Sam wants to make up with Gabe but he is very reticent to do so. Reggie sees some of her efforts to reunite or at least reconcile with Gabe and feels hurt.
Lionel does some sleuthing, after having a chat with Sam, and finds out that the Hancocks have supported policies just like they are advocating now. Breaking up Armstrong-Parker is right in line with their beliefs. Lionel takes that information to Silvio, bur he refuses to print it. The Independent, the school newspaper, is not constrained by the administration because they are independently funded, by the Hancocks.
Coco takes charge of the town hall meeting. She has Troy talk to the protesters. She locks him out of the building and then takes charge. She only allows people to talk who she knows will ask softball questions. She let's Lionel ask the final question, not realizing that he's got a chip on his shoulder since he found out about the Hancocks' motivations and how little their annual contribution is in comparison to Winchester's endowment fund.
The protest goes on outside as planned but there is more than one protest. There's the protest against the administration's decision to arm campus security with guns which is led by Sam. There is also a protest about drinking on campus led by Clifton, one of the football players, and another one led by Kurt, the editor-in-chief of Pastiche which doesn't seem to have a purpose. Each protest has signs and slogans
Lionel is eventually cut off by Coco who, after numerous attempts, finally get the microphone away from him. He continues to yell his points and sends a mass text message to everyone on campus with all the information he found on the Hancocks, which will run in the next edition of the Independent. Silvio confronts him but when Lionel tells him to shut the fuck up he kisses Lionel.
Troy realizes he should be inside, standing up to his father. He finds the door locked. He grabs a shovel and breaks the glass door. Campus security arrests him immediately. The dean comes out just in time to see Troy hauled away. He is heartbroken. Sam isn't as concerned.
The night ends with most of the residents of Armstrong-Parker sitting down to watch Defamation. Reggie is sitting with Joelle. Lionel is with Silvio. Sam is sitting with Coco.
Thoughts
This episode did not live up to my hopes for it. It feels like a middle chapter not a final one. This isn't the final episode of the show but it is the end of the season. It isn't awful but it just feels okay.
Something rubs me the wrong way about Silvio kissing Lionel. Isn't he Lionel's boss? Granted, the job probably doesn't pay much, if anything, but still it seems wrong for that reason. I can understand why Silvio might be turned on by Lionel's stand.
I wasn't too surprised by what Coco did to Troy but I am left wondering how much of it she planned in advance and what sort of an endgame, if any, she had in mind. Where does all this get her?
Watching this one a second time helped but it didn't seem much better than it did the first time I watched it. There's just a little too much left unresolved to satisfy me. It did become clear that this episode is about Lionel and Troy taking a stand. Troy doesn't get very far but he does get noticed. Lionel has a much bigger impact.
I'm not sure what to expect from the second season of the show. I'm interested to see what it's about or at least how it kick off but I'm not dying to see it.
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