The Bold Type: Season 3, Episode 9 “Final Push” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers. Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.

It’s all about to come to a head for Kat’s future in politics, Sutton in terms of design, and Jane’s article. However, what journey doesn’t have bumps in the road?

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Network
FreeForm
Director(s)	Kimberly McCullough
Writer(s)	Neel Shah
Air Date	6/4/2019

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Changing Course: Sutton, Carly, Oliver, Richard

With the opportunity for her work to be in a fashion show coming up, Sutton is working with a model and ready to buckle down. However, then Carly, Oliver’s daughter, fakes sick, yet again, and Oliver has Sutton watch her. This leads to a few revelations. Specifically, Sutton realizing that she is reinforcing beauty standards by having a thin model used.

Which, it’s easy to understand why Carly may have an issue with this. First and foremost, Oliver is deeply into fashion, and so Carly has no means to escape seeing beautiful, usually thin, people and imagery. Also, it isn’t like Scarlet has made it a norm to do inclusive work. They have a special spread every now and then, but in front of the camera, and even behind it, usually the people look like lean models. Heck, Carly even points out Sutton could pass for one and that Richard looks like a Ken doll.

This leads to Sutton realizing she needs to, instead, use her friends to model. But, she isn’t the only one changing course. Richard reveals one of his friends is starting up a company in San Fransisco and isn’t asking Richard to donate or invest, but work for him. A job which is in green tech and is a dream job for Richard. However, with so much of his life in New York, and not even being able to convince Sutton to think about moving to Connecticut, California is out of the question.

Playing With Trouble: Kat, Adena, Tia, Jane, Ryan

Both Kat and Ryan have something in common this episode – they flirt with the idea of cheating. With Kat, it’s talking to Adena more and more and old feelings coming back. All of which her friends known about, even throw gasoline on, but nothing is mentioned to Tia. Someone who thinks things are well but really might be coming to an end in more ways than one.

As for Ryan? Well, on this whirlwind book tour he decides to play up this book persona. You know, the one he made seem buried and that Alex made out to be a problem. Which, for the first time we’ve seen, is starting to make Jane a bit insecure. Especially after an NPR interview which makes it sound like Ryan misses his ho life.

A Win For Some, Loss For Others: Kat, Jane, Ryan, Patrick, Jacqueline, Pamela

Well, Kat loses the election but that at least that means she can stay at Scarlet right? As for Jane, it is a hard few days. Ryan kissed someone, while drunk, so that’s an issue. Then, despite her wanting her Pamela Dolan story in the magazine, with Pamela going on the offensive she is forced to hand it to the dot com. Making it so Patrick gets a huge win and Jacqueline loses a major piece for the magazine. Which, with rumblings of getting rid of the print edition, is a major loss. Yet, Jane has bigger things to worry about now.

Highlights

Carly Calling Out Scarlet

While Jane has found empowerment through Scarlet, as well as a maternal figure, it is nice for Carly to flip all that. For as much as we see Kat be bare skinned online, she is one of a few. Largely, Scarlet might be progressive in writing but still could be seen as backwards in terms of the models it hires. But, with Carly pointing this out, it did trigger Sutton changing who and how she designs and also has created a new bond for her to have outside the friend group. One which is likely to be complicated, because she hasn’t seen Carly’s dark side yet, or heard it first hand, but right now is cute. Especially with Oliver noting how thankful he is that Sutton is a strong female role model in Carly’s life.

The Pamela Dolan Story Finally Dropped

Can we be real for a second? The build to this Pamela Dolan story has been iffy. Yes, we got to see Jacqueline and Jane team up but the guest actors, even Pamela, have been sort of eh. So with her actually interacting with the characters now, ready to go to war, here is hoping she lives up to her name and isn’t just fodder to put Jane back on the panel circuit like in season 1 or early season 2.

Kat Freaking Out

Kat has often found herself being the David to someone’s Goliath and often being strong for others. So to see her breakdown over something work-related, not necessarily personal, was a treat in seeing her vulnerable. For, up until now, when it came to work, whether you were on the board or someone on her level, there was little you could say to deter her. So the political stuff making her question herself, it felt like a rare moment of indecision. One which may lead her back to Adena and possibly leave Tia heartbroken.

On The Fence

The Possibility Of Kat Cheating On Tia

With next week’s preview showing Kat in bed with Adena, I fear the worst. After all, previous to their last one or two relationships, Kat and Adena were people who didn’t get attached much and got around. So there is a part of them which might be capable of crossing the line. But the big thing for me is this is Tia’s first serious lesbian relationship, and while she is new, I’m sure you’ve grown attached to her like I have done. So if she is going to be broken up with, written off maybe, I’d rather it be done with respect to her feelings than her being tossed like Sutton’s former boss.

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