Rewatched "Secrets and Lies" yesterday. The episode is worse than I remembered it.
-Aunt Hattie, a character we've never seen before and will never see again, is the one that spills the beans. Frank never bothered telling her that Dorian is living there now and to not say anything. She literally goes there for two scenes, says she would be safer in a hotel and never comes back. If I didn't know any better, I would say Frank put a hit out on her.
-The family is way too happy before that. I know Moesha is a sitcom, even at this point in the show, but they're doing way too much to let you know the family is happy. Dorian got a basketball award, his birthday party is coming up, he's turned things around. Frank is smiling like Dee gave him an old-fashioned before the camera started rolling. You're just waiting to see what will ruin everybody's good time.
-Frank doesn't bother explaining anything beyond him saying he made a mistake and Dorian was adopted by his sister. I don't think the writers expected fans to hate this episode so much which is why they had to clean up the story in season six. But when you watch this episode knowing what comes later, it makes it more frustrating because Frank is made out as the villain for everything.
-Frank and Aunt Sandy were just going to tell Dorian all this a year from now, after he turned 18? What kind of conversation were they planning to have?
This is probably the most forced drama I've ever seen in a sitcom. The Parkers did this same storyline later on, but it was handled way better because it only affected one character (Nikki), and they still remembered to have jokes. Like a sitcom.