All’s Fair Recap: Carr Crash

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Allura Grant always looks impeccably put together, leading some to believe she has a team helping her get ready each morning. However, it’s more likely she spends a significant amount of time on her own routine. She probably wakes up very early to do a full face of makeup, carefully chooses a stylish and somewhat revealing outfit, and styles her hair with precision – a sleek bob with a single, perfectly curled strand framing her face. Only after this detailed process is she ready to head to work and practice law.

This week on the show, Allura switches roles and becomes the client, with her mediation with Chase taking center stage. Chase and his team, Carrington and new partner Alberta Dome (a wonderfully fitting name!), attempt some last-minute grooming and flattery before the mediation begins. Chase starts by reflecting on their relationship, which immediately overwhelms Allura, forcing her to leave the room. We then see her in the bathroom, visibly upset with tears streaming down her face – makeup expertly applied, reminiscent of Kim Kardashian’s routine. However, her distress seems to stem from more than just issues with Chase. She confides in Dina that she just started her period, meaning the embryo transfer was unsuccessful. Dina is shocked to learn that Allura illegally had the embryos implanted and insists they keep it a secret from Carrington, hoping a potential pregnancy won’t give them away.

Carrington explains to Chase that they need to find a way to invalidate the prenuptial agreement without appearing to try. Directly challenging it could leave them with nothing, so they’re pretending to be satisfied while subtly introducing evidence that could make it invalid. This evidence centers around a scholarship Allura created in her father, Albus Grant’s, name. She reveals that he died from guilt after she was sent to a harsh reform school in Vermont. Alberta Dome then innocently questions why the scholarship didn’t benefit students at that school. The truth is, Allura actually bought the reform school with the intention of closing it down – a significant asset that wasn’t mentioned in the prenup, and which could potentially invalidate the entire agreement.

Now that there’s no prenuptial agreement to limit things, Carrington is asking for property, financial support, and a share of the law firm. In return, Allura wants the frozen embryos they created. If they can’t reach an agreement, the embryos will be destroyed. Allura even dramatically warned her, quoting Hannibal Lecter, saying “Tick-tock, Clarice,” which made me realize Carrington should probably just deliver all her lines as quotes from iconic villains – Sarah Paulson would be perfect.

Those embryos are no longer viable, and instead of using that fact to her benefit and appearing unconcerned about their destruction – which would have weakened Carr’s position – Allura surprisingly admits the truth. She confesses to a crime right in front of the judge, revealing she implanted the embryos three weeks prior, but they didn’t develop. This was a win for Carrington, but before she could fully celebrate, Chase intervened, stopping them from pursuing Allura. Carr sarcastically quipped, “Have it your way, Burger King,” delivering another brilliantly timed line.

Just as things start to get interesting, Dina has to leave unexpectedly due to a call from her husband’s hospice nurse. Emerald explains that Naomi Watts isn’t in this episode because she’s busy with another commitment. It’s clever how the actresses share time on the show, and with a second season confirmed, hopefully they’ll add more lawyers so everyone only needs to film for a short time each season. After Dina leaves, Emerald takes the lead and declares she’s going to handle things her own way. Their opponent, Carrington, responds with a suggestive line – a contractual requirement for Sarah Paulson to say something related to the word ‘come’ in every episode.

Emerald initially tries to prove Chase was illegally fixing NFL games through an online gambling operation, but the judge, siding with Carrington, rules this evidence inadmissible. Unable to use that tactic, Emerald shifts to revealing Chase’s affair, hoping to damage his reputation even though California law won’t allow it to be used in court. Carrington seizes on this, bringing up compromising photos of Emerald taken by her attacker – a personal attack Emerald immediately reciprocates, ignoring Dina’s warning. Without Dina present to advise her, Emerald then presents dashcam footage of Carrington receiving a DUI, revealing a shockingly candid confession to the police officer about a sexual act and boasting about her lack of a gag reflex.

Carrington explodes, shouting obscenities at everyone before jumping onto the conference table and snatching Emerald’s iPad. Standing on the table, she continues to rant, clearly in the midst of a breakdown. In a shocking attempt to retaliate, she falsely claims to have had intimate relations with Chase, both before and after his breakup with Allura, using explicit language to detail the fabricated encounters. It’s clear this outburst is perfectly timed for the Emmy campaign, and will undoubtedly be used as a clip when the nominations are announced, featuring Sarah Paulson.

I don’t think this situation truly bothers Carrington. While it’s humiliating, she wouldn’t likely let her opponents see she’s upset. This dashcam footage, reminiscent of a reality TV moment, seems like something Carrington would easily dismiss. However, it appears the real goal here is to generate sympathy for her, starting with Emerald. Emerald follows Carrington out of the room, claiming to understand how she feels, sharing her own experience of being rejected from a sorority. Instead of seeking revenge, Emerald says she chose to focus on self-improvement. She assures Carrington she doesn’t want to harm her, and offers to not only destroy the tape, but also to advocate for Carrington’s daughter’s application to her school if they reach a settlement.

Carrington is thrown off by this unexpected show of kindness, and things become even more bizarre when Allura arrives and admits they were wrong not to include her when they initially started out. It feels almost like watching someone’s heartfelt apology being made. It’s strange that it took Carrington’s reaction for them to realize Allura would have been a valuable colleague, but it ultimately comes down to them understanding how much their past exclusion hurt her.

Allura and Chase ran into each other in what I think was the lobby – honestly, this office space is so strange, it’s hard to tell where anything is. It’s like a snack bar could be an elevator! Anyway, they greeted each other with a handshake, which quickly turned into a kiss. I guess she couldn’t resist his slightly messy hair.

You might have wondered if we’d get through the whole episode without showing a fireplace – maybe even break a series record! Don’t worry, though, the episode concludes in Dina Standish’s bedroom with a cozy fire burning while her husband is passing away. Let’s remember Ed O’Neill, who had the perfect role: spending time with Glenn Close without even having to get out of bed.

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2025-11-25 21:55