SWITCHED AT BIRTH: Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear

This episode begins with the heart pounding arrest of Emmett. Two police officers shoved Emmett to the ground, not knowing he is deaf, and cuffed him behind his back. Seeing Emmet unable to communicate broke my heart. Scenes like this shine a light on issues in a community that we might not experience ourselves, but need to be aware of. This is why I love Switched at Birth. Every week is an enjoyable learning experience that I welcome.

Melody arrives at the police station, furious about the situation. An interpreter tells her that Emmett was arrested for trespassing and vandalism (he tagged an empty billboard as a birthday gift for Bay). Melody is in disbelief until she sees the pictures of Emmett, proving he was guilty.  She tries to convince them to drop the charges but they won’t budge.

Meanwhile, Bay has her first solo meeting with Angelo at a restaurant.  Things are uncomfortable between them and it’s obvious Angelo doesn’t know how to be a father to a 16 year old. Bay makes a point that he might have more experience if he didn’t run out on Daphne.

Regina and Daphne find out about Emmett’s arrest. Daphne asks Bay if she was aware, which she wasn’t, and Bay rushed to Emmett’s house.  Melody told her Emmett is fine but grounded.  Bay pleads that it’s her fault, and the police should have arrested her. Melody, who has not approved of their relationship from the beginning, tells Bay if she wants to help Emmett, she should stay away from him.

After being a bench warmer her first game on the Buckner team, Daphne finds out from Toby that the coach wanted her on the team so they will qualify for a $20,000 grant. The grant is for schools that encourage students with disabilities to participate in sports.

Daphne visits Emmett and tells him about the game and that she was thinking of visiting Angelo. He told her she should take the opportunity to find out who he really is, instead of assuming he is the evil person she has always thought him to be. Emmett told her about his arrest. He said “It was like I was drowning. I hated being deaf, and I hated feeling that way.”

After not hearing from Emmett, when Bay sees him, he’s distant.  She notices the bruises on his wrists from the handcuffs but he insists he is alright. She asks if they are okay, but when he says “Sure” we are not convinced.

Daphne goes to see Angelo. She asks if he left because she went deaf. Angelo tried to make other excuses (she didn’t look like him, he felt Regina lied and had an affair and they were always fighting) but Daphne told him that when people treat her like something is wrong with her, she blames herself for making him leave. He then admits that her going deaf was “a little” bit of the reason he left. Ouch. She appreciates his honesty but leaves.

After brushing off Angelo’s offer to open her own salon, Regina tells him she wants to give the salon a shot. She changed her mind after her boss threatened her not to steal “his clients.” They make plans to open the salon together. Things are looking up for Angelo until his past comes back into play. John discovers that their lawyer, who they fired for being involved with a hospital board member, hired a private investigator to track down Angelo’s past. There are no records of Angelo since 2009. Whatever he was doing he didn’t want anyone to know about it. What was he up to? Very mysterious.

Bay convinces Emmett to go out with her and they end up at a bench in a front of a blank wall. She asks him how he feels and he is hesitant to tell her that he hates hearing people sometimes. She tells him no one is better at being angry at the world than her and it’s more fun being angry together, than alone. She takes out a projector and shines an image against the blank wall. Emmett is excited to see her painting of them on a motorcycle. She found a legal way for them to enjoy street art and Emmett is impressed with her idea.

Switched at Birth airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC Family.