kjwillis93

As a white woman with body dysmorphia, I couldn't fathom the pain and agony a dysmorphic state would cause a black woman whose beauty is already "othered" in American society. Seeing yourself on television as frequently as Tami has over the years would also intensify that dysmorphic state. I understood her hurt after the second episode where David's side was more fleshed out, it was almost as though what she had disclosed was glossed over. Clearly she wanted to visit that topic of discussion a little more intimately and feel more seen. That said, I'm glad that the producers showed the old footage of David learning he was being removed from the house. It definitely humanized him - I can't begin to imagine the repercussions a black man would face when people are carelessly throwing around a heavy accusation such as rape. I understood his grievances when they gave us more insight on how it all really went down back in '93. I also think it's ironic that David couldn't understand Tami's explanation that there is such a thing as nervous laughter, when he himself was laughing nervously upon feeling targeted by the group and likely from just feeling the general discomfort in the room.

Who else noticed that Kyler was less insufferable this episode? He still moped around expressionless, but he was more sympathetic. I think him opening up about his troubled relationship with his mother gave more insight on why he is the way he is. I also liked the look he gave the camera at the end of his and Lexi's segment when he was like, "Thanks for the party, I'm gonna go," and Lexi was like, "No you're not." *hugs* Ashley seems to genuinely love Bar. I think Bar loves Ashley, but he is really bad at processing his emotions. He also tries a little too hard to subscribe to the "thuggin" life Paster Tea alluded to. Otherwise he seems to have a kind heart deep below the "hard" surface. I'm just happy that Ashley makes her own decisions and is unapologetic about it. She has a lot of negativity in her ear from her own mother. I think I like Jade the most. She appears to have a good head on her shoulders despite everything she must have gone through growing up. I like how she just kind of shook her head in disbelief when her mom was all like, "I've never asked you for anything!" She knows how to pick her battles at this point I'm sure. She always is calm and rational in the midst of all the drug fiends around her. I hope things work out for her in the long run. Brianna's story is bleak. I think therapy is great for anybody, so at least she is trying to explore that option to smooth some things out in her life. I do feel slight sympathy for her since her mother is unlike your conventionally maternal mother. Her desperation to have more people in the house to make money to pay the bills is sad in ways more than one. It doesn't seem like carefully planning things out is either of their strong suits. Kayla, girl. I wanted to like her because I used to live in the town next to her. It's fun to see all the places I know when her segment is on. I was even working at the Sheriff's Office where she filed her Order of Protection. BUT she is bratty, plain and simple. She is also a bad liar. Her mom was a bit abrasive in the way she approached Kayla when she was sweeping, but it was understandable. Kayla releases her aggression on her mother rather than using that energy to put Stephan in his place. I get that Stephan is Izaiah's father and she wants him to be in Izaiah's life, but don't pretend that Stephan didn't make his own bed. I wonder how far she can stick her head in the sand.

There are a couple little nuances I wanted to lay out there for further discussion, and I'm actually surprised that when I scrolled through the comments, no one else brought these things up. First, I thought Bonnie shoving Perry down the stairs was fitting. I say this because earlier in the episode when Jane tells Celeste about Max being the bully, she mentions something about Max shoving Skye (Bonnie and Nathan's daughter) down some stairs. As some commenters have pointed out, it also makes sense that Bonnie intervened because she recognized the abusive tendencies Perry was exemplifying to Celeste -- even from across the way. The subtly in her reaction is so, so perfect. Second, and I might be reaching here, but did anyone else catch the scene between Tom (the barista) and Gordon (Renata's husband) where Tom raises his glass at Gordon, and Gordon responses by doing the same and winking at him? I couldn't help but catch the vibe that maybe Tom and Gordon were lovers. Tom might be closeted (and therefore Madeline wasn't too off base by claiming he was gay), and Gordon having an affair isn't that much of a stretch to me. Everyone seemed to have these scandalous secrets, so that was Gordon's. (And, I'd argue that this wasn't explored much beyond that because it wasn't really relevant to the plot that was unfolding).

Do any music savvy folks out there know the song that Jane was listening to in her car as she was driving and smoking a joint?

A few quick thoughts: Perry is infuriating. His absolute need for control in his relationship with Celeste is difficult to watch. Between the constant whines that Celeste is keeping things from him, demands to know everything at all times, and a physical abuse fetish - he is an insufferable shell of a man. As for Ed, I really do feel as though all of this "creepy" behavior is a major red herring. I'm not sure he's behind the murder-mystery. But when it comes to Amabella, I am genuinely confused as to who is behind the bullying. What are some of your predictions? (And don't spoil anything if you have read the book).