The Company You Keep is proving to be a delightful new addition to Sunday nights, hooking in audiences with a heaping dose of chemistry and cons. 

The chemistry between Emma and Charlie has been palpable since day one, but the cons are the glue that holds it all together, providing an intense and thrilling hour of television. 

The how, the why, and the will they pull it off grips viewers, as does the fact that both Emma and Charlie are running their personal cons by keeping secrets from their loved ones—and each other—and living secret lives. 

It has to be exhausting to keep walking on eggshells the way Charlie does all the time, around everyone. He may know the right thing to say to get out of every precarious situation, but I’m not surprised that he’s realized he can’t go on living like this. 

If he wants a real shot at Emma, who he has genuine feelings for, he cannot keep playing this game. 

Of course, that’s underscored by the fact that working a con isn’t as fun when it’s to repay a debt to someone else. Daphne is lingering and putting everything at risk, forcing Charlie to take some big shots and promise to deliver a one lump sum payment of $10 million to get her off the family’s back. 

It’s a tall order—and a decision he made rogue without the family’s approval—but they fall in line eventually, even coming up with a winning plan to guarantee they walk away victorious and minimize danger. 

While I usually don’t care much for the mechanics behind the con, I’ll admit that this one was smooth, even if Leo briefly broke cover, and enjoyable to see pan out. This family really knows what they are doing.

Leo’s declining health is another layer that adds to the already-tense situation, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. 

Thankfully, Charlie was able to save face and the plan went off without a hitch. But with anything of this caliber, there was some unexpected turbulence, which in this case was Connor and his men, who surrounded Charlie and stole all the yacht money that he was going to use to repay Daphne. Not ideal, but hey, he did get away with his life, so I’d call that a success. 

The saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” applies in this situation think Daphne and Charlie/fam are going to have to team up in order to nab Connor. Connor doesn’t trust Daphne, calling her the “boss’s bastard,” which means Daphne needs Charlie and his family. They were so close to shaking her, but now, they’ll be more deeply engrained in each other’s orbit. 

Of course, Daphne’s presence jeopardizes Charlie’s relationship with Emma, so it isn’t ideal.

There’s also the little fact that Emma is trying to identify Daphne’s new revenue stream, which puts a target right on Charlie and his family, and after witnessing the ambush, she thinks she got a lead when she saw the little tiff with Connor. 

The duo locked eyes for a moment as he was driving away, but I doubt he got made. It was nearly impossible for her to be able to make the connection. Not only does she have blinders on because of her feelings for him, but it was dark, he was far away, and he had a ski mask on. There’s just no way for it to be believable. And any weirdness she’s getting from his could be chalked up to being abducted with a black bag over his head. 

Charlie now has the upper hand because he knows everything about Emma’s case—including that he’s her target—while also having information that she works for the CIA. I’m kind of surprised the CIA would reveal that to someone while doing a background check because of a red flag. It seems like the kind of thing you’d like to keep quiet about, especially since she’s an undercover agent. 

So far, Charlie’s name isn’t on their radar, but I don’t expect that to ring true for long considering Emma and Charlie’s romance is heating up. She’s bound to see or hear something. And since the series revealed her secret to him so early on, it means they aren’t dragging it out as some kind of big reveal—there’s a larger plan in place to integrate what some other shows may have considered to be cliffhangers in order to keep the mystery afloat.

Either way, things are only getting more and more complex as Charlie and Emma’s feelings deepen, which also means there’s more potential for them to get hurt, heartbroken,

Emma’s father wasn’t convinced by Charlie’s “act,” and props to pops for seeing through the bullshit, even if Charlie wants to be the guy deserving of Emma’s love and trust. 

It’s also a pot meets kettle situation because politics is a dirty game, and if Emma’s dad knows Claire, who promised to help David’s campaign, then that means he’s done his fair share of questionable things as well. And now David needs to play Claire’s game if he wants the funding and support, otherwise, his political career will be over. Wouldn’t it be intriguing if Claire somehow connected back to Connor and Daphne?

Charlie and Daphne are both skilled and resourceful—their strengths are being underutilized. But what if they were to put them to use for the CIA? If you can’t beat them, join them, right?

What did you think of the episode? Do you think Charlie and Emma are in over their heads? Should Leo be pulled off of the cons? He’s definitely a liability at this point, especially when the stakes are so high. 

Share your thoughts in the comments, Cravers! 

Could it be that Eileen and Roz have had Gloria Nanmac’s killer on their radar this whole time? And it isn’t Toby Crenshaw like the system and the state of Alaska wants everyone to believe on Alaska Daily Season 1 Episode 9. 

