Author: Zakiya N. Jamal

Zakiya N. Jamal was born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she’s a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. She has been published in Romper, BuzzFeed, People.com, Thought Catalog, and more. Her non-fiction essay about her "Cuban Impostor Syndrome" can be found in the Latinx anthology, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed. You can find her on Twitter at @ZakiyaNJamal.

Why I’m No Longer Impressed By Scandal

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in TV

Scandal has become more and more disappointing to me as this season progresses. What started as a high paced political drama about a political fixer, who actually did her job, has now turned into a melodramatic soap opera with plenty of cliff hangers that don’t have much shock value.

For the last few episodes I was able to guess what would happen (if you’re not caught up there are spoilers ahead!).

When the California governor turned out to be in love with Mellie? So obvious.

Huck and Abby being the ones to “kidnap” David rather than it being Cyrus’ hit man? Again, not really a nail biter.

It’s possible that because of my obsession with television I’ve just become great at guessing what will happen next but honestly I’m sick of hearing people continuously talk about how great Scandal is.

Is it entertaining? Sure. But it’s not greatly scripted, edited, or acted out.

For starters, the show began with Olivia Pope, being an independent force as a political fixer who made her own choices. Now Olivia doesn’t fix anything and instead the show only focuses on her “love triangle” with Fitz and Jake. It’s a little bit of stretch to call it a love triangle, however, since really it’s clear that the only thing standing in between Fitz and Olivia being together is his marriage and presidency. Otherwise they’d be in Vermont right now.

Jake is only there to keep Olivia company and keep her warm at night since she can’t be with the one she really wants. In summary, he’s her security blanket.

The storyline of this show no longer focuses on the dirty inner workings of politics and the blood thirsty, backstabbing inner workings that happen within the American government. Instead those things only come second to all the love affairs and relationships on the show.

Every episode seems to be more and more about who’s sleeping with who and less and less about who’s actually running the government.

Lastly, what was really the last straw for me was tonight’s episode in which we were promised a jaw dropping ending in the last 30 seconds. Many fans seem to be satisfied with the “shocking” ending of this episode but I am not.

First of all, the ending was a classic cliff hanger that happens in many shows. There’s a gun shot, screen goes black, and everyone’s left wondering who got shot? It’s a tired ploy to get viewers to Tweet about the show and guess who died, not a stroke of cinematic genius.

Moreover, it seems obvious to me that James is the one that got shot. For one thing, it would provide the writers with another story line because Cyrus will be furious if that is the case. Also, James’ death get’s way more players involved than David’s death. Of course Olivia’s team will care if David is dead but the whole White House will care if James is dead. Plus, then there’s the question of who’ll raise his daughter since Cyrus is really not fit to be a stay at home father and didn’t really want the baby in the first place.

I admit I could be wrong but I’d put money on it being David because that would provide the writers with the best material but honestly who got shot isn’t relevant here. What is relevant is that so called surprising and jaw dropping ending was nothing I haven’t seen done before in other shows. I was expecting much more by the way the episode was being hyped up but again found myself disappointed.

Although I do believe Scandal is an entertaining show, which is why it gets so many views and why I keep watching it, it’s not the greatest thing since sliced bread. People talk about it so much because it’s exciting. There’s sex scenes, affairs, murder, and drama. However, just because a show has these things doesn’t mean it’s Emmy worthy. It just means the writers know how to catch an audience’s attention.

I know people will disagree with my opinion so have at it in the comments. I rest my case.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: Binge Reading

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

The best feeling is discovering a book series that already has four or five books out. You don’t have to wait (im)patiently for the next one to come out, you can just grab it from the library or buy it instantly. Though this can be a great thing it also be bad. Really bad. Why, you ask? Because just as quickly as you became obsessed with Scandal you’ve become just as obsessed with the Private series. What’s worse is unlike a TV show, reading takes longer and you can’t really multi-task while you’re reading. Instead you find yourself so wrapped in your book, hours have gone by and you’ve forgotten how to eat, sleep, use the bathroom, and socialize.

In short, you’ve become a hermit.

