Time jumps. I am not sure if I love them or hate them, but here I am not loving it in this episode of Ride. I am not loving it because all these characters feel so different and I am not sure of what changed them. I am not sure of why everyone has changed.
It’s not as simple as it seems.
The thing that I realized after this episode is that Gus is the absolute worst and I was right to hate him. I do even more now. I hate the way this entire episode unfolded. I hate the way that we saw so much hurt and so much pain and the way that so many people were hurt. I hate the way that Missy was treated. I hate the way that more hurt is bound to happen.
Weddings are a bitch. The are the biggest bitch in the world and they change everything. However, is change always for the best? Sometimes, isn’t it for the worst?
TBH, I don’t know. I think that what’s happened in this episode will change the McMurray’s forever. What they thought was reality is crumbling down around them. Truth has a way of always rising to the top.
THE STADIUM
Gus Booker is a douchebag, but I do believe that he does get it from his Dad and his Dad is the worst of the worst.
The Booker family is heading to the ranch for their daughters wedding. It’s the place that Sophie chose for the wedding venue and to be honest, the family is A LOT. The Booker parents are basically like we are rich, bow down.
But the issue for me is that Papa Booker doesn’t even take time off for his daughters wedding. Instead, he’s overbearing and is basically like you do what we want. The biggest insult though is that he tells Isabel that the rodeo stadium needs to be called Booker Stadium and tries to pressure her into signing paperwork over the naming rights.
Isabel feels a certain amount of pressure, but it is Cody who reminds her that she needs to just speak to him on his level and for Papa Booker that means money.
What Isabel has doubted is the power of the McMurray’s name. The name has a draw, it brings people in investors. Papa Booker only speaks intimidation and when Isabel puts him in his place and reminds him that even he said that their name is drawing in investors, she reminds him of that.
I loved him choking on his own words, because I feel like that was important. Daniel Booker is a dick and he proves it over and over again.
But Isabel McMurray is a woman of strength and perseverance. She will make sure that her family is taken care of and that they aren’t screwed over. She will make sure that she preserves the family name, but also preserves the heart and the future of the ranch.
I have to admit that I really have grown to love her over these episodes. I have grown to love her because she’s shown what strength is. There are times where you would think that she would cower and just not get out of bed. That’s not Isabel though. She’s the heart of the family, even if she doesn’t see it.
I am hoping that she does, eventually. That being said, I fear that Isabel is going to have to go through a lot of pain to get there.
THE DRESS
It turns out that Missy and Val living together is going well. Missy and Val are the best of friends and are both excited for the wedding.
Their house is being turned into the bridal suite and TBH, I am surprised that Missy is having that. She’s not the best at dealing with relationships, but no one can blame her for that. She’s been through a lot and she’s continuing to go through a lot. Yet, she still is going through a lot, but she is a believer that better days can and will come for her and her family.
But when she accidentally spills coffee all over the dress she freaks out. Cash is of no help, but Val is. She’s doing everything that she can to help get the stain out and calm Missy down. She sends her to go stall the Bookers and stays to fix the dress.
Polly Booker is sweet, but she looks as though she’s miserable.
Polly is a timid bride and is filled with a lot of nerves. She’s not sure if she wants to get married, but talks repeatedly about how everyone loves her fiance. Missy is doing everything that she can to make Polly calm, but Polly is looking for something to reason what she’s doing and why she’s getting married.
Polly is going through with the wedding because it’s what her parents want. They want her to have stability and they tell her that this is the way that she’s going to have that.
When Missy finally tells Polly what has happened with the dress and brings her to see it, Polly can’t help but laugh. It’s the biggest sign that she’s definitely not into this. She’s talking about how her Mom would freak, but none of it seems to bother her at all.
I think that Polly just needs someone to make her realize that she’s good enough. She’s trying to make her parents happy, to give her daughter a life that her parents think is worthwhile, and it’s obvious she doesn’t know what she wants.
Missy may not always say things perfectly, or at the right time, but she doesn’t hold back. She doesn’t see that the words that she says make people think, but I don’t think that it’s all that bad. Polly shouldn’t have to marry someone that she doesn’t love.
THE LABEL AND THE BREAK
Now Gus is falling in line with what is expected of a Booker, but also trying to remain the man that everyone else knows. He has issues with weddings. Why?
Because we find out that he was once left at the altar. He tells Cash, of all people, about it and I have to say that I am shocked that he does. Gus is one of those people who doesn’t know who he is and doesn’t know how to take responsibility for who he is. He distracts you with his charm, but underneath, he still caves to what he thinks his father wants.
When Missy has to tell the Bookers that Polly has left and doesn’t want to get married, they flip and blame her for Polly’s choice.
And Gus, he blames her too and ends up dumping her. Gus asks her what she said and tells her that she has commitment issues. Excuse you Gus? Her husband died and she has a right to grieve for as long as it takes. Missy doesn’t have commitment issues, what she has is the smarts to not get herself so tangled up with you.
Missy has done everything that she can to make the wedding happen, but ultimately it was Polly’s choice. Gus not standing by her is about him – not her,
Now will Missy blame herself? Absolutely. She’s got that heart that will always take responsibility for herself, for others, and even things that she has no reason to take on her shoulders. She needs to remember that the ranch isn’t only her responsibility.
The McMurrays are a family.
The Bookers are assholes and I will never forgive them for this bullshit. But I also won’t forgive Gus.
THE KISS
Val and Cash have a lot of chemistry, that’s obvious. She likes him a lot. She wants to be with him. But Cash… well, he’s hooked on one person.
Cash has always been in love with Missy, but how is loving your sister-in-law going to make things better? The thing is, Cash needs to be honest and his aversion to honesty is not the best thing in the world.
There is no part of me that doesn’t think that Cash wants to be honest. The thing is that he realizes that honesty can involve hurting others and he doesn’t want that to happen. Hurting his family, hurting Missy, hurting Val… it’s all too much for him. Cash has a need to make people proud of him and when he feels like he’s disappointing them, he shuts down.
Val and Cash kiss and you can tell that it means something more than it should to her. For him, it’s awkward and he’s not sure how to react. I do think that Cash knows that he’s playing with people’s feelings and it’s not a comfortable place for him.
It’s a scary one.
Val, though, in my opinion isn’t ready to be in any kind of relationship. Whereas I do love the character of Val (as well as hate her), I think that until she becomes honest with those around her. It’s when Cash friend zones her, she breaks.
It’s that and the fact that Mrs. Booker seems to recognize her, that breaks her.
The thing is, having the comfort from Tuff, telling her that they will always love and be there for her – that was enough for her to know that she is and now and would always be a McMurray. The family is everything to Val.
Tuff holding her in his arms and comforting her reminds me exactly why I love him. Him taking her in the house and telling the family that they need to talk and not leaving her side… it means something. Tuff is the glue that holds this family together. He is the glue that makes everything okay, even when he’s not okay.
I would love for Tuff to find a way to live his own life and find his own way. I think his life is too wrapped up in his families and it makes him forget that he deserves to live too. With Julian though, calling him his boyfriend, I do believe that he’s going to be more determined to find his way.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- I like Isabel and Cody together
- Where the fuck is Hank?
- Seeing how much Cash love Missy… he’s gotta tell her. But how can she not see it?
- That pawn shop dude showing up is a dickhead. I don’t like him and him showing up wearing their Dads belt buckle – hell no.
- Julian and Tuff are amazing. I love them
- I can’t even get over how much I hate the Bookers and the way that they did the McMurrays dirty
- Austin and the shit he left behind, well I didn’t really appreciate that.
Ride airs Sundays on The Hallmark Channel.
