RECAP Part 3, Episodes 4 & 5: the past begins to catch up with them*** Mia and Elena Showdown. Elena now knows Mia is involved in helping Bebe and she takes the gloves off. Mia doesn’t back down, and we get two rounds of the battle royale between these powerful matriarchs. It culminates with one of the best lines in the show, when Mia tells Elena: “You didn’t make good choices, you had good choices.” And everyone is delusional. (1:11) *** The Pearl-Moody-Trip love triangle gives us whiplash. First Trip teaches Moody how to escape the “friends’ zone” with Pearl by telling him to “stop, drop and roll.” But then Pearl pursues Trip and we were not happy with Trip blaming Pearl for his inability to complete the act. So low! Turns out Trip realizes he cares about Pearl and all that got in his head. Did Moody lose Pearl to Trip or was it really to Lexi? Or was it messed up that Trip went after his brother’s crush? (11:28) *** Elena’s backstory has her unraveling and us freaking out. It starts with a young Elena in Paris in 1976 -- we meet her ex-boyfriend, Jamie, and the path not taken. When Elena reaches out to Jamie, now a reporter at the New York Times, for help in her investigation of Mia’s past, it leads to dinner and way more than 4 ounces of alcohol! The showdown between these two leaves us with so many unanswered questions since it’s clear this isn’t the first time they have crossed paths since they broke up in college. (26:17)*** Carinn brings out her crystal ball imagination on the Jamie Elena saga. Is Izzy his child? The rationale behind this theory is highlighted in a few lines that might have gone by unnoticed. (42:40)*** The adoption battle heats up. The book was very even-handed between Bebe and Linda, but we have a different reaction seeing it on screen -- there are certainly more shades of grey. (50:47) *** Mia’s backstory seeps through. We question why Mia has been sitting on a piece of art worth $400,000 and one with significant nostalgic value that she is so willing to discard for Bebe. We speculate about Mia and Pauline’s past and where the TV adaptation is going to take this back story. (56:04) *** Lexi's abortion. We wonder why Lexi couldn’t confide in Brian or one of her other friends, but instead selfishly uses Pearl as it suits her. None of this is helping our views about Lexi. The scene where Mia calls her out is intense! (64:00)*** Izzy Had Her Moments. We feel for Izzy as she starts to lose her connection with Mia and then desperately tries to get back in her good graces with an apology collage that ends up in flames. And that is not the only fire reference burning things up. (69:47) *** The 90s references are still on point. The clothes, the music, the Halloween costumes...it is all sooo good. (75:02)Stay Complicated!Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @popfictionwomen and on Twitter @pop_women. To do a full deep dive, check out our website at www.popfictionwomen.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.