It’s okay. Take a breather, relax. Binge reading is a fine (and fun) activity. It’s great to find yourself wrapped in a series with these characters you just can’t stop thinking about and always wanting to know what happens next. Reading is fundamental after all and unlike watching TV it won’t kill your brain cells.

It becomes bad, however, when you let your reading take over your whole life. Now you might be thinking, “That would never happen.” Yeah, sure. Here’s some signs that you might be losing it:

You freak out when the library doesn’t have the next book in the series.
You’re willing to buy the next book (or next three) no matter what the cost. “If I don’t check my bank account then it’s not real.”
Friends ask you to hang out but you say no because you JUST GOT TO THE GOOD PART.
You tell yourself you’ll go to sleep at 3 AM but then when 3 AM comes and you’re still in the middle of the chapter so you say, “I’ll just finish the chapter,” but it ended with a cliffhanger. You can’t possibly stop now, you’ll just go to sleep at 4 AM. This cycle continues until suddenly the sun is up.
When you have to eat or go to the bathroom you take the book with you.
Actually you just take the book everywhere.
People try to talk to you but you just say, “Uh huh,” or “Okay,” because really you just want them to be quiet so you can keep reading.
When you’re not reading you have to remind yourself what’s real and what happened in the book. No you do not have super powers and no you’re not in the middle of an all out war with the Capitol. Relax.

If any or all of these apply to you, you might have a problem but that’s okay because let’s be real reading too much is never really a problem right? The book series has to end eventually . . . but then you’ll find another one to read then another then another until you forget what real life is.

Here’s the deal, I love binge reading as much as the next person but just as binge watching TV can be bad for you so can binge reading. For one thing you can actually hurt your eyes by reading so much. For another you’ll start alienating yourself for the sake of a book. Don’t let your favorite character become your best friend. The day a character in a book actually starts talking to you is when you know you need to put the book down.

Rather than binge reading, take a break in between books. I give you permission to stay up however, long it takes to read one book but after you’re done give it a rest. Go for a walk, go see a movie, hang out with friends. Don’t let a fictional world become your whole life. Remember, no matter how good the book is, it’s not real and it’ll still be there when you get back.

Besides why rush a good thing? The sad truth is the series will have to come to an end eventually or worse you’ll actually catch up and find yourself waiting a year for the next one. Why put yourself through that torture? Take your time with the series. Re-read all the good parts. Let it all sink in before you jump right back in. Trust me, it won’t kill you.

Honestly, I know many of you will ignore my advice and keep binge reading anyway. If you do I wish you the best and enjoy the reading.

Sources for photos: Tumblr

Switched at Birth 3X09 Recap

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in TV

This week we were blessed with awkward moments, a couple fight, love triangle drama, and pent up aggression. All in all I think this week made up for the hot mess dance episode we were given last week.

Let’s start with Bay and Tank. Mary Beth is still not digging this relationship ever since the whole “dog fight” party thing. Though I completely understand why Mary Beth would be upset about that she shouldn’t take it out on Tank and his relationship with Bay. Tank is a good guy and she should at least give him a chance. I mean just look at how cute they are:

Even so, Mary Beth is totally not on board so when Bay and Tank come up with the “brilliant” idea to set Mary Beth up so she has to hang out with Tank, Mary Beth isn’t having it and storms out leading to her finally telling Bay the truth: Ty didn’t cheat.

Talk about a bombshell. Needless to say Bay didn’t take this very well leading her to run to her other ex, Emmett, asking for some much needed advice. After talking everything through Bay finally goes to talk to Tank who’s not at all happy that he came in third place (after her two ex’s) before she finally thought to even talk to him about it.

To be fair I can see why Tank would be angry. The chemistry between Bay and Emmett is still there (and probably always will be) so of course Tank is not going to be 100 percent comfortable with their friendship. Even so, Tank loses it, feeling like Bay will never forgive him for the “dog fight” thing and keep judging him for being in a frat.

Of course that’s when one of his frat brothers walks in talking about how he’s dating two girls and Bay says, “Maybe one day these girls are all going to get together and host their own dog fight.”

Oh dear!

