As someone who adores both Evan and Joaquin, a girl is hot & bothered and conflicted!
The absolute highlight of Good Trouble Season 5 Episode 19 was the movement regarding this love triangle. We're still unsure where it's supposed to land, and with no time left for this series, these complications are more nerve-wracking than ever.
Outside of that, the Silas saga still rages on, Gael finally makes a move against Yuri, and Davia gets screwed over.
We only have one installment left, and I have no idea what we're supposed to expect from the coterie gang moving forward.
Can we get closure? How much can we get by adding some scenes to an installment already in the works with a designated plan?
So much of the season has been treading through water, biding time until what? No one knows, and then we got the colossal blow that it was the final season.
It's difficult not to look back on so much of what the season was and lament how much time was wasted when we could've been setting these beloved characters up for greatness and a proper end note.
It takes an installment like this to reflect upon how many stories they've let drag on longer than necessary and others of which there's minimal investment in the first place.
Derek returned to annoy Alice Kwan, and the Ferrett trio tested Alice's leadership skills again.
And through that, she had the confidence to toss her name out there as the next host for their show. It's something Alice wouldn't have done ages ago. The little things make her growth throughout the series more pronounced.
She also had the love and support of Sumi as both her partner and her manager.
It's nice that Gael Martinez has also found support for Jay. It's a challenging situation because we barely know Jay. He came in out of the blue, and they teased the prospect of them together. Now, they must be an item.
So much of their relationship has developed offscreen. It works well enough, as one of the more common critiques for Gael over the years was how he was exclusively just defined by whatever relationship he was in.
Instead, we're circling back to him finally doing something about the Yuri situation.
It has been a long time coming, and I'm glad that with the series ending, we'll at least have some closure on this, and Gael won't have to be a doormat to this obnoxious man.
Yuri is like the annoying gnat of the series, so it's a long time for him to get squashed.
I don't know how the mural situation will help, but one can imagine it's a matter of exposing Yuri for who and what he is at his opening.
What I'm curious about is its ramifications. Wouldn't a gallery get rid of it instantly? And wouldn't Gael face some consequence after outing himself through his artwork while attacking Yuri?
He told the whole story of Yuri's terrible behavior through the mural and included an image of himself in it, too. It all seems so risky.
But if it lead to Gael getting the credit for his art and him becoming the next sensational artist, finally making the break he desired since Good Trouble Season 1, then so be it. It's where we need to be with him.
Sadly, the play wasn't particularly gripping, so there's no real upset that it may be the end of it. However, Davia Moss's so-called friend has been shady since he showed up.
Dennis knew it wasn't a good idea and warned her about getting in bed with this supposed best friend again, and now she's gotten screwed over.
What good is a so-called friend when they can't support you or have your back? It took next to nothing for this man to sell her out!
Brayden came through with the lift when she called him out, and it felt as if it confirmed he was doing exactly what she accused him of doing.
But it's not a surprise that the Serena situation would backfire.
My heart breaks for Davia. She left her job and the security of it for something like this, and now she's left hanging.
I loved the shot of her hiding outside against the brick wall. It was beautifully filmed.
Related: Good Trouble Season 5 Episode 18 Review: All These Engagements
Good things are coming for Davia, but who knows what that'll look like, which makes this turn toward the end an interesting one.
Initially, the image of Malika reflected in the mirror felt as if it had to do with the conflict in her personal or professional life.
And to a degree, she maybe felt that way about Isaac. But it didn't stop her from standing strong and firm regarding his addiction issues as she told him he couldn't stay there anymore.
She was enabling him, and he had to leave for his best interest and hers. But it's upsetting that he won't have the love and support of the Coterie environment anymore.
You felt for Malika during those moments, and Zuri Adele is such a beautiful crier. Those scenes were also shot very well and captured the plot's tone well.
But Malika has opted to show some restraint in her professional field. Instead of initiating a protest at the town meeting as she has in other situations, she's doing the backroom deals and handshakes.
I don't know if Malika coming around to this way of politics expresses her growth or shows how much she has changed in a polarizing way.
But if the councilman keeps his word, she'll get her shelter. I don't know how her colleague will feel about how it's done.
On the love triangle front, the Luca, Riley, Mabel thing was messy.
It's unfair for Riley to assume that Luca confiding in other people outside of her is wrong. Luca has friends, and Riley can't be everything to him.
But from her perspective, she was correct about him not being honest with her, and it was enough for her not to trust him. He withholds things from her while pursuing her and projects them onto her without her knowing.
She's spent most of their relationship unknowingly having to prove him wrong, which is unfair.
Related: Good Trouble Season 5 Episode 17 Review: You Can't Always Get What You Want
But the thing with Mabel got blown out of proportion and felt contrived. All of it led to Mabel confessing her feelings, and Luca kissing her (as an act of comfort?) was frustrating.
It doesn't depict Luca in the best light, but this love triangle has been ruining his character all season.
He's landing wherever the wind blows, which makes him come across as an insensitive jerk or player.
Should we be concerned that he told Riley about his status? They wouldn't have brought it up if it wouldn't play a bigger part in matters, right?
What else is there to say about the Silas Saga? The Silas Saga Sucks.
