Good Trouble Season 5 Episode 10 Review: Opening Night
Jasmine Blu
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There is only so much trauma a single person has to take in before they crack at the seams.
At the height of Good Trouble Season 5 Episode 10, that's precisely what is happening to Mariana, and to say it is heartbreaking is a gross understatement.
Mariana is not okay, and that final scene is as foreboding as it can get as we're left entertaining two things: either Silas had the gonads to breech Mariana's home and sanctuary to lure her in at her most vulnerable, or she's envisioning that Silas is her only option.
And again, one has to commend Cierra Ramirez for her performance. She's been the crown jewel of this season with all of its ups and downs and shifting tones.
Ramirez is absolutely phenomenal and transfixing, and she brought that same energy to this finale.
We've watched all season as the walls have closed in on her while she's taken on more than anyone should bear.
And she's felt mostly alone in doing that despite the encouraging words from her moms, friends, and Joaquin.
She's internalized all of this trauma, burying it down and not giving it time to work itself out but rather festering, mounting in the background as she hurled herself into a million different distractions to avoid sitting with her own feelings for too long.
It's a saying that we should "stop the glorification of 'busy." Mariana has spent all this time busying herself with attempted murder investigations, cult issues, missing girls, saving Evan's company, and dealing with amnesia.
All of this is how she's distracted herself from sitting with the fact that she was a hair away from being killed, nearly lost the man she loves, DID lose him in some regard, and her sister and best friend of whom she's most codependent has left her.
It's all of these things that have been brewing for Mariana for some time, and she's kept herself so active that she hasn't had to sit with any of it for too long or very much at all.
And the entire time, she's deflected from getting any help she needs despite everyone's suggestions. Mariana would claim that she didn't have time for therapy and help, but now that she does, she's rejecting the idea.
Your heart shatters for this woman and all that she's endured. She's been running for her life, in some ways running from it and her feelings for so long, but it's not sustainable.
It all catches up to you in the end, and when it does, it will put you down and lay you flat out. Unfortunately, Mariana is beginning to see that.
But what this has also done, in its way, is showcased how women like Jenna and Madison fell into Silas' clutches. He exploits the most vulnerable people, sneakily preys on them when they're at their worst, pounces, and then win.
Because Mariana has been actively fighting against Silas and assisting Joaquin all season, trying to make up for her experiences, get justice for herself, atone for Evan, and now she's susceptible to him.
She was almost lured by his charisma and his ability to "see" her when she visited the Farm before. Now, she's in a position where the Farm could appeal to her or an option as she deals with how rejected, isolated, and alone she feels.
It's entirely what they're angling for here, and they've done a plethora of things to build to that. Mariana's anxiety has been building all season, as well as her isolation.
She's been the one to pull away from others, built this glass cage around herself, and now even the Coterie, which would be the healthier version of the Farm, doesn't seem like the option.
Joaquin was her sole confidant and lifeline in all of this, which means that the second she made that move on him and he turned away, she felt like she had lost the only person she had remaining.
She's too gone to see that Joaquin isn't harboring resentment over her playing with his heart or using him as her mind is tricking her into believing.
Instead, he's been one of the few people who has seen her unraveling and had access to her enough to ensure that she's doing okay when she's been hiding away from the rest of the world.
Unlike Silas, Joaquin wouldn't take advantage of a vulnerable Mariana even when it's abundantly clear that he has feelings for her because Joaquin's care and love are genuine and pure.
The tunnel vision filter used to capture Mariana's state of mind was used well, and again, one's heart just broke for this woman. It's a solid attempt on the series part of exploring unresolved trauma, yet I almost dread what the future holds for Mariana and this arc.
It's so damn bleak and dark.
The BB girls are still annoying, and while they've come across more sincere this season, there's something still off about this friendship that she's supposed to have with them.
It just never feels believable. But they were right about her taking some time and getting help. I just wish that any of them was the bust down your door, peel you off the floor, dousing you with cold water type of friend.
I hope you rot in prison for the rest of your life!
Mariana
And besides Joaquin, who is more subdued and still likely dealing with his unprocessed trauma that they've barely scratched the surface of, Mariana doesn't have that.
If anything were going to break her officially, it would be the rejection from Evan. He's still angry at her, still doesn't remember her, and now he's taken his company back against the doctor's wishes and dismissed her.
None of these things bode well, and they all hurt. The entire vibe of the company and how the employees respond to her tell you everything you need to know about morale and the great work she's done.
But in the end, she's exiled from Speckulate with her smirking nemesis feeling as if he won. She's poured her all into saving Evan, Speckulate, and BB and doesn't see the fruits of her labor.
It's like there's no place for her anymore as she's slowly disappeared out of her own life, losing herself in other people's, and that not only breaks a person but makes them vulnerable to the clutches of people like Silas.
And they are no closer to making headway with the Madison case, especially since Silas got the upper hand by arranging for Andrea's murder.
Evan's shooter will never talk now. And with that, this cult storyline will bleed into the second half of the season, and goodness, I'm emotionally spent over that thought.
Release us from this cult plot, I beg!
If we lose Mariana at the Coterie, will Isaac living there make up for it a bit?
Isaac's return was unusual, but in the end, he's a fan-favorite character that most of us love, so anyway they can bring him back into the fold is appreciated.
