This review contains spoilers for S3E13 Our Little Island Girl.
Wow! This episode delved deep into the life of Bethany Clark. Beth Pearson grew up Bethany Clark, daughter of a mother who was a strict educator and a Jamaican father who was a policeman. I so wondered throughout the episode if the writers pulled aspects of the story line from Susan Kelechi Watson’s real life, the actress who plays Beth Pearson, who is of Jamaican heritage.
Anyone who is a fan of the show knows that Beth seems to have lost some her zest since she has been laid off. Beth visits her mother (Carol Clark played by the legendary Phylicia Rashad) in Washington DC, reliving some of her childhood memories. In the process she identifies the source of some of her pain and the feeling of being lost that has been apparent over the past few months.
(Susan Kelechi Watson, Phylicia Rashad, and Melanie Liburd)
Courtesy of NBC
Beth grew up with dreams of being a professional ballerina. Her parents supported her in this dream, her mother sewed her costumes, while her father worked overtime to pay for her dance lessons. By the time her senior year of high school rolled around Beth’s future was unclear. She didn’t get the solo in Swan Lake she had worked years for and her father had passed away from lung cancer. Alone, and unsure of whether her baby girl would make it in the professional world of dance, Carol tells Beth she has to quit dance and is going to college. Beth abandons her dreams.
(Rachel Hilson)
Courtesy of NBC
“He was literally feeding me one forkful at a time because I wouldn’t stop to pick up a fork.”
That is commitment. Carol opens up to let her know how focused she was about her own education but her father is the one who brought balance to her life. She admitted she wasn’t sure if it was the right move to take dance away from Beth.
This episode was a really great one. It is always great to learn more about the characters in this show. Every one of them are becoming well rounded. This episode definitely gave us more insight into Beth and probably some of her current behaviors and fears. The visit back home allows Beth to confront her past and present. In the end it was touching to see Beth express herself through dance once again, and we find out what’s next. Beth wants to teach!
(Susan Kelechi Watson)
Courtesy of NBC
Some episodes back we see a flash-forward to a time where Beth seems to have her own dance studio, but she and Randall appear to be separated. This episode begins to bring the story full circle. Regardless of the flash-forward I hope there is still a future for Randall and Beth.