And far to our delight, Kendra and Ben discovered their manner again to 1 one other.
Mary J. Blige’s Energy of A Girl was a worthwhile companion piece to Mary J. Blige’s Actual Love, even when it veered nearer to Lifetime’s common fare with a few of its plots.
Regardless of roughly 15 years aside, the true, trustworthy, first, and actual love between Kendra and Ben lastly prevailed, and so they’re all the higher for it.
It was nice that we obtained to meet up with an grownup Kendra and Ben, not solely following them after they’ve endured many issues of their life and have been way more seasoned, however dropping in throughout a time once we obtained to see the 2 battling these real-life issues that include maturity, relationships, and expertise.
Once more, Ajiona Alexus has actually shined on this double function, sufficient in order that I genuinely look ahead to her future initiatives and what she chooses to partake in subsequent.
It was such a robust distinction between the Kendra from Actual Love — the younger girl who was coming into herself and maturity, discovering her footing, and taking the world on as a recent, younger expertise with nothing however nice issues forward of her, and the established, seasoned girl who discovered some success and was nonetheless battling highs and lows in life.
Alexus did an awesome job capturing the completely different phases of Kendra’s life whereas retaining her true to the character we had come to know.
Though, there have been moments when the flicks felt like two completely various things unrelated to 1 one other. It was simple sufficient to observe one movie with out the opposite.
Whether or not or not it is to the saga’s profit that each work as standalone stays within the air, however the movies did have two distinct vibes.
In some ways, Energy of a Girl felt like the same old Lifetime fanfare, which is not dangerous, however it made the movie considerably predictable.
They threw a bunch of the same old bits at us, from a philandering husband who gaslights and basically disappears midway by way of the film to a tragic miscarriage, betrayal of an in depth good friend, and a second probability at love with the right glad ending.
A few of these issues work properly sufficient, however it shifted from Actual Love‘s recent, unique vibe and have become formulaic.
Kendra was a profitable businesswoman who wished to start out a household in a failing marriage with a person who wasn’t proper for her within the least and triggered her nothing however ache and harm.
His therapy and betrayals prompted her to spiral and lose sight of herself for a bit, and solely by way of the loving help of these round her did she make it by way of all of that.
She suffered the tragic loss of a kid after attempting so onerous to have one. She almost tanked her profession due to her spiral, alienating herself and extra.
All of it felt very formulaic, nearly as in the event that they have been checking widespread tropes for a lot of these motion pictures off of a listing, which set free a number of the air from this movie, killing the momentum the primary one constructed up.
Fifteen years later, Kendra had an ideal life; that is the way it appeared on the skin. She discovered success as a photographer, working her personal studio and taking footage of celebrities for magazines.
She married a profitable physician, lived in a beautiful home, and hoped to start out a household. The whole lot appeared excellent, however it was simple to see the cracks when Kendra spent a couple of seconds together with her husband, Kevin.
Credit score the place it is due, Riverdale’s Hamza Fouad did an awesome job enjoying a whole and utter waste of house and a horrible man. There was completely nothing likable or redeemable about Kevin.
He was such an offputting character that it was genuinely a shock that Kendra ever ended up with him within the first place. He did not appear concerned with having a child together with her and blamed their fertility journey for his infidelity.
And regardless of his infidelity, he discovered a technique to be jealous about her reconnecting with Ben, projecting his actions and poor judgment onto her as a substitute of displaying a modicum of grace or humility about her forgiving him and giving him a second probability.
He wasn’t even good at dishonest, which by some means made him much more loathsome. It did not even appear to be he knew Kendra properly or cared about her in any respect, so the concept that they ever reached some extent the place they have been contemplating beginning a household felt unbelievable.
And probably the most offputting moments of the movie was his conduct throughout that dinner. He was the one who wished to spend time with Ben, then he spent the whole meal tipsy, making digs, and being inappropriate.
It is one factor to behave that manner when it is simply the adults, however his rudeness and offensive remarks whereas Sonny and Miles have been there have been unforgivable.
How do you make digs a couple of man having a baby early and implying that he was irresponsible and ruined his life in entrance of that man’s little one?
It did not appear to be he’d get any decrease, however then we obtained that unsavory twist of him being the daddy of Terry’s little one. By that time, it was evident that Kev was a slimeball, so it wasn’t even surprising that he fathered a child outdoors his relationship with Kendra and by no means informed her about it.
However to know that he slept with and shared a baby with Kendra’s solely finest good friend for years, with neither telling her the reality was a particular type of low.
Terry being a part of this was probably the most disappointing points of the movie. A part of the difficulty is that Kendra is depicted as not having some other significant friendships at this stage of her life.
