As for Brandon, daring to do something for Lloyd leads to a negative response, with Ashley especially against it. But the will he or won't he ends when it is revealed Lloyd has died.
While Brandon may not be as smart as Ashley and Janelle, we see that he tries and has long made progress from being a deadbeat living in his mom's basement.
Then, with Janelle, her conversation with her mom and Lisa was truly heartbreaking. But it also topped off a notable season in which she got the spotlight and showed range.