‘Love During Lockup’ Recap: ‘Too Good to Let Go’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Still from ‘Love During Lockup’ Courtesy of WE tv.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 530/Season Finale of ‘Love During Lockup’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the engaging and wildly popular series, Love During Lockup, on WE tv, we talked at length about how the show was on the precipice of explosion. Because so many plot threads were building to something bigger and something disastrous. Courtesy of endless tension and concerns from the many couples we’ve come to know on this particular series and that left all of us wondering, what was going to happen during this week’s season finale. For if there was ever going to be a time for explosions to take place and ugly to happen, this would be it, and well… as it turned out… the finale was not what we expected it to be.

For instead of pure explosions and disaster, this season ended as it started. With a grand look at life and how not everything goes as we planned and how life takes us in wild directions, which for some involves dating someone in prison and well, that brought about some fascinating conclusions to these stories. Some were beautiful in nature. Take Rob and Teenie’s journey for instance. Because Rob was finally free in ‘Too Good to Let Go’ and well, he quickly reunited with his family and found joy and peace, something he’s been searching for, and now this family can heal and come together without electronic help and that was quite lovely to see. Because there was that brush with tension here, the kind that was trumped by love.

Not to mention, Joey finally made a decision regarding his relationship with Michael, and he decided… to give them a chance to grow and thrive as lovers. Because they have that chemistry and they have a connection and to let that fade would be criminal and clearly, being in one’s another presence was helpful to understanding that connection. But while there was beauty to be found, there were some bittersweet endings to be discovered here as well. Since Shonta began to understand that this might not be right for her and that something either has to change or end regarding True. And Ayonna did get out of prison and simply found herself at a crossroads, where she continued to believe that Jamahl’s love was the fix to her problems, instead of herself.

But of course, one cannot have the lovely and the middle of the road without disaster and sorrow and that was present here too. Because Rick… came to realize he did not want to be married and that he did not think this through. So, he made efforts to divorce Samantha and turned his attention to the women present in his town to try and find the connection he longs for, and we also came to learn… Andrew got played. For Candice admitted here, she texted an old love the instant she got out of jail and rekindled that and even married the guy. Which made Andrew a pawn in this, one who took back some agency by breaking the lease and repossessing the truck. 

But either way, what a devastating end to that relationship, one that already has social media in an uproar for certain. But while the fallout of Candice’s big reveal here will keep us buzzing for days, we cannot forget to celebrate one powerful episode. One that really did offer up a bevy of emotional and powerful moments that truly reflect our world and our own lives. Since so many of us have experienced our happy ending or found ourselves wondering what lie ahead and we have all been in the thick of breakup. Because whether its someone we met in person, on an app, or through a prison pen pal program, love is a universal experience that we all can relate to and that really is the lesson that this season sends our way, and it will be interesting to see what else we can learn about matters of the heart when the next chapter of this fascinating franchise, arrives. Until next time.

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