Good Trouble – Willful Blindness

By: Marnie Faith

Having passed her bar exams a few episodes prior, the news that Rebecca (Molly McCook) only has four weeks left at her current clerkship with Judge Wilson is looming amongst the clerk team. Following on from last week’s episode which saw her admit that she was sexually harassed by her previous judge, Callie (Maia Mitchell) takes it upon herself to try and get Rebecca to come forward about what happened to her in order to ensure that Judge Handelmen no longer works with female clerks. Rebecca is initially reluctant to come forward because (as you recall) she disclosed last week that it was her grandfather who got her moved to her current clerkship after speaking up about what was happening to her. As a result of him helping her out, as well as their established family name, she’s reluctant due to the fact she wishes to avoid a scandal at any and every cost. This is where Callie comes in. In a meeting about an unrelated case, Callie pushes for Judge Wilson’s (Roger Bart) opinion on how liable is an individual that stands by knowing what a perpetrator is capable of. He informs her that, even though her argument is a total digression from the case in hand, they’d be just as liable as they’re committing willful blindness – the knowing that something is happening but choosing to ignore it.

This isn’t to say that Rebecca would become liable for prosecution should a scandal surrounding what Judge Handelman does erupt; however, it does toy with her moral judgments. It’s enough to get into her head and question whether she’s okay to sit back and know there’s a chance that history is repeating itself with future female clerks. At this point of the episode, though, she remains adamant that she won’t file a complaint as to avoid any hassle for her family.

Callie isn’t satisfied by this. Thus, she takes it upon herself to try and amend this situation. She goes to Judge Wilson, explaining that she heard a rumor of Judge Handelman harassing female clerks. Unsurprisingly, Judge Wilson says that he’s rendered useless to do anything unless a victim came forward. It’s all a bit frustrating at this point because, of course, we’d all like to think that if we were faced with the predicament Rebecca finds herself in we’d go straight to higher powers to report it. Although Callie has shown so much empathy towards Rebecca throughout this entire narrative, she of all people should know better than to try and reveal someone else’s secrets, especially one as weighty as this. Just like Rebecca reminds her, “You sure have loose lips for someone with so many secrets,” when Callie mentions she went to Wilson.

What eventually persuades Rebecca to come forward and file a complaint is a so very frustrating conversation with her mother. Having told her mom about her thoughts surrounding the situation, instead of offering a shoulder of support like mothers are supposed to, she goes ahead to completely invalidate everything Rebecca tells her. I honestly didn’t know which was worse – the fact her mum told her that the #MeToo movement is going too far, that Rebecca’s generation is too sensitive and back in her day it was perfectly acceptable for men, particularly those in power, to harass women or the fact that this was all coming from her own mother.

Eventually we see that that she did in fact file the complaint, enlightened Judge Wilson about it and made it abundantly clear to the judge that she was well aware of the fact he knew about Handelman and chose to sit idly. Following that, Rebecca’s departure arrives. We learn that she took the job with the smaller law firm in Denver over the prestigious position in D.C. like her parents expected of her. Her arc was brought to a heart-warming end through a letter to Callie explaining all of this. She thanks Callie for their abstract friendship before rounding it all off by reminding Callie to tell Ben (Ken Kirby) to go to hell from her.

Outside of the law world Malika (Zuri Adele) is approached by her brother Dom (J. Mallory Mcree), this time with a letter from their mother. She decides to visit under the impression that her mother wishes to make amends and she’s clean. Prior to the visit Sandra Thompson (Nicki Micheaux) reminds her that we all have the ability to build our own families and if she were to have a daughter she’d pick Malika anytime. She also seeks advice from Mariana (Cierra Ramirez), who is all too familiar with the dead-beat mother guilt trip narrative. She assures her to give her a shot and hear her out. So, that she does.

The entire scene is gut-wrenching to watch. It’s evident why Malika harbors so much resentment towards her mother. She’s evidently manipulating Dom to care for her, under the guise that he was her star child who’d never leave her. Not only that, we learn that their mom genuinely believes that the reason CPS took her kids away was due to unpaid utility bills, opposed to the fact she was a drug addict. She goes on to tell Malika that she’ll forgive her for calling Child Protective Services if Malika forgives her for being an all-round terrible mom. Malika is manipulated further into apologizing. Though a strong willed woman, it’s clear she’s doing this to try and salvage some sort of relationship with her brother. Just as the emotional roller coaster that is their entire exchange comes to a finish, her mom drops the bombshell that Malika apparently owes them money. However, not wishing to rock the boat after they’d just restored a semblance of peace, Malika obliges then goes to cry about the entire ordeal in her car.

However, the turmoil doesn’t end there for Malika. Whilst licking her wounds in her car she sees her brother buying a bottle of whiskey for the same woman that is allegedly clean. Clearly Dom used this word loosely as although she isn’t using drugs anymore, she certainly isn’t sober. This leads to a whole other confrontation between the siblings in which Malika desperately tries to make Dom see sense. When forced to pick between the pair, Dom ultimately picks their mother for whatever reason. 

Following the traumatic day that was trying to rekindle a relationship with her mother, Malika goes back on her promise to Callie of not sitting next to Sandra in the Jamal hearing. She reassures Sandra that she’ll “show up for the people that show up for her.” A beautiful reminder to viewers that blood doesn’t always remain synonymous to family.

As if things weren’t going badly enough for the women of the show this week, Alice (Sherry Cola) can’t seem to catch a break either. She somehow manages to agree to plan Sumi (Kara Wang) a surprise bridal shower with wife-to-be Meera (Briana Venskus). Though clearly the furthest thing from what Alice would rather be doing, it doesn’t appear to be all doom and gloom. Her and Meera even manage to be civil! Of course, it’s through an exchange of listing Sumi’s less than ideal characteristics that epitomizes their bonding session, but it’s progress nonetheless!

When she finally gets round to remembering to schedule a second date with Joey (Daisy Eagan) she’s invited to go on Joey’s radio show. It starts off as badly as you can imagine – Alice is her usual awkward self who tries too hard to be funny and all her wit inevitably falls very, very flat. However, when Joey tells her to lighten up and talk candidly, her mind goes straight to Sumi and Meera. She ends up continually trash talking the pair on air and, despite Joey’s constant reassurances that the show only has an average of ten listeners, of course one of those turns out to be Meera. This eventually causes Alice and Meera to clash heads. What no one saw coming was Alice reminding Meera mid-argument that her and Sumi were still together when they slept together. It’s clear that Alice still isn’t over that. Can you blame her? Eventually, Sumi crashes the argument and the pair mask it by revealing her bridal shower arrangements. Alice comes to remember to text Joey back, declining offers of appearing in other shows. Joey takes this to be due to the fact that she still isn’t over Sumi, but as dinner with her parents taught us it’s down to the fact that she still isn’t out to her very traditional Asian parents.

This week’s episode was full of life lessons for characters and viewers alike; family isn’t always what it’s hyped up to be. The older generation need to learn that millennials being unwilling to accept workplace harassment isn’t them being overly sensitive. Finally, as Gael (Tommy Martinez) taught us this week, sometimes the only way to gain Instagram traction is to post a pic of your endearingly good looking face and perfectly sculpted abs!