Switched at Birth: A Retreat, A Car Accident, An Interview

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I can't blame Bay for not wanting to tell Melody, John, or Kathryn that she was having trouble at school. I was a bit surprised that Emmett spilled the beans, though. Of course, he just wants Bay to be happy, so I can kinda see what he was doing. Speaking of Bay at Carlton, however, I'm surprised that we haven't seen Toby get asked at Buckner where his sister is... she left rather abruptly. On a different note, I am baffled at how Melody managed to pull together the retreat so quickly. I've been on a couple planning committees for them and there's a lot of work that goes into finding the right balance of activities to fit the group and your goals! Plus, I'm a bit stunned that the writers are using her to be EveryWoman at the school - she is the guidance counselor, teaches Deaf Studies, and coaches basketball. She also spearheads several other programs and fundraisers... I know that some teachers are very involved, but this is bordering unbelievable.

Switched at Birth "Duel of Two Women" (S02E03): Regina tells Adriana and Daphne about Angelo's upcoming baby with Lana, upsetting them both, though Daphne is angrier that Bay didn't share the news. To forget about it, Daphne suggests that she and Regina go for a spa weekend. [I'm not sure how I think that would go...]

Bay's locker has been tagged "HEARIE B!TCH" so she takes a marker to it and changes it into a picture. Melody catches her and she doesn't want to be a rat, but the end result is Melody scheduling a mandatory Tolerance Retreat that weekend. On the list are all of the hearing kids, the bullying deaf kids, and the strong deaf leaders, like Daphne and Emmett. This ruins Daphne's spa weekend and she's angry with Bay. But, Daphne does invite Regina to drive up for the retreat after her doctor's appointment. When she arrives, however, it's with bad news - many specialists have now told her that she's beginning to develop osteonecrosis in her wrists, which will never get better. She's heartbroken to tell Daphne and Melody that she can't go back to signing, painting, and cutting hair. [wow. I was wondering why the show kept depicting Regina with wrist problems, but geez!] Daphne is upset but Melody thinks she's faking it. This lead Regina think of a new career, like phlebotomy. [or maybe she and Kathryn will get into something together?]

Noah, one of the hearing kids, has Meniere's disease, and may eventually go deaf, explaining his presence at Carlton. He struggles with balance and has already lost some of his hearing, but doesn't like to talk about it. He tells Bay, who helps him feel better by giving her backstory. [I love that there are apparently still people in Kansas City who don't know her highly publicized story!] In light of this, Bay keeps an eye on Noah throughout the retreat, threatening Emmett, who is hoping to reconnect. [that boy is so adorable but needs to give up.]

The first activity for the retreat is a team-building exercise that has five people on a team who have to recreate an object under a tarp. One person can look, two people act it out, and the other two people go back and forth. Bay, Noah, Daphne, Emmett, and Natalie are a group, but Noah's slow signing annoys Natalie right away. [well, the competitive factor didn't help!] Melody's next task is for the students to make lists of what they think they know about their partners - Bay gets Natalie, Noah gets Matthew. Natalie won't participate, so Bay says that Natalie is a bully, which gets her up to fight, calling Bay a poser. [hahaha!] When told to be positive, Bay says that Natalie is proud, tough, honest she says Bay is passionate, strong, honest. [I would have liked to see some of the other partners share as well. Was Natalie the only one who didn't want to play?] Back at school, Bay and Natalie call a truce, but her relationship with Emmett just gets worse - he thought that her going to Carlton had a lot to do with him and he can't handle being just friends because of the pain. [awww.]

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Now, the rest of the family... when Toby's car is in the shop, he runs into Lana and gives her a ride. However, he's distracted by her Braxton-Hicks contractions and rear-ends someone. They exchange insurance cards and Toby drives Lana to the hospital. Her family lives in Boston and doesn't know she's pregnant, so she has nobody to call. [reminds me a little of Dr. Chen on ER.] An ultrasound confirms that the baby is fine, and Toby is the first to learn that Lana will be placing the baby up for adoption. Toby suggests that, because the baby will be Bay's half-sister, she might be worth meeting. [WHOA. it did NOT occur to me that Bay would be related to the baby. I'm slow sometimes.]

John doesn't want to memorize talking points, hoping to focus on education and immigration, but he's told not to do that until after he's elected. [... and this storyline is starting to slide downhill...] He's told to be pro-middle-class and anti-big-government, and Kathryn is told to stay out of it, primarily being asked about her cooking. She tries to mention a few of John's beliefs, but when they're quickly spun in a negative light, John asks Kathryn not to talk politics anymore. [awww. I thought she was going to have a major role in that?]