If I Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry

**If I Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry** is the fifth episode of the second season of Truth Be Told. It is the thirteenth episode of the series overall. It aired on September 17, 2021.

## Synopsis

*Coping with personal struggles, Poppy begins to question herself. Holt's old friend finds him. Poppy and Aames identify a new murder suspect.*

## Plot

Poppy ends up in the hospital after she was attacked from behind at Micah’s house. Micah wakes her up and tells her she banged her head. Micah lies again and tells Shreve that she was asleep when Poppy turned up at her house. After she comes round, Poppy updates investigator Aames. But since the investigator has a search warrant for Holt’s place, he tells Poppy not to report the attack on the podcast.

It appears that Micah is slowly cutting out people in her life who she does not trust. Poppy tells Markus to be careful as she feels Holt hit her. Poppy tries to restart the podcast and describes the attack on her at Micah’s house, but she struggles to record and finish her story because there’s one thought bugging her mind. She then tells Cydie that she thinks Micah is lying to her.

Aames is still lurking around, and he speaks to Micah. He tells her he thinks Holt killed Ramon because he was about to release secrets about Shelter, but Micah points out that would make her have a motive as well.

With Poppy knowing she has to go to battle against Micah, she’s feeling conflicted. She tells Markus that Micah saved her life when they were kids, and they quickly became friends.

Meanwhile, Shreve brings a friend of his to help Poppy with legal issues. The friend gives her advice on the podcast. Whereas Aames shows Poppy evidence that Holt was monitoring her.

In the present day, Poppy rings Micah and tells her she loves her. She’s struggling internally with the whole situation. Poppy gets to work and starts investigating Shelter.

Later, Aames gives Poppy some information that proves Micah lied, and she’s now a prime suspect in all three murders. Poppy arranges to meet Micah. She cuts through the bullshit and asks Micah where Holt is as she knows she paid for his house. She also asks Micah if she ordered Holt to attack her. Micah tells Poppy that they thought she was an intruder, and she suddenly gets angry, stating Josh meant everything to her and her only objective is to find out who murdered her husband. However, Poppy feels like she has been used.

Poppy then asks Micah what Holt meant to her. Micah states that it is possible to love more than one person, and she should know that. Poppy tells Micah that she will destroy her.

## Cast

### Main

* Octavia Spencer as Poppy Parnell
* Mekhi Phifer as Markus Killebrew
* Michael Beach as Ingram Rhodes
* Tracie Thoms as Desiree Scoville
* Haneefah Wood as Cydie Scoville
* Ron Cephas Jones as Leander "Shreve" Scoville
* Kate Hudson as Micah Keith
* Christopher Backus as Holt Redding
* Alona Tal as Ivy Abbott
* Katherine LaNasa as Noa Havilland
* David Lyons as Inspector Aames
* Andre Royo as Demetrius
* Merle Dandridge as Zarina Killebrew
* Mychala Faith Lee as Trini Killebrew
* Tami Roman as Lillian Scoville

### Recurring

* Billy Miller as Alex Dunn
* Deborah Ayorinde as Rose Gil
* Indira G. Wilson as Shirley Maxwell
* Irene Choi as Blaine
* Hale Appleman as Lachlan
* Michael Muhney as Martin Haywood

### Co-Starring

* Presley Parker Chasson as Young Micah
* Ayaamii Sledge as Young Poppy
* Julie Craig as Shae
* Zylan Brooks as Woman on Street
* Chala Savino as Waitress
* Sandra McDaniels as Homeless Woman

## Gallery

### Images

* Screencaps
* Behind the Scenes