S04.E08: Walk This Way

[jewel21]

Quote

With Spencer's determination to protect his teammates from unjust punishment, he puts his own future at risk. Olivia and Layla question their post-graduation plans only to find the answers where they least expect it. Asher is too proud to ask for help to pay for his dream college and takes his frustration out on the people trying to help him. Coop makes a heartbreaking decision when it comes to Amina. Meanwhile, Billy and Laura deal with the aftermath of what happened to GW.

Airdate: 02/21/2022

[KWalkerInc]

This episode was all right in the end, but it seems weird for a graduation episode to fall only roughly halfway through a season.  I hope they didn't do that just to line up with the spinoff (I'm watching it now, and I'm bored).  I understand Spencer's point, but all the speeches were getting to be a little annoying.  And if they were really just looking to punish one person for the break-in, wouldn't one of the guys who didn't have a criminal record have just confessed?  Even if they were all extras, they could have done it off camera.  It was realistic that the school board didn't care for the "Spartacus" stunt, which of course they had to blame on J.J.!  It was very funny though when the school board guy questioned J.J. stealing his school's own trophy and he boomed, "You don't know me, sir!" 

Coop of course can't bring herself to actually tell Amina the truth.  I understand not wanting her to know that Preach killed Mo, but if people in the streets knew the accusations of Coop shooting Mo and spread it to Amina, wouldn't they also have told her of Mo's scheme against Coop and that it would be self-defense?  That rang false.  At least Coop did figure out that it wasn't just going to blow over.  Patience's advice about the matter to Coop and Preach was good, and it was nice that Patience and Coop got along for an episode.

I was also glad that Layla dialed it back for this episode.  I don't know that I buy her being valedictorian with all the trauma she went through and time she spent away (because I know school is much harder than in my day), but she is smart and I guess they needed someone from the core group to win the honor.  That was nice that JoJo (don't know the character's name, I spent most of the scene singing her long-ago hit "Leave (Get Out)") helped her get her confidence. 

I was mad at first when it seemed they weren't going to show Spencer graduate, but of course they needed an excuse to get everyone from both schools together.  The beach scene at the end reminded me of on "Beverly Hills, 90210" when they were all together looking at the Hollywood sign they'd changed--except that was a season finale.  I wonder if we're supposed to care that Jamie didn't show up after Asher left her that message (understandably).  His mom's fiancé seems like a really good guy.  Maybe he can be a better influence than his dad. 

This post has taken most of the episode of the spinoff, so that's good.  I was surprised that G.W. survived and that they revealed it so quickly.  It wasn't the direction I expected them to take.

[Artsda]

On what planet would Layla who was out of school in mental hospitals, always at the studio when others were in school, always with her own family drama be valedictorian?

Seems like this graduation was thrown in to accomodate the spinoff. 

[Guy Incognito]

Geez, this show is a mess!  A Graduation episode, really?  LOL.  Where the heck did that come from?  I've posted before how this show was trying to squeeze every last ounce of High School out of these 35 year old actors, but man, they really turned that story on a dime to get them into college ASAP.

Gotta love JJ at the end "I dont think I could have done it without you guys".  Reallly JJ? Were Coop and Patience really that integral to you graduating High School?  Was the QB from Crenshaw a big part of your High School experience?  Even Spencer, who you went to school with for about 6 months of your 4 years, was he really that important?  Why the heck are you even hanging out with this group, its mostly kids from Crenshaw?  Don't you have ANY OTHER FRIENDS from Beverly you might be hanging out with on graduation night?  Freaking JJ.

And one final thing, what is it with this show and tattoos on their supposed High School students, especially the girls.  I mean, I get that these actors are old and have these tattoos for real, but its really weird watching some of these scenes and seeing these MASSIVE tattoos on these characters that are supposed to be kids.  I had always thought the Olivia tattoos were out of place with no explanation.  Like her parents would really have been cool with that?  No explanation.  Azures girlfriend had those giant tatts on her arms like she had done 2 years in Lompoc prison.  Always seemed so out of place to me.

Then I go check out the spinoff that came on after and they somehow crammed that Wide Receiver that Spencer was always battling with over the years into that show.  What the heck?  Wasnt he some big stud football player going to a D1 school?  Now he's at the small HBCU school that cant afford a baseball team? And they just randomly have him pop out of nowhere to help build some shelves or something?  What the heck?

[KWalkerInc]

I had forgotten about that scene in the All-American game episode where Cam decided not to pick a college yet (probably because I didn't care).  I had assumed at the time he would end up going to the same school as Spencer, but that was when I thought they were building toward another season starting with the fall, not jumping to college halfway through.  Even though they get the top ratings for the CW, I wonder if they do want another season.  They probably still do unless it's affected by the sale of the network.

[Mack3326]

What concerns me is that no one seems to understand that the school prank of stealing the trophy caused $500K in damage.  Somebody has to pay for that, even if it was unintentional.  The team broke into a public school and stole property while causing a bunch of damage.  There's nothing unfair or unjust about making someone pay; it was a crime...short and simple.  To suggest that no one should be held accountable places a spot light on something more detrimental in our society.  The notion that some people are entitled to do what ever they want without consequence.  If Spencer is so stupid that he will jepordize his future by not naming the indivdiual guilty of the crime, then he should shut up and take the hit.