Good Trouble Season 1 | Episode 4 “Playing the Game” Review

We’re four episodes into Good Trouble, and I’m hoping there will eventually be an episode where Callie and Mariana aren’t stressing over their jobs. This week’s episode is all about “Playing the Game” (hence the episode title) to succeed. With Callie, the game is quite literal as she and her fellow clerks have dinner at the Judge’s house. Whereas with Mariana, “playing the game” means basically accepting that her job culture sucks. Meanwhile, Alice is really struggling to find some self-respect, and Davia’s contemplating quitting teaching and moving back home.

“Inclusive and Diverse”

What do you do when the company you work for is trying to promote that it’s “inclusive and diverse”, but from personal experience, you know that it’s not? Do you stick up for yourself and your morals or do you keep your mouth shut before you blow your career? That’s what Mariana struggles with in this episode. On top of the whole Alex situation, Speckulate gets together all their “new hires” for photos and interviews to show for a new ad campaign. Mariana soon realizes that it’s more about showing how inclusive and diverse the company is by only showing the women and people of color.

However, we’ve all seen that Mariana has had a much different experience in her few weeks there. Speckulate primarily consists of a bunch of white guys. Even after some advice from Raj and Casey telling her that ruining her career won’t change things, Mariana still intends on spitting out the truth. For a second, we’re made to believe that she does, but that turns out just to be what she’s thinking. Instead, she takes the advice of her co-workers and plays along with the inclusive and diverse mumbo-jumbo.

Fit in to Succeed

I’ll say this every week until it stops being true: Alex is a jackhole. Not only is he still pronouncing Mariana’s name wrong, but he told her to join a team group chat only to hack her computer and have a text say that she has a lady boner for Raj. When Mariana says something about that being harassment, he has the nerve tell her to learn how to take a joke. As if that isn’t bad enough, he pulls Raj in by mocking him with an Indian accent (which apparently isn’t the first time). Later, Mariana asks Raj why he puts up with it, and he says that sometimes you just have to ignore it all and “fit in to succeed.” Well, that’s extremely unfortunate… and dumb.

Raj also tells Mariana that he takes her seriously. They share a bonding moment, and Mariana suggests they get drinks sans the jackholes. Later, Raj shows up at the bar, clearly thinking it’s a date, but is quickly disappointed to see Davia and Bryan there. He also, unfortunately for him, has to hear Mariana talk about how she’d climb some guy like a tree.

Dinner with the Judge

I’m sure having dinner with your boss, who’s also a judge, and his wife is a bit daunting. I’m also sure it doesn’t help when said judge comes up with a game of “Who Am I” legal edition, and whomever guesses correctly can steal a case from any of the other clerks. So, you better believe Rebecca and Ben have their eyes on Callie’s Jamal Thompson case. The game gets intense as the trio ask their questions. Once they break for desert, Wilson’s wife tells Callie the answer because she likes her and wants the game to be over, but Callie doesn’t give in to cheating.

Rebecca guesses wrong. Ben finally guesses, and it’s right, but Wilson says it’s wrong.  Later, when Callie goes back inside to get her phone, Wilson tells her that he knows his wife told her the answer, and he respects that she didn’t go for it, which is why he didn’t let Ben win.

As a side note with this whole dinner, Wilson is hiding his son out in the house. He told his clerks that his kids are studying abroad, but Callie sees his son upstairs in a window and when she goes back in to get her phone. He’s wearing an ankle monitor. She tells Ben and Rebecca that he’s there but doesn’t tell them why.

Take Care of Yourself

Poor Alice. I feel so bad for her. She’s taken on Maid of Honor for her best friend/love of her life, plus she’s trying to manage the whole Coterie. That’s a lot of weight for one person to carry, especially when no one seems to appreciate her. I mean, the least the Coterie residents can do is pitch in with some toilet paper! When coming upon a clogged toilet, Alice declares that someone else can deal with it, but once again, she does it. After some advice on self-respect and taking care of yourself from Malika, Alice holds a loft meeting stating that she will no longer be providing communal toilet paper. You go, girl! But when she goes to the bathroom and there’s no toilet paper, she breaks down in tears as her best friend asks for help with the wedding on the other side of the door. Seriously, I just want to give her a big hug. ☹

Dating a Married Man

This week we get to see a little bit of Davia’s softer side. A guy from back home, Jeff, is in town, and every time he’s in town, they hook up. However, Mariana overhears him on the phone talking about his wife. Callie tells her to stay out of it and not tell Davia because the messenger always gets shot. Mariana goes along with this until Davia mentions that she might just quit her teaching job and move back with him (Side Note: she’s also overwhelmed with her Teach for America job). That’s when Mariana tells her that he has a wife, but it’s no surprise to Davia. She even sang at their wedding, but the couple apparently isn’t happy together. Fast forward to Jeff leaving, he changes his mind and tells Davia that she should keep her job and stay in LA because he believes she can really make a difference. Yikes… that’s more like a nice way of saying I’m not leaving my wife for you. ☹

Caught in a Lie

Early in the episode, while all three clerks are at a bar after dinner with Judge Wilson, Ben asks Callie about her connection with the woman who sat beside Jamal’s mom during the hearing. Callie lies right to his face by saying she only recognized her from the protesting. You’d think that Callie would know by now that lying always comes back to bite you in the rear. Well, Ben walks Callie to her building, and after she walks in, Malika walks right past him and into the same building. You better believe Ben recognized her. Now the question is what Ben plans to do with this information. My guess? Blackmail.

Good Trouble airs Tuesdays at 8/9c on Freeform!