Like a Snowball Down the Mountain

I got to say that it seems that this section of the season has started with a great right foot!! It seems that they really went back to basics and brought us back to the essence of the drama. Both last week and this week episodes ended with a great message and uplifting stories as well as great plots for the following episodes, something that we have been missing for a long time. Not only that, the Deaf community and culture is back into focus and a lot of the actions are happening in the school and we have more hearing actors signing as well. It is just so great to see Angelo finally learning sign language. If the season continues like that, it may turn into the best season from SAB yet.

I am particularly a big fan of Lizzy Weiss scripts because somehow I get the messages (or I think I do) behind them clearer and faster, since this script was done by James Stoteraux & Chad Fiveash, I may be out of the focus here, but I will assume that this episode is mainly focusing on the “women power” situations. A woman that succeeds better than a man is usually suffering the stress of decision making..are they making the right or wrong decision..and how they handle the consequences is what defines their ability to have that power entrusted on them. Daphne had a great mind to have her head up and defend herself for being promoted before her more experienced boyfriend. She was not ashamed to be smarted for asking for a position and actually get one, however the consequences were obvious, she made the wrong decision on picking Campbell over Jorge. Campbell, as portrayed before, is not good handling difficult situation and, as a spoiled rich guy, could not stand the fact that his new girlfriend could do better than him. When he was told by Daphne to do a job and prepare the clinic for inspection and he didn’t do the right job, it made me wonder if he did it on purpose so she would be fired for failing her first assignment on the job or if he was really not capable to do it all as she requested. Once she didn’t lose her position, he finally got a job on the other side of the town, which also made me wonder if he really got the job or he was just really quitting so he wouldn’t be working under her, or even if he did get the job, I wonder if he didn’t ask to be far from there anyway just so he would have a reason to break up with Daphne. Whatever happened and whatever reason he just left the clinic and broke up with Daphne is, it just shows that he really was never that much into her.

Another woman power message was Regina, although I would never encourage anyone to do what she did, it really took a lot of courage from her to decide to defend herself by the use of a gun, but as Regina was never afraid of anything and always took care of herself, that courage she built to decide to take shooting lessons and ing a gun was not that surprising. It was, however, VERY controversial with the character she has always portraied believing that carrying guns are not a good thing and always hated the idea. On the very second episode of the series, I’m talking about the season 1 episode 2, she had a very strong argumentation with John and Kathryn because John had a gun in the house. The argumentation almost made her move out of the house. Even in the beginning of the episode she had a very strong attitude against Wes carrying a gun, yet after her power being tested by the threat against her own life, she made a decision, and that was to take charge of her own defense. The consequences of that will echoes on her family support and understanding which we still has yet to see, but it is assumed at this point that she is not letting anyone putting her down because she can do better than them.

Even though Kathryn is enjoying the “power” of being a successful writer and having her pictures with a bunch of gorgeous male models, Sarah Lazar gives her a good reason why she actually is not that powerful. A powerful woman doesn’t need to step on other person’s scars or try to destroy the other so they can be on top. We know there is more in that story with Sarah Lazar on the next episode, but Sarah and then Regina, made a very good point to Kathryn. A powerful woman is smart and grand on her own. Be yourself and be sincere, that will make you powerful on your own power and not on someone else weakness.

One of the things that I loved to see on the episode was the nice friendship between Bay and Natalie, I just really love those 2. They make sense to each other and Natalie once again open Bay’s mind to the world of the minority around them. When they first met, Natalie “forcibly” made Bay realize how the Deaf people feel about hearing people. Of course we can’t generalized all the Deaf people on her character’s action, but it gave us a very good idea of the background the Deaf community minority go through in the hearing world, their difficulties, thoughts and discriminations which clarify their beliefs and some attitudes that define them. On this episode, Natalie, again, made it clear to Bay about the homosexuality taboo in the society. Even though, society nowadays are way open for sexual tendency and choices, there are still a lot to work on it and the past history and personal up-bringing can define how a person would perceive his/her different choices. As a lesbian Deaf teenager, Natalie, better than any other character we are introduced so far, is the person to help open Bay and Emmett’s mind to Matthew’s situation. Talk about women power, who can say that Natalie is not a successful woman. She is a teen, but she is so strong that she made her decision and is living with it. Again, how you make your decision and how you handle the consequences of it is what will define your power. Natalie, in my point of view, shows to be a very powerful woman. And most important, for being on top and knowing what she wants, she can look down on who is still climbing, either by still learning or trying or understanding the way up, she can see the struggle from all the points and calmly advice from her best experiences to the ones that need some time to get where she is.

