Ride continually shows that a family’s love is unconditional, and on Ride Season 1 Episode 9, when Valeria confessed everything about her past, the McMurrays still accepted her, unlike her father and his wife.
Valeria had been running for so long and had difficulty trusting anyone.
Even though Austin was the oldest McMurray sibling, he doubted his family’s love too and also got into deep trouble, and he only trusted Valeria to help him.
After Grace Booker recognized her, Valeria knew she only had a limited time before her father found her. Even though Valeria usually acts strong, she’s still afraid of her father.
Something about her father made her feel like a scared teenager again.
Valeria felt like she lost everything when her mom died. Her dad couldn’t wait to ship her off to a farm school instead of helping her grieve her mother.
Teenagers should feel safe and secure, not like their world is about to be ripped away from them.
People think money will solve your problems. Just because you have it doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen to you. If you don’t have love, what good is it anyway?
Valeria
While the flashbacks were necessary for explaining Valeroa’s background and how Austin introduced her to the McMurrays, the wigs and coloring were awful.
Sara Garcia and Marcus Rosner did not look like teenagers, and some of those flashbacks were distracting.
It made more sense why Valeria felt indebted to Austin since he was the one who initially found her and brought her to the McMurray Ranch.
Austin gave Valeria the only family in which she had ever felt safe. That was a plot twist since she became best friends with Tuff and Missy.
No one realized Austin was in such deep trouble because he hid it so well. He never wanted his family to see him as anything but the rodeo hero.
That put Valeria in an awful position, especially when she learned Austin knew who she really was and that her family was wealthy.
Valeria: Please. I can’t go back there.
Austin: I’m begging you here. If something happens to me, God knows what he’ll do to the ranch. Don’t do it for me. Do it for them.
Valeria tried to keep Austin’s secret from the McMurrays, and she ran away again as soon as Tucker Clarke came to the ranch demanding more money.
For most of Ride Season 1, the McMurrays assumed Tucker was harassing Valeria about her gambling debts. Isabel was the first to suspect Valeria and Austin’s troubles were connected, but she never guessed how badly.
Both Cash and Missy felt guilty. They never realized how moody Austin was before his last ride. When Missy recognized the bells in Austin’s previous message, she knew he had to be in debt.
Like the rest of the family, Valeria wished she knew how much trouble Austin was in. When he died, she felt like she failed him, and she tried pawning a stolen necklace.
Hearing everything Tucker had done to their family made Cash spiral out of control.
I was ashamed, and Tucker had all this on me. That’s why I stayed away. I’m so tired. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of the lies. I’m afraid he’s never going to stop.
Valeria
Tucker enjoyed having Valeria under his thumb and controlling her, so he didn’t want to give that up yet. He also enjoyed getting under the McMurrays’ skin by implying that Cash would never amount to anything.
Initially, Cash controlled his temper. However, a fight ensued when he learned Tucker threatened Austin before his final ride, which affected his headspace.
After being in the service for so long, Cash often thought with his fists first and his head second. How will that affect his reputation?
Now that the McMurrays know all these family secrets, how will things change, especially for Cash and Tuff?
With Tuff facing jail time and more injuries before Cheyenne, will Tuff ever get the private getaway with Julian?
Tuff usually thinks of his family before himself. He hated that he was the last one to know the vital intel, yet no one wanted to burden him even more.
Tuff: Secret voicemails and all these debts reeking around. I’m the only brother you have now. This is it. This all we got – each other — and you won’t even talk to me.
Cash: You worshipped him. I don’t want to take that away from you.
Hopefully, Tuff and Cash can learn to communicate better, and the McMurrays will win at Cheyenne.
Part of me wished Ride Season 1 Episode 9 only focused on Valeria and Austin’s secrets, but it also followed up with how the Bookers handled their daughter canceling the wedding.
Everyone, including Missy’s mom Connie, thought Missy stuck her nose where she should not have. After everything she learned about Austin, Missy considered Laura an inspiration for standing her ground.
Not many women were strong enough to break their engagement because it was wrong for them. Missy finally learned it’s more important to consider yourself in the equation too.
Teaching that to Grace Booker was more demanding, but she’s the most reasonable of the Bookers.
Daniel Booker was not as forgiving as his wife and was determined to make the McMurrays pay.
Hank and Isabel got out at an ideal time, but they’ll need to find other investors if McMurray Stadium is still viable.
With the battle between the McMurrays and the Bookers, are Missy and Gus done for good? Despite feuding families, they didn’t seem like the Romeo and Juliet type of couple that would fight to date each other.
If Ride gets renewed for Season 2, I wonder what place the Bookers will have on the canvas. The family has to have an adversary, but Tucker Clarke may have taken that spot.
“Truths Laid Bare” ended on a cliffhanger as an ideal setup for the Ride Season 1 finale. Hopefully, after all of Cash’s hard work, he’ll still get to ride at Cheyenne.
What will be the consequences of the fight at Tucker’s pawnshop? Will we ever learn why Austin had so many debts?
Have we seen the last of the Bookers?
Comment below.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
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