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The Review Geek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
The Better Sister – Season 1 Episode 6 'Steadying Hand' Recap & Review
Episode 6 Episode 6 of The Better Sister begins with a flashback of Adam at confession. He berates Ethan for being a wastrel. He claims Chloe enables Ethan's bad behaviour and he is the only one trying to fix his son. At present, Nicky tries to confront Chloe who is more worried about appearances and it turns physical. Nancy jumps in and ends up hitting and cuffing Nicky. Michelle orders them to stand down as they need a new game plan. Michelle tells Nicky to play the bad mom so Ethan can look grateful to have had Adam. As for Chloe, she needs to dig into Adam's files and find another suspect. She grabs whatever she can from Adam's office. Bill catches her but she is able to hide the USB. Nancy hangs out with her former mentor, Clark at his bar and he tells her to be careful. She cannot afford to make another mistake and he hints that she has a messy rep. He wants her to do a psych eval to calm the brass. She also discusses the case and thinks Nicky is pretending to be a mess to take the attention away from Ethan. A flashback shows Nicky arriving at her mom's, drunk out of her mind. Everyone's worried but Sheila simply looks after Nicky. At present, Nicky goes to an AA meeting. She thought Chloe and Adam were saving Ethan from her. But she is upset that they messed him up too and now she is going to lose him again. After the meeting, she talks to her friend, Debbie about some orders. Meanwhile, Matt shows up at the FBI HQs. He tries to ID the agent with Chloe but is forced to leave. At the same time, Chloe meets Agent Olivero and gives him the USB. He refuses to help with Ethan's case and even threatens her. Upset, she rushes off and calls Michelle. Back to Nicky, she takes a walk with Ken and talks about Adam. He hated that Ethan needed her and hit her when she drank. Ken points out that Adam and Chloe left her instead of helping her. He pushes her to accept that she is angry about it. She goes skinny dipping and remembers the fateful day at the pool. As for Chloe, she tells Jake about the FBI looking into Gentry and is upset that he knows. She wants him to testify against Gentry but he refuses as they are too powerful. He wishes he could help and she hooks up with him. She is definitely scheming as Dom gets a tip that the sisters are going to drop a bomb during their testimonies. He lashes out at Nancy who points out that he himself ordered them to drop any leads not involving Ethan. Back home, Chloe and Nicky break into Adam's briefcase and find the gun. Nicky wants to make themselves suspicious but Chloe begs her to listen to Michelle. She states that Ethan needs them and Nicky is touched. Chloe accepts that she made a mistake cutting Nicky out. Before the next hearing, Michelle tells Ethan that his next best bet is a plea bargain, despite being innocent. He wishes he had hurt his father and she comforts him. Bill and Jake show up as support and Chloe pretends to be grateful. Catherine brings everyone Chloe has helped and sponsored. Ken advises Nicky to tell her truth and move on. Nicky takes the stand and paints Adam as a good, disciplined and philanthropic guy. She thought she could change by being with him. She knew Adam was good for Ethan, unlike her, which is why she agreed to give away her custody rights. But when Dom questions her, he uses the burner phone to prove that Ethan is capable of lying. And since he didn't tell Nicky about the gun or the trolling account, she cannot vouch for his innocence. The tide turns with Chloe's testimony. She pushed Ethan to switch from prosecution to a private law firm and he blamed her for their vapid, pretentious, rich life. He started hitting her. She claims no one knew about the abuse except Jake as they are having an affair. She adds that Jake was angry with Adam. Nicky looks impressed while Jake is upset that he's been thrown under the bus. He is called up and Michelle treats him like a suspect. We also learn that he was the one Chloe was texting from her burner phone on the night of the murder. He looks sad but accepts his role for Ethan's sake. He refuses to answer every question, including the one asking if he killed Adam. Michelle's closing statement reminds the jury that there is no murder weapon and no proof that Ethan was in the house on the night of the murder. The prosecution's argument is based on hearsay and assumptions. Michelle points out that Jake is a more likely suspect. During the break, Nicky cries in the bathroom and Chloe holds her