Something about Eviana’s nostalgia can get you in the feelings every time.
Mariana’s storyline is that sweet treat in Good Trouble Season 5 Episode 13 that we longed to return to as we indulged in another perfunctory hour.
It blended nostalgia with a spark of hope amid Alice and Malika’s career obstacles and triumphs, and besties Gael and Davia were influenced or inspired by new individuals in their lives.
In short, Mariana’s simple enough arc of navigating her new partnership with Evan as Co-CEO of Speckulate while quietly unpacking and potentially reigniting how their dynamic has shifted was what buoyed a run-of-the-mill installment.
And the switch-ups in storylines and character focus felt a bit closer to what we’ve come to expect from the series than not.
Alice Finds Career Success and Growth Through Leadership
Unfortunately, little can be done to spruce up Alice Kwan’s arc in the writer’s room with her personal trio of Grumpy Old Men.
Objectively, one can appreciate how important it is for Alice’s character development that she’s coming into her own as a leader.
It’s something that the character always struggled with over the years, and it’s been a constant battle with her coming into her own as a strong, confident, assertive person.
She tends to go back and forth, and her journey toward improvement has been far from linear.
It took a lot for her to wrangle in the Grumpy Old Men trio, with them seemingly not grasping that she was what stood between them and unemployment if they didn’t hop on board with her new vision for things.
But eventually, they got there. And the mutual respect between her and this trio of men who weren’t initially welcoming her with open arms is lovely.
Should Malika Stick to Activism and Give Up Politics?
The show must go on, and it has. And this review must go on as well, leading us to Malika Williams, who still faces some work challenges and triumphs.
To my chagrin, she’s still rocking it out in Lucia’s office. Now this comes equipped with uncomfy elevator moments with Councilman Jack(ass), who doesn’t seem to think twice about casually threatening her and being condescending as hell to her in secluded spaces.
Maybe she won’t have to work with the guy for that long to get what she desires as if he carries on with some of the approaches that he has and does it to the wrong person, he’ll be facing scandal or a lawsuit sooner rather than later.
Such is the nature of politics: slimy, offputting, a cesspool of discomfiting compromises and moral bankruptcy. Kudos to those who stick it out long enough with the notion of fighting the good fight.
And that’s supposed to include Malika Williams, but she still doesn’t feel cut out for this. She moves differently and still needs to grasp how the system works in her quest to uproot it in, like, a day.
Thank goodness her colleague kept her from storming into that town hall ordeal and smugly bombarding Councilman Jack(ass) with a series of questions of which he would lose any goodwill he may have.
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Not to play devil’s advocate, because the devil sure as hell never needs advocation, but has Malika looked into Councilman Jack(ass)’s proposals, policies, and so forth extensively?
And if she has, has she studied this man she’s made her enemy well enough to comprehend how to strike effectively?
Right now, it seems like the only things she hates about this man are that he struck down her women’s center and is in bed with the police union.
She has a vendetta against this man. You would think that knowing other people have shared similar heartbreak would have allowed her to table that plan, maybe find a different avenue, or pursue something else.
Malika: But what about our values?
Lucia: You sometimes have to bend them to achieve the greater good.
Every second of Malika eagerly and smugly texting the plant, out in the open, in plain view of Jack, made me cringe. She couldn’t even do all of that from a distance.
It’s no wonder she earned a talking-to from Lucia, who was more bemused than most bosses’ would be given the situation.
It’s just hard to accept Malika as brilliant at her job while also consistently jeopardizing Lucia’s campaign and everything that everyone else is working toward because of her inability to comprehend and accept what politics is.
Davia’s Insecurity Proves Redundant; Lack of Female Solidarity in Theater, Disappointing
Gael and Davia’s experiences with new people in their lives have varying results. One is a storyline that can be relatively entertaining, and the other is disappointing.
Davia’s facing more insecurities due to Serena almost feels regressive for her. It’s not to say that one’s confidence doesn’t constantly flip flop because it does, often.
But we’ve watched Davia Moss come into her own, becoming a more confident, secure woman, primarily through her burlesque arc, that putting her back into a position of doubt is frustrating and redundant.
