Zoey makes a big decision about her love life and all her friends have something to say about it! (#Zaron!) @luvthispayne recaps this week’s grown-ish finale, “Back & Forth”.
What up, what up, what upppppp? I just talked to y’all like yesterday and we are already back with the recap! Sadly, it was the season finale. It has been a long first season and here we are finally come to the end…. Awww, but no time to be sad because we have loads of drama to discuss so let’s get straight to it.

At the end of last week’s episode both Aaron and Luca told Zoey that they had feelings for her. Zoey ended up leaving the freshman formal feeling more confused than a little bit! Sis was finally going to have to pick one. #TeamZaron or #TeamZuca Personally, I am #TEAMZARON because it sounds closer to Zaddy and Aaron is such a bae. Luca not really my aesthetic but whatevs this ain’t about me…

As if having to choose between Aaron and Luca wasn’t enough, Zoey gets a knock at her door and its CASH MOONEY! Apparently, Cash has been thinking, sure did take him a helluva long time to think, and he wants to try and talk with Zoey. SKKKRRRTTTTTTTTT. First of all, Cash is still every good kind of fine COMMA BUT Zoey is better than me because I would’ve slammed the door in his got damn face so fast. Bruh, I lost my virginity to you, you ask me to follow you if you go to the NBA, you revoke that offer, then we break up. All in the span of like a week?! Hell to nah nah nah nah. I said hell to the nah nah. It would’ve taken the strength of Hercules for me not to slash every one of his tires and bust the windows out his car. Don’t come to my room tryna talk months later dawg. NAH. And lest we forget about the rumor of him dating Zoe Kravitz right after Zoey Johnson…. NOPE!
Fortunately, Zoey has some sense and when Aaron asks to talk, she says sure, “I’ll text you.” Good girl Zoey. But by text I would’ve meant hold your breath and wait for ya phone to buzz. Of course, I would’ve never texted. Woooooow this really ain’t about me. Moving on lol
Zoey needs time to sort out her feelings but meanwhile the men in her life are trying to persuade her friends to advocate for them.

First, Cash runs into Jazz and Sky at the gym while he’s working out for an audience of fans. Sky and Jazz had hoped to get their Kanye’s Workout Plan on but the crowd is just WAY too much. As they are turning to leave, Cash spots them. He heads over to the twins and that’s when he informs them that he cares about Zoey so much so, that he is willing to stay at Cal U and defer the draft until the next year. Eye. Roll. Hmmm…. How do I say this gracefully? Nevermind. But where are his mentors? Does his coaches know he out here selling dreams? Dumbass dreams at that. Let me go to the next one…. Cash really is too fine to be this stupid but then again ….. Art does imitate real life and men are really *loses signal*
Next, Nomi is in the dorms arguing with a classmate about how she is going to cheat instead of just actually doing her part in a group project when she catches a whiff of a familiar smell. She follows the scent and it leads her to Luca’s room. Luca didn’t even know who she was last week when Zoey mentioned her. I digress. Anyway Luca invites her in and they start to discuss his feelings and affections for Zoey. What irks me with Luca, is that he’s never actually said to Zoey “I LIKE YOU” He does this weird, bitchy, but look I am doing stuff with you and I give you fake deep advice sh&t and thinks that’s how Zoey should know how he feels…. UGH.
Lastly, and I am SO SAD ABOUT THIS. Aaron runs into Ana, who looks like death ran her over then backed up over her for good measure. I am angry because Aaron deserved a better advocate than Ana. He deserved Sky or Jazz. (Side note and random rant, I don’t really like how they made Sky and Jazz advocates for Cash because of the money thing. It kind of reinforces stereotypes about black women and gold digging. Especially since that was their main point; his money. It was lazy writing and poor optics to make the poor girls from the hood all about choosing the guy who is going to be a meal ticket. I expect better from Barris).

But back to Aaron and Ana. Aaron mentions that he really cares about Zoey and is going to try and show her through Hamilton tickets. Even if it means he has to sell all the microwaves in Hawkins Hall. Curious, how much are microwaves going for these days? The more we get to know about Zoey I kind of think this is a gaff. Yara would be excited about Hamilton tickets. Zoey is shallow and vain and I felt like this was a slight slip up. Nothing really about Zoey’s personality says she’s the girl who would go crazy over something like Hamilton, but would totally die over a really exclusive fashion show. This is NOT to say that one can’t be excited about both, but an observation about the character of Zoey Johnson. Zoey is not well rounded.
Well this picking a friend to advocate for Zoey to choose him all comes to a head when Zoey bumps into each set of friends as she was on her way to class. Sky, Jazz, Nomi and Ana decide to stage an intervention and want to hash this out RIGHT NOW! Seriously, do these kids ever actually go to class? Ever?
While the girls are each trying to convince Zoey of the “right” choice, the guys Cash included are in Professor Telphy’s class arguing over who deserves her more. Interestingly, they pick the wrong night to hash this out because Telphy is being observed by Dean Parker. I kinda want to fight them all the guys for arguing over Zoey but Vivek is so cute and he’s such a nice distraction that I can totally tune them out. Well Aaron and Cash are fine too. I keep saying that don’t I? Its hard looking at Aaron and Cash sitting next to each other because it really is so much fine in one classroom. Lordt.
Zoey’s friends are doing a horrible job trying to convince her who to choose because honestly they’ve made this about them. Another tangent: Nomi says that if Zoey doesn’t choose Luca, she will take him and Nomi totally seems like that girl that you think is your friend but she sleeps with your man and make excuses about being sexually liberated. Girl BYE…. Back on task Ashley!
Zoey can’t handle all the bickering so she leaves to think over her decision. She comes to the conclusion that she wants someone that isn’t her first love (Cash) and not necessarily someone who challenges her to mature and grow (Aaron). She chooses Luca because he best fits who she is at this point in her life and actually I totally agree. Just being honest they are perfect for each other. Luca is fake deep and Zoey is shallow so he provides her just enough depth. They have a world of similar interests and both really love fashion and Teen Vogue so for now this works. As much as I adore Aaron, I don’t think he’s the best fit because Zoey isn’t there yet.
Well, it’s been a fun ride boys and girls. We have had our ups and downs, our laughs and our tears. What does next year hold for Zoey Johnson and crew? Idk but we will see (maybe something spicy like pregnancy a scare or an STD) We will have to wait a while to find out! See you next SEASON!
Twitter: @luvthispayne