Switched At Birth -- Bad Choices
Original Airing: February 4, 2013
The theme for this week seemed to be several people making bad choices, in some cases because of pressure from another person.
This week, Emmett proved the apple didn’t fall far from the poisonous Melody Tree. When Daphne was having major buyer’s remorse over having kissed Travis [they thankfully didn’t do the horizontal mambo] Emmett pulled a Melody claiming that Daphne is bigoted against deaf guys and only likes hearing guys. By the way, I don’t think Miss Melody ever called Regina to apologize for suggesting Regina was faking problems with her hands to get sympathy and so she wouldn’t have to do sign language anymore.
When Daphne started to hit it off with Wilkie Jr. and he tried to get her to play basketball with him Little Troll Emmett was there to put the kibosh on it. Wonder what the little troll would say if he learned Wilkie Jr. is a hearing person going deaf. Would that be good enough for him then? To prove the troll wrong Daphne got more involved with Travis and got him to go out with her on her food truck. Only while he was off getting her a rose, she got robbed. Something Daphne is keeping from everyone. She didn’t even tell Troll Emmett when he was shaking his Travis pom-poms hoping Daphne had gotten horizontal with one of his deaf brethren.
In the aftermath of the robbery the reason I don’t like Travis and don’t like him and Daphne as a couple was reaffirmed. He was all about wanting to track down the robbers and showed very little concern about Daphne. It was all about making himself feel better. But, hey, the selfish turd has the Troll Emmett seal of approval. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that before Emmett got involved with Bay he was all up in Daphne’s face about getting involved with hearing guys and now that Bay wouldn’t take him back he’s started his crap up again. After his behavior in this episode I hope Bay never takes the little creep back. Two Melody’s on this show we do not need.
Bay was having her own problems. Because of the program allowing for hearing students to go to Carlton, the school play had to be cancelled because the school couldn’t afford it, which amped up the resentment the deaf kids have against the hearing kids. When Kathryn found out about it she decided to do something, and volunteered to be the new play director. Her first meeting as new director was a flop and it didn’t help for Kathryn to hear Bay tell Natalie that Kathryn didn’t have a life of her own and was always intruding in her life. Ultimately, Bay and Kathryn talked and Kathryn got her act together as the new director of the play and earned the support of the deaf kids participating in the play.
Meanwhile the focus was off John’s political campaign and on his fractured relationship with his father. Seems when John turned down a college scholarship to play major league baseball John’s father was furious. Toby goes to his grandfather for help getting into Washington University, but he’s very discouraging, to the point John goes to his father and confronts him over his behavior. John storms off saying he’s glad he’s kept his father away from his kids. However, Grandfather Bill may have already done his damage, as Toby announces he’s decided he’s not going to college, after all.
Finally, Regina hanging around Zane is causing her to be constantly tempted by alcohol. She doesn’t tell Zane she’s an alcoholic, and decides they shouldn’t get further involved. But when she can’t get a job anywhere, Regina goes back to Zane and at the end of the episode she goes off the wagon by drinking a drink. Well, at least Angelo can’t be blamed for this, hopefully.
To the writers, having Troll Emmett claim Daphne and a deaf guy is different; they seem to forget they had Daphne interested in Troll Emmett, so she’s not a hearing guy groupie as the little toad tried to suggest. They can keep pushing this Daphne and Travis thing but they just suck together. It doesn’t help the Travis character has such an unappealing personality. Bottom line, if Troll Emmett had pressured Daphne to get more involved with Travis, she might not have been on her food truck and got robbed. Just like if Troll Melody had been a supportive friend instead of a frenemy maybe Regina would have felt she had someone to turn to instead of turning back to the bottle.