SWITCHED AT BIRTH “Portrait of My Father” Review

SWITCHED AT BIRTH “Portrait of My Father” Season 1 Episode 3 - Tonight we have another enjoyable episode, but I am feeling a little bogged down by all the implied meaning and heady significance that inevitably comes with a show like SWITCHED AT BIRTH. Fortunately the show does seem to be introducing elements for lighter story lines in the future.

Again big issues are addressed in tonight’s episode, “Portrait of My Father”: rich versus “normal”; insensitivity toward deaf culture; fear of disappointment; insecurity; judgment. Everyone is dealing with their unconventional new family and getting to know each other in their own ways.

Daphne experiences too much dad and me time. Bay is getting perhaps too little attention from Regina, but plenty from Ty. Regina is trying to go with the flow, but actually is just being passive, fearful of disappointing Bay. Kathryn wants to take things head-on to avoid any personal implications that may surface.

Bay is trying so hard to embrace her new background that her exuberance parallels Kathryn’s frenetic attempt to control everything. They’re both trying to make up for lost time, seemingly out of fear of losing their present. That was an emotional scene when Kathryn explains to Regina that the only thing she was good at was being a mother and she didn’t even know she was raising someone else’s daughter. So now what is she left with? This sums up why she is reluctant to reveal the truth. Bay is equally insecure, wondering if everything has been a lie and if she is the odd man out. She is straddling between jealousy and freedom, as attention is paid on Daphne. I could feel her relief when Toby tells her, “you’re so mom,” as well as when her dad says “I’m not sure that anybody would know [what you painted], but I did.”

Liam admits to being a jerk for not coming to Daphne’s defense with his boorish friends. Okay we’ll forgive him this once for being in an unfamiliar situation and not knowing what to do. And anyway, Daphne moves out of her comfort zone to accept Liam’s apology. But for reasons unknown I was a little creeped out at times by his winning smile. It was probably just me questioning his sincerity. Also I found the phone conversation between the two of them very interesting. I’ve never seen sign language communication via videophone. The interpreter wouldn’t actually put in his two cents, would he?!

Ty apologizes to Bay for overreacting at her offer of money, though she really was being a bit patronizing and (as Toby eloquently says) “might as well have cut off his testicles.”

No one will talk to Bay about her biological father. What did he do?

So far in all three episodes of Switched at Birth, Bay and Daphne have asked who would I have been and what would my life have been like. I think Kathryn gives the answer when she notes that we are all human and flawed – whoever we are and whatever our background.

What did you think of episode 3 “Portrait of My Father” of Switched at Birth? Comment below.