Yeah not good. Bay and Tank try to cover up the slip but it’s too late. Now Tank might get blackballed by his frat and he’s pissed at Bay, not even sitting next to her in art class. Seems like this ship is going down fast. Will Bay be able to convince Tank to give them another try or will she not even try to mend the relationship at all?

Speaking of relationships, Daphne is still juggling her two guys and honestly she’s getting on my last nerve. Campbell and Jorge are friends and they’re both being really nice about it but how long is she going to string them both along? And she’s obviously enjoying the attention as she flirts with both guys.

Other than her “boy problems” Daphne is struggling with having Angelo around and him always talking about his baby.

Daphne hates it that Angelo is so in love with his new daughter, Abby, because he left when she was a kid and although she claimed to have forgiven him for it, it obviously still bothers her and rightfully so. Having your father walk out on you is not something you get over easily. Especially when you’re certain it’s because you went deaf.

After going off on Angelo because she missed her opportunity to talk to a Doctor about summer opportunities Daphne breaks down with Mama Regina and releases all her pent up anger. I think this was a great step for Daphne and although I still can’t stand her I’m glad she finally said what was bothering her and hopefully this will lead to a better relationship between her and Angelo.

Toby, or the other Kennish as I like to call him since he’s constantly overshadowed by his sisters’ drama, is missing his wife who’s still doing service in some country which is awesome but kind of cut into their honeymoon time. Also, now she wants him to join her but Toby’s not going for it. He likes his job as the field hockey coach at Carlton and after tutoring Sharee I think he may even give teaching a try. Only time will tell.

The Kennish parents are now trying to work together to keep the marriage in tact and this leads John to come up with a brilliant idea to bring adventure to Katherine’s life: group sex!

Okay, I don’t think this was John’s original plan but he did invite his friends over with the idea to get wild. It was his friends idea to have the group sex. Although at first it seems that Katherine and John are going to go for it they both decide it’s not for them.

This is when John’s friend let’s it slip that they used to do “triple plays” back in the day leaving Katherine to wonder what exactly does that mean? But not in an accusatory way. Instead she wants knowledge for her book and John begrudgingly obeys. Telling her everything she wants to know, this sharing session actually brings this closer. You go Kennishs!

Sadly, this season (or first half of the season? I really never understand the ABC Family schedule) is coming to an end. Even so, things seem to be picking up and I’m all too excited to see what happens next. Below is the promo for the next episode. Enjoy!

Book Review: Opal

Posted on March 9, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

If you haven’t noticed by now I am 100% obsessed with the Lux series. I just can’t stop. It’s a serious problem, especially for my bank account. That being said, this book was much better than the first two and I couldn’t put it down.

A lot happened in the last book so let me give you a quick recap. If you haven’t read the first two books of the Lux series (Obsidian and Onyx) then you should stop reading right now. For those of you who have reached the point I’m at, here we go:

Adam FREAKING died. Seriously, for why? I mean I get how it happened but why? I loved him and so did Dee.
Dawson is back and he’s (acting) weird.
Daemon and Katy are in love despite everything that occurred (and technically Daemon still hasn’t said it out loud).
Katy’s officially okay with killing people.
Blake left?
Will sucks and is actually evil
He might be connected to Daemon and Katy now since Daemon was forced to heal him to save Katy.

I think that about sums up all the OMG moments of the last book. Now on to this bad boy.

We jump back in right where we left off. Everyone is stressed and there’s a lot of tension as there should be since it’s getting really difficult for everyone to know who they can and cannot trust. After the whole Blake fiasco it’s evident that Katy shouldn’t trust anyone.

When the novel begins Katy’s in the dog house with Dee (and Ash and Andrew but they never really liked her to begin with). Daemon and Dee are trying to get reacquainted with their long lost brother which is proving to be difficult since all he wants to do is save his love, Beth, which is understandable since he risked everything for her in the first place. Plus, Daemon and Katy would be lying if they said they wouldn’t do the same thing if they were in his shoes.

Therefore Katy decides that they have to help Dawson get Beth back because it wouldn’t be fair if they didn’t try to help. Honestly, though how in the world were they going to do that with no leads to go on? Enter their old friend, Blake, who decided he wasn’t really the “run and get gone” type. Nope, this kid is bold. So bold that in spite of Daemon (and everyone else’s death threats) he still returns and with a plan to save Beth and his alien buddy Chris from wherever the Department of Defense is holding them.

