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‘The Quad’ recap, Episode 8: Good vs. evil

Noni Williams and Cecil Diamond reunite as Eva Fletcher continues down a dark path

Season 2, Episode 8 — The Quad: The Beautiful Struggle

Alas! After two weeks of waiting to see whether coach Eugene Hardwick met his demise, a call to Eva Fletcher confirms that Hardwick is physically OK. After a shooting at his home, which left one burglar dead, Hardwick and his wife are at the police station giving statements. Fletcher is trying her hardest to get herself off her couch to meet her colleague. She appears to be in a haze, most likely from the medicine she’s been taking, and asks daughter Sydney to drive her to the station. Her odd behavior causes Sydney to worry and question whether Fletcher’s going to the police station is a good idea given her current state and history with the officers.

Although Hardwick seems to be grateful for the support, his wife, Venus, on the other hand, seems to have a bit of an attitude with Fletcher. Once the couple makes it home, Hardwick tries to reassure Venus that everything is fine, although it’s not. Hardwick escaped physical harm during the incident, but he was the one who killed the burglar. It’s evident that Hardwick has suffered trauma after he’s seen having flashbacks of the incident. Instead of being honest about these thoughts, Hardwick tries his hardest to suppress them and continues on with his day.

Back on campus, Noni Williams finally confronts Cecil Diamond, who brushes off her comment that he’s a “bad man” to discuss the upcoming symphonic band competition. Diamond couldn’t care less about Williams’ concerns since his focus is on winning and getting back at Clive Taylor. Williams knows she doesn’t want to fall back under Diamond’s spell, but with a little musical challenge from her former mentor, Williams realizes how much she misses the band. She feels needed by Diamond and later shows up to practice for the upcoming event. She quickly realizes things are not how they used to be as she struggles to learn her part for a split between herself and bandmate Kiara. Williams doesn’t have the strength to stand up to Diamond but instead lets all of her frustrations out to her best friend, Ebonie Weaver. Weaver, however, is upset to see her friend going back to Diamond after what he’d put them both through, and even more upset after Williams lies about being back in the band.

In the dorms, Cedric Hobbs and Weaver have been spending more time together working on their music, which seems to be a good move for the emerging best-friends-turned-couple. Hobbs brings some good news to Weaver: His aunt has acquired studio time for them at the same studio where OutKast recorded one of their top albums, Stankonia. All they need is a vocalist for their track and things will be all set.

But, of course, things were going too smoothly in Hobbs’ life. It wouldn’t be normal without drama. So for vocals, Hobbs turns to his ex-girlfriend Bronwyn — the girl to whom he made clear he didn’t want after sleeping with Weaver. She’s still rightfully angry at him and has questions about the nature of his relationship with Weaver, but she goes to the studio anyway to sing the chorus for their track.

Things immediately go sideways when Weaver and Williams show up at the studio and see Bronwyn with Hobbs. Bronwyn, sensing the tension in the room, asks to speak to Hobbs privately. She again asks if their breakup was because of Weaver. Hobbs assures her that he and Ebonie are still just friends, but he wants to know why it matters so much to Bronwyn. After a dramatic buildup, Bronwyn reveals that she’s pregnant. In a later conversation, she tells Hobbs there’s a good chance she may not keep the baby — her body, her choice.

Between Hobbs and Williams, Weaver has been stressed. While on her way to support Williams in the symphonic band competition, Weaver has a nosebleed and begins to vomit. They are the lasting effects from the trauma she experienced after being severely beaten, and Williams volunteers to go to the hospital with her best friend. After Weaver returns home from the hospital, Hobbs attempts to check on her but is met with a cold shoulder. Who can blame Weaver?

At the event, Diamond is not a happy camper (but when is he ever?). What was supposed to be a Kiara and Williams split performance would have to be a solo since Williams is nowhere to be found. As the band begins to play and Kiara prepares for the solo, Williams emerges from the crowd and the two bandmates begin to play together. The performance earns Diamond and the band a first-place finish.

But, of course, it wasn’t over. After gloating about his win, Diamond confronts Taylor with the information Williams found. Diamond threatens to out Taylor as a fraud, which causes him to step down from his position as band director.

It’s been a quiet episode for Fletcher, but definitely not without drama on her end. After meeting up with Hardwick at the police station, Fletcher decides to check on her colleague in his office. At first she appears to be supportive and helpful, even suggesting therapy before getting to the real reason she’s there. Fletcher asks Hardwick why a loan shark attacked him in his home, then boldly asks the coach if he has a gambling problem. Shocked that she knows more than he wanted her to know, Hardwick becomes defensive.

Fletcher continues her day still trying to settle the score with the new merger and manage life without pills. She assures the doctor she’s dating that she’s fine and no longer needs them. She later repeats the same lie to Sydney, who challenges her mother’s words by throwing the pills out. Once Fletcher realizes what’s happening, she desperately tries to stop her daughter from emptying the rest. The two argue, which results in Fletcher asking Sydney to return her house keys. The relationship was just getting back on track, but Fletcher’s pill addiction may cause her to lose it all — family included.

Maya Jones is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a native New Orleanian who enjoys long walks down Frenchmen Street and romantic dates to Saints games.