13x26 Army Of Me

Alli is anxious about the science fair as she’s rattling off figures and there is a little UST between her and Dallas. Jenna tells him to step back at least until after the fair because boys tend to get her distracted. Dallas says if he waited his long one more day shouldn’t matter.

WHATEVER IT TAKES

Tristan shows up to class wearing dark sunglasses and is totally drained. Maya and Zoe ask if he’s been up late partying without them however he’s been up cause his parents were fighting as to who is taking him to the dentist. The Milligan’s are apparently fighting allot as of late however it’s find…he’s find. Townsend is taking a leave of absence and we meet Grant Yates another fairly young teacher who Tristan starts to have heart eyes toward him. This teacher is like a younger version of Robin Williams’s character in Dead Poets Society however instead of poetry he wants to start a play writing collective which Tristan NEEDS to be in as it will magically solve all his problems.

Drew and Clare are going at it on council matters and Becky is reading between the lines telling Clare that the two of them are cute together and the entire school...well at least 93% think the two of them are an item.

Conner, Jenna, Alli and Dallas have just picked up posters for the fair at the mall and are in the food court. Jenna and Connor go get fries and Alli asks Dallas if she can do something to pay him back for his kindness. He teases that she can buy him new sunglasses and next thing you know they are in a glasses shop trying some on.

As they are trying on shades a smoke bomb goes off in the center of the mall.

Tristan is looking at his phone waiting to be picked up and from the group text it seems like both parents think the other supposed to be doing the job. Yates comes asking what the matter is and Tristan tells him how much his life sucks. His parents are fighting and his friends are off in their own little worlds and as such don’t really care about his needs. Yates is sorry for his troubles and after Tristan admits his parents are most likely going to divorce he tells about how his own parents got divorced when he was around Tristan’s age before offering to drive him to the dentist himself causes he’s on break…but no talk about the collective.

Drew brings Clare lunch and Clare tells him to tone it down because people think they are dating. Drew says it’s just a sandwich and Clare says how they need to keep things professional, she has a boyfriend and she thinks she should help Drew get a girlfriend of his own and sets up an online dating profile for him.

The mall is evacuating and the cop tells Dallas to step aside. When Alli says she wants to stay the cops won’t let her and tell her to move it along.

Clare is looking at Drew’s profile as Becky and Imogen ask what she’s doing. Imogen then calls her out saying she’s doing this to hide her feelings. Clare admits she might have a slight crush on Drew but Imogen has to promise not to tell Eli about it. She promises but if Clare hurts Eli she’s going to hunt her down. She then tells Clare crushes are normal and she gets one every week and how she once even had one on Clare herself. Imogen then proceeds to add that Clare isn’t Drew’s type which prompts Clare to make a profile for herself…for science.

The cops tell Dallas to wait to be called for questioning when he runs into Connor who asks if everything is okay. Apparently Jenna was also told to leave and that someone made a dry ice bomb and they match the suspect’s description…translation, they are black males.

Zoe opens her locker and finds an invitation to the playwriting collective however Tristan is miffed as he finds out he’s not invited. Yates tells him that his previous works seemed to be phoned in.

The boys are finally being free to go and the cops mention how it was a prank and thankfully nobody got hurt. The boys just roll their eyes and hope that they can make it back to school to make the bus to the science fair.

Yates is holding his collective in the woods/ravine as Tristan spies on them eventually getting caught. Yates wants to know who told Tristan but he admits he figured it out on his own. Yates tells him to make a poem up on the spot as a bit of an initiation. He’s voted in.

Dallas and Connor have missed the bus but having the principal being your legal guardian has its perks (was it ever said WHY Connor was still with Simpson? I know he’s his god-son and was there initially for the gifted program but that’s been black holed). He boys have the keys to Simpson’s car and are ready to go. Connor gives Dallas his keys because he gets nerves driving on highways.

Clare reads off bios for the potential matches and Drew comments about ‘Anabella’ Clare’s alter and how she didn’t even post a picture. He then chooses another girl punching Clare in the proverbial gut.

The boys are driving to the fair and are pulled over by the cops. Dallas wasn’t speeding and asks why he was pulled over as he wasn’t speeding. The cop comments about how their exhaust was loud and since the car isn’t Dallas’s he’s calling it in. Dallas is pissed as it’s the second time today they’ve been called out by the cops soly for being black. In a season that’s rather hit or miss, this plot is one if it’s shining points as I don’t think racial profiling has been covered much aside from by Hazel back in season 2 (though if I’m wrong please call me out on it)

The seminar is over and Yates asks Tristan to stay back. He’s proud of the way Tristan fought to prove himself as that’s what Yates wanted from the onset. He tells Tristan he’s fond of him and knows he’ll be his favorite student and to also call him Grant.

The cops come back telling the boys to get out of the car as they are being taken in and the car is getting towed and impounded. Dallas is pissed with every right to be.