'Undercover High' Season 1, Episode 7 'Stage Fright' Recap: The Stage Is A Friend [SPOILERS]

“Undercover High” continues to be a torture pit of emotions and moral dilemmas. But Season 1, Episode 7, entitled “Stage Fright,” has got to be the most emotional one yet. Highland Park High School launched their first-ever talent show. And for a moment, even the adults forgot they were adults. “Stage Fright” focuses on newfound hope and chances for everybody.

Seen and Heard At Last

Jorge and Nikki, two of the undercover adults, have been busy nurturing the students of Highland Park with their friendship. Nikki’s maternal instincts built her a reputation as anybody’s confidante. One of Nikki’s classmates confessed that she is in danger of going into foster care. Another told Nikki that she freaks out if she doesn’t cry every night. In the hallway, a girl told Nikki about her sister having a third baby before she was even 20. The undercover adult said she didn’t have this kind of mentorship and guidance in her high school. She was looking forward to filling in this role for her peers.
Meanwhile, Jorge saw himself in a shy and quiet girl in his English class named Alijah. Opposite to who he is now, Jorge admitted to being the shy and quiet kid who didn’t have a lot of friends. He said it was lonely not having people who wanted to get to know him.
“What’s the point?” he asked,“Of being here, being in school, being alive, if no one’s gonna give you the chance to get to know you?” Like Jorge, Alijah knew what it was like to be isolated and lonely because of being the shy kid. It was Ms. Walton who made her feel that she was good enough. Alijah showed her appreciation through a poem. This act has given life to Jorge’s biggest objective as an undercover adult in “Undercover High”–to inspire the kids to be confident.

The Backstage Curtains

Antonio is one of the school’s most liked kids. However, the police caught him dealing drugs. Daniel, one of the undercover adults, has been checking up on him. Antonio’s court date is looming over him. On top of that, he is also worried about being the talent show’s MC. He told Daniel that he was keeping focused, writing a lot more and trying to stay positive. But the court date wasn’t the only thing on Antonio’s shoulders.
Antonio lost friends because of the arrest. He thought everyone was judging him. He explained that no matter how good of a kid you are, a single mistake will have everybody feeling differently about you. On top of all that, he’s also stressed because of his mom. In a heart to heart conversation, Antonio’s mom confessed that she was still hurting over what happened. Antonio said that he learned to make smarter choices. However, he didn’t think that the situation was that serious. Tears sprung to his mother’s eyes when she told him that she didn’t believe that he woke up one day and wanted this to happen. She then asked for a heartfelt apology to which Antonio obliged.
Looking down, Antonio said, “I’m sorry for letting you down, even when you believed in me, [I] thought I was better than that.” Antonio’s mom replied that nothing has changed, she still believed in him and wanted the judge to see that her son made a mistake. But that doesn’t mean that his mistake will rule his life. He can still have a career and follow his dreams. The pair ended in a tight hug with a sincere smile on Antonio’s lips.
To help Antonio more, Daniel sought the advice of Dr. New, the school’s principal. Dr. New told Daniel that Antonio needed someone to believe in him genuinely. He needs someone to let him see that he can move forward despite his mistakes.
In another corner, Alijah told Jorge that she felt that people didn’t want to be around her or thought she was weird. Jorge explained that people targeted people who didn’t stick up for themselves. He went back to his own experience saying, “Ok, they’re saying that I’m gay. And I know I’m gay. Imma just be gay. And imma just do me.” He went on to convince Alijah to use her writing to step out of her comfort zone and reach out to people. Jorge successfully chased away her doubts and got her into the talent show.
Meanwhile. Jorge’s sister, Lina, is worried about the increasing immigrant deportations around the area. Students were flooding Facebook with statuses like “I’m loving this border patrol,” and “They should just go back to Mexico.” Even if they are not in danger of being deported, Lina feels that insensitive comments like these make the Hispanic community feel like the underdogs. However, she is determined to stay positive. It’s for the sake of her Hispanic friends, Vanessa and Itzelt and their performance for the talent show.

