Previously on Faking It, guest star Laverne Cox brought the drama:

After coming out as straight Karma is back to being a social pariah. To cheer her up Amy has planned an elaborate "Best of Karmy retrospective" scavenger hunt for Karma's 16th birthday. But before the fun can begin Amy spots Karma clutching a note while she and Liam eye-bang in the courtyard. Karma slips Liam's note into her bookbag but Amy snags the bag before handing Karma her first clue.

It leads them to Karma's room, which Amy has transformed into a ball pit reminiscent of the pit where they met in kindergarten. Karma's next clue is written on one of the thousands of balls, a plan Amy suddenly realizes was not her finest. While Amy dives in Karma snatches Liam's note but Amy snatches it back befoer Karma can open it. Karma lies that it's from Lunch Lady Irma and Amy, decreeing that cards and gifts come after cake, pockets it again.

As they return from painting ceramic unicorns and sneaking into a PG-13 movie like when they were 10, Amy springs her next surprise. Karma's psychic Aunt Sage has come in from Sedona to read Karma's tea leaves like when they were 13.

If I ever do drag again my name will be Rita T. Leaf. I envision a gypsy motif.

Psychic Aunt Sage says the universe has a message for karma from her one true love but there's a force standing between them. Karma's mom is confused because Karma hasn't told her about being a fake lesbian yet.

Karma tries to bolt, claiming the need of the bathroom, and grabs Amy's jacket in hopes of getting Liam's note. It's missing and Amy expresses confusion as to why it's so important since Lunch Lady Irma probably only wrote "happy birthday". Karma: "She has a poet's soul!" Karma insists they retrace their steps until they find the note.

This leads them back to Karma's ball pit room. The search is fruitless so Amy suggests calling Irma to find out what the note said. Karma fesses up that the note is from Liam and Amy smugly hands it over. They snipe at each other until Karma busts out that she knew she couldn't be with Liam and also keep her friendship with Amy, so she chose Amy. To prove it she rips up Liam's note. Karma storms out but being knee deep in balls renders it less than dramatically effective.

Amy's mom Farrah finds Amy moping in the breakfast nook. Farrah wonders if it was a "friends fight" or a "more than friends fight". Amy explains that Karma likes guys but she loves Karma. Farrah tells Amy about the time she fell for a guy who didn't fall for her. How'd she get over it? "I bought new boobs, which helped," but mostly she just rode it out until it stopped hurting and along the way gave up the fantasy of their being together. Farrah's face lights up: "Want me to set up a consult with my plastic surgeon?" Amy declines.

After school in the art room Liam bangs one out.  A pipe. He's banging out a pipe. Shane tries to get him to open up and talk about his feelings over grilled cheese at the local diner but Theo (who I've inexplicably been calling Troy for the last two recaps) vetoes the cheese in favor of a mixed martial arts class. Shane scoffs at the aggressive heterosexuality of it all and they part company.

Shane trips over the leopard print shod Lauren and quickly susses that she has a thing for Theo. Shane is all in favor of hooking Theo up with a timesuck girlfriend. They join the boys at MMA and Shane immediately that the thing between Lauren and Theo is mutual. Theo tells him to butt out which Liam figures is a cue for a butt joke; Shane is far too distracted by the sweaty MMA men rolling around on the mats to bother and declares MMA the gayest thing ever. Theo protests but Liam tells him not to bother, since Liam is the undisputed king of finding homoeroticism in everything. Liam: "Don't get him started on Batman." Shane: "He and Alfred live in a cave and design outfits."

Literally the entire world is ahead of you, Shane

Before we can further this discourse, instructor Duke Lewis, Jr. (Teen Wolf alum Skyler Maxon) enters the gym. He declares his intention to own everyone's ass and Shane is ALL. ABOUT. IT.

Do I blame Shane? I do not.

The boys and Lauren warm up by tossing around medicine balls and Shane has an epiphany. He recognizes Duke's abs from the hookup app "Stubble". He bets Theo 50 bucks that Duke is gay. After a switch Theo and Lauren are swapping balls. Theo comments on how dainty and feminine Lauren is and she has a mini freakout, thinking he's bagging on her being intersex. Warmups completed, Shane volunteers to help Duke demonstrate a few holds.

Lauren corners Liam to find out whether he spilled to Theo about her being intersex. He did not. She then demands he flirt with her to make Theo jealous. Liam refuses, saying that lies and games only mess things up and the only thing standing between Lauren and what she wants is Lauren.

Meanwhile, Duke is tossing Shane around the mat and Shane is tossing hairpins back, calling Duke by the Stubble handle "Straightshooter95" and finally partially yanking down Duke's trunks looking for a telltale tattoo on his left hip. There is no tattoo and Duke slams Shane hard. Adding insult to injury, Theo taunts Shane over his lost 50 bucks.

After class Lauren climbs a bench and then climbs Theo.

He seems into it at first but after a few moments he pulls away.

In response to a text from Amy, Karma meets Amy at the last stop on the scavenger hunt, at which two doll houses represent their future living next door to each other. "But I'm starting to realize there will be other people living in them with us." Karma starts to speak but Amy cuts her off to continue her apology. She hands Karma Liam's note which she's taped back together just as Liam arrives in response to her other text. Liam is her gift. She understands they have feelings for each other and that Karma can't turn off her feelings any more than Amy can turn off hers. She wishes Karma a happy birthday and leaves them alone.

With 15 minutes left in her birthday Karma rejoins Amy for her real present. It's a set of "BEST FRIEND" half-heart necklaces like the ones they tried to win from a claw machine in sixth grade. They vow never to take them off at least not until the cheap-ass metal turns their necks green.

Shane's waiting for Duke in the alley behind the studio to apologize for nearly pantsing him in class. Duke advises him that he was a) out of line and b) not wrong. Duke reveals the tattoo on his other hip; the bathroom mirror flipped the image. He's not out. He and Shane lock lips for a moment but Shane applies the brakes, saying he doesn't date closeted guys. Duke's all, who said anything about dating? and then goes down to administer the just-off-camera Pablowey Shane's been waiting for.

And with that, I hope we have seen the end of the Karma-Liam-Amy drama, at least as it pertains to Amy's feelings for Karma being the monkey wrench in Karma and Liam's getting together. That story is not only pretty played out but it's also terribly limiting on the directions it could possibly have left to have gone in. The weekly rehashing of the series premise and plot to date has been the weakest part of every episode this season so if we're done with that it's not a moment too soon.

I'm intrigued by what's happening with Theo and Lauren. He apparently doesn't know she's intersex or if he does know it didn't stop him from flirting with her the last couple of episodes. Which leads me to wonder what his hangup is with making out with her.

Speaking of hangups and making out, is Shane a hypocrite for being willing to trick with closeted guys but not date them?