In all seriousness, I did like this episode.

The plot twist with Stan Morrison was believable, if a bit sudden, since he’s been shown to be a less-than-great person in the past episodes. It would’ve been nice if there’d been some reference to his not-super-clean record in a previous episode but I’m not complaining.

I like that they addressed Walker’s ability to do his job. I like that they had characters that were close to him (Micki and Liam) admit their doubts about his performance and their willingness to hold him accountable for his actions. I like that he made the commitment to trying to be a better Ranger, a huge step up from when he was willing to let a rigged system work for him in previous episodes.

The moment between Stella and August near the end of the episode was really sweet. Stella telling August how much she appreciated who he was as a person and cementing that he made the right choice with Ruby (which he did) was good to see. “Will you sign my yearbook?” is the new way to say “I love you” and I will not be elaborating on that.

Bonham and Abby were cute in this episode, as they usually are. I’m glad they’re getting their vows renewed and I hope they do go all out. They deserve it.

Bret and Liam were adorable. I know they aren’t back together (yet) but it was nice to see them getting on so well platonically. I hope they’ve really talked about what happened between them and I hope we see more going into the next season.

Micki and Trey were the cutest of all. Getting to meet Trey’s mother and have a pregnancy scare all in the same day? Micki really does not have luck when it comes to moms, does she? I liked that Trey got a moment in this episode to consider fatherhood and getting more serious with Micki. These two always have the best couple moments I swear. I will cry if (when) they have a wedding episode.

I already talked a little about Cordell’s story in this episode but I swear, only this show could A) confirm that Walker was a theater kid and B) turn him into a badass killer in the same episode.

I hate that there’s another hiatus. I will be waiting (im)patiently for the continuation of Stan’s villain arc.

Okay

So.

That was A Lot.

Everything to do with Emily’s death was obviously the main point of the episode. Cordell getting a confession out of Stan no matter how much he objected, August piecing the whole thing together with the poker chips, the whole family meeting up by the border to hear the truth…. It was a lot to take in. I had to keep pausing to give myself time to process whatever new information I’d just heard and, honestly, that’s the mark of a good episode for me. I was surprised they extended Stan’s involvement with Emily’s death to him actually shooting her instead of leaving him as an inside man but I’m glad they did. Just a new level of betrayal on this web of lies. At the end of the day, I’m glad the family can finally put that business to rest and have a little bit of peace in that department. Obviously with someone gunning for Cordell (and potentially the whole family) that peace won’t last long, but they can have a little bit. As a treat.

Micki’s part in this episode was phenomenal. She was called on both ends to help with the Walker situation an she had to put her faith in her partner and Trey in order to pull everything off. I think it was a good sign of her growth that she was able to openly ask Trey for help with something AND be the one to suggest having a Mom Brunch with both of their families. And I do like that she got some credit for the amount of growth Cordell has had over the season. Obviously, he had to do a lot of work on his own but she contributed to him actually putting in the effort and that’s worth acknowledging.

I wanna talk a little bit about the smaller things that got wrapped up in this episode. Geri finally told the story of finding Emily’s body, which cleared up a lot of suspicion around her this season. Abby and Bonham decided they didn’t need a vow renewal ceremony, they know they love each other and that they’re committed to this to the end. And Bonham seems ready to tell the family about his diagnosis. And, my personal favorite, Liam apologized to Bret for pushing him aside in the midst of all the drama and asked him for another chance. Based on Bret’s reaction, I think he’s going to get it and I’m excited to see it.

Of course, with every finale comes questions about the next season. Who wants Cordell dead and why? How long have they been watching him? Will Micki take the undercover mission? Will Walker every be told about the potential threat to his life? What did Stan whisper to him after he got shot? Will Cordell, August, and Stella get to go on an adventure? Will we get to see Bonham telling the family about his diagnosis or will that be left off camera? Will Liam and Bret be able to make things work this time around?

I, for on, cannot wait to see these questions answered.