It just keeps getting better! This week's episode, "The Brit ", shaked things up. As Arman and Thony's relationship reached a tipping point, we got introduced to the new cleaning business and to a new character that might just be what Fiona needs while Garrett got new information on the Cortés case...
Warning: spoilers.
It's not who you are. Losing faith and self-esteem, Arman is slowly drowning. Things are only getting worse since he got out of prison - La Habana keeps losing members that aren't willing to be seen near someone who could still be watched by the feds. If Nadia and Arman don't find, either a solution to gain their trust back or the funds necessary to buy the club, Isabel will have to sell it to someone else. Meanwhile, Robert keeps pushing him harder and harder, humiliating him any chance he gets by reminding him of the power he once had and how he's now only a pawn in his game.
Expanding their new business by selling drugs is the only way Arman sees to make money faster - for him, it's just a temporary measure that'll allow him to get back on his feet and away from Kamdar, but things aren't that easy for Thony. She may be crossing some lines, but she's still a doctor, and recklessly putting addictive drugs in the wild is not something she’s willing to agree on. Arman tried to make her see where he stands but she stood her ground, and left after delivering their cut from the meds she sold and made it clear they had an agreement in which she had her word to say.
Arman was already on edge, but the thought of losing the club - the only thing he has left and that represents his win over Hayak - only made him even more desperate and led him to go back on the initial deal he and Nadia made with Thony. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit worried when I read the episode description, but watching them fight was definitely interesting. Obviously, Thony was furious and visibly hurt - he was forcing her hand, choosing this time to ignore (or at least put aside) who she is and what she stands for, to put his interests first.
T: You may not care about what happens to people, but I do.
A: Oh, like that motel manager?
T: He was threatening my family.
A: Robert Kamdar is threatening mine. Everything you've needed, I've done for you.
I don't ask questions, I don't judge you. I've done whatever it takes to keep you safe.
I even killed for you. You even appreciate that?
Harsh words were exchanged, but they were both right. Once again bringing us back to season 1 and to their first fight, they justified their actions by having to protect their families - which are good reasons. Here, all Thony saw was that they wanted more money, no matter the consequences it could have had, but she didn’t understand why, nor see how bad it actually had become for him...because he didn't let her in. For her, the profit they were making was enough - they were doing things illegally but for good reasons. And all she needed was a good reason to break her rules for him - and Arman failed to have the valid arguments to convince her in that scene.
Now, things wouldn't have been that bad if he would have been honest with her and if Thony would have realized that there was more to it than meets the eye - but with we have been given, they were both right. Overhearing Arman and Nadia's fight over Thony, Robert jumped at the chance to involve her after Arman - who was overwhelmed by his emotions and blinded by rage - left a bloody mess in his office. They may have reached a breaking point, but who are we kidding - these two will always show up for each other if one of them is in need - and here, Arman's voice definitely made her feel that he needed her.
He seemed to be sick to his stomach to have to call Thony in, further dragging her down with him and into Kamdar's claws. And even more so knowing that she was still mad at him and her refusing to join him could have had dramatic consequences for both of them. Now that Robert knows that she’s Arman’s weakness, it’ll be interesting to see what game he decides to play - will he use Thony to get Arman to do what he wants? Will he keep pushing them closer with the hope that it’ll bring Nadia back into his arms? Or will he try to break their relationship to really leave Arman with nothing left?
When Thony enters Kamdar’s office - when he feels her coming in - he almost hides, ashamed of who he's become, refusing to look at her but still staying alert to make sure she's safe. There, he stands half in the light and half in the shadows created by the blinds. And this is also where he's stuck at metaphorically - Thony is his light, but the world he's forced to live in right now keeps pushing him further into darkness. She hadn't realized until now how hard it had become for him - but once she saw him, she was ready to do whatever it takes to get him out of the darkness he’s slipping into. Seeing him suffer made it clear and necessary for her to put his well-being before one of the values she holds most dear.
Where she once had doubts in early season 1, and was scared she might have misjudged him - here, with no uncertainty, she came to him and took his hand. As she looked at him, it almost felt as if she was staring right into his soul and trying to make him see what she sees; a good man forced to do bad things to survive. She gave him the strength he needed at that moment, a little glimmer of hope - the same glimmer of hope he gave Thony in the sixth episode of the first season when she was losing faith. (yes, I'm back with my parallels)
And with few words, in both scenes, they made it clear they were in this together. Thony is the one holding him steady, reminding him of who he really is - and she’s more than ever an anchor he can hold on to. As I said earlier, she needed a good reason to break her rules - and by showing that real, vulnerable side of him, by letting her in, she didn’t need anything else to change her mind. She has now realized that he needs her as much as she needs him.
