Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Trust
Jasmine Blu
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Did Malika blow up her relationship?
It was the biggest cliffhanger of Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 8, and now we're left wondering how Isaac will react to her confession.
But, of course, the mystery surrounding Kathleen and the FBI investigation continues, and it feels as if it could potentially disrupt everything.
We learned more about Kathleen, and despite the rumors that circulate her, she always comes across as more endearing than ever. She seems genuine in her quest to do good for her clients, even if her methodology is unorthodox.
She and her team bagged a murder investigation. While the excitement over the big-name case was palpable, she has spoken about representing the star athlete as if her prime motivation is to spare a teenager from going to prison for something he didn't do.
You get the sense that Kathleen cares about the case in her way, and she's ready to go to battle against the D.A.
She's damn good at her job, and she has tricks up her sleeve at every turn. The murder case isn't any different, and Mark and his team know they have their work cut out for them going against her.
Katheleen and Mark are seasoned attorneys, and they know how to play nice, exploit each other's weaknesses, and so on. Both of them realized that Jamie and Callie had something going on, and there was tension there to mine.
It was upsetting when Callie allowed Jamie's presence to fluster and throw her off. At this rate, she has to accept that she'll often interact with Jamie in a professional setting.
Callie: I was told you were being investigated by the FBI. Is that true?
Kathleen: Probably. Feds don't like it when you beat them in court.Gives them a reason to open bullshit investigations about you.
Callie: So you're not surprised.
Kathleen: I haven't been surprised since my mom dropped dead.
Kathleen is right about using it to her advantage and rattling back. In that sense, the Jamie and Callie interactions will remain intriguing as they carry on as professional adversaries.
And hey, at least Tony is OK with Callie using him to make Jamie jealous. But it's the issue with Kathleen that looms over everything.
Callie's loyalty to Kathleen is cemented by now. She was wary for a bit, and she even reached out to a former colleague, Ben, for a favor. Ben was looking good, and his hair was immaculate. Who knew it'd be so good to see him again?
Ben confirmed that Kathleen is under investigation, but Callie didn't want to press him for more information, operating under the adage that ignorance is bliss, or hell, maybe plausible deniability.
So, what's the deal between you and the Ken doll?
Kathleen [to Callie]
Kathleen wasn't even surprised to hear about it. She chalked it up to the Feds getting angry at her for beating them in cases, and she dismissed it as some form of professional grudge.
The longer they draw this out, the more I'm itching to know what the deal is with this investigation. Kathleen could be right about the Feds picking a fight with her, but it feels and sounds more serious.
We also don't know why she left her job. It's starting to sound like it's connected to this investigation. Maybe it's that she was involved in something bigger and bowed out, but they're pointing to finger at her.
Whatever it is, Mark is confident that she's going down, but it does make you wonder why the DA feels that he has all of this insider knowledge about it, and he's sharing it so judiciously with his staff.
Jamie will probably want to reach out to Callie again, but it's doubtful she'll receive the message any better.
She's now decided that she trusts Kathleen, and their conversation about losing their mothers at young ages bonded them. They're closer than they were before.
It was a nice peek behind the tough exterior Kathleen always projects. Her sentiment about hating surprises and trying to ensure nothing ever catches her off guard again makes her so human and relatable.
It also feels ominous. Kathleen doesn't like to get blindsided, and it means that even though she's not surprised by the federal investigation, she still won't see it coming when they come after her full force.
Katheleen: I never want to be blindsided again,so I expect the worst and am only surprised when it doesn't happen.
Callie: I understand. My mom died suddenly in a car accident when I was ten.
Katheleen: That explains your determination, your grit, and why you have trouble trusting people, right?
Callie: A little.
Kathleen: Me too. I'm sorry. You were too young to lose your mom.
Callie: Yeah, so were you.
Maybe Callie will reach out to Ben again down the road, and this time, it'll be for Kathleen's sake. Not knowing feels worse.
It's also the concept Malika was going off of when she decided to tell Isaac the truth about her Dyonte feelings after lying to him before.
Malika coming to grips with what has become a "coming out" storyline as she realizes that she's polyamorous is such an unexpected but fresh storyline.
Thankfully, she took the advice of both of the men she cares about, and she sought counsel from a therapist. But for now, the sessions were devoted to her mixed feelings about her relationship.
