This week’s episode of Switched at Birth was kind of hit or miss for me. There were moments that fell flat but the moments that were great, were truly great. I laughed, I cried, and by the end, I couldn't deny that this show deserves it's place in my heart.
Daphne certainly had a lot going on this week. She’s still talking to Quinn and even worse, she’s seriously lying to Mingo about the extent of their communication. As if one other love interest wasn’t enough, Josh, her interpreter, has been MIA for weeks, but he's back and it seems like he’s in love with Daphne…just like everyone else who’s ever been on this show. As I was watching, all I thought was that I would love if this assumption turns out to be totally false because that would be refreshing. I didn’t realize that Josh was the one teaching Mingo ASL and I wish we had gotten to see some of their lessons. Up until this point, all we’ve seen is Josh acting super weird around Mingo and Daphne but in this episode it quickly becomes clear that all that weirdness is because Josh has feelings for Mingo - not Daphne. I love this storyline. Now I wish even more that we had seen scenes from their ASL lessons! I really like Josh and I wish he had played more of a role this season. Mingo is really growing on me with each episode. The way he handled everything this week and everything that he does for Daphne is just so adorable. I hate that she’s kind of going behind his back like this. I know that she finally ended things with Quinn but I know that won’t last and I’m preparing myself for all the drama to come.
Meanwhile, Bay is busy getting her art ready for her first art show and figuring out her new relationship with Garrett. He still just seems too old, it even looks like he has gray hair in his beard! His playboy reputation was really on display this week when him and Bay started hooking up. Bay gets cold feet at the last minute when she sees how experienced he is and Travis ends up telling him about Bay’s rape as a possible explanation. Bay and Travis’s friendship is already getting ruined because of his jealousy. This is exactly why I hate this whole storyline. I miss the good old days when they were just best friends. I don’t know who I want Bay to be with at this point. Garrett is a nice guy but I’m not feeling it with them. I’m not a fan of Travis with her and I’m kind of over Emmett. Why can nobody on this show just be single for a minute?! I like Bay, on her own, focusing on her art and just being the awesome person she is. She doesn’t need a man!
One of my favorite moments from this episode was the interaction between Regina and Lily and also between Toby and Lily. Lily is feeling way overwhelmed and super pregnant. She even has a labor scare! But I knew she couldn't actually be having her baby, that’s more of a finale event! Anyways, she was kind of blindsided in the waiting room with some emotions after seeing a mother and child and thinking about all the things she may not be able to do with her own child. Lily has no one and and thankfully, Regina sort of stepped in as a mother-figure and confidant. She gives really good advice and I loved seeing Regina help her. This allows Lily to open up to Toby and they have a difficult but heartwarming conversation. They’re so cute and their excitement over their son is infectious. Even though I sort of think this show is on it’s last legs, it still gets me every time! Toby and Lily’s scenes had me tearing up a lot and I hope they aren’t really leaving for very long.
I think one of the strangest, most out of place storylines they've ever done on this show is the strip club trip. It wasn’t terrible but it just felt so out of place on this show. It will be interesting to see how John and Kathryn’s latest investment venture plays out. I feel like this will just fade away and barely be mentioned again so I’m not getting too invested. Meanwhile, it seems like all the drama between Eric and Regina has blown over. However, this definitely won’t last long, seeing as how in the closing moments of the show, we see that Eric’s ex has come into town and has hired Bay to make a portrait of her. I wasn’t expecting her to come around so soon but it should be interesting to see what her plan is and how everyone reacts when they find out about Eric’s secret.
We’re coming up on the finale now, with only two more episodes left in season 4. The fate of Switched at Birth is still in question, and it would depend on how they end things in a couple weeks, but I feel like they're kind of running out of stories to tell and it may be time for them to wrap things up. With the girls out of high school and more and more often going their separate ways, it just isn't the same as it was in the good old days. Plus, I’m not sure I could handle another recycled love triangle! I think if this show doesn’t do something to spice things up creatively it’s time to end it. However, like I said, if things don’t wrap up nicely in a couple of weeks than I definitely would want a short fifth season so we can get all the closure we need for these characters that we love. I think this episode had a lot of what makes this show so great and I enjoyed most of it. It can just be so inconsistent in quality which is why I keep going back and forth about how I feel. However, if more episodes were like this one, I would definitely be all for a season five!
What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!
About the Author - Kate Sidwell
Kate is a 24 year old, USA based, Psychology/Public Health Researcher - but that’s just her day job! In her spare time she is an avid TV watcher (some may even say addict!!). Some of her favorite shows are Jane the Virgin, Bates Motel, The Flash, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Rookie Blue, Silicon Valley, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow, The 100, The Mindy Project, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, The Royals, Orphan Black…so pretty much too many to count and a huge variety! She’ll give pretty much any show a chance! She also devotes a lot of time to her tumblr (
eat-sleep-breathe-tv.tumblr.com) where you can find her reviewing and commenting on most of these shows and just generally fangirling! She’s excited to be writing for SpoilerTV on Complications, Baby Daddy, Proof, Switched at Birth, Secrets and Lies, and Minority Report!
