An important class-action lawsuit leads the team to investigate a sorority. Matty brings Alfie with her to Jacobson Moore on Family Day.
How much progress has Matty made in her investigation of Jacobson Moore? The narrative does a good enough job providing episodic stakes to suggest she has had many victories over the season so far. However, she's not really any closer to exposing someone at the firm for covering up the pharmaceutical industry fueling the opioid epidemic. She previously obtained Julian's key card to learn what he was doing the day the incriminating documents were delivered to the firm. And now, she receives the printout detailing his movements. That's the victory. It's not clarifying for the theory though. Instead, progress is delivered through the printout with more information getting out of the building. That's what Matty and Alfie celebrate in the elevator. They had to improvise once their original plan hit a bump. That too is a familiar storytelling device. Matty knows how to think on her feet. She was worried about bringing Alfie into this environment. He holds his own too. He suggests another way to distract security. It succeeds. For a moment, it presents as if Matty is truly worried about her missing grandson. Then, it's revealed that was all part of the ruse. That's the formula the show knows how to deliver. It's a reliable structure. It's just not offering anything exciting or new.
Olympia wanted to meet Alfie too. She saw him as the one part of Matty's life she knows nothing about. Matty prepares her to be disappointed. Alfie plays the role of sullen teenager distracted by his phone. It doesn't require much interaction at all. He locks himself in the stairwell. The kids were warned about that danger. That provided Alfie with an angle to exploit. He's just as committed to the mission as his grandmother is. He has fun. And then, he panics over leaving his wallet in Olympia's office. The stakes are elevated because Matty happens to be high. Senior encouraged her to try marijuana. It allows some of the stress to go away. They connect over the regrets they have. They share similar stories. Senior sought out revenge after his brother was killed in a car accident. He didn't take personal accountability. He still blames himself for what happened sometimes. He screams for forgiveness. That is soothing. It's helpful advice for Matty even though she can't truly be honest in that moment. She has to delicately keep things together to avoid suspicion. She can't share with anyone what her experiences truly are. She fears she was responsible for Ellie's death. Edwin said he blamed her sometimes because of the timing. It's difficult to handle. That moment of character has depth. The concern about the wallet and potential exposure are just lackluster in comparison.
The weekly case appears as a key parallel to this journey too. It suggests Olympia knows precisely what it's like to go after big companies who know their product is damaging to the public. She targets an alcoholic energy drink that has ruined many lives. She prepares for trial in her class-action lawsuit. And then, she gets distracted over an accident that happens on a college campus. One sorority girl died after being given this drink. She was deliberately poisoned. Olympia takes on the case because she can't afford for someone to be found liable for this death when the drink is to blame. Even when the case is dropped against her client, she is trying to persuade the new prosecutor to help her ambitions. Olympia believes this case will seal her promotion to partner. She can't let anything disrupt that. However, the more intriguing case is the one against the company. Instead, the episode gets sidelined by the exploration of sorority politics. It's all personal animosity amidst what is suppose to be harmless fun. These young adults are ruthless to one another. They don't support each other when the worst happens. That isn't sisterhood. They turn on each other to make a point. They delight in that vitriol. As such, it's a rather one-dimensional case where the more compelling dynamics occur amongst those making the arguments in the courtroom.
Fortunately, the episode provides a number of key personal developments that enrich the various character journeys. Billy and Simone sneak around the office hoping to hide their new relationship. Of course, Sarah clocks it right away. She isn't given a moment to process her friend and rival connecting in this way. Instead, she enters her own drama right away. Everything continues to go well between her and Kira. However, they have different opinions on monogamy. Sarah wants to be with Kira exclusively. Meanwhile, Kira doesn't see that as something she will ever want. She suggests an open relationship. This isn't the kind of conversation one typically sees on broadcast television. It's boundary pushing in that regard. No answer is given though. Sarah is thrown. She doesn't want this relationship to end. She's not the best at adapting to changing circumstances. She scheduled this relationship check-in for a precise month after their prior conversation. She was concerned about it in the days leading up to the self-imposed deadline. Her worries are valid. Some of them are completely built up in her own mind. That anxiety is palpable. It doesn't detract from any of the progress she makes both personally and professionally. These relationships are evolving. She handles them. Uncertainty still exists. That's what she must accept too. These moments are revealing because they introduce new challenges. That's meaningful even though they remain detached from Matty's central mission. In that regard, the biggest obstacle is the sudden introduction of Matty's sister. That's more random than intriguing.
