Switched At Birth – Recap & Review – Las Dos Fridas

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Switched At Birth
Las Dos Fridas

Original Air Date: Feb 7, 2012

Karen Belgrad – Senior Editor
karenbelgrad@thetwocentscorp.com

For a show that has a main presence revolving around a baby switch, the drama has barely dipped its toes in the nurture versus nature debate. Yes, we’ve seen it mentioned that Bay gets her eyes and artistic side from Regina. We’ve also been left to wonder if Daphne would have become deaf if Kathryn and John were providing her medical care. But it’s never been truly addressed in terms of heritage.

However, all that changes this week with the arrival of Grandma Bonnie. This hour we had Kathryn’s mother show up as a stereotype-spouting, awkward-moment-making typhoon, played with ease by 80’s television icon, Meredith Baxter of Family Ties fame. And while nobody cared for what she said, she definitely made everyone think.

What was missing from this hour was any sign of Emmett, Wilke, or Angelo. And while there may not have been room for the girls’ boyfriends, the question of where was Angelo definitely loomed large. Despite Regina’s best phone efforts, she couldn’t find Angelo within the immigration system. Adrianna revealed she had told him that she turned him in, so speculation turned into wondering if he had left on his own. And by episode’s end, we still didn’t have a firm answer. What we did have was immense damage to the Adrianna/Regina dynamic. Regina blamed her mother for her interference, while Adrianna coolly stood by her actions. In the end, Adrianna opted to move back to East Riverside and in with a friend.

Meanwhile, Bonnie arrived and crudely referred to Bay as “empanada” instead of her usual “cookie” term of endearment. Bay, used to being the object of adoration from her grandmother, was pushed aside in favor of Bonnie fawning over Daphne’s resemblance to Kathryn. She tried to curry interest by mentioning a mural she’d been chosen to paint for Buckner, but Bonnie practically ignored her. Bonnie further showed ignorance when she gave her grandchildren gifts. Toby received a poker chip set (which John put the kibosh on). Bay received a book of Latin American art. And Daphne received a family heirloom cameo, that Kathryn always expected to go to Bay.

Meeting her new grandmother, and hearing her talk disparagingly about Daphne’s old neighborhood (East Riverside), definitely gave Daphne pause. She was further conflicted when she saw an old friend, Monica, who was using the Buckner track. Monica and Simone got into a petty fight, but when Daphne tried to intervene, both girls were punished. Even Daphne’s coach sees her as more of a Kennish than Vasquez, and actually gave her a lecture about seeing how the other half live. Daphne attempts to re-bond with Monica, but is given a “you can’t go home again” response. Wondering if she’s changed since moving to Mission Hills, Daphne confides in Adrianna. Ever the intuit, Adrianna opines that although she sees things with different eyes, only Daphne’s zip code has changed.

Bay has a much more difficult time, especially when she overhears Bonnie talk about how differently she sees Bay now. Bonnies goes on to Kathryn about how much more sense Daphne (and her math skills) makes in the family, while pointing out how, basically, Bay is different because she’s not blood-related and (gasp!) of Puerto Rican descent. She talks of biology being what makes them who they are. Bay is crushed to overhear, but Kathryn pretty quickly stands up to her mother. When the series started, Kathryn didn’t have much of a backbone, but it’s great to see her come into her own. In fact, Kathryn gets through to Bonnie by pointing out that even though Bonnie carried her, she couldn’t feel less connected to her. Kathryn later confides to John that she feels closer to Bay, not Daphne.

Bay lashes out on her mural with some anger infused white paint. And then she goes to Regina, first to talk about the general perception of being Puerto Rican, and then asks for her help in fixing the mural. It’s clearly a huge step towards building a stronger relationship between the two, which I feel the show has been lacking. Bonnie later apologizes to Bay, but asks if Bay doesn’t see herself as different as well. She also re-gifts her the cameo, which Daphne returned feeling it should have been Bay’s. Bay doesn’t audibly accept Bonnie’s apology, but she does say goodbye when Bonnie leaves.

John wants to take his own stand on Bonnie’s meddling, by buying her out of the carwash. It seems her silent partnership is a token to everyone else, but she clearly relishes feeling involved. Kathryn takes the lead, giving Bonnie the check and thanking her for her help. Bonnie looks crestfallen. Regina and Kathryn commiserate that while their mothers make them crazy, they’re still their moms.

Elsewhere, Toby is heeding Simone’s advice about striking out on his own musically. But when Bay points out that Simone has a tendency to mold people into her vision of them, Toby becomes resistant to Simone’s music and wardrobe selections. When he mentioned “molding”, she knows Bay put the idea there and dumps him. He appeals to her by saying he can dress himself and do his music himself, but still wants to be her boyfriend. They reconcile. It’s such a side story at this point, that I really hope we see a little more development sooner than later.

And if you were wondering… the quote above Bay’s bed was: “I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.” from artist Frida Kahlo.

And that was it for this week. All in all, this was not my favorite episode. It was a little heavy-handed and slow. It was nice to get a break from the lawsuit storyline, but with the Angelo questions hanging overhead, it seemed like filler before the juicy stuff comes roaring back. And I definitely felt a little cheated that we never got to see Bonnie’s reaction to Emmett and Bay’s relationship. I’m glad that the show is exploring the girls’ nuture versus nature situation, but I think it could have been a little more organic to the show’s other plots.

And so you have my TwoCents! Now share your TwoCents, comments, and feedback below!