‘Blindspotting’ Recap: ‘Bride or Die’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season one finale of ‘Blindspotting’.
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Having a plan for tomorrow, is something that is paramount to the human condition. For we are taught from an early age, that we are the masters of our domain and because of that, with a little planning and a lot of effort, we can scheme or mold our future as we see fit and doing so, will provide us with endless rewards. Such as genuine peace in our souls, and happiness because we have what we always wanted and of course, it gives us wisdom and standing because we proved that planning and execution works. But while there is merit to that particular mantra, since we’ve seen people take it to heart and garner great success with it, there is an unfortunate twist to this concept that we don’t talk about enough in everyday life.
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In that, few things ever go according to plan in life. For the universe is filled to the brim with chaos and randomness, the kind that will take our plan and blow it up in a singular moment. Which should in turn, spell disaster for us since the odds are seemingly stacked against us. But what truly allows for people to ‘follow a plan to a tee’ is adaptability and creativity. So that one can use the twists and turns the story sends our way to one’s advantage and get the plan, albeit slightly changed, back on track. For only then can we truly see our plans come to fruition and enjoy the benefits that come with that and really, this particularly frustrating part of life is top of mind today, simply because it was on full display in the season one finale of Blindspotting. For ‘Bride or Die’ saw Ashley take a moment and reflect upon her journey… and how little went according to plan.

Because life wasn’t supposed to be quite like this, with her beloved person in jail and her raising her son on her own. But this was indeed the reality of the situation and well, she believed the time had come to embrace adaptability and change and do something bold to get some semblance of what she really wanted. Which was a life with Miles as husband and wife, and a house where they could be together with Sean and well… in order to obtain a sliver of that reality for the time being, she opted to take the family to jail, dressed to the nines of course, so she could marry Miles right there in prison. A plan that ironically… saw more road bumps and twists and turns come into play. Since silly snafus and missing IDs and a flaky priest made it seem as though the magical day wouldn’t take place.

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But thanks to Janelle’s heartwarming and powerful admission and thoughts on the nature of love, Ashley quickly found herself emboldened and eager to continue to roll with the punches to get what she wanted and deserved and eventually… she found herself face to face with Miles, in a wedding dress and with the ring on and she was able to have a wonderful heart to heart with him. One where they both professed their love for one another in an honest and beautiful manner and where a newly ordained Trish… was able to finally get to the two of them to commit to the ultimate union and well, that was a wonderful way to bring this family’s journey this season to a close. Since it really did hammer home that perseverance and adaptation will indeed pay off for us when we have something we genuinely want in life. 
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However, as this series is wont to do, it still found a way to inject some powerful commentary into the story as well and that was accomplished by way of Earl’s journey in this tale. Because despite finally feeling free and as though his life was turning around in a wonderful manner… Earl ended his day with fear and sorrow. Because the tugboat had another boat to bring in, which put Earl dangerously close to missing his curfew of 7 p.m. and well, thanks to the incompetence and lack of care from his employer and James for that matter as well… Earl violated probation and was brought back to jail, and this was just both devastating and poignant. Because it really does speak to the high and unrealistic expectations that surround former prisoners, and how they are in many ways… prisoners even on probation. Despite the fact that they’ve done their time and paid their debt to society, and until there are real reforms in the system, there will still be men like Earl that suffer on a daily basis and well, how we get there is anyone’s guess.

If anything, all we can hope for is that the series has some ideas to express in its second season and well, that powerful journey and the moving and unconventional wedding that took place in this tale, make a second season a downright necessity. Simply because this really is one of the most refreshing and original shows on the airwaves right now, thanks to its brave storytelling and dynamic commentary on the justice system in America and well… television needs a show like this right now. One that blazes trails and forces us to have difficult conversations and hopefully we get a second season announcement soon from STARZ. So, we can see where this story goes, and where that Daveed Diggs cameo will take us as well. But while we wait for that, we can bask in the wonder of one incredible season of storytelling, one that really did wow us at every turn by holding up a mirror to greatest ordeal of all… everyday life. Until next year.  

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