The Storms Before the Calm

Highland Park is buzzing with excitement over the talent show. But a few days before it, the grief of loss struck two people. Shane, one of the undercover adults, and the kick-starter of the school’s radio station received a call from his sister. His grandfather whom he was very close to was given less than two days to live. Without hesitation, Shane flew back home to get there in time to say his goodbye.
Alijah also lost a grandparent. Not getting to say goodbye to her grandmother upset her. Ms. Walton gave her some balloons and told her that she could write down her goodbyes and set them free. With Jorge’s help, she let go of all the messages she wanted to say to her grandma. In light of this, Jorge hopes that with his past experiences, he could help Alijah be more comfortable with herself and try new things. He wanted her to find her inner voice and her shine and be confident.
In her house, Nikki was horrified to see a “going to kms” post from one of her friends. She was browsing through her friends’ posts when she saw the girl’s post which meant “going to kill myself.” Nikki immediately asked her if she was serious. The girl replied that she had never been more serious in her life. This act prompted Nikki to contact the police and asked them to check up on the girl before she called Dr. New. After alerting her, Dr. New called the cops herself. Later, it was confirmed that the girl didn’t push through with her threat and was safe. Nikki realized that she needed to find a way to have a lasting effect on the students. She wanted them to have a safe space in school where they could be themselves.

Highland Park’s Got Talent

The Highland Park talent show opened with a bang. Lina, Vanessa, and Itzelt smashed their performance with Lina flourishing it off with a backflip. Before the show, Vanessa was near backing out. But she stayed, and she slew. Halfway through, a student got booed off the stage. According to one student, after bearing their hearts to the audience, being booed off is the most hurtful thing they can experience. This predicament made Jorge nervous. Alijah agreed to do the talent show to be seen and show everyone that despite her quiet nature, she is still strong. He said that it’d make him feel so guilty if the audience started booing at them.
Their performance hit off with a few seconds of technical difficulty. Not even halfway through the performance, someone booed. But the pair pushed through. Their poem ended with “So as she stands, she asks herself what other kids out there asks. When will the bullying stop? When will I be visible?” The lights turned on, and aside from the applause, people were standing for them. Jorge said he had never seen Alijah smile like that before. Backstage, Alijah told Jorge that she almost broke down when she heard that boo. But Jorge reminded her how much people were standing in applause for them in the end. He asked, “Did it really matter?” Alijah shook her head and with a smile answered, “I felt like I kinda made a difference.”
Antonio’s jitters vanished once he stepped on stage. The crowd loved him. According to Daniel, Antonio might’ve found who he wants to be. In the midst of the show, Antonio’s mom pulled Daniel outside for a moment. Daniel commended Antonio’s hosting skills, telling her that he was a funny character on stage. He added that it was what made Antonio one of a kind. “He’s the light in the room when it’s dark,” he said.
Antonio’s mom asked Daniel what made him look past Antonio’s mistakes, unlike the others. Daniel said that what made him reach out to Antonio is the kid’s good spirit. He believes that Antonio’s error is just one wrong decision. It doesn’t dictate his future. Whatever happens, Daniel thinks that Antonio can control it. Antonio’s mom believes that Daniel is the person in Antonio’s life who genuinely cares about him. By this, she was asking him to have Antonio’s back.
Dr. New said the talent show was an opportunity for kids who aren’t part of significant school activities like sports to show their talents. She saw it as an avenue for students who haven’t discovered their place.
On the next episode, Nikki will be forming a group she thinks might be able to help the girls in the school. Lina and Jorge’s mom is coming to visit, and Lina is hoping she can convince Vanessa to think about going to college. Erin, another of the undercover adults, is going to try to help out a girl determined on enlisting in the military to get away from her home life. And Gloria, the newest addition to the gang of undercover adults, is set to discover shocking revelations about her new friend.
“Undercover High” continues Tuesday, February 27th, with “Undercover in Trouble” at 10/9c on A&E.