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

By the title of Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 16, “Opening Statements,” I would assume a majority of the plot would be centered around the court case. But instead, it feels like a mumble jumble of multiple storylines that seem to progress inch by inch.

The characters that are on the chopping board this week include Davia, Dennis, Gael, and Isabella. Bye-bye, you four! Instead, the focus is placed on the court case, Mariana returning to Bulk Beauty, Malika and Dyonte competing for a grant, and Alice’s comedy showdown.

Each was a bit boring, but I understand that not every episode can be groundbreaking. It just sucks when the slower episodes ruin the momentum of the season.

As the season has been building to the murder trial, we are finally graced with opening statements. By the looks of it, the defense team is in trouble, and not good trouble.

Callie in the courtroom on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

A video miraculously surfaces of Tommy and Zack having an altercation and Tommy looking very guilty. My gut says to continue rooting for the defense. If Callie says her intuition sides with Tommy then I trust her. Besides, Kathleen is a badass, and I don’t doubt her abilities to prove a guilty man innocent.

While Callie’s caught up in the start of her trial, Mariana’s no longer enjoying her time in the office. Since the murder trial has commenced, there has been little need for her assistantship.

Raj and Callie team up together to get Mariana back in with the Bulk Beauty team. As my original predictions were set that Mariana wouldn’t have trouble getting back in their good graces, I stand corrected. The women barely let her back on, and they demote her to a coder rather than a shareholder. However, Mariana’s just happy to be back on track and takes whatever she can.

Alice’s also having a troublesome time with her comedy group. Scott’s playing all high and mighty and decided he won’t allow the sketches to include any form of race or stereotype.

The defense and prosecution talking to the judge on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

This is what happens when an ignorant white man becomes woke. And this is why diversity in comedy is oh so important! On top of the showcase starting to fall apart, Sumi and Lindsay break up. By the looks of it, Sumi was never over Alice and now wants to get back together. Alice seems torn between Sumi and Ruby, but Ruby just seems like her healthy choice, the choice she wants to make because she feels like she should.

Again, I predict Sumi and Alice will get back together.

In the last storyline of the episode, Malika and Dyonte are nearing the end of their internship and either need to fight each other for the one and only full-time job available or for the grant that will allow them to flourish their projects.

Malika and Dyonte are the perfect examples of why you shouldn’t date coworkers. The competition between the two doesn’t do their relationship any good and only leads to resentment.

Jamie in the courtroom on Good Trouble. (Freeform/Christopher Willard)

Dyonte wins the grant after Malika spent the entire night editing his essay while she put her application off to the side. I understand procrastination, but that’s a whole new level. Working on your boyfriend’s application over yours. Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.

On the bright side, it looks like Malika has a new relationship blossoming with a lady! Her coworker at the bar seems to be flirting with her and Dyonte notices. I’m surprised they never touched on Malika’s sexuality, but I’m so happy they are seamlessly incorporating it.

When are they going to address the elephant in the courtroom?! Jamie and Callie!! Are they going to get back together? Tony’s observation about Callie still being in love with Jamie can’t just casually be brought up and then brushed away.

I really hope Callie and Jamie don’t end up together, but the writers are really trying to throw us off and make it seem like there’s something when there shouldn’t be.

As I’ve been making too many predictions, leave yours down below. Do you think Jamie and Callie will end up together?

Stray Musings:

• It’s good to see Mariana back in her element, but the Sleuthing Sisters will be missed. And RIP to her Nancy Drew-esque wardrobe. The whole thing with her Bulk Beauty team confuses me. Sure she lied about dating Evan, but I don’t understand how demoting her to a coder and not even a shareholder is acceptable. Wasn’t Bulk Beauty basically her creation?
• Why were Sumi and Lindsay just chilling in the coterie? Neither of them lives there, so why did they choose that location to break up? At this point, the coterie is more of a central meeting location for the residents and any of their mutual friends.
• Mariana’s comment about being an air sign that can’t stop to breathe totally gives me Gemini vibes. However, Google says her birthday is May 17th, which is apparently a Taurus, an Earth sign, so what gives?

Rating: 3.5/5

Good Trouble Review – Lunar New Year (3×15)