"Game Day" certainly lives up to its title as the episode that really throws a curveball at the audience with several pivotal moments. However, it’s clear the writers could have done a better job building up the Slammed case throughout the season, as it feels like it’s suddenly the focal point after only a few mentions in earlier episodes. It leaves viewers with a sense of “wait, we’ve been building up to this?” without enough of a buildup to really feel the weight of this pivotal case.
Maddy’s sister, with her incessant baking and classic Southern charm, is still a lot to handle. While it’s understandable that she would get under Maddy’s skin, the tension between the two seems to take up more screen time than necessary, especially when there’s a high-stakes case in play. That being said, the dynamic between the two is surprisingly heartwarming when Maddy finally finds the time to bury the hatchet after Ellie learns her secret. It’s a nice moment of personal growth, and I appreciated how the show handled it, though I do think it we could've explained their dynamic in an offshoot line about how Maddy gets a lot of her stories from her sister.
Then there’s Olympia. She’s clearly the driving force of this episode, and while the court drama surrounding the class action against Slammed is a solid plotline, it feels a bit rushed. The case itself hinges on the testimony of a sorority girl who, while an interesting character, doesn’t offer enough to keep the stakes high. The moment when Olympia’s case seems to be a lost cause is heart-stopping, and the $400,000 settlement feels like a betrayal of what this case was supposed to mean, both for her and for Maddy. No job promotion? If Julian wins it will feel so unearned as we never see him in Court on his own. The show’s attempt at a “swing for the fences” moment with this potential settlement felt flat because of how underdeveloped the case had been until that point.
The real tension, though, lies in the revelations about Julian’s and Olympias (imagined) movements. The discovery that Olympia was possibly using Julian’s key card all along is a huge blow, not just to Maddy as a colleague but also to the friendship she thought she had with Olympia. It leaves Maddy in a precarious position, and I'm eager to see how this affects her next steps. While it’s a fantastic twist, it also feels a bit too sudden and discombobulated, as the show hasn’t laid enough groundwork for Maddy to have truly suspected this up until now and the back and forth of whodunit is kindly wearing a tad thin.
On the positive side, Sarah confronting Billy about his relationship with Simone is another lighthearted moment, as is the back-and-forth between them and their respective partners. There’s a lot of personal drama that gives a much-needed layer to the legal theatrics, and I enjoyed seeing these character relationships evolve.
All in all, “Game Day” is a solid episode that makes several bold moves but also suffers from some rushed narrative decisions. I definitely felt the episode was a game changer in many ways, especially with the personal revelations and the shocking twists. It’s one of those episodes that leaves you questioning everything and eager to see how these developments will play out, but the pacing and buildup could have been tighter, especially when dealing with a case that’s been so underdeveloped.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
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