It is solely Terry, the lady who was nothing however a good friend and help to her again in school. It would not even really feel true to the character that her finest good friend, who helped her by way of a sexual assault and all the time had her again by way of the roughest of instances in her life, would contribute to inflicting her any strife.
It did not really feel true to what we have realized of Terry that she would hold this enormous secret, cover that Kevin fathered her son, and even go so far as making Kendra the godmother to this child.
She saved this secret for what? Eight years?
It was such a cliched and contrived flip of occasions that was pure drama for the sake of it. It alienated Kendra in a manner that felt pointless, making it to some extent the place Ben was the one one that wasn’t household she might lean on.
It was one thing that we might’ve finished with out. Sadly, it required so many points of Kendra’s life to collapse earlier than she might discover her manner again to Ben romantically.
However amid all of that, Kendra had some sturdy moments. Earlier than Angela Bassett was slaying us on 9-1-1 as Athena Grant, considered one of her most iconic film moments was setting her dishonest husband’s garments and automobile on hearth. Kendra was channeling Auntie Bernadine from Ready to Exhale by doing one thing comparable.
Kendra toppling down the steps, coping with a dishonest husband, a good friend who betrayed her, and happening career-ending drunken benders have been elements of the story that weren’t compelling.
However her moments as an aunt, spending time with Sonny, have been nice. The 2 of them had such an awesome rapport and bonded so properly, and it was candy to see her move on her ardour for images to Sonny.
It was genuinely good that they’d one another to lean on after Kendra’s father died.
Clearly, her moments with Ben have been additionally a spotlight of the movie. The chemistry between the leads is the strongest promoting level for this saga, and every time they share a scene collectively, all the pieces else appears to fade away.
It was stunning to listen to that Kendra had appeared at Ben’s door someday after she left and hoped to rekindle issues and be collectively.
It did not work out then, and he wished to stay issues out with Connie for Miles’ profit, however that appeared some extent of competition for them after they crossed paths once more on the school reunion.
However Ben, he all the time says the perfect issues. He is the very antithesis of men like Kev, making him the right romantic lead. When he informed her that every time she informed their love story, he wanted her to chorus from ever implying that he did not all the time select her, a woman could not assist however swoon a bit.
It felt like Ben disappeared on this film in some ways. He had some moments that evoked combined emotions too.
On the one hand, it was disappointing that he turned a lawyer, understanding that he basically gave in to his mother and father in some capability.
As a lot as his story was about what impressed him was touching, there’ll all the time be that chance that he subconsciously obtained worn down and ended up giving in to his mother or father’s needs, permitting them to affect him in that manner and imagine that he made this choice himself.
In some ways, it will’ve been a stronger motivation if his personal brush with the regulation had impressed him after what occurred with Kendra in school.
However not less than he is a public defender, which fits him properly and what he desires to do in his life, serving to individuals.
I want we had spent extra time on Ben, although that is so clearly Kendra’s story.
Unsurprisingly, we have been aware about his and Connie’s relationship not understanding, the vindictive issues that Connie did, and so forth, however Connie did not even seem.
And whereas it was good to see that his mom wasn’t nonetheless that classist, snobby girl who handled Kendra like filth, it will’ve been higher in the event that they shared extra screentime collectively and possibly had an in-depth dialog in order that his mom’s sudden turnaround wasn’t handed to Kendra secondhand by way of him.
For him and Kendra to be collectively, seeing her in his world a bit extra would’ve been refreshing.
Nonetheless, it was satisfying to see the pair work issues out. Kendra selecting to be with Ben and never working away on the hardships and problems of what his life brings as a father was a mark of her progress and talent to decide on her personal happiness.
Kendra discovered some empowerment and love by way of her experiences.
One of many movie’s finest scenes was her, her sister, and her niece singing, dancing, and bonding. It was this lovely show of womanhood that tapped splendidly into feminine bonds, energy, and help.
These are treasured moments that the movie might’ve used extra of because it lived as much as its title in all points.
It was a strong conclusion to this love story, Kendra selecting to go together with Ben to North Carolina, to be with him and the opposite individuals who matter to her.
As a result of there’s nothing flawed with making selections like that for oneself with out it reflecting poorly or being overly simplified as a girl following a person. Kendra adopted her coronary heart and happiness.
Over to you, Lifetime Fanatics. Did you benefit from the conclusion to this saga? Pontificate beneath!
Jasmine Blu is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching manner too many exhibits and binge-drinking manner an excessive amount of tea. Her eclectic style makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complicated characters, numerous illustration, dynamic duos, compelling tales, and responsible pleasures. You will undoubtedly discover her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Observe her on Twitter.
