Secret Life: Forget Trust

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Ricky and Amy really have their first big argument as an engaged (but living together with their child) couple: whether she should go to school or work over the summer. Neither trusts the other, thinking each knows best. Despite being grounded, Ben has been talking on the phone to Dylan almost non-stop, and plans to skip school all summer to see her. Leo, who once believed Ben was a great guy, has realized that Ben is attracted to troubled women, and just can't be trusted. Grace told Kathleen that she'd be going to MedCamp and staying at home while her mother is in Africa, but she immediately moves to Adrian's and gets kicked out of MedCamp. And, of course, most of the kids now know with whom most of the others were intimate. Lies, deceit, stealing... and the second half of the season is still so young. It's getting to be difficult to remember all of the characters, though... let's send a few more to Africa to eliminate them for a while...

We've got three stories going on that converge once the kids get to school, then a little about some of the kids that night.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager "Defiance" (S04E15): Amy tells Ricky that her going to summer school will make the next year (his first in college) easier on them, because it'll give her a lighter load and more time to cook and clean. [in theory, yet. in reality, I don't think so. Plus, are there districts out there who let you

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take a much lighter load? Because where I grew up, you still had to take a minimum, and if you were out of classes to take, you HAD to dual-enroll and start college classes.] He points out that she can't cook anyway, so she claims they'll eat raw foods. [hahahaha!] This is problematic because they have a big discount on groceries because they get free meat from the butcher shop, and without Amy working, they definitely won't have extra money for groceries. Ricky also tells Amy to stop taking money from her parents now that they're a family, but she wants to do what she wants to do. [her hair has really gotten long! and I didn't realize that George and Anne were still supporting her...] The next morning, Ethan gets dropped off at Ricky's so that he can go to school with Amy. He'll also be staying at their apartment after school, even though Amy and Ricky will be working. Ricky tells Amy to be serious in looking after Ethan at school, but she gets upset at the idea of taking orders from Ricky. [blah blah blah.]

Kathleen told Grace that she has to go to MedCamp, but Grace decides to move in with Adrian anyway, figuring that her on-the-way-to-Africa mother won't find out. [we all know that Grace once knew this was wrong, but those days are just a memory now.] Well, because Adrian didn't think that she and Grace were going to do this "all-school-no-boys" plan, she's already back with Omar, who won't lie to Grace. But, when Grace doesn't show up at MedCamp, Grant calls Kathleen, who assumes her daughter is stuck in traffic. [were Grant and Kathleen that close? Why call her to rat our your ex-girlfriend? AWKWARD!] Kathleen calls Daniel, who heard from Omar that Grace is at Adrian's. Daniel, not knowing it was a secret, tells Kathleen. [hahaha.] Grace decided to try going to MedCamp, but she gets kicked out for being late and making a scene, so she shows up for summer school tardy. [you can get kicked out without your parents having to talk to the principal? And what money is Grace living on all summer - did Kathleen leave her cash? PLUS, it was previously hinted that Grace only went to MedCamp ONCE and that it was far away... now she's been for multiple years and it's in driving distance? What's going on here?]

Leo has grounded Ben from the computer and phone for smoking pot, and now adds summer school as a punishment. [while I agree that Ben should have received a more severe punishment, deciding on the first day of summer school that you're sending your kid is a bit odd. it certainly seems like there's unlimited enrollment and that it's free...] Leo has talked to Henry and knows that Henry made a mistake in sleeping with Adrian, so he tells Ben that he shouldn't let Adrian get in the way of his ten-year-friendship with Henry. Leo also tells Ben that he's always rescuing women (a bad quality), then reiterates that Ben better not "access" Dylan again. Ben is almost immediately caught using Alice's phone to talk to Dylan, so Leo not only gives Ben a driver to make sure he attends summer school, but also to act as a security guard to keep Dylan and Ben apart. [what a poor use of money. I understand it's needed, though... Ben is bound and determined... maybe Leo should send him abroad again?] Meanwhile, Dylan's mom tells her to stay away from Ben and to date virgin, non-druggie, never-been-married guys. [good advice.]

At school, everyone finds out about the others sleeping around. [I'm surprised it took them this long to learn everything!] Ethan starts hitting on Madison. [I normally wouldn't care, but the girl has such low self-esteem and no friends at the moment, so she's probably going to fall for him by the end of the next episode...] Henry asks Adrian to help clear things up with Ben - she tries, but it doesn't help. [I was surprised that she even made an effort.] Adrian claims that she's changed since the week before, thinking she's in love with Omar. [already? and why do her parents continue allowing her to live at a condo for no reason? She can certainly move back home now!] The class cuts up immediately and they all receive detention. [who else would love a The Breakfast Club reenactment for the next episode?] Amy is called to the administration office when Ethan steals condoms from the nurse's office. [why would they pull Amy from class? She's not Ethan's legal guardian, what was she going to do??] Dylan tries to see Ben through the classroom window but Ben's security guard/driver catches her.

That night, Ben tells Leo that the phone was Alice's, admits that the pot wasn't his, and holds fast to the fact that he wants to be with Dylan, no matter what it takes. Elsewhere, Ricky tells Amy how much work it will be to keep Ethan under control all summer. The kid is suspended for two days, so Ricky will have to watch him while Amy's at school. At least Ethan didn't get a chance to steal the money, as Amy took it all with her. [is that going to be her plan every day? How about they use a bank?] Meanwhile, Jacks asks out Grace, but she turns him down because she wants to keep her promise to her mother that she'll stay away fro guys all summer. [Jack's parents are back and he's still living at Kathleen's?]