Eileen and Roz have been invested in Gloria’s case for months now, but as the story gained momentum, it suddenly began to spiral out of control and out of their grasp. With every publication all of a sudden invested, it was hard to keep up while still trying to prioritize the facts. 

I guess there is such a thing as too much attention on something. As Roz explained, the facts barely mattered anymore, all that anyone cared about is pinning it on someone, and as she underscored, it was especially convenient that it was a Native man. 

After years of not doing anything, the system and those benefiting from it were now taking all the credit for catching Gloria’s killer and patting themselves on the back when really, all they did was destroy yet another life by forcing a fake confession from an innocent man. 

The more Eileen and Roz dug into Toby as a prime suspect, the clearer it was that he was not their man. And they seemed to be the only ones doing their due diligence when it came to the story, which is concerning considering the huge press turnout at the event. 

The series actually highlighted a real issue within the journalism industry—cementing the idea that someone is guilty before they’re even given a fair trial. If people see the suspect blasted all over the front pages with a jumpsuit and handcuffs, they’ll be swayed into believing the narrative that’s being sold about him. Everyone seemed to have made up their minds about Toby as the follow-up piece questioning whether his confession was coerced—it was—didn’t get any clicks, traction, or community interest. Sensationalism sells, and it’s heartbreaking. 

But the truth is that Toby was in a loving relationship with Gloria, and deeply regrets not accompanying her to Skeeter’s party up in Meade on the evening of her death. He also regrets not picking up numerous phone calls that evening because of a little spat they had. If he did, maybe she’d still be alive. 

As Roz pointed out, feeling guilty and being guilty are not the same thing, so while he was willing to accept his fate, I’m glad someone was fighting for him. And that information was so crucial, it led to the break they so desperately needed in the case. So many people turned a blind eye to the broken system, which failed not only Gloria but also Toby, but the law won’t be able to avoid irrefutable proof like Gloria’s voicemail to Toby mere moments before she died in which she begged him to pick her up because she was scared. 

The call also came from another number, not Gloria’s, which gives Eileen and Roz something to work with. Though the number is now disconnected, it can potentially lead them to the killer as there’s a huge chance that it is the owner of the phone. And if not, at the very least, the killer was one of the last people to see Gloria alive and could have additional information. 

The upcoming promo seems to suggest that Ezra Fisher is responsible for Gloria’s death, but we’ve seen what rushing to judgment can do, so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty. Or until he confesses willingly. 

There’s likely no shortage of suspects considering the party was full of sketchy people. 

Eileen and Roz may have made a few missteps, and started to feel as though they were complicit in pushing the case, but the reminder that they were the ones that lit the fire was necessary so that they would be motivated to regain control of the narrative and keep digging until they found something. 

They pushed for DNA testing, they pushed for accountability, and now, they need to bring it home and push for the justice system to actually work in favor of the people.

The Daily Alaskan knows a thing or two about ruffling feathers, and in addition to Gloria’s case, it did just that when Stanley took aim at Conrad Pritchard. The thing I love most about this is that Stanley didn’t care about the newspaper’s connection to the Pritchard, nor did he consider the implications it may have had for Aaron—he was determined to report the facts to prevent a potential environmental crisis. 

He didn’t jump the gun, however, assigning Claire and Austin to do some digging to get a full picture of what was happening before they sounded the alarms. 

Aaron wasn’t exactly thrilled to be exposing his father, particularly after he promised not to report on his deals if he would sell him the paper, but he also wasn’t against it as he understood that they owed it to the people. Conrad had a senator in his pocket to change legislation on protected lands to allow for mining, all so he could make more money. The greed never stops, and Conrad needs to be held accountable.

I’m glad that the apple fell entirely too far from the tree because, with each passing episode, Aaron’s character just gets better and better. 

Of course, Conrad then promised to wage war against his son and the newspaper, and while they might not have the funds he does, they have something much more powerful—the truth. 

Everyone in that newsroom is prepared for a fight because they are fully aware of the implications of their stories—both the good and the bad—so bring it on, Pritchard. 

And after picking up and throwing those cement blocks, you know Gabriel and Yuna are ready. 

What did you think of the episode? 

The fight to save Abbott was in full swing on Abbott Elementary Season 2 Episode 19. 

With Barbara’s former student, Draemond, going full steam ahead with his plan to make the elementary school a charter school, the teachers were forced to suit up, step up, and give it their all. 

When they realized the moral approaches weren’t going to yield the success they needed, they resorted to some frowned-upon methods—tricking the parents into signing the petition unknowingly. Surprisingly, it was Barbara’s idea, and while she made sure to emphasize that this isn’t how she usually lives her life, it was a special case—the future of Abbott was on the line. 

Barbara is an OG Abbott teacher, so you honestly don’t want to mess with her. And it’s nice to see her tiptoe on the dark side ever so briefly, including when she surmised that Draemond was a “jackass.” 

