Baby Daddy is back! That is probably a sentence you never hear uttered with excitement, unless of course, referring to the hit ABC Family show that returned for the second half of its fourth season last night.
In the mid-season finale, Riley ended her relationship with Ben, and we were finally able to revel in the joy of her finally realizing she was in love with Danny. However, not everyone was as thrilled about this news, especially Danny who is already in a relationship with Robin. So many questions were left unanswered, but this mid-season did leave us with a lot of hope... and a few laughs!
This episode was all about Evelyn. If you’re an avid watcher of this show, you are probably thinking to yourself right now, “Who is Evelyn?” No, she is not another one of Danny Wheeler’s latest conquests, although he has plenty of those in this episode alone! She lives across the hall from the Wheeler boys, and the episode begins with the news that she has passed away. Most of the episode hinges on her and especially her granddaughter Ashley, who makes a name for herself right from the start. Tucker and Bonnie seem to have the most to gain from her death, and they are planning on cashing in. Tucker wants all of her expensive possessions, while Bonnie stands to make a fortune from selling her apartment. However, they must first get through her granddaughter Ashley.
Ashley does not want to give the listing to Bonnie for one simple fact: her grandmother hated Bonnie. However, as it turns out, Ashley is a huge fan of hockey—and hockey players. When she discovers that Bonnie’s son is professional athlete Danny Wheeler, well the terms of their agreement just might be up for negotiation. Only one problem: Danny has a girlfriend. But that obstacle may not prove too difficult a challenge for Bonnie. Danny has more problems than the possible demise of his relationship with Robin. Like the fact that his best friend and love of his life, Riley, finally realized she is in love with him, but he may no longer feel the same way.
Although, he may not have to worry about that for too much longer, since Ben discovered that Riley gave up the lease on her apartment and moved back to Jersey. Ben put it best when he said, “And no one moves back to Jersey!” Even though they are no longer dating, Ben sets out to bring Riley back to the city and reconcile their friendship.
Meantime in Jersey, Riley has hit an all-time low. She is taking refuge at her childhood home and has solidified her spot in the comfort eating and sweats stage of every breakup. When Ben arrives, to a depressed Riley, not to mention her mother—who despises Ben—he has a lot of work in store for himself. Luckily for him—sort of—Riley accidentally pushes him out the window, and her guilty conscious forces her to invite him up to her childhood bedroom so he can rest his hurt ankle. Or as we find out, the ankle he is pretending is hurt so that he can stay long enough to convince Riley to come back.
With all of the ensuing drama, and on a comedy show none the less, we need a bit of comic relief. Cue Tucker! During this episode, Tucker is very preoccupied with trying to get his hands on Evelyn’s valuable possessions, which he has laid claim to over the years by way of blue dot stickers he has placed on the things he wants when she dies. However, it turns out that all Evelyn left him was a strange ceramic figurine in a shoe-box. There was a second when he thought there might have been a key inside of the figurine, and so he smashed it against the floor, but no such luck. He is not completely heartless, because his conscience does get the best of him when he reads the note Evelyn wrote him. In it, she says she always thought of him as a son, and her last dying words: "Tell Bonnie I hate her." Despite the lame parting gift, tucker sets out to honor her memory and steals her ashes—and of course her mink coat he put a blue dot on—in order to give her a proper burial.
While Tucker and Ben are out on their missions, thanks to Bonnie, things seem to be heating up with Ashley and Danny. Turns out they have a lot in common. What about Robin you ask? Well, let’s just say Bonnie is on a mission of her own. She convinces Robin to go down to the Laundry room with her, and then “accidentally” locks them both in. Oops! However, it turns out Bonnie and Robin have a lot in common too, but unfortunately the wheels have already been set in motion for Danny and Ashley. That is until Ben busts in an begs them to help him save Riley. Even though Danny and her are still fighting, he agrees to go and convince her to return.
The whole gang finally arrives in Jersey, minus Bonnie and Robin who are still trapped in the laundry room, and Tucker who is still looking for a place to spread Evelyn’s ashes. Much to his dismay, when he arrives at Riley’s house—ashes and all—Ashley informs him that he actually stole the cats ashes. It also turns out that the figurine he smashed was actually worth thousands of dollars. There is no time to fret over that, since they still need to convince Riley to come home. She finally relents and agrees to return to the city, and guess where she will be living? In Evelyn’s old apartment! Bonnie may not have gotten the listing, which she is visibly upset over, but her plan wasn’t all for nothing: Danny informs Riley that he is dating Ashley. While Riley and Danny are not officially together — yet — the season is far from over and we are keeping hope alive!
Check out all new episodes on ABC Family every Wednesday at 8:30/7:30C.