Good Trouble Review: That’s Me in the Spotlight (Season 4 Episode 9)
The tension and yearning on Good Trouble Season 4 Episode 9, “That’s Me in the Spotlight,” is sexy and engaging.
Starting out with a black and white montage of all the characters and their unknown journeys sets up the intrigue, and it’s a brilliant way to pull the audience into their stories.
There is no doubt that the first half of the season will go out on a dramatic note.
Davia and Luca are front and center for their big burlesque showcase. It feels like Good Trouble is making a deliberate move to have them set up in some big way later.
It’s nice that Davia is focusing on herself and her friendships because she deserves to be put first; however, she and Dennis can’t be done after all their history. Luca also plays a nice role here. They have great chemistry as dance partners, but he’s also incredibly kind and logical, which makes him a great friend.
“That’s Me in the Spotlight” also brings out complicated feelings and a potential love triangle.
Marianna finally received the go-ahead from the FCG to explore her unresolved feelings for Evan. These two do have great chemistry and work well together romantically and career-wise, but it’s more complicated now.
Joaquin and Marianna have been building their friendship for the entirety of Good Trouble Season 4 with some sparks thrown in here and there, and he eventually kisses her — I’ve been waiting for that to happen! The love triangle trope can be overdone; yet in this case, it works well.
Marianna isn’t one to settle, and she deals with hard decisions and struggles on a regular basis. Allowing her to explore all the options for her development and storyline is exactly the right move.
The mysteriousness that follows Joaquin is intriguing, and honestly, he needs someone like Marianna to break him out of his shell and further his own journey.
While the kiss isn’t necessarily out of desire — more so out of comfort and connection — this is only the start for them, and it could turn into something down the line unless Marianna goes back to Evan.
Good Trouble has a habit of bringing in new characters. When they originally brought in Isabella, I thought her character would be toxic and unwelcome in the long run. Now it is quite the opposite actually. Her development and personality have become something so real and vulnerable, and I genuinely look forward to where she will go next.
The heartbreak after the barely-there dinner with her parents shows her newfound confidence and the ability to fight for what she wants in life. The overlapping of her parents telling her that Gael would move on while he’s confessing his love and real feelings to Davia really is magnificent.
It’s all about the drama and delayed gratification on their end and it’s been built up so well.
There is a huge sigh of relief and feeling of joy when Gael confesses his love for Isabella and she says it back to him. The moment is huge for Gael especially. He follows his own feelings and instincts and doesn’t hold back which is something he has struggled with previously.
While Gael and Isabella are now in honeymoon stage bliss, the tension between Evan and Marianna is no longer the good kind. After seeing her with Joaquin, Evan has a chance to screw with Bulk Beauty and I’m wondering if he’ll play the villain.
Season 4 Episode 9 packs a punch and there are still so many unresolved feelings.
Stray Thoughts:
- Alice performing again and speaking out about what happened to her is empowering and special.
- Malika standing up for herself and her job to Deyonte is iconic; he has been getting on my nerves lately.
- Davia and Dennis are so clearly still in love with each other
- Jenna definitely doesn’t want to engage with Joaquin based on the two seconds she shows up for
- Isabella goes rogue and ultimately smashes her father’s car, leaving us with a huge cliffhanger.
What did you think of this episode of Good Trouble? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Good Trouble airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Freeform.
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Courtney Shapiro
Courtney is a New Jersey native who loves sitcoms, reality TV and dramas. When not talking about pop culture, she can be found catching up on the latest book. She graduated from NYU with a master's degree in journalism. Her favorite shows include New Girl, Gilmore Girls, and the Bachelor franchise.