No one wants a surprise visit from their parents on TV.
East New York Season 1 Episode 15 will not break with tradition in this regard. According to spoilers, Quinlan’s mother will appear while Quinlan is trying to figure out his relationship with Bentley.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time either, with 7-4 embroiled in a controversial case involving a fight over gentrification.
The chain was going to face gentrification sooner or later. This is an issue that all poor, mostly-minority neighborhoods have to deal with.
Gentrification occurs when wealthy, often white, developers buy up significant amounts of property in poor neighborhoods. These developers make improvements that drive up property values and make the area more attractive to the wealthy — who move in and squeeze out the people who live there.
East New York will tackle this problem through the story of another murder in a housing development. This happens in a high end project.
It will be interesting to contrast whatever happens this time with what happened at Raskin Gardens on East New York Season 1 Episode 14.
While the Ruskin Garden murder appears to be an isolated incident involving a family dispute, this new murder appears to be part of a pattern; Regina says that this is the fourth such murder.
Investigating it would throw police into the middle of a contentious gentrification battle.
There are many possibilities for how these events could be linked.
If a new developer has bought a housing project, they may skimp on security to save money.
This seems counter-productive if the developer’s goal is to drive up property values and attract wealthy tenants; No one wants to live in a dangerous area. But wealthy building owners don’t always make completely rational decisions, especially if they’re focused on short-term profits.
The killings may also be related to conflicts between protesters and new tenants and developers. When people feel they are being pushed out of their homes, they often fight back.
Developers and new tenants will not back down easily, especially if they have invested significant money in the housing project. This is a recipe for someone to be seriously hurt or killed.
And if protesters are killed, developers may see the deaths as beneficial because they prevent further interference with their investments. This attitude will only lead to more anger, and both sides may engage in an all-out war!
Regina will not allow murders to take place on her premises, nor will she make these murders a low priority.
Will this put Suarez and Suarez at cross purposes again?
Since Suarez aligned herself with Deputy Mayor Sharp’s campaign, she had to navigate treacherous waters. Sharpe balks if he supports too many of Regina’s reforms. If he backs away too much, he gets annoyed with Regina.
Sharp would not want to antagonize wealthy developers who might offer large donations to his campaign. He wants Suarez to get Regina off the case.
Suarez keeps saying he doesn’t want Sharpe to influence how he and Regina run the department, but his actions so far have said otherwise – will he face Sharpe this time around?
Regina won’t keep it for long, if at all. Suarez’s long-standing friendship with her could be shattered, and Regina would be in for a professional mess if she refused to accept his decision.
Quinlan’s mother is ready to pop up in the middle of it all.
Quinlan doesn’t reveal much about her history or family other than to explain that she grew up in poverty, so she chose to live in Ruskin Gardens. But there is a high probability that he and his mother do not get along.
Cordial mother/daughter relationships don’t make for good drama, and Quinlan has been dealing with a tumultuous relationship since Bentley’s shooting.
Bentley keeps him locked out. It’s a typical trauma response, but Quinlan takes it personally. She wants to support and comfort him, and that’s not happening.
Bentley’s parents tried to take over soon after the incident, and Quinlan ran away and cried when she realized she was no longer part of that tight-knit family. Most recently, she dissuaded Bentley from working out with the girls on the track team, even though she didn’t play.
All these red flags indicate that this relationship is on life support. Quinlan’s mother probably won’t help it.
If she’s like most TV moms, she’ll insist on putting in her two cents about this relationship. Whether Quinlan rebels against her advice or decides it makes sense, it will probably end up in the same place: ending this relationship.
According to a clip from the spoiler video, Quinlan tells Bentley that she doesn’t think they should be seeing each other anymore. The only unclear thing is how much his mother is making.
Quinlan’s insecurities and difficulty understanding what Bentley was going through were ruining the relationship anyway. But no one accepts a break-up in the first place on TV.
Bentley will likely try to win Quinlan back or prove that he can be the more open, totally devoted guy she’s been looking for. It won’t work, especially if Quinlan doesn’t lose his vulnerability. He must either give his position to Bentley or move on.
What do you think, East New York fanatics? hit big blue show comments button and let us know!
Don’t forget that you can watch East New York online while you wait for the latest episodes to air.
East New York airs Sundays at 9 PM EST/PST on CBS.
jack eaves is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Her first young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. follow him Twitter,