In the 90 minute summer finale of Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 19, “Closing Arguments,” we were met with moments of satisfying clarity and climax for every character.

The additional 30 minutes really gave every storyline its due time rather than the typical time crunch that only allows for a couple of characters to live in the spotlight.

While the ending episodes of the season have revolved around the timeframe of the trial, we’ve perfectly arrived at the closing arguments. Thus, the opening sequence cleverly put the entire coterie on the witness stand while they were thrown heated questions and remarks from their inner demons.

By the end of the episode, everyone had their full character arc and had resolved their problems. Tears were shed, and laughs were had; the full range of emotions was experienced. Although, with every resolution comes more questions and more cliffhangers, rightfully. Let’s break it down.

Alice’s family in the audience. (Freeform/Eric McCandless)

Callie:

Since the beginning, Callie’s been the main focus of the show. However, her storyline has been pushed to the back as more and more characters have been further developed and given more screentime.

By the end of the season finale, she and Gael have come to the very adult conclusion that they should break up while because his duty as a father will eventually supersede his relationship with Callie.

The only reason Callie’s fine with this is that the falling out of the relationship has made her feelings for Jamie resurface. So, don’t be surprised when Callie and Jamie are back together by the beginning of next season. The reasons for their initial breakup seem to be resolved as they’ve both matured, so maybe this time around, things will work out.

Gael:

We were really taken on a ride and a half with Isabella’s baby scare! The good news is she didn’t lose the baby. And Gael’s not let off the hook so easy. He’s definitely going to have to take stock of his complicated feelings for Isabella because there are very unsubtle cues from their chemistry and dialogue that make me believe there’s going to be a relationship evolution between the two.

The pressures of his family to be a family with Isabella and the baby seem to be reverberating in his unconsciousness. However, they slept together once, so that doesn’t mean there was zero chemistry. I only wish them the best, especially since Isabella has done an entire 180 in her character development!

Alice and Lindsay on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Eric McCandless)

Davia and Dennis:

Oh, Dennis and Davia. They left us on a cliffhanger with who Davia chooses, but it’s obviously going to be Dennis. Dennis has much more depth than Matt, so we’re emotionally invested in Dennis, and they don’t do that just for giggles. So, you heard it here, folks, Dennis and Davia are end game.

They’ve been through such a process of healing and maturation together. It would be silly for them not to finally be at a place where they can build a healthy relationship on trust.

Poor Matt, Davia’s been keeping him on a string. I know not maliciously, but as someone who’s struggled with body image issues having even two men interested in her mind is rare. So, unless she knew Dennis was going to for sure say no to a relationship with her, she would never have kept Matt on a hook.

It’s worth mentioning that the real MVP relationship is Dennis and Gael. Their talks about feelings and relationships hit home and need to see more of, please!

Mariana:

For once, Mariana’s storyline is not centered around her romantic life. She’s getting ready to fight a revolution for her Bulk Beauty team! They did a fabulous job misleading us into thinking she was really breaking it off with her team and was seriously looking for a job elsewhere.

Yes, she’s doing some dirty work to try and bring down the competition that stole her ideas, but Evan, her old flame, is also aiding and abetting the competition.

This is going to come around and bite them in the butt, but the war is on! Bulk Beauty for the win and say goodbye to her rekindled relationship with Evan. He’s definitely not coming out of this unscathed.

Malika:

Now that her career is on the upward trajectory along with her new relationship with Angelica, will Malika need Dyonte? Is she really poly, or did she want a reason to sleep with Dyonte while she was with Isaac? What would she do if Isaac returned? These are all of the haunting questions she’s presented with.

Malika’s conversation with Angelica about her feelings toward dating a poly person goes fairly smooth, considering. Instead of totally disregarding the possibilities, Angelica is open to Malika’s polyamory and says they will take things slowly.

Dyonte, on the other hand, will definitely not thank her for cradling him and taking the job with the politician out of sympathy for him. So, I can see that relationship certainly burning up in flames.

Therefore, why not bring Isaac back? Oh yeah, her inner demons questioning what she would do if Isaac returned must’ve jinxed the situation. Because just as Dyonte’s leaving in the elevator down, Issac’s on the elevator coming up. She better be grateful and counting her lucky stars that her building has two separate elevators. Or else that would not have gone well at all.

