Do we ever get over past lovers?
It’s a sentiment that lingered in the closing moments of Good Trouble Season 3 Episode 14 as Callie, Jamie, Alice, Davia, and Dennis all had a wistful air about them.
The hour saw the return of Jamie in some intriguing court case fun, Dennis discovering a new passion, Alice taking another stand, and Gael and Isabella figuring out their co-parenting situation.
It isn’t lost that an hour that ushered in the return of Jamie and exposed potential lingering feelings he and Callie have for one another also saw Gael and Isabella bonding with each other on a deeper level.
The friendship between Gael and Isabella is refreshing. They’re learning how to be friends since they barely knew each other before their dalliance, and now they’re figuring out parenthood ahead of the birth of their child.
It’s a process where they’re getting to know one another as they embark on this new journey together, and Gael, in particular, has to balance this out with the life he had before.
The scenario is unexpected, but so are some of the developments that have come from it, and it’s been nothing short of intriguing. The two of them have a lot to figure out, and they’re in this unusual space where Isabella doesn’t know how to navigate Gael and the Coterie, nor is she aware of how involved Gael wants to be.
It’s like she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Gael to bail on her or something, and even though he’s nice and supportive now, she’s cautious and walking on eggshells. It’s like she doesn’t know if she’ll be doing this alone.
All Gael and Isabella require is strong communication. So far, they’ve done well with this, exceeding expectations and better than most damn near twice their age. They’re exuding a maturity that has displayed how healthy their bond is and how things can be.
Gael: What about deep-sea whales and stingrays?
Isabella: OK, sounds like someone wants a boy.
Gael: No, not at all. I’m just thinking of something that’s not gendered. My sister Jazmin is trans, and she kinda had a tough time growing up.
Isabella: I never thought about that.
Gael: Yeah, no one does. We’re socialized to think pink for girls and blue for boys, but what if we let our kid pick? You know? When they’re old enough we let them decide if they want mermaids or monster trucks or both.
Isabella: I think that sounds perfect.
But, and maybe I’m reading too much into it, their relationship has a distinctive tone implying there’s a potential for more between them. It’s something comfortable and natural about the two — as if there’s a door there that is always open if things with Callie don’t work out or Gael chooses to go the more traditional route in the end.
Gael is going to be an incredible dad. He’s nurturing, kind, and considerate. He has a gentle, calming demeanor, and while you sense how overwhelming this situation is for him, never once do you doubt his intentions or his love for a child that isn’t even here yet.
He seemed thrilled in that way that one gets when it hits them that this is really happening when he found out the baby’s sex. But Good Trouble doesn’t waste its chances for inclusivity and conversations that you don’t typically see casually explored on television just for the sake of acknowledging it.
Gael and Isabella’s discussion about mural painting was so wonderfully subtle in what it was approaching. Isabella would bring up more gendered themes without even thinking about it because it’s what society has conditioned us to do, and Gael would steer towards more gender-inclusive themes without batting an eye.
It gave Gael the chance to speak to Isabella about Jazmin and how difficult things were for her growing up. Gael’s experience with a trans sister leads to things regarding his future parenting style, the values he’d like to pass on, and how he’d like to mold his child.
Isabella was nothing but earnest and open to this, and these are the types of things that will be interesting between the two.
They each bring different experiences, values, cultures, and more, and there are moments like this where it’s insightful and positive. But there will also be moments when they’ll undoubtedly clash on something and have to work through that.
Gael and Isabella are going to grow together, and while it couldn’t be healthier at the moment, it does make you wonder if all of this will catch up to Callie at some point.
Will she reach a point where she feels displaced? And how do you process it when it involves a child. She can’t compete with that because it isn’t a competition in the first place.
But working on the trial and facing Jamie seemed to have Callie pondering about him, her feelings for him, and maybe what it would be like if she weren’t in this with Gael.
It’s natural to think of what might have been, and that’s the tone Callie had during those final moments. And I might add the camera work and blue filter of that scene were as great as the fun mosaic layout at the top of the hour.
As a behavioral analyst nerd, the jury selection portion of the hour was quite fun. Jury selection is a strategic process based on observations, and it was fun watching Kathleen and Associates and Jamie and the DA spar with each other.
Tony: Oh, I’d watch my back if I were you.
Callie: Oh, is someone out to get me?
Tony: Prosecution. Second chair. Nicolette.
Callie: Over the case?
Tony: don’t be naive, if I’m reading things right and I usually do, she’s into Jamie.
Callie: Well she has nothing to worry about. I’m seeing someone, and it’s serious.
Tony: That was fast. Does he know that you’re still in love with your ex?
