Secret Life is Back - Now with More Drama!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I was a bit surprised to find out that almost no time has passed in the world of Secret Life since it last aired over six months ago. I was even more surprised to find out that we'll actually be seeing the kids in school this season... they've managed to go three and a half seasons without actually showing us more than a glimpse into a classroom... on a show about a bunch of teenagers. I know, hard to believe, right?? What's easy to believe, however, is how quickly word spread about the various match-ups that happened at that party. None of those kids should have believed that what they were doing was going to stay quiet, especially because the majority of them have been burned before. I think the most shocking thing in this episode, however, was Ben giving in to peer pressure and smoking pot. Not only did he just meet most of those girls, but he was also home, not even out at a park or in someone's backyard. Remember when Ben used to think before he said and did things? Perhaps those days are gone...

The Secret Life of the American Teenager "Smokin Like a Virgin" (S04E14): Amy thanks Ricky again for proposing, then they start talking about the wedding. Ricky thought it would be soon, but Amy acts as if she just wanted the commitment and the ring, and now there's no hurry. [I couldn't believe that she said that! how posh do you have to be to only want the engagement and not the marriage??] While Anne sides with Amy, the rest of the family votes with Ricky. Amy is considering going to summer school, and she's encouraged to by Margaret, who is about to take in Ethan again, who is out of Juvenile Detention early and will be spending the next few months doing summer school and community service. [I'm not thrilled that we're going to bring back that kid...] After some frustration, Ricky decides to leave the wedding planning to Amy, who thinks that next June would be nice. [a year is a good amount of time to plan the wedding. Plus, she'll be 18 and a high school graduate by then, even if she will have a preschooler.]

Daniel finds out that Grace and Jack kissed, so he breaks up with her. Jack wants to talk about the kiss, but Grace says it was just a mistake - though she later admits to Adrian that she might still love Jack. [while I liked Jack and Grace as a couple at the beginning of the series, I don't think that they should get back together now.] Adrian, meanwhile, tells Grace about sleeping with Henry, then goes on a warpath looking for Dante or Omar. Grace encourages Adrian to tell the truth, but that only loses her both guys. [I'm not sure why Adrian would decide to start telling the truth now, even if it was Grace's suggestion.] Adrian and Grace pout about their troubled love lives, with Grace now blaming her mom for letting her go to an all-night party in the first place. [typical teenage drama - always throwing the blame on someone else!] Adrian suggests that Grace go to summer school to get ahead and have an easy senior year instead of going to MedCamp. [is summer school free for these kids? because it wasn't where I grew up!] She then invites Grace to move in, as they could keep one another focused on school and away from boys. [hahahahaha, yeah, right!] Kathleen isn't crazy about the idea, countering it by offering Adrian Jack's old room instead. [good haggling.] Grace decides to offer that if she and Adrian don't focus on school and stay away from boys, she'll stay home for her first year of college. [I'm not sure why you'd bet that. I'm also not sure how you'd follow through with it.]

Ben and Dylan have been talking on the phone nonstop, and Leo encourages Ben to date Dylan. [for some reason I didn't think that Dylan was up at the party for only a night - I thought that she was on vacation with her family or something.] Dylan's never had a boyfriend before, so her parents want to meet Ben, especially after they overhear Dylan telling her friends that Ben got Adrian pregnant, then married her, and is now getting a divorce. [what a ridiculous first boyfriend that would be. I'm pretty sure there's no way I'd allow my daughter to date someone with that history!] When Ben finds out that Henry slept with Adrian, however, he's too upset to go on the date and cancels. Dylan's friends decide to see what's up, so they drive on over to Ben's, then hang out and smoke pot, though Ben initially tried to shoot down the idea. [I guess stalking is just accepted these days? and what was up with her friends insulting his bedroom?] Dylan's parents track her location via her cell phone, so they show up and Leo lets them in. [her parents are pretty intense...] When the adults all smell pot, Ben takes the blame. [...why??]

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Madison goes to Lauren's, but Lauren kicks her out, angry that her best friend slept with her boyfriend. [yep!] Madison calls Henry to befriend him, as they're both outcasts now that they've slept with their respective best friend's significant others. [only someone like Madison could pull off such a dopey move. Inviting him to go to summer school, though? odd.] 

Ashley surprises everyone with her return, and with the news that she and Toby have been accepted to college in Florida. [I take it that nobody has talked to her in a week or more, otherwise they'd know that she was en route?] Amy and Ashley instantly fight, with Amy saying that nobody missed Ashley and Ashley saying that she's better and smarter than Amy. [I don't remember them being on such terrible terms when Ashley left... did I forget something.]