Every time it seems like they'll get somewhere like an episode of Scooby-Doo, Joaquin Perez and Mariana are foiled again.
They took what Adam shared with them and ran with it, pressing the cops to get a warrant for the Farm, their promises to Callie Adams Foster be damned, and even stood outside while the police executed it.
There were so many factors that could've gone wrong. Silas looked concerned about the cadaver dogs, but they found nothing beyond coyote remains.
And I spent much of the time wondering if the dogs were only smelling things that were surface level or getting thrown off by things masking a body.
At this point, Joaquin and Mariana have used up their last bit of good favor with the cops, and there's no denying this is a vendetta.
It doesn't matter if they're right; without their ability to prove it, they're coming across as the crazy ones now.
My heart broke for Joaquin when he realized that Jenna was at the Farm and that she wanted to be there. Bryan Craig has delivered some of his best work on the series thus far.
The raw emotion as he pleaded his case against Silas was such a gut punch, and you wanted to reach through the screen and hold him yourself when he was breaking down on the bed.
He did all of this to save his sister, and it feels as if it was all for nothing because she's right back where she started.
I hated that for him, and since it has been the driving force behind why he's been here the whole time, it feels like the rug is getting pulled from beneath him.
Joaquin's sole purpose is saving Jenna and taking down Silas this entire time, and I don't know what he'll do with himself outside of this.
Mariana comforted him and made for a genuinely sweet moment between the two. Romantic and sexual undertones aside, they have an endearing connection and great friendship.
The vulnerability between the two of them is refreshing and lovely.
Of course, they took the opportunity to push the boundaries of this love triangle further by the two of them descending into smoking hot and sexy comfort sex.
They have an undeniable chemistry there, and it takes the books for being one of the hottest lovemaking scenes in the series. Whew!
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But it made the love triangle messier than ever.
Joaquin did not want to be in a relationship with Mariana or make any moves unless he knew that things between her and Evan were over for good and that she had moved on.
Even with her observation that Evan may never become the man he once was, there wasn't any indication that she still didn't harbor some feelings.
And yet, she kissed Joaquin, and this gesture that could've been mutual comfort may become something else entirely and essential; Mariana has unwittingly done what Joaquin asked her not to do.
He loves her, and if she finds out about Evan and Evan gives her an inkling that he wants to be with her, there's still a sliver of a chance that Mariana may wish to pursue him again.
Interestingly enough, she felt so strongly for him in other instances this season, but their infighting made her think that maybe they were never meant to be together, even when they were together.
It's a heck of a conclusion to draw.
Their arguments made her reevaluate their relationship and whether or not they ever should've been a couple, and before that moment, she still was looking at what they had through some rose-colored glasses.
Now, she and Joaquin have physically reconnected. They already have an emotional connection, and I don't know if the prospect of things potentially feeling easier with him, his representing something new and growth, or any other number of reasons is enough to make her shut things down with Evan completely.
The one criticism of the situation with Joaquin is that I don't believe Mariana Adams Foster loves Joaquin the way he loves her.
It's also a bit troublesome that they've built so much of their relationship around Silas, this situation, and a shared trauma.
Even now, any good favor for Joquiana fans is marred a bit when they only came together like this again in a time of sadness and loneliness.
It's concerning that their relationship primarily hinges on that and little else. I am curious to know what Joquiana even looks like outside of this Silas situation.
As a fan of Joaquin, I want the poor guy to take a beat, maybe consult a therapist, and work on healing because of how deeply this situation with Silas has destroyed him.
So, they shifted things in his favor again, but there's still uncertainty.
I appreciated that Dylan attempted to stir things up and put a wedge between Evan and Mariana, but the two went right to each other to talk things out instead.
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It's another mark for their ability to communicate. However, neither was willing to hear the truth about Dylan's ill-intended criticism.
Evan wondered about their compatibility and recalled some of their more argumentative moments.
But nothing topped Evan, getting flooded with the last of his lost memories. Mariana has been the anchor for him throughout his recovery.
Everything that relates to him regaining his memories has been connected to her.
In that sense, I find it hard to believe that the series could emphasize how profoundly those two are connected and then not do anything with it or make them an endgame.
We watched Evan fall in love with her again and find himself again.
No matter what happens to him and who he becomes, all versions of Evan Speck love Mariana; they're fated.
And now we've reset, and we're right back to where we were pre-shooting with Evan, ready to profess his love to Mariana and getting thrown off by Joaquin and what he is to Mariana.
T.J. Linnard has been the dark horse performer of the season. He's been incredible and a pleasure to watch onscreen.
Once again, he was beautiful while depicting those moments of Evan recalling all his memories, a series of flashes, an Eviana Greatest Hits right up to the shooting.
I'm genuinely excited about what happens next, what he does with this newfound realization, and how he shares things with Mariana.
But I'm also not looking forward to any of this trio getting hurt, which feels inevitable now.
Over to you, Good Trouble Fanatics.
With only one episode remaining, how high or low are your expectations for a proper wrap-up? Joquiana or Eviana? Sound off below.
Good Trouble returns with its series finale Tuesday, March 5 at 9:30/8:30c on Freeform! You can stream the entire series the following day on Hulu.