Hellcats: Cheaters never prosper. Or do they?
Each week the Hellcats become less like cheerleaders and more like Broadway performers, and this time Coach Vanessa even gets into the act at a benefit for breast cancer. An old “friend” returns to town and is certain to be trouble for Red and Vanessa. We finally see the kiss we would have never seen coming if it weren’t on the previews. And when it comes to cheating, Marti really knows what’s up—so she’s the gal we can count on to represent.
If you can’t be an athletic supporter be an athletic director
A new, interim athletic director has been named—the trustees wanted a new “Yes Man,” so in steps Mr. Laverne, someone they can easily control. And he's kind of a geek. He uses terms like “tasty moves” when it comes to the Hellcats’ routines. After their star quarterback got sent up the river, they have a little image problem and the Hellcats are now the face of Lancer. Dan and Marti sit on the sidelines and make fun of the new athletic director while the practicing Hellcats snicker and raise their eyebrows. So, let’s get this straight…we hate the athletic director who disses us and we also hate the athletic director who wants to work with us. So confusing.
And then for some reason, Laverne is very interested in how Red Raymond’s marriage ended. He asks Vanessa but she’s not about to fess up. Turns out that the NCAA hired someone to do opposition research on Lancer and they hired one of the premiere sports litigators in the state—Red’s ex-wife, Emily. And yes, she still holds a grudge.
Meanwhile, Lewis does fess up about cheating and getting a paper written for him in his freshman year. But he won’t defend himself even if it means getting suspended and his squad being short a base. We’re thinking this is a clear case of the dude covering for someone else about now. Honor Court waits but Lewis won’t talk about it. But Marti isn’t letting him go down without a fight—she’ll act as his student council, and guess who is the faculty advisor for the Honor Court? None other than Julian Parrish. Then there’s Alice, who is feeling guilty and wants to help. This storyline really makes us miss snarky and sarcastic Morgan.
Turns out, the paper that Lewis bought was on the topic of evolution, but he wasn’t taking a biology class at that time. Hmm…suspicious. So it becomes clear that Lewis is covering for someone else. After seeing him argue with Savannah a couple of times, Alice feels she has enough ammo to call her out on it—in front of everyone. And this time she’s right. Lewis is taking the fall for Savannah. Apparently being at a secular school was just too much for her and the topic of evolution was too hard. Forget that there’s the internet at her disposal, a library, tutors and all that craziness. So Lewis suggested buying a paper from Betsy—and he helped her. And rather than let Lewis go down for it years later, Savannah decides to come clean and asks Marti to defend her at Honor Court. But not before it’s made clear that BFF Dan knew about the whole thing earlier, but Savannah made him keep her secret…and he did. Marti is a bit miffed that her friend chose his gal over his pal. We’re reminded of the maxim about bros and ho’s, but aren’t sure it really applies here.
Marti represents—and then some
Marti argues Savannah’s case in front of the judges, and even though her soliloquy is mostly about herself, she preaches “positive outcomes only” on behalf of her friend. We would have used the whole "religion made her crazy" argument but that’s just us. Luckily, the judges are lenient. Lewis gets probation. But Savannah has to be punished. However, given her significant contribution to the Lancer community and the circumstances under which she violated the student honor code, they let her go with a slap on the hand. She’s given a failing grade in the class.
Everyone celebrates by hugging and/or kissing a loved one. Marti feels lonely, so she goes to see Julian to thank him for believing in her. A truly lame excuse. And before she leaves his office they share a super hot kiss. Then, as they pull away they both act awkwardly. But we know there’s something there. After all, she did nibble on his French fries.