'Secret Life of the American Teenager' recap: One marriage proposed, another collapses

For the last four weeks, I’ve been waiting for Secret Life to deliver a water-cooler-worthy episode, something that validates my guilty-pleasure viewing of a teen-targeted show (even though I’m a little older than the desired demographic group). And based on your week-to-week comments, I don’t think I’ve been alone in my desire to see ABC Family’s summer hit kick things up a notch. Well, at last, last night’s episode left me audibly gasping — on three separate occasions, no less.

Amy’s not-so-secret is pretty much out at this point: Mean girls are gabbing behind her back, parents are using the news to sugarcoat their own kids’ slip-ups, and even the school counselor has figured out what’s growing under Amy’s flowing tops. We’re just waiting for Mama Ringwald to catch on (next week, my friends!).

After watching Amy gobble down a pile of chicken wings, boyfriend/wounded puppy Ben got down on bended knee and proposed to his pregnant sweetheart. (A word of warning to impressionable young girls in the audience, such Prince Charmings are an extreme rarity in the under-18 set.) Problem is, while Ben is determined to do right by Amy, that’s not necessarily the same thing as doing what’s right for her. And that’s just one of the tough questions hidden under all that ooey gooey ABC Family cheese: What is right for Amy? Should she have an abortion? Should she tell Ricky? Should she tell her mother? Should she pretend Ben’s the baby daddy and get hitched? Should she have the baby but give it up for adoption Juno-style?

addCredit(“American Teenager: Randy Holmes”)

More truths got spilled by high-school frenemies last night, too. When that namelessbrunette told Grace that there was a blowjay or two involved in Jackand Adrian’s little tryst, the blonde good-girl took it to the hallway (arethese kids ever in class?) to confront her ex, and that’s when she found out he only began dating her in an effort to secure her family’s patronage anddonations to his stepdad’s church. The icy-cold truth made it all the more satisfying, however, when the self-righteous cheerleaderfinally stood up for herself and cut off communication with her doofus ex.

Oh! And in other news, what’s this about Amy and Ashley’s dad leaving Molly Ringwald Mrs. Juergens for Adrian’s mom? Whaaaa? Ididn’t see that coming until Adrian’s muy caliente madre startedtalking about her new boyfriend, and how he’d be staying with her until hegot back on his feet. Now that’s a scandal worthy of a Tivo season pass!

So how did you like this week’s new developments? Many of you hadmixed feelings on the show’s legitimacy — was last night any more or less like thehigh school you remember? Andwhen will we get the flashback to Amy and Ricky’s night together already?