It was like a well-crafted chess game; the sequences were entertaining and had a similar flair as The Good Fight.
It’s a reason there are whole task units devoted to studying juries and figuring out how to pick the right one.
Jamie’s ascent to second-chair of this trial was largely due to his connection to Callie, so it was odd that she and the others never considered that Jamie’s job would be watching her intently to figure their moves.
They both can call out each other’s tells, and Jamie’s gut was right about Callie angling for the Marine over the Asian juror. It’s too bad for him that his boss and Nicolette didn’t trust him on it.
But now they do, and after the flirty, fun exchanges he and Callie shared, reaching a point post-breakup where they don’t harbor ill feelings, Jamie doesn’t appear to want the responsibility of reading Callie for the case.
He probably feels like he’s exploiting their relationship, and it’s not in his nature to do anything of the sort. But Callie and Jamie’s sparring is what made Jamie’s job at the DA exciting in the first place.
Tony is an amusing one, and you can’t knock the guy for calling Callie out on her feelings for Jamie. He has also picked up that Nicolette likes Jamie and views Callie as competition.
The trial is going to be interesting on many levels. Even with Tommy, it’s a bit of intrigue. The jealousy streak of Katie was notable when she was eyeballing Callie for her handling of Tommy. She’s growing more suspicious by the second.
Things were a bit more laid back at the office, and Mariana and Rowan’s bonding was rather endearing. Of the two guys, Rowan is the least developed and tends to be underused.
All we’ve known about him is that he’s fashionable. Sticking him with Mariana helped improve his character, and the two of them had an endearing rapport.
They’re both great at what they do and could give each other the support and high praise they deserve for their contributions. They also connected a bit over what it feels like to deal with workplace issues.
Rowan often gets annoyed that he falls to the background, and Tony gets all of the breaks.
Alice’s chronicles at her works are some of the most frustrating only because of how much it sucks that Scott is still there.
How much does she have to prove herself? It’s the worst!
Scott has taken one day at a workshop, and now he’s over-policing comedy and the undertones of it. Predictably, he’s mistaking everything that’s racial/cultural as racist/bigoted.
This group of diverse students should have the space to talk about their identities and cultures as it affects their life without Scott writing everything off as problematic.
He had no reason to throw out Alice’s routine about her mother and divorce. It felt as if Scott harbored ill will toward Alice because of her role in Scott getting held accountable for his ways.
My heart hurt for Alice when she didn’t have someone to work with, and it’s annoying that Alice stood up for everyone, and she still gets crappy treatment sometimes.
But Sumi was back, and she was there to encourage and inspire Alice.
It’s incredible what distance can do. Sumi’s return only served as a reminder of how captivating her chemistry is with Alice. Every second they spent together, the nostalgia of their romance hit hard. They get each other, and when Sumi isn’t self-absorbed, she’s a solid best friend.
It was easy to forget that she’s still dating Lindsay and Alice is involved with Ruby. When she and Sumi shared the screen, it was like everything else melted away.
Their routine to discourage guys with fetishes from hitting on them was funny, and much like the intended nostalgia the hour served up, I miss the idea of them together.
Sumi and Alice are best friends, and that reminder was a breath of fresh air.
But the same applies to Dennis and Davia. Dennis loves her, obviously, but she’s also his person.
It was natural that he overheard her and Matt bonding, and he longed for the moments when he and Davia had shared interest, and he went as far as paying to play at Schmitty’s to spend time with her.
Things are a bit awkward for them as they both love each other, and Dennis is trying to prove that he can handle a relationship with her. But more than anything, he wants his best friend back.
Their antics at Schmitty’s were funny, but I loved that Davia helped Dennis realize he could do something with one of his passions.
He’s always been the Den Dad who made family-style dinners for everyone and created this environment where the whole Coterie comes together as one. And he genuinely seemed to enjoy it.
Dennis: I just wish I knew what I loved to do anymore.
Davia: Well, you love cooking.
Dennis: I love you.
A food truck is perfect for Dennis. Cooking is a passion of his and a labor of love. Dennis getting back out there and interacting with others beyond the Coterie is a huge step forward for him.
He’s starting to piece his life back together again, and I couldn’t be prouder of him for that.
And his and Davia’s slow path back to one another on a romantic level is every bit as intoxicating as their initial slow-burn.
Davia and Matt are such an endearing pairing as well. I appreciate that Davia has space to explore both of these relationships with these two great guys who genuinely care about her.
Over to you, Good Trouble Fanatics. Do you think there are still feelings there between Jamie and Callie and Sumi and Alice? Hit the comments below!
You can watch Good Trouble online here via TV Fanatic.
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
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