Filthy Rich Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Proverbs 20:6
Jasmine Blu
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Have we reached a turning point in the season where it has turned everything up a notch?
Under the cloak of Mardi Gras, Filthy Rich Season 1 Episode 5 dug deeper into the background of some characters, gave us peeks at potential motivations, and the hour made some big moves that could change the course of everything.
All in all, so far, it was one of the most solid hours of the series.
All one ever wanted was for Margaret and Ginger to work with one another. In theory, they'd do better together than they would apart.
Sadly, even when Margaret and Ginger are working together, they're not working together.
Dear, God; maybe we should've been more specific. What we want is for Margaret and Ginger to work together and learn how to communicate and trust one another. It's a big ask, we know.
Margaret and Ginger are coming at the same problem from two different angles and with a similar motivation. They both want to protect their loved ones.
The problem is that neither of their loved ones consists of the same people, so they're not invested enough in the other person's beloved individuals to make the best calls.
It's beyond frustrating. All we need is for two women to genuinely care about one another enough to look out for each other. They have moments when it's evident that they do, but there's something in the way of that.
Tina: I've never gone a day without talking to you.
Ginger: Be strong for me, and I'll be strong for you.
The 18:20 are dangerous, and it feels as though Margaret underestimates how much and Ginger overestimates her ability to handle them.
It took a lot for Ginger to compromise the integrity she has for her clients, girls, and business to record the men. However, it was an understandable decision given the circumstances. I don't know if Ginger was right or wrong to keep the Virgil video from Margaret.
By not sharing the information, it meant the "Ladies Table" was all talk. How can they work together if they're not forthcoming with one another?
But based on what Margaret did with the information the second she found out about it, she only confirmed why Ginger's reluctance was valid.
You can control her? Who's running this Holy War? If I go down, everyone goes down.
Virgil
Margaret can't hold water if you provided a cup when it comes down to certain things. All she saw was that Virgil and the 18:20 getting their hooks into Eric, and she was unable to consider anything beyond that.
She wanted to use the tape as leverage against Virgil to get him to drop out of politics, but Luke and Ginger were right about how a scandalous video could barely affect a politician.
If they wanted to take down Virgil and the others, they needed something bigger that could effectively destroy them. Margaret couldn't think about that because of her laser-focus on Eric.
The exposure of that tape could put a dent in Virgil, but it also would rile up the rest of the powerful men. It also endangered so many other people, like Ginger, Tina, their employees, and so much more.
The problem with the 18:20 is anyone can be collateral damage, which is what Ginger was driving at when she confronted Margaret and Franklin.
Margaret's intentions are, at times, murky, but it does seem as if she means well in her way. But she's punching above her weight, blindfolded, with no steady footing.
They keep telling us that Margaret is powerful, but she more often than not feels out of her depth. She's in a chess game playing checkers.
By revealing the existence of the tape, it put Ginger in jeopardy. It was no surprise at all that the 18:20 henchman, in all of his pseudo-religious rationale, found her and roughed her up until he got what he thought he wanted.
Margaret said she could protect Ginger and her mother, but could she? No one even noticed that Ginger was missing, and even though Margaret was at the door later and suspected something was wrong, she didn't push it farther.
I wanted her to breakdown the door, see what Ginger had endured, and the two women to have a real, soul-to-soul moment. But that didn't happen.
Becky was the one to have a moment with Ginger, and boy was that an unexpected twist! Becky's lack of romantic interest in Eric and stance on sex makes so much more sense, and so does her fixation on Ginger.
Becky is attracted to women. It was already a surprise that Ginger broke down in front of Becky and that the blond bandaged her up.
But when Becky reached for Ginger's face, and the sparks between them were flying, it was a twist I didn't see coming at all, which is not something I can say about most of them.
Becky almost submitted to her yearnings and sinning, and ironically, she did it while trying to stop Eric from doing the same. It's too late, though.
Eric and Rachel were already getting it on like two giddy teenagers. If I had to choose which romance was more endearing, Eric and Rachel beat out Mark and Rose.
Eric was livid when he learned of the tapes because of his fear of exposure, but the moment he could confront Rachel about it, she assured him that she deleted all of his.
She loves him; they love one another, and goodness, the Monreauxs are a messy bunch.
If anyone could get through to Eric, it's probably Rachel, but then again, who knows? Maybe it's a job for Eugene.
Franklin, I need you to come home.
Margaret
The ongoing theme about ghosts and the past haunting folks was a nice touch, and Eugene wandered around like a living ghost, soaking up all the information about everything.
Mark's stoner friends drove into town so they could blackmail him for money. How far is the ride from Colorado to New Orleans? They drive back and forth as if it's around the corner.
