I've been saying for weeks that Hilde Lisko never seems to have to deal with any real consequences of her actions, but that began to change with Home Before Dark Season 2 Episode 7.

Admittedly, the consequences weren't precisely the ones I was hoping to see.

I was hoping Matt might come down on her for leaving the beach when she promised to stay put until he and Frank got back, but Matt is pretty lax about rules, especially when Hilde's comeback is that she's following a story.

But at least the repercussions Hilde faced were somewhat realistic.

Matt and Hilde are always gung-ho about uncovering the truth and accept that doing so comes with a certain amount of risk.

Spoon and Donny's parents likely think they're sending their kids off to play with a friend, and if Matt's with them, they probably feel things are even safer with some parental supervision. Little do they realize that their kids are off to uncover some corrupt corporate collusion.

These kids frequently break into buildings, trespass, and snoop in places where they don't belong. But, this time, they climbed onto a boat and set off for a mysterious island they suspected might be a part of a larger conspiracy.

Did Matt even consider asking the other parents if it was okay that their kids come along? It didn't seem like it.

Hilde was disappointed and upset that her friends chose to pay the fines and go along with the gag order, but that was realistic.

Hilde is lucky that Donny and Spoon's parents still allow them to see her because I'd find it difficult to blame them if they told their kids to steer clear.

But it was Frank Jr. whom I felt for the most. Yes, he piloted the boat to the island, but did they have any idea Wott Management owned the island?

Whatever barriers may have been set up were covered by the high water. Were there any signs saying they were trespassing? If Wott owns that entire island, it felt like it should have been more clearly marked. 

I was hoping that Trip would fight for Frank, but that didn't happen. Then I was hoping that Frank would fight for himself. Instead, he ended up moping and hiding his dismissal from Kim. 

The only upside to all of this was Kim's reaction in this Home Before Dark quote...

We’ve been friends for over 30 years. I’ve known every version of you, and I’ve loved them all, even Cranky Frankie. You can get fired from a dozen more jobs; I will never be ashamed of you.

Kim

• Permalink: We’ve been friends for over 30 years. I’ve known every version of you, and I’ve loved them...

Maybe Kim and Frank should ditch Erie Harbor and start over somewhere else. Find a city or town where every person they meet won't know that his father was a corrupt Sheriff or that her mother aided in kidnapping a child. 

I'd hate to see them leave the show, and I love that Matt and Frank are friends, but Kim and Frank are two people who deserve a fresh start. 

Elsewhere, Izzy was still reeling from Emma's confession about liking her as more than a friend. Izzy is 14-years-old and still trying to figure out who she is. Trying to factor in Ethan and Emma's feelings makes it all the more confusing. 

Izzy: Well, Ethan, I don’t want to hurt her feelings. She’s my friend.
Ethan: No, she’s not. She wants to date you. She doesn’t want to be friends.
Izzy: So, what, you’re saying that if we weren’t dating, you wouldn’t want to be my friend?
Ethan: No.
Izzy: Well, now it sort of feels like you’re asking me to choose. You or her.
Ethan: Well, I mean, she likes you, so I guess, yeah, I am.

• Permalink: Well, I mean, she likes you, so I guess, yeah, I am.

Thankfully, Ethan apologized for his ultimatum and admitted his jealousy. Izzy has the right to have both Ethan and Emma in her life, but I think it will take some time for her to process whether she could be more than friends with Emma, and I'm okay with however that ends up. 

Back at the Lisko home, the family tried some reminiscence therapy with Sylvester. I've read about this, and it usually takes multiple tries to really have a breakthrough, but since we only have ten episodes in a season, I'll cut the writers some slack on Sylvester's memories coming back so quickly. 

That Junior never worked at Strata makes sense. It was unclear whether Junior never tried to get a job at Strata because he was running the family farm or if he was possibly shut out because he was the only black man in the group of friends. Either way, not getting a job there may have saved his life. 

The spray sealant used at Strata caused headaches and coughing in Sylvester, but when the company doctor told him it was just allergies, he believed him. That's not unusual. For decades, people trusted their doctors and never even thought about getting a second opinion. 

That blind trust may have caused Sylvester his mind and the rest of the men their lives. 

But now that Matt knows that cadmium is leaking into the water supply and that Wott Management has been covering it up for decades, how can he stop it?

Walter dying was difficult for both Hilde and Ginny as they had both bonded with the bird. Ginny was sad because of the loss, but Hilde may have understood that what happened to Walter could be a prelude to what was to come for her grandfather. 

Matt: Sweetie, if cadmium is the reason Pop Pop got sick, I don’t think we can reverse that.
Hilde: Then I want them to pay.

• Permalink: Then I want them to pay.

Despite the sense of foreboding, this installment had some sweet moments between the sisters. 

Hilde was completely taken aback when she learned that Izzy was moving up to the attic. 

[to Izzy] I know that you may think my reporting is annoying sometimes, but I wouldn’t know how to do it without you. Good journalists, they look at both perspectives and consider other people’s feelings. I forget to do that sometimes, but you never do.

Hilde

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Hilde needs her big sister, but Izzy deserves her own space. Izzy needs some privacy, so I'm hoping the two of them can balance that out. 

But now Hilde gets to take on the role of big sister to Ginny, and we saw a new emotional maturity in Hilde when she apologized and admitted that she was doing the same thing to Ginny that most grown-ups have done to her. 

Hilde: I owe you an apology.
Ginny: For what?
Hilde: When you were trying to tell me something, and I kept ignoring you. I thought what I was doing was more important, like I knew better. People do that to me all the time, and I hate it. I promise I will never do that to you again.

• Permalink: When you were trying to tell me something, and I kept ignoring you. I thought what I was...

The best moments in this series are the ones that focus on family. As much as I'm curious about Richie Fife and Wott Management, I hope we never lose that. 

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C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.