Switched at Birth: If Daphne was Raised a Kennish...

Fifteen years ago, before we had the internet to suggest what might happen on the next episode of a series or spoil the season finale of a drama, this episode probably would have been great. However, with Facebook fan pages, constant advertisements, and multiple interviews surfacing over the past week, it likely came as a surprise to no one that the episode would feature an alternate reality for the characters. Had it caught viewers off-guard, it could have made a deeper impression, as opposed to the twitter comments that suggested constant complaints and "that wouldn't happen" scoffs. But, though perhaps this type of episode isn't always a great fit, it seems it was necessary in order for John to truly respect Regina. When he utters, "thank God you're here," after waking up in the hospital (likely not even knowing Regina was the one who called 911), it's clear that things are going to change around the Kennish household.

Also, check out Daphne, Toby, and Bay with their mini-mes:

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Switched at Birth "Ecce Mono" (S02E15): Though it's not obvious until the end of the episode, John envisions this entire episode, even though it's not all from his perspective. A "what if" Regina's recent prediction about the Kennishes raising both girls had come true. The differences are like night and day, so recapping will work better by character, as opposed to chronologically. But, first, how it happened: John received a call that Regina discovered the switch about six weeks earlier, when Daphne had meningitis that left her deaf. Because Regina has two drunk driving arrests, the Kennishes fight for custody of both girls, which is easy to win with Angelo MIA and Adriana is in Puerto Rico. [notably, in this alternate world, Angelo still left Regina, even though she sought to get to the bottom of the issue right away.] Custody and visitation were to be revisited when Regina became clean and sober, leaving the woman regretting ever telling anyone that she discovered that the girls were switched. So, Daphne comes to live with the Kennishes when she was three years old. Now, fast-forward to the girls being 16 or 17...

John is the Senate Majority Leader and a pushover when it comes to Daphne.

Kathryn is a romance novelist who has been sleeping with the flirty senator for seven months. John catches her when he accidentally reads her email. [I was pretty sad to learn that she strayed.]

Toby gets minimal screen time, but is seen running poker games at the car wash.

Daphne never learned ASL, denies being deaf, and wears a cochlear implant. [her complete loss of deaf culture is a shocker.] She spends a lot of time with Simone, and even skips school to shop. Her punishment is to bring Bay with her to a party, which happens to be at a fraternity house. Daphne drinks and sleeps with a college guy while Bay leaves early and covers for her sister. [though I was expecting to see another shot of Simone.] The next morning, seeing her $500 jacket ruined (which she was supposed to return) forces her to examine her life. 

Bay is the brainy one of the family, hoping to use her intelligence to graduate early and leave the family in which she doesn't feel she fits. She sees a therapist twice a week and is a quick learner, as seen when she interprets Emmett's signs quite well. When she left the party, she ran into him, and they begin hanging out to admire one another's art and photographs. [Bay's work is so different in this version!] She admits to him that she wants to learn about her birthmother, but John and Kathryn won't let her. After finding some documents, photos, and letters in the guesthouse, however, she talks to Daphne and the two decide to find out more. [the restraining order was a bit much... and a bit John!]

The girls show up at Regina's house but are greeted by Adriana, who informs them that Regina has died. [I kinda had that feeling as soon as Regina didn't come to the door immediately...] A visit to her grave reveals that she died on the girls' birthday, possibly indicating a suicide for Regina. Bay and Daphne are angry that John kept them from meeting her, and it's Daphne who returns to her grandmother for more information on "everything."

In the end, John still has a cardiac event, only this time, nobody is there to call 911. It was all a dream, though, and he wakes up in the hospital to Kathryn and Regina by his bedside.