This episode was more than Pepper’s artistry, for it explored Pepper’s past–why she is who she really is. Pepper’s true parentage, the fact that she stole a $200,000 clutch stolen from Lacy’s, and Alex’s threats were all part of the Pepper centric episode. Alexander was pretty clear that unless Pepper returned him all the money, he would involve the police. As Pepper struggled to outsmart Alexander and his threats. We got to see a different side of hers. We met her father through the flashbacks, too. Other than Pepper, the focus of the episode was on the two Katy Keene (played by Lucy Hale) and Guy LaMontagne (played by Luke Cook). Their brief moments of passion lead Katy to some discoveries. Katy may or may not lose her job, thanks to Pepper and her evil schemes. Pepper has hurt everyone she has ever known-even her best friends. Poor Jorge is forced to commit some uncommendable acts– give away laptops to be able to raise enough money so his parents don’t lose their building. Not to forget Josie, who is also impacted badly by Pepper’s actions. But out of all three–Jorge, Katy and Josie, it is only the third one who wants to listen to Pepper’s side of the story. She does know that Pepper is in grave danger/trouble, so she goes up to her to tell her if she’s in trouble she can open up to her. So, who really brought an end to Pepper’s reign? It was beloved Hannah Melvey (portrayed by Tedra Millan). If you must remember correctly, she was married to Pepper Smith in the past. Hannah met with Alexander Cabot to specifically tell him that she and Pepper were once a married couple. And that, Pepper, was nothing but a con-artist. With this one masterstroke, Pepper’s plans were turned to dust. It was only in wake of Alexander’s threats that Pepper decided to steal a $200,000 purse from Lacys’ for money. Since Alex had asked Pepper to return all his investment money, she resorted to theft. She sold this purse to a guy named Dickie. She’s still indebted to the Palace Hotel and the fact that she was kicked out of the Hotel. All Pepper wanted was to give her father a permanent place to live in. Raj Patel (played Abubakr Ali) rats Pepper out in front of Josie. He tells her that Pepper tried to steal his inheritance as well. Pepper isn’t Pepper but Rosemary Woodhouse. It is further revealed that after Rosemary (let’s call her that for now) was thrown out of the Palace Hotel, she started to illegally reside in the space that would become the Pepper Plant. Even though Katy Keene and Jorge Lopez have known Pepper for the longest time, they were taken aback by the news. Upon an online search, they found a mugshot of Pepper with the name Rosemary Woodhouse. The scene shifts to Katy’s apartment, where intervention is held for Pepper. She tries to get out of it somehow by making the lamest excuses. She fights her friends, Josie is yelled at and she storms off. But before she’s out Katy’s door, she invites all her friends to the opening of the Pepper Plant. The woman has swum through muddy waters to achieve what she always wanted to. So if she wants her friends to be there, we side with her on this one. As Katy follows Pepper to just talk, it leads to an ugly confrontation between the two in Katy’s hallway. Pepper tells her all about Guy LaMontagne’s thefts. It is Guy who steals her designs. There are some shots fired, such as Pepper telling Katie that she was stupid enough to let Guy whatever he wanted and not stand up for herself. Pepper reminds Katy that it was only when she became somebody, Pepper made friends with her. It was the only way someone with Pepper’s past could make it. As Pepper is spitting facts in the hallway, Katy does nothing but stare at her helplessly. The last shot is when Pepper calls out Katy for her high society acquaintances and her casual lending of a “helping hand” was nothing but a ginormous self-serving activity. The Pepper Plant finally opens and all of Pepper’s friends, Josie, Jorge, and Katy show up there. Though it isn’t like how Pepper had hoped it would be with all her friends cheering for her. The three have fake smiles plastered all over their faces as they struggled to come to terms with Pepper’s truth. There is an on-stage performance by Josie and the Pussycats, who sing Cyndi Lauper’s ‘She Bop’. a workspace for Ginger’s ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ performance. For Pepper’s best friends, Katy, there is a dedicated corner workspace meant to showcase and sell her original dresses. Pepper’s shady past and present, aside, she didn’t just cheat to get where she is. The whole thing involved hard work. As she looks around to see her dream fulfill, she smiles at the magnanimous scenes. Her friends know her truth, Pepper Plant has finally opened. But before she knows it, the police storm inside the Pepper Plant to arrest her. And that’s where the curtains close.
