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In this episode, we begin down that “You’ve changed” road when it comes to Paige and Nina is bending over backwards as Alan threatens her job and she has to deal with one of Jordan’s issues.
Episode Focus: It’s Alexis’ World and You’re Just Living In It (Alexis, Paige, and Jake)
With Paige struggling to balance school and the demands of Locked, she asks Jake to help. Something he willingly does, especially as it seems he can rise up on Paige’s coat tails. However, with him dedicating so much time to helping Paige he loses times in prepping for his stuff. Such as working on a pitch so his school could give him a grant. One he might not have needed if Paige didn’t curse Alexis out in Spanish. Something she apologizes for and tries to make right but while Alexis may have made a new friend, it seems Paige may have lost one.
Though don’t see Alexis as winning this round. With Nina having to cut 3 million dollars in the budget, everyone got a pay cut and Rachel got fired for Tangey. With that, Rachel thinks Alexis got her fired since she fears going public and so Rachel is effectively out of Alexis’ life. [note]Paige makes a deal with Nina so that she will work every day but Wednesday so she can do school and work on the movie[/note]
Commentary
I feel a bit confused when it comes to Alexis. She openly flirts and kisses girls all the time, but I guess she never had a public relationship with all them? They have always been known amongst friends but just a friend to the public eye, I guess? I wonder why? Not in some naïve way, as if it couldn’t negatively affect her career but, considering how open she seems about it most of the time, it seems weird how she fears it becoming common knowledge. Then again, who knows, maybe she is out and proud but likes keeping her relationships under wraps? I mean, considering how her career is, maybe she doesn’t want to turn into the type of actress who only is talked about when she switches partners or is seemingly having drama with them?
Alexis aside, I do wonder what may happen with Paige and Jake now? Are we witnessing the beginning of the end when it comes to Paige’s normal friendships? Considering episode 10 is titled “Leaving Los Angeles” and this is FreeForm, could it be she loses Jake, Cassandra, and something happens with the movie? Thus making it so her Hollywood dream dies?
Leading to something I feel the need to ask: if this has always been Paige’s dream, why is there nothing noted about how she tried to pursue it? I mean, sometimes I feel Cassandra should be in Paige’s shoes for then I think it would mean more, you know? Cassandra, to me, represents the idea of someone working toward her dream of acting, even if it is just in her friend’s plays, while, so it seems, going to school. Not to forget, alongside that, working by cleaning someone’s house topless.
That struggle, on top of her mom apparently dying, makes you feel something for her. Something which still can’t be said with Paige since the character, and actress, haven’t broken out of that “I’m pretty, easy to deal with, and show up on time” box. Which isn’t to say Thorne has no talent but if she does, the writers aren’t making it easier on her to show it.
Subplot 1: The Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the Water of the Womb (Jordan, Rainer, and Nina)
Jordan and Rainer go back and forth about squashing their beef, and one of the reasons tempers flare once more is because Jordan is the sole person who doesn’t get a cut to his salary. Nina justifies this because Jordan has indie cred, meaning he is gives clout and authenticity to the project. Meanwhile, so it seems, Alexis and Rainer are just familiar faces from some kid or teen series. Yet, all those years together, and a speech from Paige, it leads to Rainer trying to let bygones be bygones. With, I should note, no exchange of apologies.
Which perhaps is a good thing since Jordan, he needs a friend. We learn his mom has been extorting him for money at least 3 times within that year and now wants $50,000 more. After all, she got a rich son so why not hit him up, blackmail him if she has to, in order to start a nail salon in Tucson? Well, when Nina catches when she shuts that all down. How? Well, she plants drugs inside the satchel with money, makes an anonymous call to the cops and there goes Brandy (Tanjareen Thomas). Showing, be it cutting a budget or cutting a woman out of her man’s life, you don’t underestimate or try Nina.
Commentary
I fully want Brandy to expose Jordan since his character remains such a stick in the mud. For while Cassandra is becoming a comfortable sidekick, Alexis is good, you can admire Nina’s nature, and even Rainer is growing on me, Jordan and Paige are still meh. However, with Jordan, he is still on the fence. It is just they need to stop throwing random drama at his character and not letting it simmer a bit. Take some time to develop why he is messing around with Nina and how that started. Maybe explain why Brandy is like that and how Jordan got away from her. Hell, break down that Tangey situation because surely there is more to that than she was lonely, he was checking on her, and then one thing led to another.
I mean, seriously. FreeForm is slowly seeming like the type of network where everything has to be a guilty pleasure. For, outside of old shows like The Fosters, which has its own issues, it is like they don’t really want shows people can claim as their favorite openly and not have to defend their proclamation. Which I say realizing that at 25 and being male, I’m probably not the demo they are looking for, but that hasn’t stopped me from liking their shows in the past. But I do believe whoever is running things now, they don’t value characters having depth. All they care about is them having episodic and arcing drama to fill up hashtag mentions.
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