As we are talking about trying to understand, no one was left more lost than Tank was on this episode. Poor Tank couldn’t understand why Bay broke up with him all the sudden, went to find out why and ended up finding out he was cheated on, clearly regretted having de-pledged the fraternity but may have no way back, and when Bay went to talk to him to try to be friends ended up realizing that all that happened to him was just his own fault for being blind and weak in regards to be faithful to what he believed. If he really believed in the fraternity, the fact that Bay was against it should have made him be clear that Bay was not the person for him, if he believed that Bay was, the fraternity should have been gone a while back, if he believed he and Bay had it really special, he would have known that she would be ready to be intimate with him, if she was not he should have known it was not special. Maybe he was blind to see what was going on around him, but being blind doesn’t mean he should not stay faithful to what he really wants, what his heart really says. Unfortunately, when he finally opened his eyes and realized that he actually helped Bay to go back to Emmett it was a little too late for him. I’ll give him Kudos though for letting John bring in the heat on him and swallow it himself not letting John know how his daughter messed up, although she did tell John about it later by herself. And what an awkward conversation that was. We all have seen Bay and John’s relationship is pretty open, but in the real world, how many daughters tell their fathers about their sex lives? And even worse, how many fathers handle listening to their daughters talking about their sex lives?

The sex talk with the parents is always really that awkward for any teen or parents, but both took really well both Kathryn and John. We know that Bay trusts John with many of her issues, she has this amazing bond with him most daughters don’t have with her dads..mothers yes, but fathers..really difficult. If you are a father and you have this amazing bond with your daughter and is thinking..what are you writing about..trust me it is true..you are a great father to have your daughter’s trust and openness, but most fathers don’t. That doesn’t mean the daughters don’t love their fathers..it is just a girl thing. John however took it even to the next level. Not only was he understanding and ready to listen, but he was also supportive. Obviously, Bay was not there to talk about why she did what she did, but how she was feeling. She was not making a confession, but rather explaining her feelings. Bay cheated on Tank and the hurt she caused him is the consequence she will have to deal with. She now understands even more how Emmett felt for over 2 years while trying to make up for the hurt he caused her, the remorse and the regret of his action, but he dealt with it and he was ready to live with it forever. While talking to John, Bay got from John what Emmett got from his mom (Melody) when he confessed to her what he had done to Bay. And just like Melody comforted her son, John was there to comfort his daughter. His words were simple but powerful enough to give Bay the strength necessary for her to live up to the consequences and continue to be strong. No person is perfect, and this show has been giving this message since the very first episode, that IS the main message of the whole series (If humans were perfects, the person who made the mistake of switching the girls wouldn’t have switched anyone and everything would have been perfect) NO, there is no perfect human being, everyone has his/her own flaws. I mentioned this before and here it is John repeating it, there is no bad person, there are bad choices/bad decisions that can define a person’s life or character. It was just interesting to see this behavior coming from John showing that he, like Regina, has changed his beliefs a lot too. When they found out about Regina knowing of the switched, he was not that forgiven of human mistakes, yet now we see him believing in it a lot more and, of course, understanding it a lot more. That shows that no matter how old you are or how much life experience you have, you will always be learning and growing in life.

We can also say that another message of this show was defined by the John and Bay talk. As Bay says (again, making it the 3^rd time) that she loves Emmett and that was the reason why she cheated on Tank, John delivered the complete different message of this episode; “Love makes you do stupid things”. Bay cheating on Tank was stupid of her part, not only for the fact that she was doing the wrong thing by cheating, but also the fact that she let herself go so deeply into her feelings that didn’t think about protection during her sex with Emmett. She fixed it by taking the morning after pill, but she was blinded by love on the moment and did a stupid thing.