The comedy show audience. (Freeform/Eric McCandless)

Alice:

Is it bad that Alice’s comedy show win is less exciting to me than her relationship drama with Sumi? Yes, I acknowledge her fight for the comedy troupe was successful and a win for the Asian community, but Sumi! C’mon, Sumi is really the come-back kid. I was certain she was gone after their breakup, but now she’s back as a regular and kicking butt.

Not only did she help bring Margaret Cho to the comedy troupe, but she successfully kept Alice from getting together with Ruby without meddling too much.

I am shocked that Alice turned down Sumi, though, but it’s evident she’s only doing it out of protection for herself. It won’t take long before they’re back in each other’s arms. But hopefully, they do it the right way. Take notes from Callie and Jamie!

The Trial:

We’re left on a ridiculous cliffhanger. The verdict of the trial hasn’t been announced, and now we’re forced to wait months to find out if Tommy’s emotional presence on the stand was enough to move the jury.

It moved me! Kevin David Lin, who plays Tommy, really peaked in his testimony scene. The tears he put on were so believable! Give him an Emmy right then and there.

Although, I think it was unreasonable for them to keep the verdict for next season. There are enough cliffhangers to leave us hooked; besides this entire season has led to this decision. So, I expected them to provide a resolution!

I guess we have no other choice but to wait. What did you think of the drama and resolutions of this episode? Leave a comment down below with your predictions!

Rating: 4.7/5

So, it seems the love triangles that were slowly building a few episodes ago are finally coming to a close and people are finally making choices on Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 18, “Blindside.”

Some may have been blindsiding, while others were pretty obvious. Let’s start with the obvious.

Callie and Gael have finally gotten the moment they had been hoping for, a chance at a relationship. However, a couple of episodes have been hinting at the fact that it’s not working out.

Gael’s concern and love for the baby transcends just being a baby dad, but he seems to be hiding his real feelings for Isabella behind the situation. However, his date with Callie really sheds light on this realization. While Callie’s feelings of apprehension for the situation are finally made clear.

Alice on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

Immediately before Callie arrives rushed to the date, she’s talking with Jamie about the moral dilemmas of being a lawyer. And they both share another moment where it seems like they really understand each other. Their initial breakup came from a place of misunderstanding and unaligned values. But, perhaps the time apart has brought them closer to each other than they would’ve ever imagined.

Unfortunately, it seems like Callie and Gael are star-crossed lovers who have a real attraction to each other but might not be meant to be. Although seeing the biggest cliffhanger be Isabella potentially having a miscarriage, it could make Gael and Callie’s inevitable split a bit more complicated without a baby tying Gael down to Isabella.

In other love triangle news, Alice and Sumi are becoming quite the team. When the showcase is canceled, Sumi doesn’t allow Alice to give up, so they pull an undercover game of telephone with Alice talking to Sumi through an Airpod.

The scene was well performed and well shot. It was the perfect comedic moment and it really highlighted Sumi’s acting abilities. Originally, Sumi was a minor character but has since grown into more of a regular character.

Margaret Cho, Alice, and Sumi on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

Their stint is successful, as expected, and the showcase is taken over by Margaret Cho! What’s with everyone giving their input on relationships? Margaret telling Alice that Sumi’s a keeper may not have had any intentional undertones, but there were certainly subtleties in that message.

As Alice and Sumi are talking about their win, Alice discloses that she and Ruby are no longer. So, I guess that gives Alice and Sumi another shot!

But, they better step aside because there’s another adorable queer couple taking over. Malika and Angelica have finally established that they’re attracted to each other.

Dyonte looked a bit jealous when Malika was telling him she might have found someone else. It’ll be interesting to see how Angelica feels about polyamory or if she’ll tell Malika she wants a monogamous relationship.

Sumi on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

This season has really been a rollercoaster ride for every character in terms of relationships. Just about every character has experienced a love triangle!

Apparently, relationships are the most exciting part of any TV show, so at least they’re giving the fans what they want. Now that we’ve seen just about every combination possible of every relationship, comment down below which ones you are shipping!

Stray Musings:

• Bulk Beauty really doesn’t deserve Mariana. I hope she’s able to get the job with the competitor company, so she can really show the team that they lost out on a key player.
• Davia finally admitted her love for Dennis over Matt! Big news. Initially, it seemed like they were setting up for a Matt takeover, but we knew Davia couldn’t resist Dennis if he told her he was finally ready. A big cheers to the future couple!

