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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S05.E10: Savon

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in 16 And Pregnant [V]

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geekamonggeeks

geekamonggeeks

This episode was a snooze-fest, which was surprising given that this is the first time a girl tried dating somebody else while pregnant with someone else's kid (Farrah going on one date in season one notwithstanding). I kept tuning in and out of it, but I kept wondering why on earth Savon kept that baby. She admitted she had felt no attachment to him when she was first pregnant, and during the pregnancy just seemed so depressed and resigned about the whole thing. Like she was really dreading having Eden. I'm not suggesting she didn't love her son, but she seemed so blank and unattached while caring for him.

 

They mentioned that Savon initially wanted an abortion, but I wanted to know why she changed her mind. It would have made sense if she didn't want to keep the baby; she was a teenager, the father was completely out of the picture and she was dating somebody else. She had every reason in the world to either get an abortion or choose adoption. So why didn't she? Did she seriously consider either of those options? I know her aunt said that she didn't believe in abortions, but she also said that it was worse having a child you're woefully unprepared to take care of. So I don't think the aunt stopped Savon's wanting to terminate the pregnancy. The aunt seemed surprised when Savon mentioned it, so I guess Savon didn't even bother telling her.

 

I liked the boyfriend Maui (I have no idea if I spelled that right). He seemed like a decent kid who wanted to do the right thing, but was too young to really understand what was going on. Both he and Savon had this unrealistic view of what their relationship was going to be like until the baby was born---the baby that hadn't been fathered by Maui. Maybe adults can make that kind of situation work, but not a couple of teens. I think it was good that they broke up. Maui doesn't need that kind of baggage and Savon needs to focus on being a good mother.

 

With that said, I hope she gets help because she was clearly reeling from PPD. The scene where she told her aunt she felt nothing had me worried. I kept expecting her to say she was going to give Eden up for adoption, but that never happened. That definitely would have been a first because we've never seen that: a girl who initially chooses to keep her kid, then decides it's too hard and gives the baby up. I mean, we sort of saw that with Ashley Salazar, but I think she was always going to give Callie up and knew it. This would have been semi-uncharted territory.

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poeticlicensed

poeticlicensed

I was seriously worried about this girls emotional state. While she talked with maturity, her affect was just so flat and dull, I wonder if she was suffering PPD. Talk about no support system, when she was in labor she basically had no one. I liked her aunt's straighforward dose of reality, but I also thought she was quite cold to Savon. Job hunting while hugely pregnant? Seriously?

 

I missed the first few minutes. Did they mention her parents? Why was she living with her aunt? 

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geekamonggeeks

geekamonggeeks

I was seriously worried about this girls emotional state. While she talked with maturity, her affect was just so flat and dull, I wonder if she was suffering PPD. Talk about no support system, when she was in labor she basically had no one. I liked her aunt's straighforward dose of reality, but I also thought she was quite cold to Savon. Job hunting while hugely pregnant? Seriously?

 

I missed the first few minutes. Did they mention her parents? Why was she living with her aunt?

I also wondered about Savon's parents. I wonder if they were out of the picture entirely. That might explain why she kept the baby after all---because she wanted a family of her own. That's the best I can come up with, because I still don't understand why she kept him when she really seemed so reluctant to do so. I mean, she was just going through the motions. I really didn't see any attachment between Savon and Eden whatsoever. I wouldn't be surprised if the catch-up special reveals she completely ditched him and the aunt was raising him full-time.

 

And, yeah, why did the aunt insist that Savon go job-hunting when she was in her third trimester? I highly doubt a lot of places will hire a girl who will have just to on maternity leave a few weeks after starting the job. Getting a job was the first thing Savon should have done when she first decided to keep the baby. The least Aunt LaDonna could have done was offer to help out Savon, and then tell her to get a job after Eden's birth to pay her back. She's already decided to get her GED. Getting a job would be easier without high school (and I know how terrible that sounds).

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IvySpice

IvySpice

Agree about Savon's flat affect and need to get some emotional support. She reminded me of Shaniyah, Lemhele's 14-year-old daughter on "My Teen Is Pregnant And So Am I." Just resignation, disconnection, depression. The only emotion she felt was loneliness. It seemed that she saw no upside to the baby or motherhood at all. Lord, girl, give him to someone who wants him!

