‘Lopez vs Lopez’ Recap: ‘Lopez vs The Godfather’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LOPEZ VS LOPEZ -- "Lopez vs The Godfather" Episode 120 -- Pictured: (l-r) George Lopez as George, Erik Griffin as Don -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Nineteen of ‘Lopez vs Lopez’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One of the toughest statements to believe regarding people that have hurt us dearly in life, is that they are capable of change, and it makes sense as to why that is so difficult. Because the act they likely took part in, the one that caused us harm, was so visceral, and mean… that we believe that person is incapable of shedding that level of cruelty. So, it is simply better to see them as the villain they are and keep them away, so we don’t have to deal with those old emotions and deal with the trouble they cause. But now and again, they come back into our lives, preaching that they have changed, and we are often in quite the conundrum when they do. 
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Because we learned from their mistake and used that to make us a better person and well, keeping them at bay, could and would be counterintuitive regarding what’s right and what’s fair, meaning we have to decide if we can live with losing out on a healing experience by saying no to their request. If anything, that particular conundrum is top of mind today, simply because it is one that Mayan and the Lopez family had to deal with during this week’s episode of Lopez vs Lopez on NBC. For ‘Lopez vs The Godfather’ is a story that saw a toxic blast from George’s past return to the picture. An old friend named Don, who was a bad influence on George back in the day and he deeply hurt Mayan back then, despite being her Godfather, and well… that put the family at that crossroads.

Because Don of course claimed… he was a better man now. One that wasn’t going to hurt anyone, anymore. Which was met with skepticism and worry, until that is… Don started showering the family with gifts and kindness. The kind that netted Sofia a new coat, and snagged Chance a trust fund for college. Giving rise to the possibility that Don had indeed changed, and that they should indeed let him in. Until George made the startling discovery… that Don had not changed. For that trust fund was set up with Chance’s social security number and Don used that, to get a line of credit and some fast cash to create these gifts. Making it clear, that some people don’t change, and will continue their toxic acts when given a measure of trust, while also making this story a seemingly cautionary tale. One that was potentially going to end on a sour note. 

But that is when that story surprised us. Because it allowed for George to be the one to decide how the family would deal with this mess. And that… more or less informed us that people can change, and that sometimes it is right to let those folks back into our lives. For George could not and would not stand for an old friend betraying and hurting his grandson, and his family like that, and rather than choose a good time over his family’s love and their future… he cast Don out. Informing Mayan that her father was serious about being a better father and doing right by his family, and that she made the right call in giving him one more chance in this life, since he did indeed change and did indeed provide the family with hope for a better tomorrow. 

In the end, this was just… an amazing episode. One that really did a fine job of exploring both sides of the proverbial coin here by showing us the good and the bad in giving rough people a second chance, and how it is actions that determine whether or not a person has changed, not their words. And THAT is what we should look at when old ghosts come back asking for a second chance. But what mattered more here, was that we saw beautiful growth from George. The kind that really did inform us of how far he’s come and how genuinely serious he is about moving forward, and that was powerful to say the least and that will indeed go far with Mayan and Quinten, and Oscar, since he is now the Godfather of Chance (despite his poor choice in the movies they watch) as this family works to come together in a healthy manner once and for all. Until next time.

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