The show opens with Diego (Clayton Cardenas) being interrogated about the farm and the conditions of the workers. He is upset that they aren’t investigating Isaac’s (Richard Cabral) death. He breaks and reveals that people die all the time on the farm. He also talks about the living conditions and how they are housed off the farm owners property so they aren’t held accountable when incidents occur.
The investigator asks about Teo and whether Isaac killed him in the river. Diego let’s her know a lot of people have died in the river.
Shae (Ana Mulvoy Ten) is talking to two guys at the shelter about becoming a webcam girl to make extra money. They tell her that it is real simple and a way to make easy money.
Before going to sleep, Shae is in bed looking at her ultra sound, obviously considering the webcam gig, which would require her to abort the baby.
Kimara (Regina King) and Shae go to the abortion clinic and there are protesters lined up with signs and yelling that she reconsider. Inside there are posters and pamphlets about alternative measures. She decides she doesn’t want to have the abortion. Kimara asks her how will she care for the baby, but Shae responds that it’s her right and Kimara needs to mind her own business.
Exhausted, Kimara offers to take her back to the shelter.
The scene moves over to Nicolas (Timothy Hutton) and he is trying to make decisions about who to cut from his business. The guy with him says they can’t go name by name; they have to cut entire departments and shifts.
Jeannette (Felicity Huffman) has decided to leave Carson (Dallas Roberts) but before she goes she cooks him enough preplanned meals to hold him over, and leaves a note.
Jeanette checks in a hotel room using a credit card. In her room the phone rings and it is Carson. He was able to track her down by the credit card. Carson is upset and says he doesn’t understand why she needs time away. He begs her to come home but Jeannette hangs up on him.
Jeannette checks out of the hotel and tries to rent a room somewhere else. She has to complete an extensive application that requires her banking information. When she explains she is avoiding her husband the clerk suggests she go to a shelter or suck it up and go home if he is not abusive.
Next she goes to see a lawyer and he is trying to understand what she wants. Jeannette wants money to live off of until she can decide what to do. The lawyer lets her know that North Carolina requires a couple be legally separated for a year before they can get a divorce, but Carson isn’t required to pay her spousal support.
He tells Jeannette if she files for the separation she can apply for spousal support but it could take months. He is willing to do the work contingent on her getting the support.
Gabrielle (Mickaëlle X. Bizet) is at the park with Nicky (Aidan Wallace) when she looks in her purse and realizes her wallet and passport are missing. She panics as she looks for the items. Back at the house she and Claire (Lili Taylor) are talking and she says she found the items, they had fallen out of her purse and were under the bench.
Claire is surprised to learn that Gabrielle carries her passport with her and insists that she is allowed to put it in the safe. Gabrielle knows that she shouldn’t do it but Claire forces the issue.
Nicky asks his mom why she won’t teach Gabrielle English. Claire says it’s because she wants Gabrielle to teach him French. She then asks Gabrielle about her family in Haiti.
Gabrielle says she has a son name Yves but they do not have a relationship. She hasn’t spoken to him in years because he is very independent.
Later, Claire looks into the refrigerator for some left over fish. When she asks Gabrielle about it, she admits that she ate it. Claire reprimands her for not asking.
Claire and Nicholas attend a fundraiser. She mentions to Nicolas that he didn’t say goodnight to Nicky.
At the event Kimara is pitching her organization. Nicolas is approached by someone named Brent Welch (Ed Francis Martin). Welch jokes that he remembers when slave labor was called having a job. He also says when he divorced, he added 3 extra hours to his day.
Welch is surprised that Nicolas owns the furniture manufacturing company. Nicolas shares with him that he has to make significant cuts and all the woes of being a business owner these days. The two exchange sob stories about their wives and kids. Nicolas says it is their burden but they don’t get a hashtag to bring awareness.
Claire introduces herself to Kimara and she asks questions about human trafficking. Kimara lets her know the issues are real and people are really living the way she explained. The conversation turns to Nicky and how he’s Claire’s miracle baby. She tells Kimara the treatments were expensive but was worth it.
Claire decides to make a large donation in honor of Nicky.
Nicolas is livid when he learns she donated $5000.00. He tells her that for a business to get a chartable tax write-off they have to turn a profit. It’s obvious that Nicolas hasn’t shared with her what is going on with the business.
Claire offers to come back and help at the business but he continues to complain about Nicky and her hiring a nanny. When Nicolas asks why she needed a nanny when she doesn’t do anything all day, she replies so there is another person in the house to help raise their son.
Kimara is at the bookstore when she decides to buy a baby book for Shae. When she goes to drop it off she learns Shae has left the shelter. She then goes to the Assistant District Attorney (ADA) for help finding her. The ADA (Zylan Brooks) lets her know she can’t help because the DA has shifted focus from the exploitation of teen sex workers to the illegal labor trade.
We have Shae and the guy who told her about doing the webcam and they are in an apartment. He is showing her how to access the site and set-up her account. A girl named Tracy (Gideon Adlon) comes in and tells Shae she should use the name Cassi instead of Brandi.
Jeanette and Carson meet at a diner. He tells her that he doesn’t understand what’s going on. He asks if it is because he wouldn’t let her help those people. As a consolation he says that they can volunteer at a shelter.
Jeanette asks for money to live on for the time being. She says she just wants to be on her own. Carson says he gave her everything, but Jeanette reminds him she has nothing because everything is in his name. The two have an intense conversation and Carson says they should have had children, as if that would have prevented all of their problems.
Carson lets her know about the investigation and blames her and JD for stirring things up. He says that he will give her a monthly allowance until she gets over herself.
Jeanette goes to Raelyn’s and asks if she can stay with her and the girls.
Gabrielle is teaching Nicky a song in French when he hits her. She grabs him by the arms and admonishes him for hitting her. Claire runs over and pushes Gabrielle. She apologizes and then tells Gabrielle they may discipline children in Haiti that way, but in America they don’t do that.
Gabrielle looks terrified as she apologizes and says she understands.
Nicolas is meeting with one of his employees. He is terminating employees at their Burlington and Charlotte locations without severance packages. The guy who has been assisting him says that the union will probably picket at the other plants but after a week they will go home.
He assures Nicolas that he is doing the right thing, although it is apparent Nicolas doesn’t share his assessment of the situation.
Kimara is awakened by her phone ringing. It is the girl Vanessa (Daleelah Sada) that she met at the drug store. She is in an altercation with a John. She says she wants to go home. Kimara goes to the motel and when the John chases Vanessa downstairs Kimara sprays him with mace so they can escape.
Afterthoughts:
Shae is so accustomed to this cycle of abuse there is no way to save her. I hope this decision doesn’t cost her big. I also found it interesting that recruiters are everywhere, even within the shelters that are supposed to be there to protect the kids.
This episode was so strong in that it highlighted the plight of women of various socio-economic demographics but no matter where they fall on the scale the all have so many issues to deal with.
I am surprised Nicolas hasn’t had a stroke dealing with all the pressures hove having to cut millions from his operating budget and still produce a quality product. Then to have to be in a house where you’re paying the bills, but people are speaking in a language that you don’t understand.
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Love & Blessings,
Tracy
Tracy L. Darity is the author of three novels, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not!, Love...Like Snow in Florida on a Hot Summer Day, and The Red Bear Society. Available in print and e-book. To learn more, visit www.TracyLDarity.com or Amazon.com
