Your Honor Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Part Eighteen
Denis Kimathi
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The worst thing you can do in war is to underestimate your enemy.
Gina got tired of waiting for people to do things she could do herself on Your Honor Season 2 Episode 8. After advice from an unlikely source rejuvenated her desire for revenge, she confronted Big Mo and Jimmy and dialed up her hate.
Eugene escaped death by a whisker only to end up in another place guaranteed to kill him slowly for the rest of his life.
Eugene's story seems to be an outlier in the narrative, only developing the plot minimally, but it is one of the most interesting.
It is worth noting that he was very lucky to have an attorney who believes in him and was willing to blackmail a DA to get her client a better deal.
DA: So, your strategy is to blackmail the D.A.'s office in exchange for a reduced sentence for your client?
Lee: Yep.
D.A: You could be disbarred for that, Lee.
Lee: I've got another secret for you. I don't want to be a lawyer anymore.
He would have been imprisoned after accepting an unfair deal if he were unlucky, like thousands of other black boys and men saddled with overworked and underpaid public defendants.
Actions have consequences; that is a lesson everyone should be taught and understand because it is a fundamental part of justice.
Eugene found a gun and traveled purposefully to kill someone. It wasn't an accident; it was premeditated. As he was planning how and where to kill Carlo, he should have thought about what would happen if he was caught and if he was willing to face the consequences.
Things went awry for him because he ended up killing an innocent person.
For this, he needs to learn. It would force him to do self-searching and allow Adam's relatives to move forward.
The punishment must befit the crime, and while there is no punishment enough for murdering someone, circumstances must be considered.
The current problem with justice systems is that they have prioritized numbers over people. It is common for Police Commissioners to flaunt the number of cases they have "solved." They pressure DAs to get as many convictions as possible before the end of the year.
That DA didn't care about Eugene or what he had done. He wanted to clear the case.
The facts are that Eugene was a first-time offender, the crime was accidental, and he was still a minor.
These are important factors to consider because, as a first-time offender, no pattern of violence would be a concern to releasing someone like that into society.
The crime was an accident, even though he had gone to commit a murder. The original intent was because of extraordinary circumstances, i.e., Carlo killed his brother, and later, they killed his entire family. He was still a minor, making him "salvageable," for the lack of a better word.
These are the things that a jury would put into consideration when rendering their verdict.
Eugene: And if I take the deal, I-I got to plead guilty.
Lee: You do.
Eugene: And I got to say I murdered that kid. Do I get to explain my side of the story?
Lee: I just want this to be over for you while you're still young.
Eugene: Well, how can I do that if the whole world thinks I'm just some thug who shot up a hotel?
Lee: This is the best deal you're gonna get.
Eugene: No deal. I want my trial.
I feel like his decision to demand a trial would work in his favor.
On the other side of town, Gina went off the rails and decided to show muscle.
The meeting with Donetta was a huge catalyst for her. Donetta wasn't looking to advise her to commit a crime. She genuinely thought they were chatting, but Gina took the advice differently.
Gina: Can I ask you a personal question?
Donetta: Yeah.
Gina: In light of how your son died, if a heroin dealer moved in across the street from you...
Donetta: I would burn their house to the ground.
Gina: Maybe you and I are gonna be good friends.
With no one close by to vent her anger to, she sought Big Mo and could not have chosen a worse time.
Big Mo is that bitch!
The smartest thing she did was acknowledge that Gina was bad news and that she shouldn't be underestimated.
Chris: She all bark, no bite.
Big Mo: Nah. That bitch got bite.
She also showed Gina that she wasn't afraid of her.
Gina chose the worst time because Big Mo was feeling romantic. Throughout the season, we had seen her toy with the idea of proposing to Janelle but kept holding it off. That evening was the final straw, and she knew she must put a ring on it.
And then she was robbed.
Did you guess who did it?
Big Mo was so distracted by Gina and Janelle that she missed the signs that her crew was turning against her. It is a fair assumption that Little Mo has healed by now. The last time we saw him, he attended Chris' brother's wake, and some words were exchanged.
The timing of the robbery was off because there was no way Gina had had enough time to pull off something like that. Also, she doesn't go behind someone's back. She hits you directly.
And then the thief went for the proposal ring.
It meant that the thief knew Big Mo well. It was personal.
The only people with a personal vendetta against her are Chris and Little Mo. They are the ones who robbed her.
If she acts out of emotions, she will trigger a war with the Baxters, and Little Mo won't have to do much.
Gina made her intentions of divorcing Jimmy clear, and that scared me. Jimmy had kept her craziness in check, and without him watching her every move, it was scary what she would do.
Olivia was back; this time, she wanted Fia to flip on her family.
Michael was ready to go to jail, die, or whatever, but the plan had changed now that he had a family.
He knew that if Fia rats her family to the police, they would kill her, and Rocco would be an orphan. He also knew Olivia was not going to relent.
He thought he had nothing to lose because they were arrested, and he emerged unscathed, that's all well and good, and if he were killed, they would be helping him.
As we gear towards the season finale, the show sets up the final conflicts to serve us a stunning season finale and a cliffhanger for a potential third season.
'Part Thirteen' was another great Your Honor episode.
We would love to know your thoughts, so don't hesitate to comment.
Are you ready for the two remaining episodes?
How many years of prison time should Eugene get, if any?
Denis Kimathi was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.