Regrets. Nadia watches her husband slipping away from her, and this is the first time that she, to some extent, admits that her marriage is over. She may have pushed him, but she knows and says it herself - no matter what she does, good or bad, it wouldn’t change anything - Arman will always go back to Thony. Robert sure is doing a great job at exploiting every vulnerability he finds - and he is the one to partially thank for Thony and Arman’s reconciliation. A couple episodes ago, as proof of goodwill, Nadia gave Robert the ring that (for a so far unknown reason) means so much to her. At the time, it was also a way to show that she’s on her husband side and that she’ll give it all up for him. In this episode, Robert gave it back to her - his way of making her see that he could give her back a part of the life she gave up for Arman.
Second act. Jaz is back and so is her dad, JD, who's now moving to Vegas. He's serving in the armed forces and has always been stationed overseas - but sees his new teaching job at Westmore Prep as a chance to reconnect with his daughter. His arrival was unexpected as we never really addressed Jaz’s backstory - and JD being that amazing was even more unexpected. He seems to be appreciated by the entire De La Rosa family and to have a great relationship with all the kids. Fiona, on the other hand, didn't know how to feel about this reunion as it once again put more uncertainty in her life. She has always done everything by herself and raised her two kids alone, so it’s perfectly understandable for her to feel lost and maybe scared of being judged as she now has to take a step back to let this bond between father and daughter develop.
Fi, what went wrong between the two of you that you decided to take separate paths? He seems to be a caring dad who just wants a place in Jaz's life - but as Fiona seems to put her walls up, he makes it a point to reassure her - he’s not there to mess with her life, he just wants to be there for his daughter and make up for all the things he missed. She could really benefit from his presence if she’d let him in. Fiona has made so many sacrifices, all for her kids to have the best life possible - and putting herself first at times will only make her stronger than she already is.
The cleaning business is finally open, and with all the girls counting on them, the pressure was high on Fiona to find clients while Thony was just trusting the process. Ginger - who’s retiring from her showgirl career and is now becoming a party planner - was willing to give them a chance, and wasted no time testing them. Having to clean the party right away and with no back-up as the rest of the girls had taken on other jobs to pay their bills, they called on their family for help - and JD was leading the pack. How cute was Luca, floating in that big shirt and helping the best he could? Ginger was pleased to see an entire family involved - and saw it as strength and perseverance coming from Fiona. She took on a commitment and did whatever it took to get the job done - and that’s also a gentle reminder of what’s going on in their personal lives. They’ll keep pushing as a family, no matter what, to help each other out. Things finally look brighter for Fi - she now has a stable income, can provide a healthy work environment for her and the girls, and of course...she realized that she could trust JD and rely on him. I’m really excited to see how their relationship evolves!
Chris only seems to be okay on the surface, but Jaz is still being kept in the dark, and had to learn from her cousin that her brother got suspended from school for breaking a mirror. Fiona insisted on keeping him busy so that he'll hopefully push through it and put it all behind him. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works - issues don’t disappear because you choose not to address them - and that also applies to her and Thony. I have to say my jaw dropped when Thony told Fiona that she couldn't keep holding her feelings in. Neither of them have been really grieving, but in my opinion, Thony didn't even start - she doesn’t seem to be moved at all by her husband’s death unless it affects her family. I was glad Fiona called her out on that one - and hopefully they’ll get a chance to get some of the weight off their chest soon.
As I said last week, Thony had all the cards in her hands to help everyone, and she had the perfect (okay perfect might not be the best way to describe the situation) occasion to use them when Garrett arrested them after being tipped off by one of his CIs. Turns out the Brit he's looking for is Kamdar, who used to sell drugs himself but is now a bank for criminals. The man sure is versatile and likes to get his hands in anything that can bring him money.
Thony knows that Garrett is hellbent on saving Maya, she knew Maya was afraid of Kamdar, she gathered information from Arman on the loan shark last week - and she finally got the last piece of the puzzle when she found herself in his office while he was discussing with a man who turned out to be Cortés. Arman was ready to go back to prison if it meant Thony would be free but she gave Garrett the best chance he could get to bring down Cortés by offering to inform for him again if he'd agree to let them both go. As risky as it is, it’s their best chance because, let’s be honest - Robert will never let Arman go even if he had the money to pay off his debt. I can't wait to see how this new partnership will change their dynamic - as I already said, my guilty pleasure is to watch Arman and Garrett get on each other's nerves - I think I'm going to love this!
Alright, that's all for now - we'll be back next week!
What did you think of this episode?
Let me know in the comments!