Of course no one really trusts Blake (and with good reason) but honestly this rag tag team of aliens and hybrids don’t have a lot of options, which leads them to make a deal with the devil. Blake claims he’ll leave once he gets Chris and all will be good but it’s still risk, one Katy and Daemon (along with everyone else) are still willing to take.

Besides everyone’s life being on the line and having no one they can truly trust except each other, Daemon and Katy also grow closer, making their love stronger as they stand together against every obstacle that comes their way.

Opal has been my favorite book in the series thus far. With so much anger, sadness, distrust, sexual tension, and drama I never knew what to expect. This book kept me on my toes to the very end and I’m excited (and scared) to see what happens next.

Stars: 5 out of 5. I had my doubts about this series but I’m completely hooked now. There were so many times I was glad I was reading by myself because I found myself screaming and freaking out often.

Borrow or Buy: BUY!!! Honestly I have no money to be buying these books but I have because they’re just so good and I have to know what happens next. Definitely one to put on the shelf.

Book Review: Onyx

Posted on March 8, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

In answer to my question in my review for the first book of this series, I’m not sure if this series is going downhill or not but maybe I’ll figure it out by the end of this review. Let us begin.

First, my feelings about Katy were very up and down throughout the novel. This is the second book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Lux series and last time we left off Daemon told Katy he was going to make her fall for him and of course she said that’s ridiculous and he said:

And as we see early on, he means business. Flowering Katy with gifts and attention Katy has to force herself to not believe he has feelings for her which is ridiculous because he clearly does. However, she is in thorough denial blaming their new alien connection for his feelings. In conclusion, she’s crazy.

Needless to say when a new, human guy comes in the picture Katy is all too happy to jump on that train in hopes that she can forget all about Daemon and aliens and just be normal. Sadly, for Katy this guy, Blake, is anything but normal. Rather he might just turn out to be her worst nightmare.

Despite Katy’s annoying disbelief in her clearly budding relationship with Daemon, I still like her as a character. She can be very sassy when she wants to be and definitely doesn’t stand for Daemon’s crap which is great.

Even so, I really love Daemon. He’s so flirty, snarky, protective, and attractive and it’s heartbreaking to watch him put his heart on the line and Katy still not believe it’s real. Daemon is what really kept me reading. And Katy when she wasn’t discussing her blog so much which is ironic since I have my own blog and know exactly what she’s talking about when she says she’s going to write four book reviews in one sitting. I feel for you girl. However, I’d rather hear about your alien drama rather than all the books you read.

What’s also great about this novel is Katy get’s her own powers. For the first time she’s not completely defenseless (although she could handle her own in the first book as well). Learning how to control these powers, however, causes Katy and Daemon issues, especially since they’re keeping her powers and their new alien connection a secret from everyone, including Dee, putting a strain on their friendship.

Overall, I’d have to say that I did enjoy this novel more than the first in the series. There’s way more sexual tension between the two main characters, Dee gets some action as well, and the alien drama gets even more crazy as the Department of Defense (DOD) makes a big appearance in this novel. With so many threats, secrets, and romance around, this novel was an exciting book to read. Yes, there were still some parts that I could do without (mostly Katy’s inner monologues about her feelings about Daemon and her books) but overall this book was good enough for me to buy the third.

Stars: 4out of 5. Good but not OMG amazing.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. This one isn’t as cheap as the first one and although I’ll definitely be rereading some parts at some point, I don’t think it’s something I needed in my Kindle library.

Book Review: Obsidian

Posted on March 5, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

I am a creature of habit so when I find an author I love I read all their books until there’s no more left and I don’t stray. I’m also pretty stuck up about the books I read. Not to say I only read classics and NY Times Bestsellers but I only read novels that I deem to be “worthy”. That being said, rarely do I ever take a chance on an author I’ve never read/heard of before. But this time since it was only $2.99 on my Kindle and I was desperate to read something new I had to take a chance and I’m very glad that I did.

