Tragedy strikes when Ben and Adrian lose their baby in “Or Not To Be,” the June 6, 2011 episode of “Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Wow! It was so sad and heartbreaking.

Usually we find many of the plots and subplots in “Secret Life” silly and contrived, but this episode really made an impact. Babies sometimes die and there is no explanation. The spoiler was actually online last week and we know a lot of viewers were already upset that Adrian and Ben’s baby girl was not going to make it when they read it. Some were upset just by the coming attractions showing Leo saying he had bad news for everyone.

Who’s Who: Secret Life Dads

Adrian is getting ready to go to the hospital. When she tells Ben, he is shocked. “Did your water break? Are you in labor? Good God, woman, why didn’t you say something?” he says, but Adrian assures him it’s nothing like that. The doctor just wants them to meet her at the hospital so she doesn’t want him to tell anyone anything yet.

Then everyone else is shown tangling with their own daily lives and problems. Madison’s dad overhears his daughter and Lauren talking about the mutual decision Madison made with Jack not to have sex. He is so happy, he gives her $50 to go out to dinner with Jack. He’s a little less happy when he finds out the decision was made after they actually did have sex but, as Madison later tells Jack, at least thinks she’s making mature decisions.

Tom is in a brand new relationship with a girl who has two children and is already planning to marry her. Tom’s mom, Kathleen, finds this out from her husband, Jeff, who just came back from Zimbabwe. Jeff wants to go back to Africa and take Kathleen with him, but not necessarily Grace and Tom. They can come if they want or they can just stay in America. Kathleen is shocked. She believes Tom, who has downs syndrome, needs help caring for himself but Jeff says his wife can take care of him. His wife? Kathleen was still trying to pick her jaw up off the bed about the move to Africa when Jeff laid that one on her. Kathleen talks to Jack to see what he knows and wonders if the girl is interested in Tom’s money. It’s a big surprise to Jack that Tom has a lot of money.

Grace decides to meet Grant’s ex-girlfrirend by taking her out to dinner with them. She has a coupon so Angie will get to eat free. “Is it a buffet,” Grant asks. Grace is puzzled at the question and he explains that Angie has some eating problems and watches everything she eats very carefully. When an overweight Angie shows up at the restaurant, Grace blurts out “Hi. So nice to meet you. I’m Grace and you must be fat.” As embarrassing as it is, Angie graciously forgives this faux pas explaining that Grant “likes them fat, and he likes them small, and he likes them short and he likes them tall. Grant’s a ladies’ man and he loves women, and I’m a woman and he loved me and I loved him. But alas, it’s over and we’ve moved on. Well, at least he has and I’m still trying.”

George and Kathleen’s meeting in “To Be” is another ongoing subplot and George even tells his other ex-wife, Anne, that he would sleep with Kathleen again if he ever got the chance. Ashley and Toby have both passed GED tests. So now they have finished high school. George is trying to digest this unexpected turn of events when she tells him she wants to be emancipated and drive across the country with Toby.

Amy and Ricky make plans for their romantic get-away throughout the episode. When Amy meets up with Ricky’s mom, Nora is over the moon for her son’s choice of a woman. She’s back on that Amy looks like her when she was young thing. Vocabulary word for these look-a-like moments: vicarious. Amy says even if she and Ricky marry, she’ll never know if Ricky would have loved her without John. Nora assures her that she will know after John grows up and they are still together. Nora shares her own news about possibly marrying her girlfriend, Ollie. Ricky’s foster mom, Margaret comes in and tells Amy that she and Nora are now friends in spite of everything that has happened in the past. Amy hopes they can all be friends if things work out with Ricky. Margaret says they can be friends even if they don’t work out.

The next time we see Ben, he is alone and crying in the hospital hallway. A doctor he knows talks to him and slowly the baby’s death is revealed. As Ben tries forlornly to comfort a grief-stricken Adrian, Tom calls and she answers her cell phone and says she can’t talk because she’s in the hospital. While Ben contacts his dad, Tom texts the news to Grace and the texting continues until everyone knows and heads off to the hospital.

Leo tells his executive secretary, Camille, that something is wrong at the hospital. He tells her to get a hold of Adrian’s mom at the airport somehow, and to get a hold of his wife, Betty and tell her to stay by the phone. After the elevator doors close, Camille says “I love you, Leo.” Now we know why she stood George up last week.

At the hospital, what should have been a joyous celebration instead brings everyone together through unbearable grief. Ruben blames himself. In shock, Ben comes out and tells Amy that Adrian wants to see her. Amy doesn’t want to go but Ben says she has to in a strangled voice. Then he breaks down completely, sinking in the corner as Ricky tries to comfort him.

Back at his apartment, Ricky begins to take off his shirt to lie down next to Amy and comfort her, but stops undressing when he realizes it’s inappropriate. He and Amy embrace and as the need to be close to him overwhelms her, Amy says she wants him now and forever.

Even if you think that covering stillborn death wasn’t the way to go in “Secret Life,” you have to give major kudos to Francia Raisa and Ken Baumann for their acting in “Or Not to Be.” Incredible performances.

Next Week:  When One Door Closes (June 13th)