'Greenleaf' Season 5 Episode 3 Review: Will AJ's shocking reveal bring Grace and Noah together?
Spoilers for 'Greenleaf' Season 5 Episode 3 'The Third Day'
It's been a difficult three weeks for the Greenleafs. Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge) might be content at finally having her long lost son back but the tension keeps plaguing them about both his identity and stability. Spiraling under the guilt of killing his partner during a robbery gone wrong, AJ (Jacob Gibson) tried to kill himself in the Season 5 premiere.
From planning a second wedding the megachurch family was catapulted into a near-funeral scenario, but luckily he survived. Yet, AJ's shocking reveal in Episode 3 'The Third Day' takes the reigns of the show once again. On one hand, there is Jacob Greenleaf (Lamman Rucker) digging up Basie Skanks's (Jason Dirden) death and planning to orchestrate the most perfect revenge on his estranged wife Kerissa Greenleaf (Kim Hawthorne). On the other hand, AJ finally agrees to see Grace and reveals why he chose to act the way he did. And let's just say the writers aren't messing around with this final installment of the popular saga.
The episode kicks off with Sophia's nude scandal. Her cousin Zora helps her as much as she can in taking down the leaked photos but Sophia has to deal with Nikki's mockery, which leads to a physical fight between the two. Zora is able to pacify the situation, but Sophia isn't Grace's only child to be in murky waters. Back in the hospital, AJ still refuses to see his mother or even his biological father Noah Kendall (Benjamin Patterson) for that matter.
Grace's parents — Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield) and Bishop James (Keith David) — are welcoming towards Noah Kendall (Benjamin Patterson), but his son, not so much. Even Grace isn't very receptive of her parents asking them to all be together in this time of crisis, as that's what AJ needs. It causes Grace to storm out on the discussion, but once again, the father-daughter relationship is nuanced with James following her to calm her down. It's a unique dynamic, one that we will miss the most perhaps when this final season 5 will be over.
Sadly, the parents aren't as considerate of their youngest child Charity's (Deborah Joy Winans) wishes. She expresses her desires to preach but is instead tasked with helping Judee who once again is a bitter dead sea — unnecessarily salty towards the woman Phil actually wanted to marry. Judee keeps taunting Charity with her engagement ring and the latter stays unphased. She just wants to do her job and for once doesn't fall at Phil's feet when her ex-beau thanks her for helping the snide woman he's marrying for job promotions. Pretty audacious for him to propose one day they can go back to normal and we can't hype Charity enough for snubbing him down about that saying it most likely won't happen. Looks like the writers finally listened to viewers and gave Charity a spine for once. After she ditched her own family for this man who tossed her off for a job promotion, there's no other treatment Phil should receive from her.
Charity isn't the only Greenleaf sibling winning with their estranged partners. Jacob manages to get a hold of Basie's death. Heading to a nearby ministry, he comes across a woman and confesses to her that he thinks his father might have killed hers. The woman is benevolent, claiming the Lord will punish wrongdoers, but right after Jacob leaves she calls up someone to inform them of his visit. It could be Kerissa, but the sheer fact that Jacob slammed her with demands of joint custody has us convinced otherwise. But the casanova doesn't wait around. He has already informed Tasha about his imminent divorce and the two express wishes to get to know each other when he is finally single. These rushed paces assert this is the last season, and they to wrap up all loose ends with happy endings, be it interesting or not.
Even with Jacob confronting James about Daryl and the will, and Mae finally offering Charity a position as an associate pastor, it is the final few moments of tonight's episode that has us biting our nails. Finally agreeing to see Grace, AJ comes clean about his actions. Pulling at the heartstrings of fans, the Greenleaf writers induce a shocking element to the church drama that might seem a little too all-consuming for the pettiness we are used to, but these are facts. And difficult to sit through as they might be crucial to be shown on primetime television. AJ tells Grace he contracted HIV from being raped in prison. He doesn't want to talk about it but it's clear now why he would want to end his life.
Grace's silent screams are an art Dandrige excels at every time she brings it to the screen and this time is no different. Yet, Lady Mae's calls for staying together keep coming back to mind. Especially now that Noah is back in the picture too, right when Grace was about to consider something serious with Darrius. Will she agree to be together as a family for AJ's sake with Noah? Or will she see through his fickle bull***t and rely on Darrius who has actually been around? We have to wait at least a week to find out.
'Greenleaf' airs on Tuesdays at 9pm only on OWN.