Amen! In I Am Cait‘s season 2 finale on Sunday, April 24, Caitlyn Jenner very nearly ran afoul of the law while trying to further LGBT rights in Texas, Ella Giselle worked on her relationship with her father, and the whole gang crashed a church service. In between those encounters with powerful authority figures, Caitlyn found some time for a little romance, but was it real? Read on to find out!
Daddy Issues
The episode opened on a girls’ night at Caitlyn’s Malibu home, and guess who was there? None other than ex-wife Kris Jenner, who complimented Cait’s outfit (for once!) and hugged the other attendees, which included Jenny Boylan and the rest of the squad. Because it was Kris’ first girls’ night, she got an official bracelet to welcome her!
The next day, Cait and a smaller crew grabbed lunch with Ella’s dad, Peter. He seemed at ease and thanked Caitlyn for all she’d done, not only for Ella, but the trans community in general. He spoke about unconditional love and how easy it was to accept Ella. But in a confessional, Ella told a different story, saying their relationship was strained and she had closed herself off from him.
Later, Cait took the girls skiing! On the plane to Mammoth Mountain, Cait told Ella how great her dad had seemed, and Ella opened up, saying he had misrepresented how tolerant he really was when she began transitioning.
“We kind of sugercoated over the fact that it was like war,” she admitted to a shocked Caitlyn. “All of a sudden, when it was right for him, he decided to take the title of the hero dad.”
Everyone told Ella to talk to her dad, but she seemed unsure of whether she should.
Cait and Candis Sittin’ in a Tree …
After hitting the slopes, everyone went out to eat. As they chitchatted, Ella admitted she has a passion for songwriting and singing, but was too shy to sing when asked. Cait suggested a “barter system,” and the ladies asked Ella what would make her sing. She gushed, “That’s easy!” before telling Caitlyn and BFF Candis Cayne she’d belt a tune if they kissed!
The generous producers and editors at E! then reminded viewers about Caitlyn and Candis’ extra-special relationship by playing a montage that included footage of Caitlyn tucking a dollar bill into a dancing Candis’ dress, the two of them lying in bed together, and Caitlyn dipping Candis as they danced.
Courtney Nanson goaded them along, but C & C were a little hesitant. Courtney double-dog-dared them, and Caitlyn leaned over, brushed Candis’ hair back and … was interrupted by a commercial! You’re lucky you’re reading a recap and didn’t have to spend a commercial break on the edge of your seat like Us!
As you might have guessed, they ended up kissing — and it was some kiss! “That was not the kind of kiss I was expecting!” screamed Courtney after seeing the embrace that Caitlyn later described as the most action she’d gotten in two and a half years.
Row, Row, Fight the Power
When Kate Bornstein and Jenny showed up to the ski trip a while later, Kip Zachary filled them in on the details of the kiss. Ella jumped in when she felt he was understating the amount of tongue involved.
The gossip was cut short, though, when Candis whipped out her phone and read the latest news headlines to the gang. Caitlyn’s preferred presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, had made a statement about his fear that, if allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity, trans people or predators masquerading as trans people could molest kids.
In a confessional, Jenny elaborated, explaining that in Houston, Texas, where Cruz is a senator, the HERO Act, which guaranteed rights to LGBT people, was repealed. That had been done largely with his help.
Jenny asked Caitlyn if she would be willing to talk to Republican lawmakers about the detrimental effects of repealing the HERO Act and implementing other anti-LGBT laws. She said she didn’t want to get political, and Kate pushed her, saying, “You’re in a position to actually change things!”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Caitlyn was becoming more and more energized about defending the trans community but was stubborn about recognizing that conservatives were largely “against” them. As a member of both communities, she was struggling to come to terms with that, so Jenny made her sit down and review who, exactly, had repealed the HERO Act. It was Republican lawmakers.
“They’re not my people if they’re against this issue,” she said. “I’m not cheering them on!”
“You are! You’re voting for Ted Cruz!” insisted Kate.
Slowly, it became clear to Caitlyn that by supporting him, she quietly cosigned on his mistreatment of the LGBT community; she could not pick and choose which parts of his rhetoric to support. She resolved to go to Houston herself to speak to the pastors and politicians leading the charge against the trans community.
The Girls Are Back in Town
Once the girls were back in L.A., Ella and her dad got lunch. She was ready to confront him. She stuttered through her speech, but managed to tell him that she was disappointed by how he misrepresented the struggles they’d gone through when she considered emancipation and began transitioning.
He acknowledged the pain he had caused and apologized. They got emotional, and it was obvious that Ella had done the right thing by speaking to him.
Also on a mission to do the right thing was Caitlin, who took her squad to Houston, where they met with Mara Keisling, the founding executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality.
With Kate and Mara’s encouragement, Caitlyn decided to walk into some public bathrooms and leave a sign that said, “A trans woman was here, and nothing bad happened!” She was informed that it could mean being arrested, but she didn’t care.
They put their signs in a number of women’s rooms around the city without getting arrested, so they moved on to finding some pastors. When they called a local church and announced who they were, they were hung up on.
The Squad That Prays Together, Stays Together
What did the ladies do after this injustice? They went to church!
Everyone was “petrified” about “walking among people who [didn’t like them],” but they were determined to prove that the Bible’s scriptures could be interpreted in a way that made room for trans people in the faith community. Thus, they walked in “with love in [their] hearts.”
They attended two services without the cameras. Afterward, they spoke in the van about how kind everyone had been.
“It was all worth it for the four-minute conversation Caitlyn had with the reverend,” gushed Kate. “Caitlyn said to him, ‘I need you to know that your comments … are highly offensive to me and to all trans people.’ No one has said that to his face before!”
Everyone went out for margaritas feeling proud and optimistic about the future. They all went around the table, congratulating Caitlyn on her growth as a person and advocate. She cried as she thanked them for joining her on her journey of self-discovery throughout the season.
“I always know that I have my little group of girls that got my back, and I love you all,” she said.
Tell Us: Did they get through to the pastors in Texas?
I Am Cait airs on E! Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