 

When Savon and LaDonna were discussing abortion, I think Savon mentioned money as the reason she couldn't get one. If I heard that right, it's especially tragic. All of this misery could have been avoided for $500.

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geekamonggeeks

geekamonggeeks

 

 

When Savon and LaDonna were discussing abortion, I think Savon mentioned money as the reason she couldn't get one. If I heard that right, it's especially tragic. All of this misery could have been avoided for $500.

You're right. I recall her saying something like it was too expensive. Which leads me to wonder again if she ever asked the aunt at all? Judging from LaDonna's expression during their conversation, I thought it was possible Savon didn't ask her to lend her the money she needed for the procedure. Or Savon felt that her aunt would not approve, so she didn't mention it at all.

 

I feel weird saying Savon should have gotten an abortion when baby Eden is already alive and here in the world. That makes me feel bad. But I do agree that she should give him up to a family that actually wants him in their lives. I don't think Savon ever once felt attached to her child, which is very troubling for Eden. PPD is pretty common, but here's a girl who felt a disconnect from her baby as soon as she learned she was pregnant. There was love there, but it was very dim and distant. She was reminiscent of the girl from "My Teen Is Pregnant and So Am I". Both girls didn't want to keep their babies at all, and did so for reasons I can't figure out (though in the latter's case, she did hint at adoption but Lemhele was too ignorant to read between the lines).

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lgprimes

lgprimes

Pretty much every episode of this show has me thinking "Why in the world did she keep this baby?! Give it to somebody who can give it a good life and wnats it!"  This episode had me screaming it at the TV! This girl was miserable about having that child! She had other plans and seh is PISSED that they fell through. Add to that the fact that the baby daddy doesn't acknowledge the kid's existence...why in the worls not give that child to somebody who wnats him?

I also don't understand why nobody told her to go get a piece of that baby daddy's paycheck.... although I amy be laughably optimistic to think he HAS a paycheck....

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RedKoolAide

RedKoolAide

Savon was so sad. I don't understand why she just didn't get a job before to pay for an abortion when she was able and it was still safe. I don't know what was going on in her head but reality didn't seem to hit her until after Eden was born. It was sad to watch.

While Mauwi (hate the spelling of his name) seemed like a nice guy, I'm not sure his approach of "well, you're already pregnant, why can't we have sex?" was the best. She may have been traumatized by her experience and didn't want their relationship to be all about sex. But it was nice to see they were able to stay friends. Too bad she didn't let Eli just ride by and get to know Mauwi instead.

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IvySpice

IvySpice

I worry that Savon is going to resent the hell out of Eden for showing up and wrecking all her plans. Poor kid. I knew a mom like this when I was working taking tickets before college. She was like 20, working the same entry-level job I was, and when she told us she was pregnant, we other girls were like, "Oo, are you excited?!?" And she said in a dull voice, "I did it, so I'm doing it." Welcome to the world, helpless baby! Now that I think about it, she named her baby (boy) Jordan. That was around 1995, so I'm relieved we didn't see her Jordan showing up as a baby daddy on this show.

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StatisticalOutlier

StatisticalOutlier

When Savon and LaDonna were discussing abortion, I think Savon mentioned money as the reason she couldn't get one. If I heard that right, it's especially tragic. All of this misery could have been avoided for $500.

 

I was only about 1/10 watching.  I did hear her say that the guy who got her pregnant (who I think had other kids! why why why did she even give him the time of day????  What is wrong with people?  There should be no way for him to get ANYONE pregnant unless he has a 10-foot dick) told her to get an abortion, and then she said something that made me think she was thinking along the lines of, "You're not going to tell me what to do." 

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Birdee

Birdee

Add me to the "should have chosen adoption" team. Savon looked so dead behind the eyes to me. It was like her entire life was now over and she didn't care what happened to her or the baby. That's sad and scary. Most of the girls are excited to be moms once we meet them and coo over their babies. Not Savon, I don't even have a word to describe how removed and dejected she was. Hopefully she's come around to motherhood and is enjoying it. Or she decided to give the baby up. Either way I hope she's in a better place emotionally and mentally. 

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tally1068

tally1068

(edited)

I'm glad everyone else feels like me.

