We’re definitely sensing the awkwardness from new romances in Stitchers 3X02 “For Love or Money”

Camsten fans (us included) rejoined loudly from the rooftops last week when Cameron and Kirsten shared a passionate kiss. Now, we get to go along for the ride as the two find a balance between work and play without angering Maggie in the process. Luckily, a new case comes along to distract them for the time being: a woman named Sabine is murdered via drowning. During the stitch, Kirsten experiences several episodes of increased vital signs and high oxytocin levels. She dismisses the foggy scenes and Cameron’s worries as nothing to focus on. It is determined that her boyfriend Nick is the son of Victor Kaminko of Novagorsk Steel. Sabine was providing information to an unknown man who used it for insider trading. She was asked to plant drugs on Nick, and when she refused, it likely got her killed.

RELATED | STITCHERS 3X02 “FOR LOVE OR MONEY” REVIEW

While the team is working on the case, Maggie asks Camille to introduce herself to the new medical examiner working with the program. Amanda Weston rivals her in both snark and game, quickly turning Camille’s need for information into a night out. Linus is developing feelings for Ivy, and after confronting her about any ongoing involvement with Stinger he asks her out. She later helps with breaking the code on Sabine’s phone, earning his trust. When Kirsten brings her back to the lab to help track Kaminko, Maggie is reluctant but agrees to let her try. She ultimately provides information that leads them to the father and son, saving their lives in the process. Before they close the case, she announces that she is taking Blair’s position and will be appointing Cameron to take on her role when she has to travel.

There was more flirting, awkwardness, kissing, and badass geeking out crammed into this one episode than in all of the past two seasons. Let’s see what our roundtable has to say about what happened this week!

Lauren (@laurensloves13) – Australian made, Stitchers enthusiast, cat mom.

Bruce  (@bruceeaton88) – Sci-fi, mac n’ cheese; yells at TV; usually polite, frequently lost.

Manuel (@Make_The_Bounce) – Web designer & consumer of entirely TOO much caffeine. Unabashed Sci-Fi nerd!

Tess (@CamstenCupcake) – Administrative Assistant. Watching Stitchers & Camsten feels like home.

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1. We got our first look at Anna Akana’s ME character, Amanda Weston. Initial impressions?

Lauren (@laurensloves13): Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of the introduction of new characters when there’s already such a strong dynamic set up in the group, so I was all set up to dislike Amanda on instinct, but I’ll give props where they’re due – Anna Akana has spunk and seems very comfortable with the role she’s been given. There’s no denying the chemistry between Camille and Amanda, it practically sparks off the screen in fact, but aside from a love interest for Camille, was the introduction of Amanda (or any M.E.) really necessary? I’m worried that should it be decided she’s only a short term player, that there’s going to be a hole in the storyline that will need some sort of awkward patch to fix it. I’ll keep my mind open though.

Bruce (@bruceeaton88): Such a great move to introduce another STEM woman…more girl/woman power! Stitchers is a little late to the diversity trend but a LGBTQ character is very exciting and should fit well in the narrative. I loved the initial meeting with Camille where Camille’s gender equality prejudices surface. What do we call a Camille/Amanda blossoming relationship? #Camanda?

Manuel (@Make_The_Bounce): Hellooo Amanda! Talk about your entrances! Intelligent, witty, snarky and very confident, she certainly seems cut from the same cloth as Camille. The fact that she recognized Camille (even knowing her last name) and was SO direct with Camille is really tweaking out my “always looking for a conspiracy” mind! Whether or not she has alternative motives we will see, but she just feels a bit dangerous which, as a viewer I have to admit, is pretty fun to watch!

Tess (@CamstenCupcake): I like how Amanda is similar to Camille, especially when it comes to snarky comments and being outspoken. Both are not afraid to be who they are. When it comes to those things, these two are a good match. Allison and Anna have great chemistry and we’ll see how things between Camille & Amanda will turn out in the coming episodes and if they will get serious. I must say that I did like Camille & Linus, but they were never “really” that serious, so it would be good to see Camille in a serious, committed relationship. I liked how Linus encouraged Camille to see someone else and wasn’t jealous about it. Linus seems very much into Ivy, so it’s good to see Camille & Linus both moving on and being good friends without any hard feelings getting in the way. Camille & Linus both deserve happiness and right now it is with other people.