She’s always battled insecurity, so this is no different, but that’s the thing; it’s no different than the many other times we’ve explored this, so even another nod at it feels too much.
Davia: Hey, do you want to grab lunch together?
Serena: I don’t eat lunch.
Serena was cold to Davia and gave off “mean girl” vibes. But when the two had their heart-to-heart, it seemed genuine, and she had a relatively astute assessment of Davia and her desire to fake nice when she didn’t mean it.
But then, we were right back to this idea of women working against each other when Serena ran through the whole routine, including the lift, without Davia knowing about it.
It does seem as if Serena is going after Davia’s role in the musical. It’s a battle of the blond beauties, and Serena seems manipulative enough to do what she wants to win.
On the plus, whatever awkwardness could have been between Davia and Braeden was swept under the rug for now.
Davia’s best moment was when she confided in Gael Martinez.
Their dynamic has become one of the best friendships the series has explored, and they always know how to support one another and keep it real.
They hold each other accountable in significant ways.
Does Gael Have a Hot New Love Interest?
Gael needed to stop judging his new studio tenant, Jay, when he hadn’t spoken to the guy.
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Jay seems cool, and once he explained that he’s an ER doctor and reserved the space for relaxation, and his art is only a hobby, it made him endearing.
His fable to Gael was cheesy, and the zoom-in on his Pride flag pin on his backpack was too on the nose regarding the romance that may be explored there.
But it seems, for now, Gael’s inspiration comes in the form of the people he encounters, and his passion seems to spill on property rather than the page.
He’s making a name for himself as a street artist. It’ll be something for him and Jay to discuss if Jay notices the mural and puts the pieces together.
Mariana’s Return to Speckulate Highlights Character Growth Over Series
Mariana’s story had its flaws.
I’ll spare you all another about the Bulk Beauty Girls. But it was annoying that Mariana still insisted on carrying them on her back as she tried to co-run Speckulate, and they didn’t waste any time getting into her head about Evan undermining her as his partner.
Must we be reminded of half the reason things fell apart for Mariana in the first place? She allows them too much say in many aspects of her life and listens to them when she shouldn’t.
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She and Evan naturally needed to work through some growing pains as partners. It can work to the company’s benefit, but they had to communicate better and figure things out.
They should’ve had the space to do that independently without the constant side eyes and implications that this would be a disaster.
When Mariana is at Speckulate, it’s a reminder of how things were early in the series. But it’s also a sign of how far things have evolved since then as far as the culture of Speckulate.
Mariana is mainly responsible for many of the positive changes in the company. When she’s at Speckulate, it makes you reflect on her growth, how far she’s come, and how much she’s accomplished.
She’s confident and assured; you can see her capability in this leading position. She’s not the same Mariana Adams Foster, who is chronically discouraged at every turn, dealing with Bro-holes and diminished pay.
Mariana and Evan Revisit the Past; Is a Romantic Reunion in Sight?
With Evan and Mariana, we had so many entertaining moments. Their back and forth, fumbling through who would take point made you chuckle.
The bickering and banter had its amusing moments. Cierra Ramirez and Linnard have a fun chemistry that they’ve nurtured well over five seasons so that they can play many different aspects of this dynamic well.
Tech Guy: So, who should we report to with questions about our projects?
Evan: Me.
Mariana: Both of Us.
Evan: I mean, we, us, both.
Mariana: We will be covering everything together as co-Ceos.
Evan still moves like a man who feels woefully out of place in his own company and life and is trying to find a semblance of familiarity.
And that’s probably why he wanted Mariana to work with him and didn’t put up a fight against her becoming CEO. He may not have remembered her, but part of him subconsciously gravitates to that familiarity and grounding quality she has on him.
In a world where he’s lost so much of his memory and who he is, she’s become a new constant for him.
It was long overdue for him to broach the topic of their relationship and what happened between them.
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He spent so much of the time pre-coma trying to process that he could ever have had any meaningful relationship with this woman at all that he never seemed to consider what that relationship was actually like.
He felt comfortable broaching the topic and was genuine in his curiosity. He felt like that bit of spark that would light a fire under shippers everywhere.
It was such a quiet moment that it felt as if the rest of the world and Speckulate disappeared as they had this conversation they were due to have.
