If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: Stella feels like she and Wes need to get back into a romantic rhythm, but things take a turn when West gets a surprise visitor. Aiden is torn over whether or not he should tell his father the truth about the woman he is dating. Meanwhile, Ida seems to be struggling with Peter’s new relationship which starts to cause problems in her own life. (TVGuide)
Writer: Oliver Goldstick
Director: Arlene Sanford
Rating: TV-PG
Running Time: 45mins
Airs: Wednesday at 8pm on Bravo (Canada)/The CW (United States)
Finally! An episode that digs a little deeper into Wes’ background. Now, we are all in for a whirlwind romance but as viewers, we have been dying to know who Wes truly is, and this week’s episode does just that. Stella and Wes haven’t exactly been connecting lately and so Stella takes it upon herself to bring them back together again by recreating a weekend inclusive of all things Paris.
However, things don’t go exactly as planned when Wes’ ex, Pippa, shows up at their doorstep. Now, we heard about Pippa back when Wes was trying to figure out his immigration status but didn’t know exactly who she was. It turns out that Pippa and Wes were supposed to get married but she ditched him at the altar. Heartbroken and miserable, Wes went on their honeymoon trip to Paris solo which is where he met Stella.
This is a groundbreaking revelation for Stella who suddenly feels she was a rebound in Wes’ life, something he just fell into because she had an “expiration date”. Things aren’t any easier on Stella’s end because Dr. Grant is still a lingering presence at the hospital. We know he harbors some feelings towards Stella, and he has already told her that he wishes they could have met before she was married. Although nothing happens, there is some palpable tension there, for sure.
Meanwhile, Peter and Lauren are going strong in their new relationship, but Peter is still unaware of her past with Aiden. Lauren seems really into Peter and tells Aiden she wants to tell Peter the truth, but ultimately they decide its best to protect Peter from this secret. Ida seems to have issues with Peter’s new relationship and struggles to accept it for what it is.
This all comes to a head when Ida finds out that Lauren and Aiden slept together, and becomes even more livid when she learns Aiden has been selling drugs. In a moment of word vomit, she tells Peter about Lauren and Aiden’s past, but expresses her concern for Aiden’s “job”. Despite Ida’s initial reluctance towards Lauren, everyone finds a way to get along. This doesn’t matter for much longer as Peter and Lauren part ways after finding out about her and Aiden’s past.
Stella tries to make sense of Pippa’s sudden presence and grapples with the reality of Wes’ past. He promises Stella that Pippa is in the past now, and despite her reasons for showing up unexpectedly, it is Stella who he loves more than anything. And it seems all is well because Pippa didn’t exactly show up to rekindle their romance. She is moving to San Francisco for a new job and wanted to reach out to Wes and get his forgiveness–and he gave her just that.
And while Stella and Wes have finally nipped the Pippa situation in the bud, there is a looming danger of her and Dr. Grant’s friendship. Will it result in Stella being unfaithful? We sure hope not, but the next episode’s promo isn’t exactly reassuring, is it?
This week’s Life Sentence finally took a step away from Stella’s past sickness and dug deep into more character development for the side characters, mainly Wes. We are always curious to know why or how he and Stella came to be exactly, and now there is some understanding of their relationship as well as his past. Things with Pippa seem to be handled but Wes never let her tell him why she came to Paris during their honeymoon trip. Is there a deeper, darker secret lurking around the corner? Maybe, just maybe.
Score: 8/10
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