I don’t know where Jennifer L. Armentrout has been hiding this whole time but I am now officially hooked on her Lux series. The series focuses on Katy Swartz, a 17 year old girl, who moves to a small town in West Virginia with her mom a few years after her dad died. Both her mom and herself are looking for a fresh start and although Katy is not at all thrilled with her mom’s choice of location she attempts to take it in stride for the sake of her mom.

That is until she meets her next door neighbor, Daemon Black, who seems to hate her from the moment she meets him, and Katy has no idea why. All she knows is he’s a douche bag that she hates but is also kind of attracted to. Talk about awkward. Daemon’s sister, Dee, is his opposite however, as she quickly befriends Katy, despite her brother’s warning. The more Katy spends time with the Blacks the more she realizes that there’s something strange about the Blacks that she can’t quite put her finger on. It’s not until Daemon saves her life that she learns the truth: they’re aliens.

By saving Katy’s life Daemon leaves an alien trace on her that puts her in danger of being found by other aliens that won’t hesitate to kill her. This forces the two to spend more time together than either of them bargained for as Daemon feels obligated to protect her and get rid of the trace that also puts himself and sister in danger. This of course leads to multiple fights, a lot of sexual tension, and the learning that they may have more in common than they originally thought.

I’ll admit the beginning started pretty slow with Katy constantly talking about how much she missed writing on her blog and me thinking, “Nobody cares; get to the good stuff!” However, the novel then quickly picks up once she meets Daemon and starts hanging out with the Blacks on a more regular basis.

What makes this novel great is although it relies on the classic “girl meets guy who turns out to not be a human” trope it differs because although we all know they’re probably going to end up falling for each other it doesn’t start off that way. Katy knows she wants Daemon sexually but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dick to her and what’s great about Katy is she doesn’t stand for it, not even when she finds out the truth about him and what he could do. Armentrout produces a character that’s not afraid to say what she’s thinking and is willing to stand up for herself no matter how attractive and mysterious a guy is. That’s awesome.

Additionally, Armentrout is a saint and adds two chapters in Daemon’s point of view at the end of the book so we can know exactly what he was thinking in those moments. While you’re reading you’ll understand why this is such a God send. Daemon is such a hard character to read and always leaves us wondering, “Does he like her or not?” It’s frustrating but so fun to read as well.

I plan to read the whole series over my spring break so I’ll have many reviews to let you know whether the series get’s better or worse from here but I’ve read the first two chapters of the next book and I’m very excited to see what happens next.

Stars: 4 out 5. Though I think the novel is great over all, the beginning was too slow for me.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. It’s so cheap, why not? Plus it’s really good and you’ll definitely want to reread it at some point.

Iggy Azalea – Fancy (feat. Charli XCX) [Video Review]

Posted on March 5, 2014March 5, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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Iggy Azalea, a relatively newcomer to the Hip-Hop/Rap game, released the music video to her newest single, “Fancy” featuring another newcomer, Charli XCX, who’s most well known for featuring on Icona Pop’s song, “I Love It”.

Iggy draws from the classic 1995 film, Clueless, where Iggy plays the main character, Cher. The video is heavily focused around this theme, starting the video with the same type of opening credits and basing all the costume designs on costumes worn in the film, including Cher’s well known yellow, all-plaid outfit. However, the video still keeps it modern, including the use of iPads (where Iggy picks out her Cher-like outfit) and the use of iPhones rather than the classic flip phones used in the film.

The idea to use to Clueless as inspiration for the video is a good one since the song is focused on one being “Fancy”. Iggy makes it…

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The 10 Disney Remixes You Never Knew You Needed

Posted on March 1, 2014March 1, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

If you haven’t heard a remix of your favorite Disney song before you haven’t been looking hard enough. There are thousands of remixes to all different kinds of Disney songs and they fall in different categories from hip hop to dub step. Some of these are really catchy and some are just hilarious to listen to. Here are my top 10.

1. Circle of Life (District 78 Remix)

There are a bunch of Circle of Life remixes online. This one is my favorite.

2. Circle of Life (Dubstep Remix)

Again, I truthfully think the first one is better but I still enjoyed this one. I’ll let you choose which version you like best.