It was shocking to learn that he'd gotten addicted to Xanax and went to rehab. If we're not learning anything from this dark season, it's that everyone is struggling these days.
Even the most stable, put-together people are cracking under the pressures of life.
Malika: You were in the hospital?
Isaac: Yeah. Malika: Anything serious?
Isaac: I was in rehab.
Isaac has been alone in his struggles too, so it makes perfect sense that amid all that, he finally broke down and called Malika. She's someone he feels he can trust with sides of himself he may not share with other people.
They fell into their easy chemistry with no issue, and now that we know he'll not only be staying at the Coterie for a bit but in her room, I can only imagine how many teases to them rekindling things we'll get.
What does one even say about the idea that Malika could end up right back with Isaac after all of this? The importance of exploring her sexuality isn't worth dismissing, but are we really Back at One?
They've both undergone some life changes, and it could make them rekindling things interesting this time as they navigate new issues. It could also be promising to see Malika pour into Isaac and support him the way he had so often done with her.
Isaac looked at home and was happy with the Coterie, and everyone loved seeing him again. And there are new relationships and dynamics they can foster, too.
That opening night should've been fantastic, but it was a hot mess because of Jeet.
He's such an insufferable man, good grief! We knew that Dennis getting into business would him would routinely bite him in the ass, but Jeet losing the money for the lease TWICE is outrageous!
He's an overgrown party boy with a drug and gambling addiction, and it sucks that Dennis can't cut 100-something pounds of asshole and make Haven the freaking Haven he wanted it to be.
I invested $250K of my own money to make this dream of yours come true! Time for you to step up. We need the money; you need to find it.
Jeet
It was one thing for him to lose the initial deposit, but losing the money that Dnnis' father gave him had Dennis seeing red and entirely sure Dennis wouldn't pound the stuffing out of Jeet when the truth came out. Why do I feel like we're about to see a different kind of Dark Dennis with Jeet in his life?
And now he'll have to deal with the rumors that will swirl about Davia and Braeden, too. We already know that Costar is about to be messy and share that he saw the two of them making out at Dennis' opening, and it'll have ramifications on her relationship with Dennis and her spot in the play.
It feels like bits of sexism slip in regarding how they treat Davia regarding this play. She missed a single practice, and they rushed to get an understudy under the guise of her possibly needing a replacement as if she either wouldn't take her gig seriously or she's some liability or too fragile to pull all of this off.
Braeden was waiting to make a move on Davia. He's been working up to this since the moment he saw her, and ugh, it was the worst that he chose when she was most vulnerable and had just commented that he was her only friend there to pounce.
He broke her trust right after that vulnerable admission. He's neither a friend nor a man worthy of her affection for that move alone.
He doesn't want Davia for who and what she is. He wants to conquer her, simply have this beautiful, talented woman he's worked with, and maybe stroke his ego a bit if he could pull her away from Dennis.
Why are men like this? It's annoying.
Goodness, this play is on a razor's edge these days with all the drama happening behind the scenes more than on the damn stage.
You're the only real friend I can trust on this show. Thank you.
Davia
Gael getting ego checks and feeling pride in his work as a graffiti artist is nice. The guy needs a win after everything he's been through.
I still don't know how galivanting around making street art and running from the cops will put more food on the table, but do you, Gael?
Gael and Luca teaming up was a nice turn of events, and if anyone knew where to go and how to get art somewhere they couldn't paint over, it would be Luca.
I love that they want to make inspiring art, using street art as a form of social justice.
But it was such a bad idea for them to tag that wall when they did. It wasn't surprising that the cops came after them.
It's so upsetting that now Luca is getting arrested. However, I'm disappointed at how poorly he was able to evade the police after years of being on the street and learning to be invisible for his own survival.
Do we have it in us to entertain a plotline with Luca potentially getting deported? I love Luca to bits; he adds interesting things to the story, but they don't always know how to incorporate him into something.
They've dropped the more interesting angles, like him meeting his birth relatives and learning more about his mother, in favor of a love triangle where only one of the women is appealing. Luca comes across as a jerk for playing with two women's feelings.
And now, they could introduce a deportation plot, and the stakes don't have the same feel to them when we know that the place Luca could be sent to is freaking Canada. Oh, no! The horror!
His dance battle with Riley was fabulous, though. Luca and Gael are a dynamic that was itching to get explored more. And Mabel deserves better, but I still want her and Luca over him in Riley.
Oh, and Alice roped the Ferrett Guys into a campaign to save their show. And based on the network wanting to meet with her over them, it's safe to say we're headed towards some ageist bullcrap that tests Alice's character and the friendship she formed with this Boomer trio.
We have much to ponder and process before the series returns, and who knows when that will be, given the writer's strike.
Over to you, Good Trouble Fanatics. Do you think Silas was really in Mariana's room, or did she imagine him? How worried are you about her mental health right now?
Why don't you move into the Coterie while you're in recovery? You can have my room.
Malika
Will Luca get deported? Do you have a preference for his love triangle? Are you excited that Isaac is moving into the Coterie? Sound off below.
If you want to catch up on the season, you can watch Good Trouble online here via TV Fanatic!
Also, stay tuned for an exclusive interview with the multitalented beauty, Emma Hunton.
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.