hand. Thankfully, the verdict is that Ethan is not guilty. Nicky looks relieved as she heads back alone. She has the gun in her purse. She cooks for Ethan while Chloe brings him his things. He apologises for the hate comments and Chloe understands that he was angry with her and Adam. He is worried about Jake but she doesn't care. She asks about the bloody shoes and he explains that he staged it all to cover for her. She is confused by his belief that she killed Adam and The Better Sister Episode 6 comes to a close. The Episode Review The Better Sister Episode 6 seems to be the strongest chapter of the show yet. It finally meshes the two different genres of drama and thriller to give a solid blend of a messy court case with a meddling and scheming family. It gives Jake his spotlight while allowing Chloe to finally lean into her manipulative nature. Nancy's aggressive personality pays off, as her mistakes may lead to her quitting before the truth can be revealed. The tiny clues involving Nicky's drama also add to the murder mystery such as the gun and the abuse allegations. With Chloe and Ethan's confusion regarding the culprit, it seems that Nicky just may have something to do with Adam's murder. The Gentry misdirect has been as vague as possible and we doubt the show will introduce a complete stranger as the culprit, as the killer reveal won't have the emotional payoff that is expected, thanks to Adam's toxic nature. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
The Review Geek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
The Better Sister – Season 1 Episode 4 'Gazpacho' Recap & Review
Episode 4 Episode 4 of The Better Sister begins with Chloe dreaming about Hank's funeral. Hank cracks jokes with Chloe and looks down upon Nicky. Sheila nails his casket shut. Young Ethan shows up with a gun. Chloe wakes up to find Nicky baking. She wants Chloe to try but she waves Nicky off. Chloe tells her about the dream and laughs at how mom was always uptight and weird about dad who was an easygoing guy. This description surprises Nicky but they are interrupted by a new article – the sister wives connection among Nicky, Chloe, Adam and Ethan. Chloe panics and Nicky is hurt to learn that Chloe kept her presence a secret. Catherine is upset by the secret as well. She is distant and states that the board needs a statement from Chloe EOD. Tired of the chaos, Chloe tries to cancel Adam's wake but Catherine's daughter, Janie convinces her not to. As Chloe leaves, she has Adam cremated since the autopsy is done. Nicky heads to an AA meeting. In a flashback, we see a drunk Hank being rude and then jovial with a young Nicky. Before he heads to bed, he gives her whiskey and she drinks it. She tells the AA group that alcohol was the only thing she shared with her father. He hated her otherwise and so she would force herself to drink even though she didn't like it. She is also upset that Chloe is so ashamed that she has shut out that part of their family and buried everything related to Nicky. Ken, a friendly guy, advises her to talk to Chloe as secrets can be poison. He is right as Chloe next explains herself to Jake and paints Nicky as a selfish addict. She had hoped Ethan would fix Nicky but when he drowned, she took it upon herself to look after him. And while raising him, she and Adam fell in love. They 'buried' Nicky for a fresh start. With the world watching her, she hints that nothing can happen between her and Jake. He seems understanding but excuses himself. She spots his phone and finds texts to Bill. That he didn't find anything at Adam's beach house. Nicky visits Ethan next and he has been beaten up. He asks her not to tell Chloe. As they catch up, he reveals he is getting a therapist. She is surprised that he is intimidated, as he has never really gone for therapy. He is scared and makes her promise to visit him every week. Back home, Chloe packs up Adam's things. She hallucinates him and he wonders if he ever did anything good in his life. She thinks they did. A pap catches her from a rooftop and she looks annoyed. Adam claims she will miss the attention once it stops. She finally gets a call from Michelle who advises her to lie low as the court won't like any more scandals. Chloe heads to the beach house and finds Nicky cooking gazpacho for them. She convinces Nicky to come to the wake and they have a sweet bonding moment. It is ruined when Nicky brings up therapy and how Adam thought it was for the weak. She insists it is good for families like theirs and Chloe lashes out. She believes their family was fine and everything bad was due to Nicky's bad decisions. Hurt, Nicky finally reveals that