The Bold Type: Season 3, Episode 4 “The Deep End” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

Patrick’s presence continues to create friction and a work environment Jane doesn’t believe she can flourish in as Sutton and Kat look at life outside of Scarlet.

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Network
FreeForm
Director(s)	Jamie Travis
Writer(s)	Becky Hartman Edwards
Air Date	4/30/2019

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A Critique Doesn’t Mean Stop: Sutton, Oliver, Carly

Sutton is struggling with her dress for the design seminar, and with Oliver and an actual designer not liking her dress, she is ready to tap out. Leading to Oliver realizing that as much as Sutton prefers the truth, and can take being a bit curt in other things, she’s pursuing a dream. One which is fragile and not in the form of her not being serious, but perhaps lacking the support needed to think it can happen.

Something Oliver gets in a way since he officially adopted Carly but is struggling with how to parent. Specifically, when to put his foot down and when to show leniency. Thus leading to Carley getting multiple days off from school. However, Sutton, with reverence, and noting her upbringing with an alcoholic parent, which was slightly weird to bring up, notes he has to sometimes play the role which may not make him that liked.

The Problem With Politics: Kat, Tia

The issue with politics is, it’s not just about the policy and trying to help people – it’s also about the power. Which, as we all know, is a corrupting force and will, as said in The Dark Knight, either lead to you dying a hero or staying around long enough to becoming a villain. In terms of Councilman Reynolds, he has become a villain when it comes to the district of lower Manhattan.

However, even with being a Democrat, assumingly, there comes the issue of Kat’s past which might be considered a bit controversial. If not the kind of things she may not want to talk about. For example, the fact she had an abortion while in college. One which wasn’t caused by anything dramatic, but simply was a heat of the moment sort of thing.

But it isn’t just the abortion which is making mulling a run difficult. The problem is also Kat’s job. While Patrick is for it, since it can be used for the “dot com,” Jacqueline realizes she can’t do both and is likely to leave. However, who would Kat be if she didn’t take the hard road and paved it for those who followed? So it seems, alongside Tia, Kat Edison’s campaign shall begin.

10 Years In, One Foot Out: Patrick, Jane, Jacqueline

Patrick is making things uncomfortable for Jacqueline – to the point she considers resigning rather than being pushed out as she has seen others. However, Jane reminds her of how far she come, how much she fought for the position, and also how she began the job with fear but determination. In doing so, even if Patrick is hitting his numbers, perhaps poaching on her budget, and undermining her left and right, she seems poised to figure a way to weather the storm and come out better because of it.

Highlights

Sutton Learning To Live The Dream Doesn’t Come Easy & Doesn’t Mean Easily Giving Up

Sutton’s journey has always spoken to me, and surely fans, on a level which goes beyond the other two ladies. Kat has been this big time Type-A personality, Jane lucks herself away from ending up in poverty and alone, but Sutton has always had one of the strongest storylines. From going on a path of just working to make money, taking a risk with her friends verbally saying they’ll be her safety net to now having and pursuing a dream, she honestly is one of the best-written characters in her age group.

I mean, as past recaps shown, it’s not like Jane when everything for her comes overnight or that she has Kat’s privileges. She had to work, sweat, be at Scarlett till midnight and sometimes come early. Sutton has shown the amount of sacrifice required to really pursue your dreams and that it may never be easy but it can be fulfilling.

Case in point, her trying to shift focus to designing. As noted, the time and ability to dream hasn’t been something Sutton was afforded. So can you imagine her first try out and she fails? For this isn’t like being an assistant and doing paperwork, coordinating events, and things like that – the metrics aren’t about production. What Sutton is getting into is something which has subjective taste and monetary value. So seeing her take taps on the chin and get knocked down is understandable since designing is not an easy field to break into, never mind flourish in.

However, seeing her learn to take critique is not on the level of her negotiating her salary, but it is up there. It’s a reminder that you are growing, learning, and as much as Sutton may know herself as a friend, girlfriend, and maybe daughter, she is discovering who she is as a designer. A journey she just began so tripping and seeming more inspired than having her own voice is bound to happen. It’s how you learn.

Explaining What A Councilman Does

Like many, I’m assuming, I know what a mayor does, a governor, and then I jump to those who work in Washington. As for local politicians? I receive fliers, vote, but I make assumptions due to my politics and couldn’t tell you who my council person is and, until this episode, I wouldn’t be sure what they do besides use part of our tax money for their salary and benefits. So expanding on what they do, why local politics are important, since damn near every year can be an election year, is so important. Just as much as highlighting some of the difficulties and reasons, like having an abortion you don’t want to get out, that leads many, maybe women especially, to avoid jumping in and instead sitting things out.

Noting Fake Abortion Clinics

While a small thing mentioned, you have to give props to the show for noting that not all places which seemingly provide abortion services are equal. I’ll just link to a Last Week Tonight’s investigation into them for further information.

Jacqueline

Like Sutton, there really is so much I can say without repeating what I’ve said since the beginning. However, even with being a phenomenal character, the writers still find ways to both add layers and remind us these characters might be fictional but are rooted in being real. Case in point, Jacqueline may not be of retirement age but is seeing the writing on the wall, and there is reason to fear she might be ousted. This weird little man is hitting his numbers, shaking things up, and his fresh perspective is leaving those with more experience feeling left out in the cold.

Yet, in Jacqueline’s speech, and Oliver’s rare conversation with Jacqueline, we’re reminded that you do things out of love and not for power. Since, as Oliver points out, there will always be someone shining and new who gets the spotlight and easily can take away what you think is yours. However, the spotlight always burns out or moves onto someone else, and the production keeps going.

Now, you can chase the spotlight if you want to, but the issue with that is you’ll burn yourself out and likely forget why you love your job in the first place. Or, you can do what you love, enjoy your moments as they come, and let other people have their time. Which may not have been Jacqueline’s point, granted, but that’s the thing about a good speech. It takes on a life of its own and speaks to people in ways their friends, family, or professionals in their life, just can’t.

Low Point

So, Where’s Alex?

After Alex getting his first major storyline in, what almost feels like a season, he is completely MIA. That sucked since now it feels like it was a storyline for a press moment than the show truly wanting to invest in the character.

On The Fence

Jane v. Pamela Dolan

On the one hand, I am tired of Jane’s personal life and her relationship with Ryan. Yet, on the other, I’m really not for Jane having another arc when she takes down or kind of jumbles a subject and comes out relatively unscathed. Granted, there was a lawsuit in the past that got weathered, but if Jane is going to take on a seasoned professional, I need a dragged out fight that leaves her as shaky as we see Sutton. Even if Jacqueline is hand holding her along the way.

Patrick

Simply put, I need Patrick to show that sense of feminism and what not that his past makes it seem he once had. For whether it is how he talks to Jacqueline, how he speaks to Jane at times, it just makes me feel that he might be fun to be around but to work with or for? Horrible. And, at this point, it seems his reputation doesn’t necessarily match what we see, and it is making him seem shallow. That is, rather than this possible media genius who, seemingly through exploitation, knows how to drive numbers and, depending on who you are, either bring the best out of his employees or drive them away by using them until they had enough.

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