3. Circle of Life (King of Africa Mix)

Okay, this is my last Lion King one I swear. This one is also one of my faves. When the beat drops it is everything you need in a Disney remix. It’s like, “Go time!”

4. Disney Aladdin – Electro House Remix

The Electro House and Dubstep mixes are actually some of the best mixes surprisingly.

5. Spirits (Disney Remix)

Mixing in a little bit of the other Disney princesses in this Dup Step mix, this one’s a keeper (maybe not for your iTunes but possibly on a random Spotify playlist).

6. Snow White (Bollywood Remix)

This one comes straight from Disney India and it’s personally one of my faves.

7. Cinderella (Bollywood Mashup)

Totally feeling the international mixes.

8. Under the Sea – Hot Sauce Booty Mix

If the name of the mix wasn’t enough to draw you in this is a basic hip hop remix in that there’s no rap or anything and the beat is decent enough to make you bop your head.

9. Kiss the Girl (Rock Version)

I take it back. Rock versions of songs are also amazing. They killed it with this one.

10. Wishery – Pogo

Pogo has a bunch of Disney remixes that you should definitely check out. This one is my fave.

10 Successful People Who Were English Majors

Posted on February 28, 2014March 7, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog, TV

As an English major I am often asked either, “What are you going to do with that,” or, “So you want to be a teacher?” Many people either assume that if you’re studying English you plan to teach or they think you’re crazy, which is fair, considering if you look at the news lately English majors are not the most successful people and are usually ranked as the least.

Even so, I don’t appreciate when people try to make me doubt myself or my education choices. I want to be an English major and I believe in myself enough to trust that I will be able to do something profitable with what I learn. Plus, truthfully many people don’t end up doing what they thought they would be doing in college so relax.

That being said, there are bunch of people who have been successful after they studied English as an undergrad. Here’s 10, just to name a few.

1. Conan O’Brien

Many people don’t know this but before Conan O’Brien went into the show biz he attended Harvard University where he was a double major in history and English. And look at him now.

2. Barbara Walters

This boss lady who now co-hosts The View got her Bachelor of Arts in English from Sarah Lawrence College. Clearly English majors are destined to be talk show hosts. Just saying.

3. Steven Spielberg

Before he became famous (and an amazing) director Steven Spielberg got his English degree from California State University. English majors are good on screen and behind the scenes.

4. Diane Sawyer

This well-known news anchor learned how to master the English language at Wellesley College and now has been on multiple TV shows and continues to report the news in a flawless manner. Sawyer also puts her degree to good use as she writes for these shows as well.

5. Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison got her B.A. in English from Howard University and then went on to get her M.A. in English from Cornell University. It’s obvious she put both of these degrees to good use as she has written multiple best-selling and award winning novels.

6. Joan Cusack

Joan Cusack got her B.A. in English from University of Wisconsin-Madison and has since become an Academy Award nominated actress. Obviously we’re also learning how to act in our English classes. Get on our level.

7. Jodie Foster

I wasn’t kidding about those acting classes. Jodie Foster studied English at Yale University and has become a global star, acting in various memorable roles, most notably, Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (a role she won an Oscar for by the way).

8. James Franco

Not only are English majors successful but they’re also very attractive. To be fair that’s probably something we learn outside of the classroom but it’s worth noting. James Franco received his B.A. in English from UCLA. Ohhhhh kill ’em!

9. Jon Hamm

The good-looking English majors continue. Jon Hamm earned his B.A. in English from the University of Missouri and is now best known for his role as Donald Draper on the hit AMC show, Mad Men.

10. Martin Scorsee

Last but certainly not least is Academy Award winning director, Martin Scorsee. Besides his Oscar win he has been Oscar-nominated multiple times and has been nominated this year as well. Scorsee is not only a director however, but also writes screenplays and acts. Go English majors!

I say this all to say that don’t let anyone scare you away from doing what you really want. You can study whatever you want to study and then later decide to do something else. It’s your life. Live it.

Switched at Birth 3X07 Recap

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in TV

Last night, Switched at Birth had a lot of drama, dealing with some tough issues. As always there will be spoilers; you’ve been warned.

