Cassius is at the forefront of "All That I Got Is You," an episode that devotes its hour to concluding some of the biggest plot lines that had initially brought Cassius to Beverly in the first place. But before Cassius can finally deal with his issues head-on, he takes every excuse possible to avoid returning to the Showcase or talking to his wife, Ava.
“All That I Got Is You” spends most of its time following Cassius trying to be helpful to Jordan and Layla as they go through the emotional turmoil of Olivia being in the hospital. While a doctor confirms early on that Olivia is stable, Cassius still sticks around, offering to pick up things from Jordan and Layla’s house for Olivia to bring back to the hospital, as well as grabbing a sandwich for Jordan after he nearly collapses from a blood sugar spike after not eating while worrying about his sister.
“All That I Got Is You” presents Cassius as running from his problems at Beverly by staying away from the Showcase. But he does not seem to be thinking about how his decision to remain at the hospital would directly impact KJ. While Cassius may not have been aware that KJ had taken on an administrative role to cover for Cassius rather than jumping into Showcase activities, that is still no excuse for not returning as soon as he could. Cassius was supposed to be in charge, and Jordan and Layla had the hospital covered. While Cassius may be looking at his offers to help as being a good family member to the Bakers, he is still not being there for his son in an activity that he planned to help KJ be noticed.
It takes Ava directly confronting Cassius and forcing him to speak to her for him to finally admit to everything he has been holding in. Yet, the writing of these scenes is directly contradictory, to the point that the dialogue even references it. Ava informs Cassius that he needs to get back to Beverly immediately because KJ has taken on the adult responsibility of covering for Cassius rather than focusing on his future. Ava's original first priority is getting Cassius to step away from waiting for Jordan's sandwich to make sure that their son is alright and can go back to performing, rather than staying in charge. She is placing her son at the top of the list, but only for a little while.
Apparently, Cassius wins out in the fight to wait for Jordan’s sandwich, giving Cassius and Ava time to have a full, lengthy conversation where they finally discuss how Cassius had chosen not to re-propose to Ava because he had just been informed that his job was on the line, and he may not be able to help provide for their family. When Ava asks for more information, Cassius calls Ava out for choosing to have a long conversation when she was the one who initially wanted him to leave quickly. However, he does continue on with the conversation, admitting that his embarrassment prevented him from taking that step forward with Ava, and then making a deal with Cliff added to the snowball effect, as it took Cassius too long to realize the lengths Cliff was willing to go to. But in none of this does Ava show any of the urgency she had to get Cassius back to the Showcase to help KJ. Instead, it appears that Ava is now prioritizing getting answers from Cassius for herself rather than getting him back to KJ as quickly as possible.
Cassius does eventually return to the Showcase and finally stands up to Cliff, making it clear that Cassius is not going to play his game anymore. Cassius will not be responsible for helping Cliff destroy the Baker family legacy, the direct opposite of what Cassius had originally arrived in town to do. This moment is meant to show how much Cassius has grown to appreciate the Bakers and how he has come to see them as family.
Another big answer also comes out of this when Cassius reveals to Jordan that he is stepping down from the Head Coaching position race at Beverly High School. Cassius' decision to officially stop competing for the job, giving Jordan full support and permission to take the role if Jordan decides he wants it, puts a final end to the rivalry over the role. While Jordan still needs to make his final decision, putting an end to the fighting allows for Cassius and Jordan's relationship to calm down again, allowing them to be on lighter, more positive ground as the series heads into its final episodes. Granted, Jordan still needs to make his decision about where he ultimately wants to end up.
“All I Got Is You” also continues the trend from “Feels” that Spencer is still not picking up his phone. Almost everyone else has finally gotten the message, but Spencer remains nowhere to be found. Spencer would never have left Olivia in a position where she could not reach him, and he had insisted on her staying with Jordan and Layla overnight. The search for Spencer comes across as too forced, especially because “Best Friends” had already emphasized that Spencer was being very protective of Olivia.
So, why would he not pick up his phone? This storyline emphasizes the troubles in season 8's pacing. Within the world of the show, no one can reach Spencer for what is only likely a handful of hours. While that is still too long to be believable that no one could get ahold of Spencer for that long in general, having several episodes take place during this one Saturday makes it feel like it is taking Spencer even longer than it should for him to get the message and arrive at the hospital.
“All I Got Is You” features Jordan, Layla, and Coop in the episode’s main subplots. Coop’s role shows her running around, trying to figure out where Spencer went and reach him. She is unsuccessful but seems to be getting the ball rolling through public media. Coop makes a deal with one of the reporters who has made Coop's doorstep their new home. In exchange for helping Coop get a public message out into the world for Spencer to contact her, Olivia, Jordan, or Layla, Coop will give the reporter an exclusive interview about Preach. This plan creates a bigger, more public chance for Spencer to see people are trying to reach him while hoping to use the interview as a way to help get Preach out of prison.
Meanwhile, Layla and Jordan finally start talking about the several details that Layla has omitted from Jordan recently, including a direct purchase offer for Layla’s record label. Of course, “All I Got Is You” does not have time to do much for Jordan and Layla other than set up how they have a few important conversations coming up.
This Cassius-centric episode succeeds in giving Cassius closure for the biggest storylines his character has faced since his arrival in season 7. He has made sure to keep the bond with KJ alive. He has reconciled his relationship with Ava. He has built a familial bond with Jordan. Cassius even writes a letter to his estranged father. This episode spends its time devoted to tying up loose ends for Cassius as the series prepares for its final sendoff. But while it may successfully close the door on a majority of Cassius’ emotional arcs, “All I Got Is You” still shows plenty of holes in season 8’s pacing.
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