Poor Plum
The aftermath of Plum’s rape is as depressing as you would expect. Joy Nash is once again incredible, subtly tapping into the nuances of dealing with a traumatizing assault. Whether she’s breaking down after talking to her mother (and not telling her about what happened), or lashing out at Sana and Calliope House, this is a powerful storyline that’s well worth exploring. I was particularly engrossed by her analysis of the assault: she’s guilty she led Jack on, she wonders if it was “rough play”, and she knew she “outweighed” the guy so she could have fought back. It’s all so terribly sad and realistic. Bravo Dietland for tackling this storyline with such complexity.
Less successful are the scenes at Jennifer, which just come off as underwhelming. I always thought Plum joining Jennifer would be much more thrilling, but I found myself bored by the slow-moving scenes. The cliffhanger is also far from suspenseful, with Plum deciding to spare the supposed rapist, and Belle mentioning some ambiguous consequences. I needed a bit more adrenaline before our season finale.
Power Back
How satisfying is it to see Kitty reclaim her power and blackmail her way into becoming Austen Media’s first female CEO? Stanley certainly had it coming, and I loved watching our cutthroat baddie put all the board members in their place. It’s too bad this came so late in the season, but it’s been satisfying watch Kitty get dethroned then forge her way back in. Bring on the hellfire!
Bits & Bodies
– Leeta talking to Plum through the TV is a nice touch. This show is always so creative.
– How great is Ami Sheth in the role? Whether she was debating with Plum or berating Verena, I love that Sana got so much screen-time this week.
– Yup, Belle is played by none other than Orange Is The New Black’s Selenis Leyva
– Dominic’s wife and kids are going to live with his father-in-law and I couldn’t care less.
– Plum is right: Verena does have a “neutral” voice.
– The Jennifer members all use Disney Princess names which is just brilliant. Plum opts for a generic name though: “Princess”.
– Creepy that Kitty knows about Stanley’s behavior in the bedroom (considering their history).
– The most memorable moment of the hour: Plum imagining the rape but this time shooting Jack. Wow!
– Julia going to Eladio and revealing a crazy Leeta in the closet didn’t shock me as much as I would have liked.
Digs & Diets
Plum: Jack was like a red flag factory but he wanted me you know? In an unambiguous, unmarried way.
Sana: Unambiguously objectifying.
Plum: Maybe that’s the best we can do. We’re a type. Some people like black guys. Some people like Asian women. He just wanted to play with my fat. I bet somebody wants to lick your scars. I hate to break it to you but we’re a very specific type.
Conclusion
Not as fantastic as previous hours, but still a worthwhile watch with some great character work.