S05.E02: High Society

[jewel21]

Friction mounts between Junior and Annika when one of them is tapped for a secret society. Red flags start to arise when Aaron discovers the university is overusing his image to promote how “diverse and inclusive” they are.

Airdate: 07/27/2022

[tennisgurl]

I think it says something where the new supporting cast is hardly seen at all in the opening credits, while they were almost as prominent as Zoey back in her version of the show. They did at least give something to Annika, but its not very much. She's from humble origins, but she's ambitious, and can somehow afford designer clothes desperate apparently not coming from money. Junior standing up for her and quitting the Cloak and Daggers club on her behalf didn't feel earned at all, they hardly know each other beyond a few talks. I cant really name any facts about the rest of the new characters, except Junior's roommate seems unpleasant. With Zoey's crew, even the ones I didn't care for, like Luca, I got them and their personality. I have no clue who any of these people are. 

Of course Aaron finds stuff to gripe about despite having been given a miracle tenure track that any academic with a whole wall full of degrees would kill for, and will probably give it up. I can get not being thrilled about being used as a token, but come on. Now at least someone qualified can take his spot, someone who did more than introduce the revolutionary concept of college students sitting about talking about social issues. Truly a one of a kind idea, it'll revolutionize higher ed forever!

[possibilities]

I might be tripping, but was the dude from the secret society, who told Junior that Annika was not their kind of person... also the same dude who showed up at her door wanting to be let in? So she wasn't excluded for her background or even her personality, but only because her boyfriend nixed her nom? 

[nilyank]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

I might be tripping, but was the dude from the secret society, who told Junior that Annika was not their kind of person... also the same dude who showed up at her door wanting to be let in? So she wasn't excluded for her background or even her personality, but only because her boyfriend nixed her nom? 

Same guy and he totally thinks she is beneath him. 

[TigerLily20]

13 hours ago, nilyank said:

Same guy and he totally thinks she is beneath him. 

I have to say I am glad someone caught that because I was like...who is this guy??? 

I am also kind of surprised they haven't changed the opening to be more centered on the new crew

[ljenkins782]

19 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I think it says something where the new supporting cast is hardly seen at all in the opening credits, while they were almost as prominent as Zoey back in her version of the show. They did at least give something to Annika, but its not very much. She's from humble origins, but she's ambitious, and can somehow afford designer clothes desperate apparently not coming from money. Junior standing up for her and quitting the Cloak and Daggers club on her behalf didn't feel earned at all, they hardly know each other beyond a few talks. I cant really name any facts about the rest of the new characters, except Junior's roommate seems unpleasant. With Zoey's crew, even the ones I didn't care for, like Luca, I got them and their personality. I have no clue who any of these people are. 

Of course Aaron finds stuff to gripe about despite having been given a miracle tenure track that any academic with a whole wall full of degrees would kill for, and will probably give it up. I can get not being thrilled about being used as a token, but come on. Now at least someone qualified can take his spot, someone who did more than introduce the revolutionary concept of college students sitting about talking about social issues. Truly a one of a kind idea, it'll revolutionize higher ed forever!

I'm not even sure how many people are in the new cast. Are they planning to do an intro episode for each one, this one felt like Annika's intro. Is it me or does the actress playing her look like she could easily be in her late 30s? I was waiting for some backstory about how she's back in school as a lifelong learner or something.

I see Junior has inherited the Zoey magic of getting prestigious opportunities for no discernible reason. I mean, I get the point they were making about him being a "safe" token, but on a campus of thousands, how did they even find him? I did get a genuine laugh at his describing a pair of sneakers that Dre would pay any amount of money for as a way to get ransom money.

[DearEvette]

Man.  Who is writing this show?  "I want things that no black girl has ever dreamed of."  Girl whut?  I would 100% guarantee that there are black girls out there dreaming of everything under the sun.  I am trying to give it a fair shot but I dunno.

They really needed to give the time and space to really introducing the new characters better.  The guy with the dreds feels like a dim version of Vivek.  Junior's roommate feels like a sulky, less religious version of Ana.  And whatever happened to the boho girl with the kool-aid colored short hair?

And then there is Annika.  At first I thought they were trying to make her an ambitious girl with hustle and a life plan i.e.  she wants to succeed not just to get away from her humble beginnings but because she has a passion for whatever work she would be doing.  But the way the writing seemed to suggest, she just wants clout and fame it seems like.  She wants the trappings and the appearance, not the substance.  It is like they took the character of CoCo from Dear White People and watered her waaaay down and flattened her out.  No way would a striving black girl who Vision Boards Oprah would speak derisively of Obama the way Annika seemed to do in this episode.  CoCo would nevah!  It is like not understanding why Jackie Robinson had to be the one the break the baseball color barrier. 

Maybe they are gonna spotlight everyone in their own ep, but I'd much rather just having gotten know them organically over the past two eps.  Which is why I am not feeling either Doug or Aaron's presence in this show.  Why are they still here?  What does Doug even do?  And the Dean greeting Aaron as 'Assistant Professor Jackson' just sounds dumb.  Nobody does that. But he can't call him Dr. Jackson because well, he doesn't have a doctorate.  LOL.

[Lethallyfab]

This is basically a spin-off/reboot of a spin-off and I’m wondering what’s the point.  
 

I am insanely curious to how they’re going to keep writing Zoey into/out of the show given that focusing on her big New York fashion success is hindered by the fact that her business partner isn’t on the show anymore.  

Wait, who am I kidding, she’s probably Cal U’s next tenure track professor of fashion design.   Annika will be coming to her for advice as to how to be a strong black woman.
 

[Aileen]

NM…I read a recap that cleared up my  confusion. Totally didn’t get that the Kyle guy from the event was the same guy at her door.

Edited August 7, 2022 by Aileen

[qtpye]

On 7/31/2022 at 4:04 PM, DearEvette said:

Man.  Who is writing this show?  "I want things that no black girl has ever dreamed of."  Girl whut?  I would 100% guarantee that there are black girls out there dreaming of everything under the sun.  I am trying to give it a fair shot but I dunno.

Da fuck!

I am gonna skip this episode just because this ignorance is just too much.