Ep 9. The Past (Forgotten-Swallowed)

The Past (Forgotten-Swallowed) is an emotional episode of the American TV series Switched at Birth which revolves around the lives of two teenage girls who discover that they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. As the season 3 progresses, the girls find themselves struggling to come to terms with their biological identities and their families' past secrets.

The episode opens with Daphne Vasquez (played by Katie Leclerc) getting ready for her first day of work at a restaurant owned by her new friend Mingo. Daphne is excited to start her new job but also nervous as she has never worked in a restaurant before. Meanwhile, Bay Kennish (played by Vanessa Marano) is busy researching about her family history and decides to visit her grandmother, whom she has never met before.

As Bay arrives at her grandmother's house, she finds out that her grandmother has Alzheimer's disease. This realization hits Bay hard as she tries to understand her family's history and her own identity. Bay's grandmother initially mistakes her for her daughter and begins to tell her stories about her past life. The episode then flashes back to the 1960s where we see a young woman named Veronica (played by Sharon Pierre-Louis) going through a similar experience.

Veronica was a young woman who was working as a maid for the Kennish family during the 1960s. She had fallen in love with a white man named Edgar, who worked in the Kennish family's garden. However, their love was forbidden at the time due to racial tensions. The episode beautifully explores how Veronica and Edgar spend time together against all odds and how they struggle to keep their love a secret.

As the episode unfolds, we see the struggles Veronica faces trying to maintain the relationship she has with Edgar, while having to keep it hidden from those around her. The storyline delves deep into the racial tensions of the times, as we see the challenges that Veronica and Edgar face just in order to spend time with each other. The performances given by the actors in this episode are particularly poignant, bringing alive the struggles of the characters in this difficult time in history.

The episode ends with both Daphne and Bay coming to terms with the circumstances that define them. Daphne learns to navigate the chaotic world of working in a restaurant and Bay leaves her grandmother's house with a newfound appreciation for her family's past. This episode emphasizes the stability that comes with accepting who we are and where we come from, which is a constant theme throughout Switched at Birth.

Overall, The Past (Forgotten-Swallowed) is a beautifully written episode that highlights the struggles of both the present and the past. The stories of Veronica and Edgar have added an extra dimension to the show and are an important way to remember the challenges of the struggle for racial equality. The episode ends on a heartwarming note, with both Bay and Daphne learning a valuable lesson about the importance of family and acceptance. Fans of the show will undoubtedly love this episode, as it reinforces the show's ongoing themes of self-acceptance and identity.