“Switched at Birth” continued its final season with a deep dive into tackling racism on campus, its biggest, most important storyline from this episode. Daphne and Mingo are in for quite the shock when they wake up after a costume party to realize the selfie they took last night, dressed as their favorite musicians Katy Perry and Lil Wayne, has gone viral.
Why? Because the power of social media can never not be underwhelming. The photo has received flak by some who believe the two were appropriating black culture while others don’t think dressing up as your favorite musician should be labelled a race issue. Mingo claims he loves Lil Wayne and was by no means out to mock him or his culture. This causes him and Daphne, who wonders out loud if her Chinese lotus tattoo should be considered Asian culture appropriation, to figure out what freedom of speech even means in this day and age. Either way, they decide to wait it out because they assume it’ll blow over. Hint: it doesn’t.
When things escalate quickly, she even writes an op-ed for the college newspaper that becomes another huge topic of discussion. Cue Daphne talking to a bunch of people to help her understand different perspectives on this situation.
Iris: Her friend was visibly upset at the party when she saw Mingo’s costume and stormed out on them. She makes this clear to Daphne as well, saying that Mingo conformed to racial stereotypes. We kind of get the idea that Iris probably went through something when Daphne was away in China for the last 10 months. Eventually, Iris moves out of the dorm. When finally confronted by Daphne, she tells her this issue is not just an academic debate for her but it’s personal, a matter of emotional safety on campus and goes on to narrate incidences of discrimination against her.
Sharee: When Daphne asks her if she was offended by the whole things, Sharee says she wasn’t, not really. “Some kid acting like a fool is not worth my time,” she continued. But, she does get why others are mad about it. Her only advice for Daphne: let it pass.
John: Daphne goes running with her dad and gets some sage advice from him: the real world is way more offensive and you have to be strong enough to face it.
Bay: After reading Daphne’s article, Bay lets her know what it’s like to be in the spotlight, especially if its not all for the right reasons. She recalls what it was like being the topic of every discussion on campus with everything that happened with Tank. Bay wants to make sure Daphne knows what she’s getting into.
Regina: Once Daphne realizes Regina was offended by all of this, it comes as a surprise to her. “How would you feel if someone wore a sombrero, pushed a lawnmower, and said they were Latino?” Anyway, she’s damn proud of Daphne for standing up for what she believes in. That is how she raised her.
At the end of the day, Mingo is allowed to keep his RA job and Daphne makes it known that her belief in freedom of expression by every individual is what makes America. We know “Switched at Birth” doesn't shy away from tackling major issues. With the story, they’re taking another important one and trying their best to show us different sides to it. And it’s only episode two. Let’s see where we go from here.
Other highlights from the episode:
*After finding a job as an apprentice with the tattoo artist of her dreams, Noelle, Bay is fired because she inks a customer without permission. When she goes to collect her portfolio from the parlor, she narrowly helps Noelle from being robbed by some Chinese men by overhearing their conversation. However, all of this keeps her too occupied to spend time with Travis, who is also diving back into school, sports, and work. To make up for the fact that they’re out of their China bubble, Travis, being the sweetheart that he is, decorates Bay’s apartment and makes dinner for her. I’m enjoying these two together, they’re adorable. I still don’t think we’re done with the love triangle with Emmett, though.
*Meanwhile, John and Katherine end up forming a bond with Chris Walker. An ace baseball player player who’s returning home after his aunt falls sick. John wants him on the team but Walker’s attitude does not impress Katherine because he asks for bribes in order to join UMKC’s team. John isn’t too happy about possibly losing him and doesn’t really mind giving the man a car, something Katherine vehemently opposes. Her solution is to speak with Walker about all the benefits that he’ll get if he chooses UMKC: mentorship from John + a solid education, both of which are chum change compared to a car. In the end, Walker decides to join UMKC!
*Regina, on the other hand, continues to battle her feelings for younger classmate Luca. She’s put in a group with him and Aiden for a project and they end up organizing game night at The Cracked Mug. After Luca saves the day for them, the two end up making out. While Regina deserves some down time and chill plots, she also deserves meaty storylines that don’t revolve around tragic heartbreaks.
What did you think of the episode? Are you excited to see Toby and Lily back next episode? Did you miss Emmett? And mostly, what is your take on the Daphne and Mingo storyline?
