Switched at Birth: Bay Won't Back Down

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

We're trying something new this time around. Because there are so many characters on this show and so much happens, rather than give you a recap that's broken down either chronologically or thematically, we're going to try doing it by character, which is how we tend to handle another large-cast ABCFamily drama, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Of course, it might not work out, but just a little head's up as you keep on reading.

I didn't find anything too jarring in the past two episodes, but I did find it intriguing that Angelo was missing seemingly out of nowhere just as Travis comes back into the picture. Plus, Toby meeting a new girl, especially one so drastically different from Simone, could give him a worthwhile storyline for a change! Now if only Daphne and Wilke could get some solid closure...

Switched at Birth "Tree of Forgiveness" (S01E26):
Bay: She talks with Zarra about coming up with a design to paint her car. [her car stands out enough as it is, if you ask me!] Then, they work together on a big piece with the guys when the police show up. He lets them go because of who Bay's father is, and Zarra is upset that Bay lied about her last name. Bay later explains that she's biologically a Vasquez but was raised with the Kennish clan, which leads them to come up with Bay's new signature - BKV - for Bay Kennish Vasquez. [I actually don't think that would be too difficult to figure out.]

John: He flips out at more graffiti at the car wash, and Bay tries to explain that not all "tags" are the same. Bay decides to tell him about her involvement in street art, but that just makes him say that he feels like he doesn't know her.

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Daphne: she's supposed to bring Emmett his business cards, but when she sees Angelo on the ground with a nail in his hand (the nail gun slipped), she insists that she bring him to the hospital. [but we never see whether Emmett is upset that she doesn't make it or if it even matters.] At the emergency room, she won't acknowledge that she's his daughter, but she won't leave him and force him to take a taxi, either. He insists that she'll need to get over the fact that he left the family when she was young. [hmmmm...]

Toby: Kathryn tricks Toby into going to do a gig at the church they used to frequent. He's open to the idea until he's identified as "Guitarface," when he walks out, telling Kathryn that he's a loser because Simone slept with Emmett. [first, I'm surprised that Kathryn used that name for Toby anyway, second I think it was a bit forced to have Toby admit what happened in this moment.] Kathryn chooses to sing "Hard Times Come Again No More," and Toby does decide to join in. A girl from the youth group, Nikki, invites him to jam again.

Kathryn: She tells Angelo that she figured out his source at the hospital, and he says that the only reason he didn't come clean before was that he didn't want Regina to know. But, Kathryn tells her anyway so she's in the loop. 

Regina: She's in physical therapy for her hands, but the bigger story is that she sees Simone buying liquor from a guy on the street, so Regina offers to be her friend, but Simone's got to go back to AA meetings. [seriously, I want this AA storyline to go someplace...]

Emmett: The carwash is sponsoring a motorcycle show, where Emmett meets a deaf girl who is into motocross. [eh. I don't know if she's necessary, but okay.] 

Switched at Birth "The Declaration of Independence" (S01E27):
Bay: Kathryn and John confront Bay about her graffiti, and after she admits to doing it for two years, they tell her that she needs to start acting with integrity. [how did she get into it so young when it seems that she's just now making friends who are into the same thing?] But, when Zarra wants to catch a guy who has been tagging over their work, Bay lies about going to the movies so she can help, even borrowing Emmett's camera to take a photo of the offender. But, then she decides to come clean anyway, even telling Kathryn that she's not going to stop doing street art. [I don't completely follow why she does this.]

Daphne: She's struggling to balance work with school, but the bigger problem is with her boss. [we know she's not doing too hot in history, but her school troubles seem to be completely ignored in an episode that has a large portion taking place with her teachers present... I don't get it.] She asks Jeff to check out a competing restaurant with her and he takes her up on it, with an almost-intimate moment taking place toward the end of the night. Emmett realizes that Daphne's crush has slept with his mother, but he keeps it to himself as Bay advises him. Unfortunately, Bay admits the truth to Daphne when she realizes how serious her pseudo-sister is, and Daphne immediately confronts Emmett for not telling her. Daphne confronts Melody about the situation, and Regina intervenes to tell her daughter that Jeff is too old for her anyway. [I thought it was odd that Daphne would talk to Melody like that.] At the Carlton Open House, Daphne tries to use Travis to make Jeff jealous, but instead the chef is caught off-guard because he thought Daphne was a college student. She still pushes for things to work, though, and they kiss. [not gonna end well, guys.]

Regina & Kathryn: Kathryn tries to help Regina with her wrist situation, but between that, getting Angelo work, and taking over as a lead volunteer for Carlton's Open House, Regina feels uncomfortable.

John: After Daphne flakes on Travis after the Open House, John offers to take him to the batting cages. [I think it's really sweet how much he cares about his employee.]

Angelo: He's in Michigan doing some carpentry work for someone Kathryn knows.

Toby: He decides to go to another church social, with a little push from Bay.