Rating: 4/5

So are Malika and Angelica going to admit their attraction head-on or dance around it by telling each other they find each other “intriguing?!” This seems like a common theme on Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 18, “Anticipation” as it’s rightfully titled, with many of the storylines leaving us on the edge of our seats.

Ok, maybe this is a bit dramatic, but the whole Angelica and Malika scene had me squealing so hard!

Typically when Good Trouble jumps back and forth between multiple character’s storylines, it can seem a bit too all over the place. However, this is one of the few episodes where the jumping around seemed to work extremely well.

Mostly because each storyline was left on a mini cliffhanger between each scene change.

Isabella and Gael on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

Continuing with Malika and Angelica, the subtle hints of attraction displayed in the last episode weren’t just figments of our imagination, hooray! Malika’s sexuality had never been fully acknowledged, but her recent coming out as poly, seemed to blur the lines of her sexuality.

And apparently, she’s trying to survey the field to get a read on which team Angelica plays for.

As they’re on a hike away from civilization and phone service the chemistry is certainly flowing, but after Malika discloses her poly status, Angelica seems a bit hesitant. Although, who can blame her?

When they return to the coterie, Malika is surprised to see the children of the woman from her internship. After she realizes they need her, she asks Angelica to leave and tells her that it’s easier for Dyonte to help, since they already know him.

Isabella meeting Gael’s family on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

Dyonte’s comfortable for Malika, but hopefully, she doesn’t hide behind that comfort and let Angelica get away.

Speaking of comfort, Gael steps outside of his comfort zone when his two worlds collide. And not just any world. His traditional family who expects him to pursue a traditional life and Isabella, the unwed mother of his child.

When he drops the news to his parents, they’re not too keen about him having a child with a woman he’s not married to, but he doesn’t deter him from putting his foot down and telling them that they don’t have to be a part of the baby’s life if they don’t respect his choices, mainly with raising the baby unprescribed to gender norms.

Seeing Gael stand up to his parents is a big move for him. He’s done it before, but seeing him do it for his new family with Isabella is certainly a moment to cherish.

Additionally, his sister Jazmin is in attendance with her fiance, and seeing their parents accept Jazmin in her new relationship is an even bigger stepping stone for the family.

Jazmin and her fiance on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

Gael’s at a momentary good place with his family. That is until his mom walks in on him and Callie making out, and that’s just too much for her traditional standards to handle.

But, at least Callie got to meet the parents! Definitely not the way anybody had imagined.

Another thing Callie had not imagined is that her boss would be calling her out on her residual feelings for Jamie.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the fact, except Callie. Or at the very least she’s too scared to confront her possible feelings for Jamie and instead tries to throw herself into her relationship with Gael. However, his complicated situation is continually driving a small wedge between their relationship.

I really hope Callie and Jamie don’t get back together, but I also don’t really like Callie with Gael? More on that later I guess.

Isabella meeting Gael’s family. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

On the very opposite end of the spectrum, Mariana’s not focusing on boys right now and instead is flirting and making friends with a brand influencer in an attempt to help Bulk Beauty off the ground.

Mariana’s charm no doubt works, but her hard work is barely acknowledged by her team. At this point, they’re just being mean!

The only one who’s acknowledging her talents is the influencer who offered to help Mariana get a job elsewhere that would appreciate her work. I hope she takes her up on that offer because she deserves so much more.

What did you think about this episode? Don’t forget to leave your comments down below!

Stray Musings:

• Davia’s eating disorder is back again and this time she’s leaning on Matt first, which can only mean one thing. Her trust for Matt is greater than her trust for Dennis.
• It’s really hard to see Isabella through a different lens other than conniving, but she’s really turned over a new leaf. I wonder if the writers are lining it up so that Gael and Isabella will in fact get together again and raise their daughter as a couple rather than co-parenting.  That is if they decide to go through with the Callie and Jamie reboot.
• Callie gets a dose of the hard truth of a defender’s role. Her strong moral compass is wavering as she realizes that she might have to defend a killer.

Rating: 4.5/5

Good Trouble Review – Opening Statements (3×16)