It didn't take more than two brain cells for anyone to guess that Mark was only impersonating his brother to help with the medical expenses, but Augie and TK didn't have two brain cells to spare, so Rose and Mark went to pay them off.
Mark loves Rose, but the Monreaux lifestyle throws him off. They pay off anyone who stands in their way, and they don't bat an eye.
Mark: Who even are you to these people?
Franklin. I can ask you the same thing.
Mark: No, I didn't mean it like that. I've just never been around this much money before, and I've never met people like any of you. Not you, you seem cool, but the Monreauxs -- if they don't want to deal with people, they just throw money at them to make them go away.
Franklin: Oh, they try.
Eugene has figured out that Mark is not Jason, and he also knows that Rose is aware of this and in a relationship with Mark.
I loved when Eugene stole the money back from them after warning them about karma and righteousness, and he took the money to his real son.
I just wish Margaret could love me back. I just wish I felt like any of 'em knew how to love me back.
Franklin
Did anyone gasp when the real Jason opened his eyes after Eugene's forehead kiss? It's the right kind of soap-opera messiness that one can devour.
Think of all the drama that will ensue from this event alone!
Eugene slowly revealing himself to select people is an interesting tactic, and I'm curious as to why he's taking this approach.
Also, what does it say that about where he stands right now that he would rather reveal himself to the outcasts? Tina was the first to see him, and now Ginger knows her father is alive too.
However, I don't know what she gained from threatening Franklin the way that she did. Why would she believe that Eugene, a man who she didn't even see most of her life, would care about them ruining her business?
They spoke of vengeance and avenging one person or another, but what makes Ginger think her father will be her avenger? Why is she confident about this?
Although, maybe she's basing this on what she saw at Luke's house. He's piecing together that the 18:20 are behind Eugene's plane crash, so maybe she's banking on Eugene coming for them and maybe Margaret and Franklin, too?
I don't know. It's hard to figure out Ginger's thought process there, but I wish she would focus.
Ginger: You people are so low.
Margaret: Why not look at this as an opportunity for change?
Ginger: You crossed a line. You came for my business. I'm coming for yours.
Franklin: Ginger, wait!
Ginger: To think that I actually trusted you! My mom was right. My dad is watching all of us, and he knows exactly what you just did to his daughter.
We're just waiting for Eugene to strike. I do wonder if Franklin believes Ginger, and if he does, what will he do about it. He doesn't seem as though he was a big fan of Eugene.
The flashbacks were interesting, as it makes Margaret, Franklin, and Eugene's relationship make more sense.
It sounds as though Margaret didn't come from any money either, so there was a time when she and Franklin were one and the same. Margaret marrying Eugene pulled her farther away from Franklin.
And there is something to be said about easily some can make transitions from poverty to wealth over others, but more importantly, it's sad that Franklin has spent his entire life in love with Margaret, and she doesn't love him the same way.
Eugene's world ain't ours, Franklin.
Young Margaret
And Franklin isn't even sure any of them care about him. But it was a nice tidbit, showing that Franklin's mother was the law enforcement officer/angel that guided Eugene.
Why is that? It was his mother and Franklin's mom urging him to get his life together from beyond the grave.
Even with this new information, Franklin remains hard to place. I can guess that falls more on Margaret's side than anyone or anything else, but he also resents that he's putting more into these relationships than he gets out of them.
The show has so many players, and it's hard to place who is going to do what. But there are always some wildcards in the bunch.
Tina: The past is too big a burden. If I'm ever going to be well, I can't drag it along with me.
Franklin: Don't I know it.
Yopi is such a liability, and it's upsetting that Antonio has to deal with her. Every second we spend getting to know Yopi more, it's easier to understand how Antonio is gravitating to Margaret.
Yopi's double-double cross made all the sense in the world, for a woman who follows the money and is an eternal opportunist.
It's all of these different outliers who are making the Monreaux saga pure insanity, but that's what we tune in for, yes?
Spilling Sweet Tea:
- We did NOT get Eric singing during this installment, and I missed it a little.
- Why is Tina so trusting of Margaret of Franklin? She handed the video over too easy, but she always does this even when she knows she's working against her daughter to do things.
- Franklin told Ginger that Margaret was a caretaker for her mom too, and I'm wondering how that'll pop up again.
- Is there more going on between Yopi and Don? It seems as though Don could be working against the collective interest of the 18:20. He was unfazed by the potential collapse of Virgil's political career.
- Margaret tossing the toilet paper at the parade was funny as a throwback to Trump tossing out TP to hurricane victims, but also, folks were definitely looking for that during the early days of the pandemic, yes?
Over to you, Filthy Rich Fanatics? What about that ending? There's so much to dicuss, please, hit the comments!
Don't forget, you can watch Filthy Rich online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
