The Upshaws – Season 3 Episode 3 Recap & Review

Treading Water

Episode 3 of The Upshaws season 3 begins with Bennie and Lucretia going to City County to file paperwork so that the city can cover the damage caused by the water main break. While in the queue, the woman who is in charge keeps directing them elsewhere and doesn’t help them file their paperwork.

Regina is frantically going on job interviews. During an interview, she manages to impress the employer with her qualifications, pop music knowledge, and trivia expertise. The employer gets so impressed by her that she practically hires her while she’s in the middle of the interview.

Bennie and Lucretia arrive home. Regina walks in while she’s on the phone. Regina is devastated to learn that her employer did not hire her. Lucretia informs Bennie that he, too, must look for work because their garage is temporarily closed due to flooding.

Bennie returns home and informs Regina that he will start working at Lexus the following day. Regina is hurt internally because Bennie got a job after one interview and she hasn’t gotten a job despite giving many interviews.

Aaliyah visits Savannah’s house and gives her notes that Savannah missed, hoping Savannah will forgive her. Savannah, on the other hand, appears to be genuinely hurt and angry by Aaliyah’s actions and is unwilling to forgive or entertain her.

Bennie’s new job is rewarding him for his efforts. Furthermore, he has been granted privileges such as relaxing time, snacks, indoor games, and even use of a massaging chair, which makes Bennie quite satisfied.

Regina has been studying for the trivia at home to distract herself from the fact that she is constantly being rejected at interviews. Aaliyah is desperate for a friend, so much so that she starts pestering her sister Maya and refers to her as “friend” all the time. Maya has been hiding in a cabinet to avoid Aaliyah because she is emotionally needy and obnoxious. Furthermore, she escapes when she has the opportunity. Bernard Jr returns home and speaks with Regina. Furthermore, he confronts his mother about her being fixated on trivia.

When Lucretia and Bennie arrive at their garage, they discover that everything has been destroyed by the flooding. They continue their usual banter until they run into Tony, who is attending a prayer service held in the garage by Duck. They speak with Duck and advise him to take his business elsewhere. Furthermore, Bennie reconsiders working at the garage and informs Lucretia of his decision. He is reconsidering working at the garage because his job at Lexus provides him with much-needed relaxation and peace.

Aaliyah is bothering Bernard Jr at home by being overly clingy. Bernard Jr has a conversation with Benny thereafter and he appreciates Bennie about him running his own business at the garage. Bennie reconsiders his decision to work at Lexus after listening to Bernard.

Regina’s usual partner cancels on her at trivia night, so she calls Lucretia to join her because she needs a partner to participate in the quiz. Lucretia is uninterested in the quiz and is only interested in drinks and food. Regina and Lucretia finish second to last in the quiz, and Regina undergoes a mental breakdown as a consequence of not winning the trivia and, more importantly, not getting a job. Lucretia eventually calms her down, which makes her feel better.

Bennie is made to feel like he’s just an employee at Lexus, with no say in any decisions, and he can’t put up with it after running his own garage. Bennie then goes over to the garage and decides to work for himself rather than Lexus. He decides to work at Lexus only until his garage is repaired. Duck informs Bennie that he is leaving his job at the garage to join a seminary.

Regina runs into the employer who previously passed her over for a job despite liking her. The employer informs Regina that, while she liked her, she did not hire her because Regina’s previous employer (Sheila) informed them about Regina’s bad behavior when they inquired. Regina is also advised by her to update her references.

The Episode Review

The episode focuses on the Upshaws’ unemployment and job search, as well as Bennie’s confusion about continuing to work at the garage. We also get a glimpse of Regina’s character, who has a lot of depth despite the fact that the show is a sitcom. We see her as a grey character, and this episode in particular highlights her flaws, such as her tendency to displace her frustration about not getting a job on quiz night.

The episode concludes on a dramatic note, with Regina having a mental breakdown after not winning the trivia and then discovering why she hasn’t been able to find work. The show has kept us entertained up to this point, and it will be interesting to see what happens next.