Switched at Birth Review: Slices of Life

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All Switched at Birth characters were in their own little stories this week, as you could tell by the title, "Prudence, Avarice, Lust, Justice, Anger." It doesn't speak to any one tale, but is overarching and grabs a little of this and a little of that, which is pretty much what we got out of the hour. 

In doing so, we were treated a really nice slice of the side of people we don't ordinarily see. And I think it worked.

Feeling Chummy

John's senatorial position has opened up a whole new avenue of storytelling for Switched at Birth. Who imagined we'd delve into politicians not only dating their interns, but impregnating them? I sure didn't. 

I certainly didn't expect Daphne to stoop so low as to use another girl's problems, whether real or imagined, to force her political views through on a bill that her father didn't support through bribery gained through a supposed friendship. I really like Jace, but his influence on Daphne might not be the best after all.

It had to sicken Daphne to have John be proud of her research and letter-writing campaign being the reason the other senator removed his support of the abstinence portion of the bill he himself had designed. 

Was it just me or was Toby listening to his own music when he pulled up before finding Simone at the car wash? Everything that happens to Toby these days seems like another red flag being thrown in front of him. If his marriage with Nikki goes through, I will be absolutely shocked.

As Toby was off reviving his love of music behind Nikki's back, she was hunting him down to tell him that they found the man who killed her father. They never seem to be on the same page.

Wow. At first I was concerned about Ty's reaction to Bay's decision to stay behind for a date with him instead of going to meet her baby sister, but his suggestion they skip the concert to join Angelo in case she never gets another chance to meet her sister was nothing short of admirable. 

It's too bad the results weren't as magical. When Bay finally met her sister, Abby, she couldn't get fully behind Angelo taking her away from her new parents no matter how they got her, because she understood what it was like to be raised by a family other than her birth parents, and to be very happy about it.

This will no doubt raise a lot of drama between Angelo, Regina and Bay as the season unfolds. Angelo has moments of complete clarity to those of utter disarray. Much like John. The two of them should sit down and try to discover what it really means to be a father to two daughters they didn't raise and how they can move forward positively. Sadly, for Angelo, I don't think Abby is in his future.

Finally, a story with Emmett and Travis that didn't just fizzle out. Travis is a wonderful addition to Emmett and Melody's family. He was successfully able to turn Emmett's nightmare of Melody's online dating situation into a cute, fun thing for them to do for her together. They're looking out for her as sons should. Their dynamic feels right. It's proven that everything Travis' real mother said about him was an exaggeration, as well. 

I think something is happening with Melody as she sought out and dated the last deaf person in town. She opened up to Emmett's dad and told him not to let his son drive his decision about the cochlear implant, and I'm wondering if her dating experience is opening her up to a broader life experience outside the deaf community. She dated the chef without any problem, so I was surprised she was only interested in dating other deaf men. Emmett dated Bay and also had no issues with it. 

Switched at Birth sometimes has thematic inconsistencies that make it difficult to keep up with the emotional aspects of the characters, but with the positive move forward with Bay and Ty this week, I can let all of that go. A big thumbs up for perfect pacing with them.

Share your thoughts on tonight's episode and Swiched at Birth season 2 in the comments! 

Prudence, Avarice, Lust, Justice, Anger Review

Editor Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 (27 Votes)

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.

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