Hank was horrible. One night, he got drunk, mistook her for Sheila and tried to sleep with her. Sheila gave him an ultimatum which is why he got sober. A shocked Chloe holds to the fact that it was an accident and that Hank wasn't a bad guy. They are interrupted by Matt who finds it suspicious that Chloe had Adam cremated. Nicky kicks him out and the sisters head to the wake. Hosted by Catherine, it is extravagant and even includes a reporter. She judges Nicky who brings the gazpacho as a gift. The cherry on top is that the board has decided on a temporary leave of absence for Chloe. She tries to refuse but Catherine claims it is a good thing. Meanwhile, Nicky panics in the bathroom. She comes out and sees everyone eyeing her and showering Chloe with condolences. She ends up flirting with a waiter and starts drinking. Janie tries to befriend her and she exaggerates about herself. Nearby, Bill and Jake discuss work and we learn Gentry has renewed their contract. Catherine pushes Chloe into giving a speech who is worried about Nicky. Chloe tries to get her to leave but she refuses. Upset with everything, Chloe panics as well. She straightens up once she learns Ethan's trial is in 5 weeks. Wanting to be heard, she tells the reporter, Sid Evans that she buried Nicky for Ethan's sake. After the wake, Nate, the waiter, approaches Nicky and they hook up while Catherine watches from afar. Chloe goes home and gets drunk too. She is annoyed that Sid hasn't taken the bait and put out her story. She sits in Adam's car and suddenly remembers Hank driving recklessly. Young Chloe had been scared and Nicky had held her hand. Chloe shakes herself and finds the card of Edward Olivero, FBI agent. She calls him and we see he is in the car hanging around Jake's beach house. At the end of The Better Sister Episode 4, Nicky comes home and jumps into the pool. She hallucinates Hank and Adam and goes underwater to make them disappear. The Episode Review The Better Sister Episode 4 is yet another chapter that proves this show shines best when focusing on the sisters and their drama rather than the murder mystery. Despite being at the halfway mark, we have yet to learn much about Ethan or Adam which makes the prison experience or the hallucinations emotionless. In fact, Nicky hiding from Hank rather than Adam makes more sense, given what we learn about the dad and how Chloe only knows a rose-tinted version of him. But this chapter has an easy pace, flitting from segment to segment while exploring the different dynamics between the characters. Catherine is quite shady and seems to be more on the board's side than Chloe's, even though she acts otherwise. Jake is another vague character but his blatant pining over Chloe piques interest. But in the end, this is an enticing character study of estranged sisters who are as similar as they are different from each other. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
The Independent
14-05-2025
- The Independent
FedEx employee fired for attending Alcoholics Anonymous meeting claims ‘anti-white' discrimination
A recovering alcoholic working at a FedEx facility in rural Pennsylvania claims she got fired for leaving early to attend an AA meeting, and contends her termination came about, to a significant degree, because her boss was prejudiced against white people. In a federal lawsuit filed Monday and obtained by The Independent, Margaret Fiander, 64, alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which proscribes race-based discrimination. On top of allegedly failing to accommodate her disability, Fiander's former supervisor at FedEx 'discriminated against [her] because she is Caucasian and not Hispanic,' according to her complaint, which says Latino employees were given 'preferential treatment,' while whites were 'treated… less favorably.' Reached by phone on Tuesday, Fiander told The Independent, 'This would've been settled and resolved by now, it shouldn't have gone this far. I still wanted to work, I didn't want it to get to this.' Fiander said management 'singled me out and targeted me for things that everybody else got away with.' This, she lamented, kept her from advancing professionally, and today she remains out of work. 'I had trouble getting jobs after that,' Fiander said, emphasizing that she believes her whiteness was in fact a detriment at FedEx. A FedEx spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Fiander hired on at FedEx in December 2020, assigned to FedEx's 970,000 square-foot regional sorting center in Breinigsville, a town of 8,000 near Allentown, where she worked as a package handler, according to her complaint. 