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Jane continues to struggle with Ryan, as she does with Kat checking her, and Sutton struggles with feeling stunted in her career.
| Directed By | Kimberly McCullough | |
| Written By | Matt McGuinness | |
| Aired (FreeForm) | 2/6/2020 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Chloe | Ianne Fields Stewart | |
Episode Recap
You’re Unhappy, Aren’t You?: Jacqueline, Ian
Despite Ian clearly ready to get back to having an active career, Jacqueline hasn’t really made any real strides to take over. As you can imagine, this is upsetting to Ian for her changed his whole life, put it on hold even, and yet Jacqueline continues to take on projects and make things revolve around her. So when she discovers he is taking more than work clothes and asks if Ian is unhappy, he responds that he is as unhappy as she is. A response that leads to her going quiet.
Arrested Development: Sutton, Kat, Oliver
As has been noted for multiple seasons, things have always been weird for Sutton for while Kat and Jane have found and settled into careers, Sutton has not. She, thanks to Oliver, is adjacent to what she wants to do and has gotten to explore a bit, but she isn’t in the job she truly wants. Which, with Richard away, and a girl from Sutton’s class becoming established, Sutton is reminded of her lack of progress.
So, to try to help her, Kat advises her to try and become a fashion influencer. Meaning she’d style on IG, or other sites, and build up a portfolio. For, as Kat has made clear, when it comes to RJ and the rest, what they want to see are numbers. Show them numbers, give them a passionate speech, and then they’ll make an exception for policy. That’s how Kat has been able to convince them to hire Angie, before she disappeared, and do so much more.
So here is hoping rather than Sutton compare her place in her career to others, and allow that to get her down, she may take inspiration from them.
Dysfunction: Ryan, Jane
Ryan being kissed by a woman, and him kissing her back, remains an issue. One that Jane tries to move past by not avoiding the subject, but by attacking it head-on. So she has Ryan recount the night of him drinking, this woman wanting to know how to be an author, and him noting that, while she made the first move, he kissed her back. And in having an open and honest conversation, Jane finds herself able to move forward. However, something with Ryan still feels off so while Jane is ready and able to still have sex, Ryan gets a case of erectile dysfunction.
The Woke Wars: Kat, Jane, Chloe
As we saw when Jane was struggling with getting a new job, after quitting Scarlett, while she is liberal and sees herself as progressive, she struggles. But what really makes things hard for Jane is when Kat corrects her or makes her feel bad since it usually comes out of nowhere and leaves Jane with feelings of guilt. So when Chloe becomes the focus of Kat, who wants to help her get into a marathon, Jane finds the opportunity to clap back.
Leading to Chloe, who is trans by the way, recognizing what is going on and making it clear, when it comes to her, it is about good intentions and making things better. As for all those politically correct terms and saying things just right, that is a lot to expect out of someone. So, all she wants, is for you to respect her identity, and with that, you can be cool.
Review/ Commentary
Highlights
Jacqueline & Ian’s Marriage
Whether it is a rough patch or the beginning of the end, seeing these two passive-aggressively fight and make it clear something is wrong, is truly a highlight. Primarily due to, like Jane and Ryan’s relationship, we’re seeing something different when it comes from this relationship. In Ian and Jacqueline’s marriage, Ian stayed with the kids, he is the one who put his career to the side and allowed Jacqueline to flourish. Also, being that we’ve spent three full seasons seeing Jacqueline as the boss we’d all want, to see this side to her which can be seen as selfish and uncompromising, it is like being reintroduced to her.
For all things considered, Jacqueline’s personal life has been limited to knowing she had kids, a husband, and knowing she was assaulted. Otherwise, we’d only saw her at work or at work events. So, in the fourth season, seeing how she isn’t the best wife, and maybe getting to see her relationship, or lack thereof, with her kids, it could make the perfect boss be seen as an imperfect person.
Jane and Ryan’s Relationship
Continually, as it is made clear Jane doesn’t want to just throw this relationship away, and her friends won’t advocate for her to do such, it explores new territory when it comes to your partner cheating. Take note: They don’t live together, aren’t married, no kids, and they don’t share friends who would have to choose and deal with what could be a nasty breakup. Making the possibility of parting, beyond the heartbreak, rather easy. Yet, they instead struggle and try to work things out. To us, in this age of people cutting off one another over feeling slighted and canceling people due to disagreements, this is both strange and alluring. I’d even say it is one of the best storylines Jane has had in the longest.
Sutton’s Career
Sutton will always have a place in our heart, for she is the most relatable of the three ladies. She feels stuck in life, knows struggle so making bold moves isn’t necessarily her thing, and she isn’t zooming up the corporate ladder or getting quick and easy breaks to be where she wants. Sutton struggles, she sees people passing her by, and while she might be lightyears ahead of Kat and Jane romantically, as shown in this episode, a nice ring and good guy doesn’t make up for you, as an individual, feeling unfulfilled. If not, with you now on the way to being someone’s wife, wondering what do you bring to the table besides your youth and beauty?
This isn’t to downplay Sutton’s personality, but let’s not pretend one of Sutton’s issues with her relationship with Richard wasn’t partly power dynamics. Not just due to him being in an upper management level, but her background not being as pristine and the idea of life in the suburbs not fitting what she wants at this point in life. Making the need to be successful, rather than making Oliver successful, all the more necessary.
Andrew and Alex
While not noted in the recap, I do appreciate how Andrew called out Alex for thinking, just because he is gay, and is a beautiful drag queen, that he can’t play basketball. This further unfurls who Andrew is, and while Alex has long fallen from grace, this could give him someone to play off of since Angie is gone.
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