Roderick rejoins the other men, as Iyanla forces them to accept what they’ve done.
The episode picks up with Roderick returning to the group. Iyanla stands behind her anger towards his mother.
She then plays as his mother, and asks for forgiveness for causing many issues in his life as a child.
Afterwards, Iyanla has the men carry their foundations outside to a courtyard. She wants them to acknowledge and accept the issues that caused problems in their lives. She has the men lay out their bricks and stand on them. Next, they walk to the edge of their foundations and hands them a card. Willie’s says “I Did It.”
He tells Iyanla he killed his friend and accepts responsibility. Willie then is handed the card to perform the exercise with the other men. Iyanla hopes the men take ownership of their past and take accountability. He takes it to Omar who has trouble taking ownership at first. Iyanla has him look at his foundation and tells him he can accept responsibility, “without beating himself up.”
Omar reveals a tragic and devastating secret.
At this point Iyanla realizes Omar is holding back, so she takes him aside and asks if he was s*xually assaulted. He nods and says yes, he was. She gets him to say he was violated between 4-5 years old. He says a male friend of the family assault him. He tries to shrug it off, but she tells him that what happened to him wasn’t okay.
She then tells him that him holding back is harming Omar’s relationship with his son.
“Can you have some compassion for him?” – Iyanla
She then has him stand on his foundation to own the trauma he suffered from molestation. He reluctantly accepts this challenge, which results in him saying everything caused him to “kill somebody.”
Lamar, during his turn says, “I took somebody’s child.”
“I still — tote it around with me. I tried to make an excuse for what I did but I could’ve done something different.” – Lamar
Iyanla tells him that he “couldn’t do something different,” pointing to the younger image of Lamar on his shirt.
This breaks him down and cries in Iyanla’s arms.
Lastly, Roderick says he “let his little brother down and took another black man’s life. I did it.”
Iyanla then tells them to own their foundations.
“Remember, you’re talking for him.” – Iyanla
She then cuts off the sorts of each man and washes them with the water from their washing table. Then she have them stop off of their foundations, and tells them “you’re free!”
“Now, they have no foundation.” – Iyanla
The men begin to rebuild foundations, but Willie struggles with Donterio being his son.
Later on, Iyanla has Lamar talk to his wife Kimberly in effort to set a new, clean foundation. He tells Kimberly that he doesn’t know how to have an adult relationship.
“I feel like I’m inadequate. I don’t believe in myself.” – Lamar
Kimberly says, “I believe in you.”
They then kiss, at the encouragement of Iyanla. She says she cast off his past and can live in his truth.
Next, Iyanla has Deshaun and Donterio have conversations with their fathers Omar and Willie, in an effort to rebuild their relationships.
First, Omar speaks to Deshaun, who Iyanla says needs to open up and share his truth. Omar tells Deshaun that he was he was still mentally a child when he got out of prison. He also says he wants him to be successful. Iyanla jumps in and tells Deshaun to reveal the disappointments in his life.
He tells Omar that he was jealous of his friends because their fathers were in their lives. However, that feeling changed and he isn’t disappointed anymore, and forgives him for not being there.
Lastly, Willie’s son Donterio tells him that he’s angry that he wasn’t there “when he needed him first.”
“I want you here now, and you’re still not here. You’re not the father I wanted.” – Donterio
Willie responds by saying that he’s angry and feels Donterio is lying, and Donterio gets angry too, shedding a tear. Iyanla steps in. She asks if Willie knows Donterio, and he says no.
“I feel like he don’t want to get to know me. I feel like you don’t want me to be your son.” – Donterio
Willie apologizes and tells him “I think I deceived you; having you thinking you’re my son. I really feel you’re not my son.”
Iyanla tells them both that they will have to take a DNA test to resolve this.
“5 to 7 days, we’ll know the results.” – Iyanla
Roderick then asks Willie, “Will it matter?”
“Your son got you through many days. Why you ain’t tell him he got you through?” – Roderick
Roderick is “adopted” by Iyanla.
Iyanla then takes Roderick one on one for a surprise because none of his family members showed up for him during the last session. She tells him that she’s proud of him, acting as his mother.
“You need a mama. I’d love to adopt you.” – Iyanla
He accepts and says, “I don’t know how to have a family, but I need one.”
They then embrace one another.
The men come back together, with Lamar and Willie’s wives present, to celebrate their achievements. Iyanla performs a feet washing ceremony to baptize them in a new beginning. She then prays over each man.
After their time together, Roderick is happy to be “adopted” by Iyanla, with doors opening up for him. This includes his family no longer being homeless, and now living in an apartment.
Lamar has learned to trust his closest circle, including his wife and family. Omar and his son Deshaun work out together, building on their bond.
Willie finally learns Donterio’s paternity.
Lastly, Willie returns in a week with Donterio to find out the results of their DNA test. The men haven’t spoken since the session. Willie finds out that Donterio is his son. Donterio says, ”Deep down, he wanted him not to be his son.”
Willie replies, “He knows why.” Iyanla tries to get him to explain this, and gets him to say he wanted a son that he could raise.
Iyanla tells Donterio he doesn’t need a father to become the man he wants to be.
“You deserve better.” – Iyanla
Willie lastly says to Donterio, “Be better than me. I do hope and pray you’re better than me. That’s for sure.”
According to the update at the end of the episode, their relationship has improved and they speak at least once a week.
What are your thoughts on the season finale?