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2. We get that Linus is grateful Ivy helped him find some closure, but are we worried she is a distraction from his grief?

Lauren: I’m pretty concerned about Linus right now. He’s a good soul, and he really loved his father, and yet we haven’t seen him break down about it to the extent we have come to expect. You could attribute that to the fact that Linus really grew up in the last season, but there’s a real need to grieve here, and the fact that Ivy doesn’t know his history doesn’t work in his favour in that respect. Hopefully when Linus hits the point of breakdown (it has to happen, doesn’t it?), we’ll be pleasantly surprised by Ivy, but history doesn’t exactly favour that, right?

Bruce: Ivy serves as a distraction to be sure. Linus may find some comfort there. He truly seemed joyful when they teamed up to solve the phone unlocking cipher. But there’s a huge potential for unintended, perhaps even disastrous consequences if we don’t trust Ivy.

Manuel: I wasn’t….until you asked me this question! So thanks for that! But seriously, yes I am. A relationship with anyone right now would prevent him from having to deal with his grief so he is especially vulnerable to making bad decisions at this point in time, and Ivy, for various reasons, is a rather complicated choice. It also touches on my “hope that Ivy is genuine in her motives vs. fear that she is not so genuine” nerve. The thing I love about Linus is that he is brave enough to lead with his heart, but boy does that make him a vulnerable target, all the more so right now! If Ivy has her own agenda what better time for her to take advantage of Linus than right now?

Tess: Ivy could be a distraction from Linus’ grief. I think Linus will keep feeling guilty for a while about missing his father’s death and his funeral and it’s normal to feel guilty. I think Linus wants to focus on other things besides his guilt. He’s not someone who wants to dwell on negative things, but he likes to focus on positives and on moving on, even though that’s really hard. Maybe the distraction with Ivy will help him to move on, or maybe not. It’s his own journey. I would like to see Linus’ journey to deal with his grief this season. I really like how we get to see more of Ivy. I hope she can make Linus happy during this difficult time for him and I can’t wait to see Ivy bond with Kirsten even more. When it comes to Ivy, I have a little doubt but I really wanna trust her because it would be so great for Kirsten to have a sincere, real family member. That’s why I’m also applying the “everyone deserves to be trusted until proven otherwise” theory to Ivy.

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3. Poor Camille. She’s so tired of being the tablet holder. Still, do we really think Maggie’s only upset with her about trusting Ivy?

Lauren: Just as an aside, Allison Scagliotti owned this episode. I was glued to the screen every second she was on it, and my heart just about broke for her when Maggie handed the role over to Cameron. Maggie has never really seemed to trust Camille completely, even though her guard has definitely come down over the seasons. Camille wasn’t really trusting Ivy when she made the comment she made; it was more in support of Linus as her friend, and you can’t tell me that Cameron wouldn’t do exactly the same thing if he was put in the same situation with Kirsten. Sure, Camille has skirted the rules in the past, and she’s got a rocky past, but her heart is pure and she’s desperate for some recognition. I’m on Camille’s side here, and Maggie has some serious explaining to do.

Bruce: Maggie’s trying to keep order in the lab and get everything back on track. It’s been a rough last few days. For Maggie, Ivy is still an unverified quantity. It’s not helping that Camille defers to Linus in his trust of Ivy. And it ruins her chance for promotion.

Manuel: No…I didn’t see it as Maggie being upset, but rather, as her being disappointed in Camille’s choice to trust Ivy. Camille, perhaps more so in this episode than any other, showed a vast array of Maggie-like problem solving skills. I feel like Maggie sees it in her too. Perhaps if Camille had chose differently Maggie would have selected her to be in charge in her absence. Maggie did not mince words with Camille when they were conversing in the office afterwards. Letting her know how the consequences of a bad decisions (like trusting Ivy) could affect the entire team, even costing lives. This immediately brought back to my mind the conversation Camille had with Cameron at the beginning of the episode about how his relationship with Kirsten can affect the entire team. Camille has natural leadership skills. Maggie may be giving her the “Maggie brand” of tough love now, but in the long run I think it is to help Camille develop those skills even more.

