As a big fan of Robert Buckley, allow me to say that I do not like Evan Kincaid. At least not yet, anyway.
He made his first appearance on Chesapeake Shores Season 5 Episode 3, and the billionaire shtick was worn out after about two sentences.
The other big development of the hour was Connor’s courtroom assignment and discovering that the family nemesis is a client.
Let’s work our way up to the big stuff.
We finally saw Sarah again. Why is her story so thin when she’s Kevin’s wife now? They are not featured often enough. Jessica Sipos is a treasure, and Sarah deserves to be incorporated into the storyline.
Other than referencing the wedding and Megan’s centerpiece work, there was nothing from Jess and David. They’ve got work to do with the newly opened inn and wedding plans.
Bree is getting ready to begin her new position, so touching base with her was nice. As someone who has been an amalgamation in someone’s book, Jerry was spot on knowing that the villain in her book was based on him.
Their friendship has potential, and with Luke in the picture, well, you know. Luke’s got a big story that we’ll cover in a bit.
Hopefully, we’ll also get to see Bree in the classroom to see if she can infect her students with her enthusiasm for writing.
While it’s impossible to do every character justice, some get deeper, longer-lasting arcs than others, and it would be great to give more to the whole ensemble. They’re all so worthy of exploration. Maybe it’s because the family is so big that it feels stretched at times.
Megan dipped her toes back into the art world with a little personal curation. Scoring an eight-dollar painting that’s likely to be from a well-respected artist with relatively few authenticated pieces is quite a find.
She dig really deep to authenticate it, though, and even though it ended with a door slammed in her face, she got it done. I feel for the guy. Unless I’m misreading things, it’s not surprising that he’s a little bitter.
His paintings are selling for eight dollars. If he was an artist of some repute in the ’60s, something must have happened to make him stop painting in the ’70s. Still, for your work to be selling in thrift shops would sting a little.
No doubt, Megan will get to the bottom of it, and I hope she gets to help him find himself in the art world again. She shouldn’t lose sight of her passion.
Even though things with the construction business aren’t going great, Mick still has The Bridge to stay afloat. Somehow, we’re to believe that Trace left the place in some disrepair as it’s already got electrical issues under Mick’s watch.
At least he has someone on hand to help out now, but dang, Luke is a little sensitive.
What Luke experienced is a tragedy. That’s the kind of thing that shouldn’t happen, but it does.
There’s a new series coming on Showtime called American Rust that finds another young man who gets attacked and somehow pays a higher price than his attacker for being a better fighter. Justice is very odd.
Luke’s trying to make good on his mistakes and get back on track for a life that was supposed to go much differently. He couldn’t have landed at a safer, more compassionate place to do it than Mick’s doorstep and with the O’Briens in general.
This will be a real comeback story for Luke, and we get Stephen Huszar to play it out. And the sparks that flew between Bree and Luke on Chesapeake Shores Season 5 Episode 2 aren’t going to disappear just because he has a past.
This story seems like a win all around!
Billionaire businessman Evan seems like a fly-by-night goof who got lucky along the way. I’ll be interested in his backstory because, at first glance, he’s annoying.
It’s great that he’s got money coming out the wazoo, but everyone else takes business seriously while he appears to toy with people on that front.
The rich are different.
Mick
He pushed and pulled about four different times with Abby and Mick. Sure, I’ll build. Ooh, asbestos? That seems difficult. So long. Oh, it’s beautiful here. I’ll build. Hey, we can’t disrupt this beauty. I’m outta here.
He’s obviously written as a love interest for Abby, but he comes off as a dangerous and thoughtless man right now. His behavior is buffoonish and childish, and he tosses away opportunities and possessions as if money doesn’t matter. It’s insulting.
And as much as I enjoyed Buckley on iZombie (I never saw One Tree Hill), the cadence of Evan’s voice is, so far, bugging me. Needless to say, I’m eager to hear what you think of him.
Now, on to the best part of the episode. Connor finally got time to shine!
He’s had so many fits and starts with his law career so far that he’s really eager to do well in his new position. Linda isn’t making it easy, but he impressed even her with his courtroom tactics on the McCloud compensation case.
Judge Martinez: Well, Connor O’Brien, don’t you agree that people of the male gender tend, on average, to have greater upper body strength than those of the female gender?
Connor: Well, yes.
Judge Martinez: And we’re dealing specifically with, as I understand it, warehouse workers, lifting things. Am I correct?
Connor: Yes, your honor.
Judge Martinez: Alright then.
Connor: But.
Judge Martinez: Mr. O’Brien, you better make a cogent argument or pack up and leave.
Connor: Uh, yes, your honor. I, I, I.
Judge Martinez: I’m waiting, Mr. O’Brien.
Connor: Yes, I, I have three sisters, your honor.
Judge Martinez: That’s your argument? You have sisters?
Connor: Yes, sir. Three of them.
Judge Martinez: And…
Connor: And I find that women are capable of doing anything men can do.
Judge Martinez: That’s a matter of opinion, Mr. O’Brien, and not a mitigating factor here.
Connor: Isn’t it, though? Your honor, I’m talking about a deeper strength, one not represented by physical labor. I mean, when women are presented with a problem, they don’t just solve that problem. They think three steps past it, and they get the job done.
He did his homework on the judge, sure, but his upbringing proved to be beneficial since he knows first-hand how females confront issues.
Judge Martinez? Not a fan. He called Connor son in court, which is offensive, and second, his attitude toward females and underestimating their strength got under my skin.
Allow me to elaborate since I happen to have a part-time job in a warehouse where even though the women they rely on run rings around the males in every capacity, I am still tasked to hire “strong” males who can lift big things.
Mind you, none of the females have been offered forklift training that I’m aware of, and they’ve never walked away from a large shipment.
In fact, one of them is almost always on point when it comes to loading pallets of cases of oil. The men lack ambition and are less trained overall, while the women are thoughtful and never turn away from a challenge.
This is what women are always told when they want equality, like in the Newsweek case, they were forced to assume a subsidiary role simply because of their sex. It’s the same with McCloud Industries. I mean, yes, in general, men are stronger. Men can lift more than women. But at McCloud, most of the men use a forklift, and we have evidence that every female that applied for forklift training was not allowed to pursue it. And let’s be honest, the forklift is the great equalizer here, is it not? So, this isn’t just about equal pay for equal work. This is about the fact that females are denied the chance to become higher-paid forklift operators at McCloud. To quote the 1970 Newsweek case, “Simply because of their sex.”
Connor
This is the most realistic case I’ve heard of on TV in a while. Women or females or whatever we are these days are too often underestimated and overlooked for brute strength.
So, good on Connor for pointing out to the judge why he was so wrong in his thinking. We need allies like Connor in the real world. Well, like all of the O’Brien men, actually. They’re a good bunch who make other men look bad.
Unfortunately, I do not take Linda at her word that she’s insulating Connor. If you watch Chesapeake Shores online, you know why, too.
Connor is so good and trying so hard, and seeing Dilphor floored him. She tossed away his concerns in much the same way that Evan dealt with opportunities and possessions.
Connor was right. He deserved a heads up on that very personal client. He shouldn’t have been blindsided by seeing them together before being told they were taking on the case.
They didn’t have to change whether or not they do business with Dilphor, but they should think more of the people they hire than their judgment showed with this case.
OK, Chessies!!
What are your thoughts on all of this?
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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.