Mariana approached it with a refreshing maturity and honesty that laid things out without feeling like she resented or harbored ill feelings against Evan.
Evan: I’m curious. What happened between us? Why did we break up?
Mariana: It was complicated.
Evan: Well, what was complicated about it? Bring me up to speed.
Mariana: Ok. Well, for one, we started dating in secret when you were still my boss, and it was hard because the culture here wasn’t great for women; it was a big Boys Club, and you didn’t see that until I had exposed the gender pay gap.
Evan: There was a gender pay gap?
Mariana: Yeah, there was. And then my app was overrun by white supremacists, and you didn’t shut it down right away because it was bad for business, so my friends and I quit. I kept seeing you without them knowing. Eventually, I was forced to tell them when they decided to sue you. It was hard dating someone I kept having to make excuses for, so…
Evan: So you broke up with me.
Mariana: Yeah.
She acknowledged the issue of their dating when she was still his boss, alluding to the power dynamic issue without implying that she wasn’t culpable or suggesting poor things on his end.
She briefly touched on the sexist, bigoted culture of the company, how it changed, mainly because she influenced him, the issue with the white supremacist app fiasco, the lawsuit, and more.
She was so intriguingly reflective and introspective in the moment. And her line about how she essentially grew tired of always having to defend him was striking, brutally honest, but revelatory.
It almost felt like she hadn’t even pieced that together until that exact moment, but she wasn’t dwelling on it or even regretting what she and Evan had. She simply recognized that aspect of their relationship.
It’s almost as if she was talking to a different person about Evan than the man himself. And he seemingly took it all in stride, aside from the brief moment where he almost moved her out of the office.
But once he sat in what she said and reflected on it in the way that Evan does, it led to that special moment between them when he apologized.
Both things are true. In many ways, Mariana did have to be the catalyst for Evan to make essential changes or open his eyes to things.
But she’s right in that he’s a good man. He can reach certain conclusions on his own. When his eyes are open about things, he commits to them.
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When Evan is cognizant of something, it impacts him, and he takes the initiative to improve. We’ll probably see more of that now that he’s processed what she said and strives to do better with her.
Once he and Mariana are on the same page, it’s such a glorious page — something special.
Evan was likely also processing that despite Mariana breaking up with him and all the things they endured, it didn’t stop her from being there for him when he needed it most, when no one else was, even when he didn’t remember.
Her attentiveness and genuine care for him are evident, and it was perhaps the first time it hit Evan how genuine she is in that regard, even though they aren’t together.
Evan Finally Remembers Mariana; Will She Choose Him as Her Endgame?
The elevator moment was such a wonderfully nostalgic moment for shippers.
What’s old is new again when they were side by side, almost mirroring countless times before when the sexual tension between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife, or they struggled to keep their hands off one another.
Evan’s stumble earlier in the installment felt like the start of something, but his elevator revelation confirmed it.
He’s starting to remember Mariana, his new feelings for her likely triggering his memories of his old ones.
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We’re seeing him fall in love with her all over again.
In many ways, this is a cheat. It could fastrack them back to endgame status with the amnesia arc, substituting whatever work and growth they needed to justify the two reuniting again and being healthier, happier, and more stable this time.
But I’ll allow it.
Evan is still a contender for Mariana’s heart. His twitching, longing fingers nearly reaching out for hers tell us everything we need to know about where his head and heart are right now.
But Joaquin Perez is still there, too. He’s still a possibility. He’s still a contender.
Evan: I’m sorry that you had to make excuses for me when we were dating.
Mariana: I didn’t always have to. You’re a good man. You always eventually did the right thing, with or without me.
He’s not to be ruled out, either.
But Evan certainly reminded us that there is still a fighting chance, tapping into that nostalgia yet with the promise of something new, better, improved.
And just like that, Good Trouble sucks you back into the Eviana force.
Over to you, Good Trouble Fanatics. Was the Mariana and Evan arc enough to keep you entertained? Are you excited about Evan getting memories back? Is this endgame still possible?
Click that “Show Comments” button, and let’s hear it!
Good Trouble airs Tuesdays on Freeform at 10/9c and the next day on Hulu.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.