She thought she was confused, but the truth of the matter is that she isn't at all. She knows what she wants; her fear is that she won't get it or how Isaac will react to the news.
Her therapist gave her advice and laid out the foundation for polyamory. As she said, some people are hardwired that way, and monogamy is a social construct.
For some people, one romantic relationship doesn't sustain them. Malika expressed how both relationships are beneficial to her and what she gets out of them, and she doesn't want to lose either.
Her therapy sessions gave her the confidence to talk about polyamory with her friends, too, and for the most part, they seemed to understand her position even if they were split on what she should do.
Malika brought Isaac to her therapy session, and you could tell she wanted a safe place to be honest with Isaac.
It was a great move for Malika. She got to share the truth in a place that she felt comfortable, and she'll have the support of her therapist to guide her and Isaac both through processing the revelation.
I did feel bad for Isaac, who had to hear that Malika lied to him and that she wants to be in a relationship with him and Dyonte in front of someone he doesn't know. Now, Isaac has to be mindful of how he reacts. He doesn't want to hurt the woman he loves or makes her regret her bravery.
On the one hand, he also doesn't have the luxury of processing this news in private. It's a rough situation all around. On the other, Isaac suspected something already, so maybe this isn't as significant a blow or shock as Malika thinks.
Malika: I have feelings for someone else. A guy I work with. His name is Dyonte.
Therapist: And what do you find appealing about Dyonte?
Malika: He's kind and supportive. We have a similar story, he just woos me, I can't explain it. And I want to be close to him. He makes me happy.
But now, Isaac has to decide if this is something he can deal with or not. Malika is introducing this well into their relationship, so it's not as if he knew upfront he was signing on for a polyamorous relationship.
He needs time to figure out if this is something he can handle. I'm dying to know how he'll respond.
Poor Jane in the Byte Club reacted well enough to the criticisms they gave her, but it was such a disservice that her friends and partners couldn't be honest with her from the beginning.
In their effort to avoid hurting her feelings, they did, and it was worse. They robbed her of the opportunity to improve herself and her skills, too, when they avoided giving her feedback.
Kelly stole the entire storyline, as she's wont to do. It's been a pleasure having more of those Kelly scenes.
Yuri is also someone who is a mixed bag when it comes to handling criticism.
He was shockingly good with Davia's students, but once he opened up to Gael about how much he missed his daughter, you could understand why he's such an asshole at times, but also why he was skilled with the teens.
Davia is such a great friend, and she and Gael's friendship continues to flourish and remain one of the best aspects of the season.
She made a real effort to give Gael a leg up in Yuri's eyes. He came close to showing off his work, but Yuri found inspiration after the teens' visit and his talk with Gael.
I don't know what to make of Gael painting Yuri's sketch for him. Maybe it's the mark of a collaborative effort and artistic partnership? I don't know. We'll have to see.
Alice's creative endeavors are complicated, too. Scott continues to be a jackass who only wants the diverse group of students to double down on stereotypes.
It's cliche, and it's not even funny, but he's entertained, so I guess that's all that matters to him.
The group's open-mic night was a success, and Alice brought down the house with her Scott criticism. It prompted Ruby to say that their goal is to get more POC out in the public eye.
She thinks that the racist stuff is part of the dues you pay and the cost of exposure, and once the comedians of color are out there, they can control the routines they put forth.
Derek probably put that set out there, hoping it would cost Alice her position, but something tells me that he's the one getting cut. Scott loved it.
And Alice may have played too hard with her "hard to get" routine with Ruby. Ruby called off their arrangement, recognizing that she got too attached.
Therapist: It sounds like you feel a desire to have a relationship with both of these men.
Malika: Yeah, but I feel like it's wrong.
Therapist: Why?
Malika: Because I feel like I'm being selfish. Why can't one relationship be enough?
Therapist: Why does it have to be? Monogamy is just a social construct. We've been conditioned to value having one significant partner, but for many people, consensual non-monogamy feels more natural for them. Many people believe polyamory is an orientation or an identity, not simply a lifestyle choice, but it's hardwired into them.
But Alice got attached, too, and it's probably not what she anticipated. Either way, she did need practice in taking control of her life and relationships.
Over to you, Good Trouble Fanatics. How will Isaac react? What do you think is the deal with Kathleen? Hit the comments below!
You can watch Good Trouble online here via TV Fanatic.
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.
