Although I enjoyed Dietland‘s two-hour premiere, I found the show’s tone to be somewhat disjoined. Thankfully, Y Not is a much more confident and engrossing affair.
Rock Bottom
Joy Nash continues to deliver astounding work as Plum, and this week’s Y withdrawal is the perfect showcase for the actress. In fact, it’s also a great excuse for Dietland to further explore its surreal side. Plum’s hallucinations are a hoot, and the addition of a man dressed in a tiger suit really elevates the show to crazy territory. And yet, it’s all rooted in character, as Plum’s insecurities and anxieties are brought to life culminating in one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve ever seen on TV: Plum’s gut-wrenching monologue (read it below) to Steve and her mom that ends with a suicidal twist. Wow!
Not So Big Bad
I was afraid that Juliana Margulies would have to make due with a very minor supporting role, so I’m pleased to see her get so a ton more screen-time this week. Y Not does a great job of conveying the show’s powerful themes through the character, whether it’s through her various monologues about women being oppressed, or her intriguing conversation with Stanely’s wife Abra (I want Kelly Hu back on the show every week). Dietland could have very easily settled with making Kitty a one-note villain, but it’s clear now that she’s a desperate woman who’ll do anything to stay on top in a world that’s been molded to keep her down. Is it wrong to say I’m kind of rooting for her too?
Bits & Bodies
– The dead body crashing in the teaser next to the picky salad lady was hysterical.
– Plum says she doesn’t have cereal for the tiger. Obviously she’s referring to Kellogss’ mascot Tony the Tiger right?
– That’s a long order Mr. Tiger! 147 dollars – expensive too!
– Why does the tiger delete Plum’s emails?
– The green eyes were a super cool visual.
– Plum was masturbating wasn’t she? Damn this show really goes there!
– Can we meet Stanley already?
– I need more bonding between Julia and Kitty in my life.
– Dominic copies Plum’s hard drive. Uh oh.
– Plum’s super weird yet hilarious dream consists of her walking down a runway in her home in a crazy get-up as the creepy photographer (Malleck) takes her picture.
– Dominic is married with kids. Now that’s a twist I didn’t see coming! An even bigger twist: his wife knows what he’s up to and wants him to hide that he’s married. Sounds like a healthy relationship.
– Finally, how satisfying are Jennifer’s exploits? The montage of all the rapists and abusers admitting their crimes was wonderfully satisfying, particularly in our current climate with so many accused alpha males not admitting the truth. It’s downright cathartic.
Diets & Digs
Kitty: Why do I get a novella when all I want is an answer?
Abra: Do you think it’s just part of nature that people want to dominate and humiliate others?
Kitty: Mostly men. It’s okay, you can say it. Just us chickens here.
Abra: Just us old hens.
Kitty: We don’t show it.
Abra: You’re goddamn right we don’t. We can’t age, or we become invisible. But men, nobody cares what they look like, as long as they have money.
Kitty: And when they do fail, so many of them fail up.
Kitty: But if you cancel Fashion Week, then they win.
Kitty: I don’t envy Abra. Being a member of the idle rich is a fate worse than poverty.
Kitty: Shit! Those tabloid scum got us.
Julia: No. It’s too loud in here. There’s no way he overheard us.
Kitty: Who cares what he heard? We’re eating.
Kitty: Mark my words. They won’t stop until they believe they’ve freed women from oppression once and for all. And that’s never gonna happen. Men would rather destroy the world than let us rule it.
Plum: I don’t want to be a glamazon. I just want to get on an airplane and not have to apologize to the person I sit next to. I want to go to a bar and get hit on by some bald guy, and I want us to argue about whether said bald guy is actually into me or whether he just wants to get laid.
Steven: I know.
Plum: You don’t, Steven! You can’t! Going off Y, I got my feelings back, and it made me remember why I wanted ’em gone. What I realized was, I don’t hate myself The world hates me. For being like this. Every day I walk around in this skin, people look at me like I have the plague. They act like I’m a stain. They stare and laugh and yell, and worst of all, they tell me I have such a pretty face and then they lecture me on how I can fix my body, because how I am is wrong.
Mom: That’s not true.
Plum: It is true. You can’t see it because you love me. But if this is it, if this is my life, if this is my body… I’d rather be dead.
Conclusion
Dietland is surely starting to find its groove, and Y Not is an impressive and memorable hour. I’m addicted!