Dollface: Season 1, Episode 4 “Fun Friend” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)
As Izzy experiences what it means to be Madison’s friend, Jules finds herself doing the same with Madison, but in an unexpected way.
As Izzy experiences what it means to be Madison’s friend, Jules finds herself doing the same with Madison, but in an unexpected way.
Directed By | Stephanie Laing | |
Written By | Grace Edwards | |
Air Date (Hulu) | 11/15/2019 | |
Introduced This Episode | ||
Celeste | Malin Akerman | |
Teresa | Tia Carrere |
Recap
Izzy’s Rebranding: Celeste, Izzy, Madison
With Celeste being passive-aggressive about a borderline racist ad that is supposed to be for a white powder product but reads white power, Izzy calls in Madison to fix the PR mess. This leads to Madison bailing her out, but then honing in on Izzy’s own PR issues. Primarily her saying her name is Allison. Thus leading her to, as Stella did, try to make it so Allison isn’t so fearful of who she is and the consequences that could spell for her relationships. This leads to her coming out as Izzy, albeit with an elaborate lie, but considering how long she has been lying about her real name, making up some guy obsessed with her is progress.
I Want To Be Fun Too: Jules, Stella, Teresa
With Stella calling Jules boring, on top of being insulted, she feels forced to prove Stella wrong by trying to be the most fun person in the room. Something Stella didn’t want, especially when her mother Teresa, aka Teri, came to town. Yet, while Jules does, unfortunately, decide to become a party animal, she blacks out and ends up ultimately serving her purpose of not letting Teri force them into being people she can live vicariously through.
Needing The Support To Evolve: Stella, Jules
However, with being discouraged by failing to prove she be the fun one in something Stella has planned, she comes up with her own. But, between a place Stella has already been to, and then taking her on a boat which she thought was a bar but wasn’t, Jules fails time and time again. Making Stella ultimately feel that Jules is stuck in how she sees her and minas well live up to expectations.
But, as Stella is about to marry a seaman, Jules gives into the perception she is boring, and a buzzkill, by putting a halt to the madness. Leading to them just having pancakes and Stella conveying that one of the reasons she likes Jules is she provides a sense of normalcy. After all, Madison is high strung and Stella, just due to the network she has, always has someone with something weird or exciting going on. Yet, finding someone who just wants to chill, maybe watch a movie, talk about their future, and not expect Stella to be on and ready to be used as part of it? That isn’t something anyone, but Jules can provide.
So, after a rather wild series of days, Stella and Jules find themselves solidifying their friendship and realizing they can, without Madison, have a relationship with one another.
Review
Trajectory: Upward
Highlights
Stella Showing While Capable Of Getting The Party Started, There Is More To Her Than That
No matter how you cut it, Stella is the selling point of Dollface. It might be lead by Jules, but Jules is starting to become a bit of a Trojan Horse whose only means of grabbing your attention is when the Cat Lady shows up, or when she has weird, borderline jarring moments like when she suddenly found herself in court. Which, increasingly, feel like a means of smacking you in the face and reminding you Kat Dennings is the lead despite your attention being elsewhere.
But, with that said, I love how Stella is gaining depth and isn’t being made solely to be this zany comic relief. She is someone who recognizes this crazy lifestyle people romanticize is getting old, and while she can probably keep it up, she does have options. Not only that, she is willing to work to build different roads and paths for her to take so she can not only remain stimulated but be productive.
On The Fence
Wondering If Everyone May Get To A Balanced Place Like Stella
While Izzy is starting to be a bit more balanced, I’d submit Jules and Madison still seem rooted in tropes and haven’t really made any progress towards seeming like three-dimensional characters. This is a growing issue since Izzy and Stella aren’t the main characters of the show. All Jules talks about is Madison and how what she does and says may affect her, so the need for those two to catch up is growing episode by episode. Unless the joke is that Izzy and Stella, despite seeming like the two dysfunctional members of the group, are actually the ones who have it most together.
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