I found the whole thing really sad and depressing. I cant imagine having no one around during delivery or indeed through the whole thing. I don't think I saw any emotion from Savon in the whole episode but I think a whole cauldron was bubbling underneath. I too thought post partum depression but she was like it before the birth. Indeed I agree with her own assessment of being "traumatised"

I'm glad she didn't string M along and keep him as a fall back boyfriend, but I thought he was a decent guy. IMO she needs some therapy.

I'm afraid I didn't rate the aunt, she seemed to go out of her way to make things even more isolated for Savon. No mention as to why she was living there.

Definitely not a dramatic episode, but a thoughtful one. I'd be interested in an update in a couple of years. (Please no more Teen Mom- 3 lots is one too many.

 

Edited to add that I thought Eden was one of the most gorgeous babies in the whole of 16 and Pregnant. Just too cute. Maybe she can get him into baby modelling. It'd be much needed money though kids working is a fuzzy area for me. Not sure if I'm for or against it, though loads of babies do it.

Edited by tally1068
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configdotsys

configdotsys

What I found pretty odd was that she seemed kind of disgusted with the baby, telling him "You sneezing in my face is not acceptable" or something. Then getting angry when he kept pooping. Most parents laugh at the ickiness of that going on. She just seemed completely joyless. In the opening, she seemed very full of life and looking towards sports and music and finishing school and saying the things that most girls on this show do. But, I believed her. She was not a screw up type girl. I think she had no attachment at all to the kid because the guy was a loser and that sapped every ounce of her being once the reality of her situation hit her after the birth.

 

I will give her serious props for being very straightforward with Mauwi and saying, "I don't have time to be a girlfriend. I have to focus on being a mom." When do we ever hear that? We see these girls asking others to watch their kids so they can go out because they "need a break." Savon seemed to need a break but was either punishing herself by depriving herself of any fun, or she knew that the aunt would not tolerate her trying to be a happy go lucky girl with a baby.

 

She just seemed resigned to the fact that her life would no longer take the path she wanted. I did not get that she resented that--which would be totally understandable-- she just seemed defeated.  I feel bad for her but she decided that the bad boy was going to be a fun lay and now is paying for that big time.

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Oregonrain

Oregonrain

I finally finished watching this last night and there has to be more to the story than we are seeing. She seems way to tramatized by sex and it appears to be more than her ending up pregnant. Was there a rape involved here? That could explain her indifference to her child or her situation.

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Birdee

Birdee

I wondered the same thing too. Either rape or she finally broke down and said yes but didn't really want to. Either way, that would explain her lack of attachment. I really worry for Savon.

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SusieQZie

SusieQZie

This was pretty depressing, though most of the girls featured this season have been. As someone who has numerous adopted family members, I kept yelling "Put the baby up for adoption!" during the whole thing, especially after he was born.

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Lilit

Lilit

(edited)

 

She seems way to tramatized by sex and it appears to be more than her ending up pregnant. Was there a rape involved here? That could explain her indifference to her child or her situation.

 

I had the same question, Oregonrain, and mentioned that in my recap. She seemed so traumatized and so negative in the way she talked about sex and sexuality that I was concerned something had happened to her.

Edited by Lilit
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BitterApple

BitterApple

Savon totally reminded me of Sheniyah from "My Teen Is Pregnant." Totally flat affect, no emotion, no bond with her child. IIRC, Sheniyah refused to name the father of her child, even though Lemhele was trying to track him down. It's interesting that both girls have vague, sketchy circumstances regarding their kids' fathers.

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bref

bref

(edited)

Yes. And she also pronounced pregnant, "prejinent". Although perhaps that was a joke? Hard to tell, since the girl was completely without affect. I felt sorry for her--and I agree there was more to the backstory here than we were getting.

 

Her interview answer made me laugh, as ridiculous as it was. Just what an employer wants to hear!

Edited by bref
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Happycakez

Happycakez

Yes. And she also pronounced pregnant, "prejinent". Although perhaps that was a joke? Hard to tell, since the girl was completely without affect. I felt sorry for her--and I agree there was more to the backstory here than we were getting.

 

Her interview answer made me laugh, as ridiculous as it was. Just what an employer wants to hear!

I think that was a joke.

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