Barbara being glad to hear explicit content and calling someone a jackass #abbottelementary pic.twitter.com/S87zBg79ZS

— Mihrimah| FS | Xanaxyra Targaryen🪬🤲 (@Mihrimah_FS) March 16, 2023

The teachers rallied together to come up with a fun open house to get the parents invested, Janine’s idea that Ava stole, but who’s keeping score? Though, we have to give her credit for coming up with AVA Fest—no, it wasn’t a nod to her as principal, it stood for A Very Abbott Festival. She just gets it. 

Melissa: you can’t name the open house festival after yourself!
Ava: it’s called the Ava festival. A Very Abbott Festival
Now see that’s how you do it! #abbottelementary pic.twitter.com/YtRYoMtSMK

— Mihrimah| FS | Xanaxyra Targaryen🪬🤲 (@Mihrimah_FS) March 16, 2023

The one thing that’s clear is that the teachers are very much aware of each of their strong suits and flaws. They knew that despite Ava coming through to secure a “headline” for the event—Yasmine Sullivan—they needed a backup plan in case she proved to be unreliable. And she did. When they said to trick the parents, Ava took it to the next level, even lying to her staff about booking the local yet global R&B singer.

Thankfully, Gregory anticipated this flub, so he took one for the team and reached out to Tariq, Abbott’s original legend.  You know it had to take a lot for Gregory to make this sacrifice, but in the end, he saved the day by riling up the parents and showing them just how devoted Abbott was to their children. When Janine and Tariq broke up, it seemed as though his appearances would be limited, but the series truly finds creative ways to involve him which is so fun. And there’s no bad blood with Janine and Tariq so that’s good. 

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY – “Festival” – Abbott Elementary rallies together to fight the threat from Legendary Charter Schools. Ava pitches a festival to draw parents to school and collect their signatures for a petition. However, Draemond shows up with the intention of derailing the event. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 (9:00-9:32 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Gilles Mingasson)
QUINTA BRUNSON, SHERYL LEE RALPH, LISA ANN WALTER, TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS

And when it mattered most, the community also stepped up, basically ensuring that Mr. Johnson could mop the floor with Draemond after his speech to convince everyone to embrace the Legendary Charter brand flopped and the parents saw right through it all. 

The Open House proved to them that Abbott is a good, nurturing, and fun place for their kids, with incredible and caring teachers. And despite not having all the necessary resources, they always find a way to make it work—they’re resourceful. One of the parents made a great point—if Draemond cared so much about Abbott, why wouldn’t he invest in the school they already had instead of trying to make everything better, which simply meant that half of the students and teachers would get cut. 

At the end of the day, it was Abbott 1 – Draemond 0. They’d put that up on the scoreboard, but unfortunately, that didn’t survive the hurrah. 

Other Noteworthy Moments

•  For someone who really identifies with the Black experience, I was surprised Jacob didn’t know who Lee Daniels was. 
• There were plenty of sweet moments between Gregory and Janine, including their blissful gaze once they realized that Abbott was saved. Also, Gregory saying “I’ll do it with you after school, Janine,” and Barbara’s “ohhh,” was fantastic.

THEY CANT KEEP DOING THIS #AbbottElementary pic.twitter.com/BW6oI7Iw5u

— ‏َ (@sxarlights) March 16, 2023

quinta playing in our face… #AbbottElementary pic.twitter.com/RDPzvWgjMH

— ‏َ (@sxarlights) March 16, 2023

• Erika is the definition of a good friend, and she sees between the lines. Hopefully, she’ll be the one to talk some sense into Janine because Gregory is not fine being just friends. 
• Her offer to get Gregory roped into Herbalife tickled me.
• Ava is always one foot in one foot out. She clearly cares about the school but she always does what’s best for Ava, including going to a job interview for Chief Marketing Officer at Legendary Schools. You have to respect her hustle.
• “Just trying to dunk a white dude” wins as the best quote from the episode. At least Jacob’s aware, right? Nut-ass suit was a close second. 

Get outta here with that nut ass suit!! #abbottelementary pic.twitter.com/zNZXSuh9Qt

— ticketmaster hate acct. (@thomxsjw) March 16, 2023

• Amber made an appearance and good news—not only did she get the bag, but she also moved on already with a new man!
• Gregory’s dancing brings me joy… more joy than his deadpan stares into the camera. 
• Tariq is truly unstoppable… points for creativity and his desire to make raps for national parks. 

The episode, though comical and heartwarming, took an important stance, emphasizing the need to cherish, celebrate, protect, and fight for our public schools and the teachers who go hard for their students. If we don’t, who will?

What did you think of this week’s Abbott Elementary?