The Upshaws – Season 3 Episode 8 Recap & Review

Now What

Episode 8 of The Upshaws season 3 with the Upshaws sending Regina off to pursue a degree. The family is attempting to be very supportive of her, but Regina does not appear to be excited. Furthermore, she makes excuses for not going, but her family forces her to leave anyway.

Lucretia shows up at Bennie’s Garage with Frank to pay a surprise visit while Bennie pretends to work but is actually messing around. Bennie and Frank have a good time joking around. Tasha then appears with Noah and picks up Kelvin, despite Kelvin’s refusal to leave. Lucretia warns Bennie not to go to the casino while she is away, and she leaves with Frank.

Bennie and the guys from the garage go to the casino, ignoring Lucretia’s warning. Bennie meets Regina at the casino, who picked the casino over the University of Indiana. When Bennie questions her about why she didn’t attend college, she makes up random excuses. Regina also informs Bennie that she does not wish to attend grad school and leaves.

Bernard Jr is boxing at the gym when he runs into his ex-boyfriend Hector. Bernard apologizes for making him feel like he’s not enough and explains that he did so as a consequence of his own issues. Bernard also assures him that he has accepted himself and wants them to try again. He then invites Bernard out for drinks.

Lucretia and Frank are taking the kids out. Following that, Bennie and Regina return home. Bennie informs Lucretia that Regina has decided not to attend college. Regina refuses to respond properly when Lucretia questions her.

Regina shows up to her job at the clinic. Lucretia pretends to be injured and goes to the clinic with Bennie. Bennie and Lucretia consult with the doctor about Regina’s health. The doctor speculates that she may be depressed, which could have contributed to the heart attack. Bennie doesn’t believe in mental health issues, so he dismisses the theory. Following that, Lucretia instructs the doctor not to tell Regina why they were actually there.

To make Regina happy, Bennie and the entire Upshaw family organize a trivia competition with a twist at home. It appears to work at first, but when they try to question Regina about why she isn’t going to college, Regina refuses to answer and goes to her room.

Lucretia and Frank take the children away so Bennie can speak with Regina privately. While they’re out, Lucretia ends her relationship with Frank and decides to stay behind so that she can be there for Regina.

Bennie confronts Regina at home about her unwillingness to attend college. Regina initially refuses to respond, but eventually tells him that she’s been feeling extremely sad and doesn’t know why. Bennie doesn’t seem to understand the sensitivity of the issue, and he can’t come to terms with it, wanting to somehow fix it despite her telling him that he can’t. Regina feels as if she is not being understood as the argument escalates into a fight. Following that, Lucretia returns home with the children, and the subject is cut in the middle.

Bernard goes out for drinks with Hector. Hector, on the other hand, is seen performing on stage. Bernard ends up supporting Hector and, as a consequence, supposedly wins him over with his gesture.

Bennie wakes up in the morning, and Regina appears to have gone missing the night before. Lucretia enters the house and informs Bennie that Regina is staying at her house, which upsets Bennie. Tasha then shows up unannounced with Kelvin and informs Bennie that Kelvin wishes to stay at Bennie’s house.

The Episode Review

This episode presents two perspectives and does them both justice. Bennie and Regina appear to have had their feelings hurt, and they both have valid reasons to feel the way they do.

Bennie is portrayed as a man who is unfamiliar with mental health issues and wants to fix whatever is bothering Regina, whereas Regina is experiencing extreme sadness and is unable to express her feelings. The characters and their situations are written in such a way that you can empathize with both sides, which is impressive.

The Bernard and Hector situation is without a doubt the least interesting story arc. Hector appears to be unreasonable, and when Bernard was having difficulties with some issues, Hector simply abandoned him and flirted with another man right in front of him. Unfortunately, the show justifies this by portraying Bernard as being in the wrong here, which is rather disappointing given how balanced the show is in terms of showcasing viewpoints in general.

The episode ends with unresolved issues between Bennie and Regina. Furthermore, Lucretia decides to end her relationship with Frank and stay back for her sister, which is touching. Tasha brings Kelvin over to Bennie’s place, which only complicates matters further. If the show is revived for another season, it will be interesting to see how the plot develops.