Things, that can be considered stupid and is done because of love, are what happen with the big story between Emmett and Matthew. Matthew’s love for Emmett drove him so crazy to the point of starting to do bad things even considered crimes, as vandalism, cyber bullying and blackmailing. Talk about stupid things, he could be in jail by now, but thanks to Bay who ALWAYS knows how to reasoning with Emmett (except for one time on season 1 episode 20), Emmett felt that Bay was right and decided to give Matthew a chance to take back his stupid actions of “love”. What happened to Bay and Tank gave Bay the maturity to understand Emmett in both level, the receiving end and the giving end and with that she just became even more persuasive for him. Bay started the season with a very positive attitude and made her new motto: “we will figure it out” a way to not be knocked down by anyone or anything that comes her way bringing Emmett up with her. With all her new attitude and wisdom, how can he say no for anything she asks or decides. Bay already had it, but we see it showing up over and over again, Bay has the woman power and more importantly the power of true love.

Stepping back from the story to the production and performing part, it was a little difficult to understand how long it took from the past episode ended to this episode beginning. According to Bay it seems like 1 week, but last episode ended with her saying she would break up with Tank the following day. So, let’s just say, if it was the following day, as I assume she wouldn’t want to be dating Tank, but be free to be with Emmett asap, then Emmett’s face make up was not really right, where were all the scars and bruises from the fight? If it was one week, it sure was too “ok” for her to be living a double life for way too long. That is not much of Bay. On another “technical” issue, Daphne and Campbell fighting is a little hard to believe. Daphne complained about Nacho talking too fast, yet he has no speech impairment like Campbell and she couldn’t read his lips, but she could read Campbell’s. OK, she is used to the way he speaks more than Nacho, but then if that is really true, why does she have problem reading Angelo’s lips? His accent problem can be considered the same as the speech impairment of Campbell, then why she never asked Campbell to learn ASL? Let’s just say, something is off here.

I loved to see the biker signing “see you later” to Emmett while leaving the shop, little, subtle, in a bit awkward way but really cute on the detail that even that appearance of the tough guy can melt into Emmett’s culture and most important, respect him for that. I also love finding things on the set and props. It was really neat to see the paint that inspired Bay’s hair-do on Season 2 Episode 15 “Ecce Mono”  hanging on the all in Regina’s living room.

No doubt that the brilliant director, Melanie Mayron, once again did such an amazing job. The last episode she directed was episode 4 “It Hurts to Wait With Love When Love is Somewhere Else”, if you remember it was when Emmett first talked about Mandy and Bay started to realize her feelings for Emmett. When I wrote the review for that episode I mentioned how great her directing was, she made Sean Berdy’s eyes shine one scenes and the whole intense moments between Bay and Emmett was extremely well captured and performed. Just a great director like her would be able to really catch my eyes on certain details. I’m not a critic or expert on film/tv, that’s why I said, it needs to be really intense for me to really catch it, and she did it again. The very first (opening) scene when Bay is coming to Tank’s door we see her feet, her expression and even the fear in her hands before she knocks on the door. All angles created by Mayron that gives us the sense of the scene even though that is just 10 seconds long and has absolutely no speech (or sign), it is just pure cinematography art. To make this comment short, I will go straight to the most amazing scene of the episode, which seems to be happening for the past 3 last episodes, and may or may not be the fact the Sean Berdy is one of the actors in it, BUT, no question that the last scene of this episode was incredibly directed and performed by Sean Berdy and Daniel Durant. That was really magic there, when Mayron captures the awkward but sweet moment of two long time friends seeing each other really differently right there, but still they are being able to maintain the kindness that they had before. Both went through hate and understanding each other to get to that point and the way the 2 actors perform all those feelings through pure gestures and expressions were simply amazing. We have seen many incredible scenes with Sean Berdy, but that is the first time we see how really incredible Daniel Durant is. If you cried on that scene, don’t feel bad..it was really touching! I said it before and I’ll say it again to Daniel performance..BRAVO! Here is an interesting fact, Daniel and Sean are real good and personal friends, I wonder how difficult or funny may be for them to perform on that scene, specially Daniel that has to pretend he is in love with Sean, but hey, that’s what we call the real movie magic!

Having power is not just how you get it, but what you do with it. And love really makes you do stupid things, it is up to you how you want to handle the consequences and that will define your power.

Here it the promo for episode 14 (next monday)

Time to re-watch last Monday's episode. If you do not have abcfamily app or dvr or hulu, you can try this link: http://www.zzstream.li/2014/06/switched-at-birth-s3-e13-like-a-snowball-down-a-mountain.html We do NOT endorse or support the website or its content and strongly advise you to get your abcfamily app or register with a secure website endorsed by ABC Channel.