As Eva Begins to Suspect Leslie, Martin Makes a Major Announcement About His Future

We open in Nicole’s office, where she’s surprised to see that Eva is already hard at work in her new position. Then comes Nicole’s turn to do the surprising: “We need to discuss the elephant in the room,” she tells Eva. “And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

No, Nicole isn’t referring to Eva secretly being Ted’s daughter. She’s talking about Dani pulling a gun on Bill and Hayley at their #ShotgunWedding, footage of which has since gone viral online. Eva says it “must be nice” to be part of a family that rallies together when one of their own is in a crisis.

And speaking of one of their own, Kat walks in on Eva while she’s rifling through Nicole’s desk. “Who the hell are you?” she asks. And the cold shoulder only gets icier from there. When Eva mentions that she knows Mona, Kat points out that Eva only got the job because of her connections. “It sure wasn’t your personal style,” Kat says, drawing attention to Eva’s boots (which seem perfectly fine to us, but OK).

Kat’s stank attitude continues. “You run my mother’s schedule, not mine,” she tells Eva. “Do not concern yourself with what I’m doing or where I’m going. Also, my dad is overseeing Laura’s care. She’ll be back on her feet soon enough, so don’t get comfortable.”

“This went south real fast — let’s start over,” Eva says, but Kat refuses. “No need,” she replies. “This is a short-term assignment. Maybe even shorter than you think.” (Look, the audience knows that Eva is up to something, but Kat has no proof. So why is she being so mean? Is she just… not a good person?)

Jacob Hits a ‘Dead End’

At the diner, Mona and Leslie are discussing the Laura situation with Ashley’s mom. Mona theorizes that with all the security footage available near the site of the “accident,” the police are bound to crack the case sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, as Jacob relays to Ted, the security footage is basically useless. “I hate to say it, but we’ve hit a dead end,” Jacob says, all while Eva listens in from the other side of the door.

Jacob later meets his father at the diner, where they discuss the “damn-near useless” footage from Laura’s car crash. Jacob also says he regrets not acting faster when Dani pulled her gun at Bill and Hayley’s wedding. He feels like he failed as a police officer.

His father tries to ease his guilt, telling him that there’s “more than one kind of duty.” He’s not just a cop, he’s also a family man, and he think like one. “It all worked out fine,” he tells Jacob. “Take a page from The Beatles, son — let it be.”

Eva Questions Leslie

Fresh off her tense talk with Kat, Eva soon finds herself talking face-to-face with another Richardson… Ted, aka her biological father. (Just don’t tell him that!) Recalling their brief meeting with Leslie, Eva is seething. “That man thinks he’s God’s gift to Black women everywhere,” Eva says, calling him faker than knock-off Gucci.”

Eva admits that she was tempted to expose Ted right then and there, but Leslie appreciates her patience. “Soon enough, baby girl,” Leslie tells her. “Our day is just around the corner.”

That’s when Eva begins to put the pieces together. She knows that Leslie has a history of riding motorcycles, and she knows that she’s benefitting from Laura being in the hospital, so she asks Leslie point black: Did you do it?

Leslie can’t believe Eva would even think such a thing, asking her daughter if she’s getting cold feet. “You don’t have to go through with this,” Leslie says, but Eva is all in. “After all these years, Ted Richardson will finally get what he deserves.”

Vanessa and Doug Gamble With Their Marriage

At the country club, Vanessa is fawning — nay, drooling — over her personal trainer Diego, but that horny smile immediately leaves her face when she sees her husband Doug arrive.

Over breakfast, Doug apologizes for working so much lately, noting that he knows she feels “neglected.” She initially suggests that he hand off some of his patients along to other doctors at his practice, but then she accepts the facts. “I guess cardiac surgeons will always be in high-demand,” she says. “Your patients are lucky to have you. I am, too.”

Diego interrupts the couple’s awkward breakfast with a question for Vanessa. His “cousin” is interested in one of her listings, and he’d like Diego to look at it before he comes to town. An excuse for Diego and Vanessa to be alone in an empty house? How convenient!

Of course, Vanessa isn’t the only one keeping a secret in this relationship. While she’s chatting up (and later making out with) Diego, she’s blissfully unaware that Doug is thinking about his true passion — gambling. And we do mean blissfully unaware. She doesn’t even think anything of it when he literally drops a poker chip on the table.

The only catch about Doug’s gambling problem? He’s a terrible gambler! We see him at a casino, where he’s told he can’t borrow any more money until his tab is paid off, so he places a sketchy phone call to his buddy Randy, who works for the owner of this fine gambling establishment.

“Doug, do I look like your fairy godmother?” Randy says when he arrives. “You and me go back to the sandbox, and you know I would take a bullet for you, but I won’t help you dig your own grave.” Randy suggests he go to Vanessa, whose family is loaded, but he’s too prideful for such things.

While Smitty Feels ‘Lost,’ Martin Feels Presidential

The Richardsons are also at the country club, meeting to catch up over breakfast. Kat vents her concerns about Eva to Nicole, suggesting that they could have another Hayley on their hands. She’s not wrong, but Nicole doesn’t know that, so she tells her bratty offspring to zip her lip and be respectful. (Good luck with that.)

Like a dog with a bone, Kat won’t let the Eva thing go, suggesting that Nicole has a blindspot. “I have a sixth sense about these things,” Kat says. “And that girl is sus. You’re going to regret bringing her into our lives.”

Nicole later chats with her “favorite” (aka only) son-in-law Smitty, who explains that he’s feeling “lost” now that his and Martin’s teenagers are becoming more independent. He brushes off her suggestion of joining Martin’s political team, adding that he’s been putting out feelers to see if he could go back into reporting professionally. He hasn’t told Martin yet, but it turns out there’s no need, because his hubby is eavesdropping on the conversation from the other side of the room.

And Smitty isn’t the only one with big career plans. Joining his mother at the table, Martin reveals, “I’m considering running for president.”