Tess: Camille looked so convinced she was getting the promotion! She was disappointed and I get it. Maybe Maggie thinks Camille isn’t ready for so much responsibility yet and that Camille gets distracted too quickly. I think Maggie saw the Ivy dilemma as a test case, and Cameron gave the most careful and the most considerate answer. I’m all for Cameron’s promotion but I do hope Cam will still be the one who talks to Kirsten during the Stitches. Cameron & Kirsten’s interaction during stitching is my favorite part of any Stitch. Cameron is someone who’s more cautious about making important decisions, which can be a good and a bad thing for “the head of the program” – especially cause Cameron is already so worried and stressed out about Kirsten. Camille can pilot the Stitch when Cameron can’t, which is also a promotion – and maybe in the future she gets the opportunity to step in as well. I’m curious to see how this new dynamic in the lab is gonna play out, it should be good!

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4. Cameron’s been worried about Kirsten since she arrived in the lab. Why is his anxiety suddenly through the roof?

Lauren: Cameron’s in love! He’s always been super-protective of Kirsten, and he really hates not being in control. The fact that he nearly lost Kirsten in that stitch is going to play on him for a very long time, mainly because he has always banked on the fact that he drives the stitches. He’s actually been uneasy ever since Kirsten’s emotions switched back on, because his algorithms were calculated for someone with temporal dysplasia. Cameron’s a control freak, but Kirsten’s become so relaxed, so hopefully she’ll calm him down because none of us want to see a Dr. Goodkin breakdown.

Bruce: After the essentially failed stitch with Marta and the difficulties with Kirsten’s prolonged sync, it’s no surprise Cameron’s more on edge than ever. Getting dumped by Nina adds to the mix. After some friendly advice from Camille, Cameron puts the brakes on fully embracing Kirsten romantically and their relationship takes an awkward turn. We were hoping for a blossoming #Camsten, but now, there’s more tension between them than ever.

Manuel: I think some of it stems from his genuine love and desire to protect Kirsten now that they are official. But also because he doesn’t fully understand/control/have to ability to quantify what really happened to Kirsten and what the side effects might be on her. He knows that the residual emotion from other peoples’ memories can have a dramatic affect on Kirsten, so, how much more amplified would the affect be of stitching into her own memories. Think about it…he knows that she reported “fog”, he knows that she has been a target, he knows that Stinger is still out there….plenty to be anxious about if you ask me.

Tess: Cameron has always been really worried about Kirsten from the beginning. He’s even more worried now that him and Kirsten are closer, and also because of Kirsten’s emotions being full-on now. And Kirsten hearing something in her mom’s Stitch that he didn’t say, really adds to his concerns. Cameron cares about Kirsten so much and after 3 days of not knowing if he could save Kirsten, he really doesn’t want something bad to happen again. I think that’s why he’s so scared now. I have always loved how worried Cameron is about Kirsten, cause it really shows how much Cameron loves Kirsten. But right now he should be aware of how worried he is, and be alarmed when he’s getting too worried. I wanna see Cameron enjoy the happiness of finally being with the girl he’s loved for a long time. I’m really happy that Cameron & Kirsten are finally together and there will be plenty of issues to test them.

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5. Considering Kirsten heard Blair say that her mother had evolved, why do you think she hasn’t considered the possibility Jacqueline is the one who reached out to her?

Lauren: This has been bugging me the whole time. Why wouldn’t this be the logical conclusion, and if Kirsten hasn’t considered it, then why hasn’t Cameron or Linus? There is a large gaping hole here, and hopefully we’ll get an answer quickly, because I’ll keep yelling at the TV about it until it happens.

Bruce: Blair’s trying to game Kirsten, a valuable NSA asset. The NSA suddenly embraces altruism for a better world? What a crock. Reality check: The moment the stitching process is effective and reliable for live subjects, stitching gets weaponized. Kirsten is smart to be cautious about buying into Blair’s explanation and trying to sort through it with Cameron. She wants to believe but knows what she finds in a stitch may be distorted and incomplete.

Manuel: I really wish I knew the answer to this one! Assuming that she really hasn’t considered it off screen up to this point, the only thing I could guess is that she believes that her mother could not do such a thing while comatose. I have to believe that it will happen again and maybe then she will consider the possibility or perhaps someone else, like Cameron, might bring up the possibility also.