'You'll work in a fast-paced warehouse-like environment taking responsibility for tracking shipments and working safely and efficiently while sorting, processing, loading, and unloading packages,' the official job description reads. 'You may be called upon to use equipment such as hydraulic conveyor belts in your work.' Although she at one point had substance abuse issues, Fiander, who had an attorney file her initial complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but is now representing herself in court, says she has been clean for more than two decades. 'Plaintiff is an alcoholic and has attended weekly Alcoholics Anonymous ('AA') meetings on Mondays for 21 years and has maintained sobriety for 21 years,' her complaint states. In March 2021, Fiander asked her then-manager if she could leave early on Mondays so she could make her regular meeting, the complaint continues. It says he told Fiander that doing so 'would not be an issue.' 'Thereafter, [Fiander] left at approximately 4:00 pm every Monday to attend AA meetings,' the complaint says. Fiander would always inform whatever supervisor was on duty of the arrangement, and for the next two years, 'no manager objected,' the complaint states. 'I never had documentation in writing that I could leave at 4 o'clock, but I should have,' Fiander told The Independent. 'I said, 'Should I just get this in writing?' And they said, 'No, just let them know.' It got to the point where everybody knew. I mean, common sense – you don't walk off the job without permission.' On August 7, 2023, Fiander reminded the shift manager that she would be leaving at 4 p.m. for her meeting, to which the manager replied, 'OK,' the complaint goes on. The next day, according to the complaint, Fiander received an alert on the FedEx scheduling app, informing her that all of her shifts for the rest of the week, as well as the following week, had been canceled. Confused, Fiander reached out to the HR department but wasn't able to get anyone on the phone at the time, the complaint states. However, she soon discovered that the app allowed her to reclaim at least some of the lost shifts, which the complaint says Fiander promptly did. But, on August 9, the shift manager who two days prior had given Fiander a green light to leave early called and fired her, according to the complaint. He told Fiander that she had 'violated company policy' by leaving work early on August 7, 'despite this being her long-standing accommodation that had been approved and in place for over two years,' the complaint states, calling the manager's claim 'a pretext.' In actuality, the complaint alleges, Fiander was fired 'because of her disability and/or in retaliation for requesting and utilizing a reasonable accommodation,' and asserts that her supervisors were bigoted against whites. Fiander's higher-ups 'considered [her] race in denying [her] reasonable accommodation and in terminating [her] employment,' according to the complaint. 'They wanted to get rid of me, I have no idea why,' Fiander told The Independent. 'There was somebody there that had it in for me.' So-called reverse discrimination lawsuits have become more and more common in the age of Donald Trump, and the Supreme Court may soon make it easier for members of majority groups to bring bias cases. Last month, a judge in Michigan paved the way for a terminated IBM employee to sue the company over alleged discrimination because he is a white male. In 2024, Sony settled a pending lawsuit claiming discrimination against white job applicants. On the flip side, more diverse companies tend to be more profitable than ones that are less so, according to McKinsey & Company. Further, reverse discrimination suits can also flop. A federal judge recently ruled against a white man who sued 3M after he was fired for using his cellphone on the production floor, arguing that management let slide a pair of similarly situated Black female employees for the same infraction. Similarly, a federal judge last year threw out a suit by an NYU law student who claimed the school's law review was biased against white males. Fiander is seeking a court order prohibiting FedEx from 'discriminating against employees or prospective employees based on their disability and/or need for an accommodation,' and wants back pay and future lost earnings. She is also asking for liquidated and punitive damages significant enough 'to punish [FedEx] for their willful, deliberate, malicious, and outrageous conduct and to deter… [them] from engaging in such misconduct in the future,' plus damages for emotional distress and pain and suffering to be decided by a jury, in addition to court costs and attorneys' fees.
