The election comes to a close this episode, and many other plot points come to a head.
“Final Push”
Starring Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy, Sam Page, Matt Ward, Melora Hardin and Stephen Conrad Moore
While the final push is on until the end of Kat’s election for councilwoman, change is afoot in the lives of the women of The Bold Type.
Sutton
Sutton is desperately trying to get her pieces for her design seminar fashion show ready, which isn’t helped by Oliver presenting her with Carly, who isn’t feeling well and isn’t going to school. While Sutton tries to measure models for the catwalk, she notices something wrong with Carly, who doesn’t seem to want to eat but rather just have a juice just like the model she saw. With some needling, Carly reveals that she didn’t want to go to school because it was school picture day and she felt ugly. Sutton gives her some much-needed encouragement as to how fake Instagram is and, despite Carly pointing out the huge flaws that still pervade Scarlet’s photoshoots, Carly goes back to school. She also inspires Sutton to be designing dresses for real women, instead of models who set unrealistic and damaging body standards on young girls.
However, the other shoe falls when Richard reveals that his friend has received money for a clean energy startup that Richard has been passionate about for years, and he has been offered a job there. He has, however, turned it down, as it is in San Francisco.
Jane
In Jane’s world, her and Jacqueline’s meeting with Pamela Dolan has finally arrived, and she is as horrific as we imagined, shucking off the claims of abuse and making Jacqueline very suspicious. It transpires that Pamela has already gone to the New York Standard to spin the models as being poorly behaved and discredit Jane’s story. The pair have no choice: they go to Patrick and publish it on the dot com immediately, which is great news for the story but it seems to have scuppered Jane’s hopes of keeping Jacqueline around.
Additionally, Ryan is still on tour and acts very suspiciously on the phone to Jane. Turning up at Kat’s election result party, he takes her to one side and owns up that he cheated on her by kissing somebody else while drunk. Jane tells him not to touch her or talk to her and walks away from him.
Kat
Election day is arriving and Kat has done all that she can to be elected. Returning to the office, however, she is hit with the suggestion that being councilwoman will mean leaving Scarlet. Clearly uncomfortable with this, she turns up on Adena’s doorstep and seeks reassurance. While not telling her what to do, Adena makes it clear that she believes in Kat and her passion, and Kat realises that (though technically she has no choice as it’s gone too far by this point) she is perfectly equipped to do the job, and that moving on from Scarlet can be a positive. At the election result party, Tia indicates that once the election is over, they can figure out where the two of them stand. Huddled together, the results are given. Kat has lost the election (just).
Highlights
Kat’s Loss
I am slightly torn by this, but I definitely think that this move subverted expectation and is perhaps more realistic – especially considering the daft ways that people seem to be voting these days. It would be implausible for Kat to step out of nowhere and suddenly become councilwoman off the back of a whim in the second episode of this season and some eloquent speeches she has made at a couple of events.
Adena and Kat
Adena and Kat’s open and honest conversations this week are brilliant. Adena is clearly able to put across to Kat the reasons behind their breakup from her point of view, which definitely leaves Kat with a sense of understanding, though also has opened the two of them back up to a relationship. Their conversation later in the episode is also wonderful, and highlights how much Adena knows Kat and respects her and roots for her, as well as how far the both of them have come since the last time they were together. Here’s hoping they can work something out.
Lowlights
Ryan’s cheating
This plot point is annoying for multiple reasons. The first being that Ryan cheated in the first place. The second being that Jane didn’t notice that something was up with him when he phoned. And the third being Jane acting as if him kissing somebody else is a heinous crime. People kiss each other when they’re drunk all the time! Sure, it’s not an excuse, but they’re a relatively new couple and they were trying long distance. I definitely think that there is something to overcome here, but Jane is adamant next week that it is over between the pair because of his infidelity.
Adena, Kat and Tia
Adena and Kat are brilliant together. However, Tia has also been wonderful to Kat this past season. I would have liked for Kat to be more open and honest with Tia about her feelings for Adena, because at this point it looks like she’s leading her on, especially with the promo for next week suggesting that Kat and Adena will end up sleeping together. Considering we’ve are concurrently having a storyline about Jane being cheated on, is it not inappropriate to simultaneously show Kat on the other side of that equation?
Next week it’s the season finale! Sutton’s fashion show, Jane’s relationship drama and Kat’s continued confusion about whether to pick Adena or Tia continue next week. (It’s gotta be Adena, right? Right?????)
Mark My Words 