‘Grand Crew’ Recap: ‘Wine & Ojai’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

GRAND CREW -- "Wine & Ojai" Episode 204 -- Pictured: (l-r) Maya Lynne Robinson as Kristen, Justin Cunningham as Wyatt, Carl Tart as Sherm, Nicole Byer as Nicky, Aaron Jennings as Anthony, Echo Kellum as Noah, Grasie Mercedes as Fay -- (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Grand Crew’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Often times, stories that revolve around people that are in need of a reset moment, pack in quite the journey. One filled with incredible discoveries and personal epiphanies and growth. As though getting away from it all when the going gets tough, will magically heal our lives and our souls. Which makes those stories peak entertainment really, because in reality… the reset button rarely does any of that. For when we are genuinely overwhelmed or need to just get away from it all, we simply use that time to breathe. To reset our brains and be free of stress so we can in fact return to our everyday lives and then figure out what comes next, and that is why this week’s episode of Grand Crew on NBC was so incredibly refreshing, because it featured that kind of honesty regarding that particular concept.
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For when we caught up with the crew in ‘Wine & Ojai’, everyone was… beat. After all, matters of love had gone south as of late and everyone was just, in need of a hard mental reset. So, the crew packed up in a couple of cars and decided to just head to Ojai and get away from it all at a wonderful resort that Noah knew about and for a time… it appeared as though this story was going to follow that more traditional edict. After all, Anthony tried to reconcile with Fay and smooth things over regarding his actual feelings for her and of course… this place was host to a psychic, named Journey, that was going to tell everyone their fortunes and their needs and wants. Which of course, would lead to powerful epiphanies and new directions. 

Until it didn’t. For all it really did, was get Noah high as a kite. Since Journey supplied him with crystals and a special tea that he drank when he thought a creepy kid at a nearby pool was a signal that his reading had come to life. And it led to deep discussions between Kristen and Wyatt regarding having a family and it all led to frustration for Nicky. Because she wanted to just relax by a pool and clear her head, and there was no pool she could easily use and even when she thought she was able to, by heading back to the one where Noah was spooked, on her own, that creepy kid was around. Which killed the vibe. And as for Sherm… well he wanted nothing more than to hook up with Journey. Which motivated him to spend time with her and take part in unique spiritual acts to seal the deal and well, all that led to in the end, was a need to outrun potential trespassing charges.

Because Journey worked to take everyone on an amazing spiritual journey during their last night at this resort, since a meteor shower was going to be present, making it the perfect time to connect with the universe. But she took them to a massive and sprawling house that wasn’t hers and that made for one wild escape at the end of the night and brought an end to one wild trip. One that really did remind us that when we work to get away from it all, epiphanies rarely happen. We just live and thrive and step away from our worries and there’s nothing wrong with that. Because sometimes… you need to be free of what ails you, and you need to let stress go, now and again, and that is precisely what the vast majority of the crew did here. Which made for a wonderfully realistic tale, one that only dabbled in traditional getaway tropes at the beginning and the end.

Simply because, recent events really did open up Anthony and Fay’s eyes to the fact that they cared for each other deeply and that they wanted to indulge in that, and they did, giving rise to an epiphany of love and a new beginning for them. But that’s the kind of ‘trope’ that is absolutely forgivable since they’ve been toying with their feelings for some time now, and it is realistic for people to discover their feelings for each other when they’re away from their everyday lives. In the end however, this was just… another great episode from this magnificent series. Because it once again offered up a slice of life in a compelling and funny manner, and that’s really where this show thrives, and it was wonderful to get away with the crew and meet the member that is always absent in Marquan. And now that everyone had a chance to clear their heads and relax, or fill their hearts with love, it will be interesting to see what other familiar moments from everyday life, will be on display, when this wonderful series returns next week. Until then.

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