Tess: I think Kirsten thinks it’s not possible that it’s her mom because of Jacqueline being in the chamber for so long. And for her mom to reach out, she would have to get access to a quantum computer (cause Jacqueline doesn’t have one of her own). Or maybe because of Jacqueline evolving there could be a new way for her to leave Kirsten a message in the Stitch? While watching last episode, I immediately thought it was Jacqueline who said “You can’t help me if you’re stuck in here.” It could also be Stinger, but I’m hoping that it’s Kirsten’s mom. I just don’t know how it would be possible for her to leave Kirsten a message in the Stitch.

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6. If we assume somehow Kirsten’s mother did make that statement, do we think she might pop up in a stitch (a la young Cameron/Stinger) soon?

Lauren: Is that too obvious? I’m not discounting the thought mind you, but it just seems like that option has been explored already. Also, surely Stinger would have figured out this loophole and used it to his advantage, rather than inserting himself in stitches in the guise of young Cameron.

Bruce: Yes, it’s got to be sooner than later. It’s too tantalizing to let go for very long. Up to now, the anomaly (a young, red-capped Cam) has been an incursion in a stitch with an unknown origin. If it is Kirsten’s mother, it understandably lights the narrative on fire. Excitement! Sit down and hold on.

Manuel: Yeah I believe this is a forgone conclusion. The unknowable at this point is exactly what conditions are needed in order for her mother to reach out and how much it might take out of her mother to do so. There might be a resting period before she can attempt a connection like that again, much like how Kirsten needs to recover after each stitch. If/when she does reach out again, I think it would be in a manner that is unmistakable to Kirsten.

Tess: I would love Kirsten’s mom to show up in a Stitch for real. I don’t know if that will happen, but I really wanna see Kirsten’s mom for real instead of only in Kirsten’s memories. It would make Kirsten so happy and she really wants to know where her mom is. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Kirsten to see her mom soon!

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7. Maggie seems to be stricter than ever with the team. Where do we think that’s coming from?

Lauren: The fact that Maggie still hasn’t seen Ben despite the fact that we clearly know that he was injured in war has to be the driving force behind this strictness. The team are like her surrogate family now, and she’s already seen them all in some form of danger at least once. She has to assert some dominance, because given her background as a CIA agent, the only way she knows how to protect people is to be strict and demanding. I personally want the Ben storyline fleshed out more, to give Maggie some more depth. No one becomes that much of a hardass without good reason, and Ben has to be that reason.

Bruce: After the previous failed project and near disaster on the next, Maggie’s feeling tremendous pressure from ‘above’ to make everything work. Blair’s heavy-handed intervention, the complications in the lab, and her son being in the hospital are weighing heavily on her. Throw in the stress of a new promotion which necessitates​ travel to the mother-ship (Washington, D.C.) and it’s a recipe for a huge headache.

Manuel: The unfortunate side effect of Kirsten’s power move in 3×01 is that it shines a very bright light on the program. While Maggie might have more control of the program, she will also now be dealing with, and answering to, very different people. Her upcoming trip to Washington is evidence of how far up the ladder she is reporting to now. She may be in a situation that she doesn’t know who her allies and enemies will be. So until she gets a good “lay of the land” she may feel that it is important that the team appears to be in good order and functioning efficiently.

Tess: I think it’s because of Maggie’s new responsibilities. There are rules for the team to follow and the team hasn’t followed the rules plenty of times. I think Maggie likes to have control, especially now that she’s the head of the program. Maggie might be concerned about her team because of all the outside forces and that is why she doesn’t wanna take any chances and rather be safe than sorry.

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Final Verdict: “For Love or Money” has us cringing from awkwardness and impressed with the geeky problem solving

We may only be two episodes in, but Stitchers is not wasting any time in bringing the drama to the lab this week! Linus is breaking all sorts of rules fraternizing with Stinger’s other daughter, and we’re not sure if it’s lust or gratitude. Camille is tired of being pushed to the side in the lab, but her late nights with the new medical examiner isn’t doing her any favors. Then, of course, there is the king of awkward interactions – Dr. Cameron Goodkin. Granted, we know Kirsten isn’t the best at admitting when there’s a problem, but he’s going to start losing some of those lucious locks from all the stress! We still saw sparks of our favorite squad in the middle of all those hormones, so fingers crossed they don’t forget what’s important!

Stitchers returns next Monday, June 19th at 9/8C on Freeform.