First, Daphne tries to help Sharee deal with her mom who is clearly struggling with her mental health. Daphne is finally able to convince Daphne to take her mother to see a psychologist at the clinic but they get her there under false pretenses, telling her that Sharee needs a flu shot.

Of course, Daphne and Sharee’s plan doesn’t go smoothly as the psychologist is late and Sharee’s mom quickly realizes what she’s really there for and storms out taking Sharee with her. It’s not until Daphne goes into the room to check on the doctor that she realizes that Sharee’s mom didn’t just leave but stabbed the doctor on the way out. This leaves Daphne in a difficult situation as she has to puncture a needle into the doctor’s chest to help him breath and survive.

Working through her fear Daphne is able to save the day. Sharee’s mom is of course arrested and though Daphne would love to take Sharee in, Regina let’s her know it’s not possible. Even so, Sharee’s great-aunt is coming to stay with her as they work everything out. Hopefully everything works out for Sharee and her mom will now get the help she needs.

Last night, we finally got to see some characters that were missing from the show last week. Emmett and Travis have interviews for Galludet but Travis misses his, and tells Melody it was because he was helping Mary Beth with her car so she could get to work on time (lies!). Melody quickly learns the truth at dinner when Mary Beth admits she works on campus, only a few blocks from her dorm. This leads to a fight between Melody and Travis in which Travis tells Melody she’s not his mom. Ouch!

However, later, Mary Beth makes a good point to Melody, reminding her that Travis has never lived in a household with people who love him and understand him and he probably doesn’t feel ready to leave that nest just yet. This leads Melody to tell Travis that she will help him every step of the way while he applies to and goes to school and that even when he goes away he’ll still have a home to come back to. Awwww!

Also, Melody was getting her flirt on with her ex-husband’s audiologist, Gabe, who by the end of the episode she makes plans to go on a date with. You go Melody. Get it girl!

The Kennish’s are still having their issues. Though Kathryn kicked John out of the house, he somehow still believes that she’s “overreacting” and just needs to accept their apology and move on. Silly John!

Meanwhile he’s still living in Toby’s apartment, driving Toby crazy with his messiness. Kathryn, on the other hand, is making head way on her book and doesn’t seem particularly inclined to let John back in the house anytime soon (and rightly so).

The fear of their parent’s impending divorce (maybe?) leads Bay and Toby to think of a plan to get them back together. Using trickery and lies they’re able to get Kathryn and John to an old restaurant they all used to go to as a family.

As could be expected this plan did not turn out the way the kids expected and instead leads to a fight between Kathryn and John in which Kathryn asks if they even have anything in common anymore. It’s then that she realizes she’s changed and she’s not happy with the life they’ve made for themselves anymore.

Yeah that was a serious realization for Kathryn to make and I’m glad she finally said what she was feeling. While they’re dealing with their issues Bay’s hand starts acting up and they have to take her to the doctor where it’s revealed that there’s ripped tendons in her hand and she’s going to need surgery. The doctor doesn’t guarantee that she’ll be able to do art ever again. Poor Bay.

Here’s to hoping it works out for her.

Lastly, Regina and Wes are starting their East River side project, and they have a town hall meeting where, Regina’s mom, Adriana, shows up and raises some serious questions about what this development is going to mean for East River side residents. Wes doesn’t approve of this and tells Regina to get her mother under control (say what?). Regina actually does it but Adriana accuses Wes of using her for “the color of her skin”.

After Regina thinks about this she asks Wes if this is true and he admits that it is beneficial that she’s a Latina but claims that’s not why he originally hired her. Regina says she’s going to quit but Wes makes it clear that it’ll cost her a lot to get of their contract, basically challenging her to do so. In conclusion, Wes is evil but I think we all knew that from the start.

Next week’s episode looks like it’ll have a lot less drama and instead a whole lot of dancing. Also, it looks as if this episode will have some Bank and Bemmett in it. Sounds like there’s another love triangle in the works (but let’s face it we all knew that was going to happen).

I’m excited to see exactly what this episode will entail and can’t wait to see everyone’s dancing skills (or lack thereof). Check out the preview below and let me know your thoughts.