need, and also be more than a check to keep a roof over their head. As noted with James’ situation, what Sarah needed was the man she fell in love with, and everything else could be handled as it came.
It just took, as our Getting Ignorant With It co-host said, they needed the world to slow down so they could catch up.
Sade and James’ Heart To Heart
The decision to bring children into the world is difficult. Especially when you have to reckon with what the world offers them beyond what privileges you can afford. So with James’ fear, you get a glimpse into what many BIPOC may think of when considering children. Will the world love them? As parents, how do you both protect your child’s innocence while prep them for a world that denies just the same?
It’s a short part of the episode, yet it reminds you why FreeForm, while it has its faults, is one of the most notable channels when it comes to the portrayal of young adults. It doesn’t seek to rehash or reinvent, and even when it does, like with Party of Five, it seeks to use the familiar to tell new stories. If not stories that may exist on smaller platforms but don’t have the ability to amplify voices. Either due to algorithm or budget.
Oscar & Elle Ending Things Quickly
I don’t know about you, but the whole Oscar and Elle thing made us uncomfortable. Not that there was anything wrong with Oscar exploring his sexuality or Elle confessing their love, but I feel like more should have been said. Especially about how their lines got crossed because of, not just their dependency on one another, but fear of the unknown.
Yet, with four episodes, and the amount of cast members covered, you have to appreciate the last-minute save done. One that had Sean picking up the slack and Elle’s song to help ease your need to raise an eyebrow about how quickly Sean and Adam moved on.
Low Point
So, Did Adeah Get Better?
We learn Sade’s friend got the coronavirus, but it isn’t clear what happened. Which, considering you knew at least one character would get it, it being the least connected character who was borderline comic relief, that was annoying. For as much as we enjoyed Adeah, I don’t think enough investment was made to worry about what could happen.
On The Fence
Not Getting That Emotional Moment Between Charles and Dedrick
Considering how Dedrick and Charles’ relationship was made into a notable plot, not getting to see them have a heart to heartfelt like a missed opportunity. Their reconciliation could have been something to add to the emotional oomph of the series, especially in regards to giving us something that wasn’t complicated by sex or romance.
Where To Watch
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
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