S02.E03: The Scarlet Letter 2018.06.19

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

Sutton is in an awkward position when she is put in charge of hiring a photographer for an accessories shoot, and Kat asks her to hire Adena. Jane follows around a cute and altruistic doctor named Ben for her latest article. Scarlet’s newest board member, Cleo, causes Jacqueline to defend her role at the magazine.

[Jillybean]

Kat is just as annoying in S2 as she was in S1. 

Jane not being rehired at Scarlet was a refreshing surprise. I see a freelance career in her future. Though I have to say, I don't think a silly YouTube video about some unknown writer would have garnered so much attention that she would be blackballed from hire anywhere. 

[Aulty]

Sutton takes risks and it almost always turns out too well, don't you think?

Jane's green shirt, ME WANTS!

[notcreative enough]

2 hours ago, Jillybean said:

Kat is just as annoying in S2 as she was in S1. 

Jane not being rehired at Scarlet was a refreshing surprise. I see a freelance career in her future. Though I have to say, I don't think a silly YouTube video about some unknown writer would have garnered so much attention that she would be blackballed from hire anywhere. 

I don't know. I can see her being blackballed in New York if she moved elsewhere she would be fine. Jane showed she has no loyalty to be publication and all the people that it includes. She had one job to do in the TV interview and she threw Incite under the bus. I can see why other people wouldn't want to hire someone like that. Was Incite wrong to rewrite Jane's article yes but admit that unless the were blatantly falsifying information. Jane wants to be a serious writer but she doesn't want a serious life. I was glad the Jacqueline said she technically could fix this for Jane but that she wouldn't. And I'm happy that Jacqueline is writing again and stood up to the new board member woman.

It's kinda sad that Adena was more intuned with Suttons feeling than Kat. She realized she over stepped and apologized when she heard how Sutton really felt. Kat had a tantrum and stumped away. The whole real woman real bodies is great but you only showed me 3 skinny women. 

[dubbel zout]

I hope the hospital okayed Jane's traipsing around after Ben the doctor.

1 hour ago, notcreative enough said:

The whole real woman real bodies is great but you only showed me 3 skinny women. 

Yeah, and if the magazine truly embraced "real" women's bodies, it would use them in more than one issue a year.

1 hour ago, notcreative enough said:

I was glad the Jacqueline said she technically could fix this for Jane but that she wouldn't.

Same here. Jane talking about how Scarlet was a safe, nurturing space for her was spot on, but it wouldn't change her ultimate dissatisfaction with what she's writing. Good for Jacqueline for pointing that out to her. Also, budgets are budgets—especially these days in magazines—and Jane isn't such a superstar that Jacqueline can make an exception for her.

[KaveDweller]

8 hours ago, notcreative enough said:

I don't know. I can see her being blackballed in New York if she moved elsewhere she would be fine. Jane showed she has no loyalty to be publication and all the people that it includes. She had one job to do in the TV interview and she threw Incite under the bus. I can see why other people wouldn't want to hire someone like that.

Especially when in that interview the guy pointed out she threw Incite under the bus and she continued to throw them under the bus. You should never trash a former employer (either a boss or a company) in a job interview because it makes them think you won't be loyal to them either. Jane could have said how she had just intended to defend the menstrual cup lady and realized later how it sounded. It still doesn't make her look great though.

This was only the day after Jane's TV spot. I can see the clip being passed around among editors as an example of problem writers. In a few weeks when people have forgotten it she may have slightly better luck. But it's also not a great job market for a writer these days, so that is working against her too.

8 hours ago, notcreative enough said:

It's kinda sad that Adena was more intuned with Suttons feeling than Kat. She realized she over stepped and apologized when she heard how Sutton really felt. Kat had a tantrum and stumped away. The whole real woman real bodies is great but you only showed me 3 skinny women. 

Kat can be a bit self centered. I do like her as a character though. I also liked that they had Adena realize what she was doing and step back pretty quickly once she heard that conversation.  

[twoods]

Adena was great realizing she overstepped with Sutton. Kat was annoying but reigned it in at the end and apologized.

I am liking Jane and Ben so far. He’s definitely a too good to be true guy, but I love him. Didn’t realize that he had an accent the last episode. 

Jane not immediately going back to Scarlett was surprising, but she needs this storyline. 

[Miss Bones]

7 hours ago, twoods said:

I am liking Jane and Ben so far. He’s definitely a too good to be true guy, but I love him. Didn’t realize that he had an accent the last episode. 

Thank you!  Neither did I, and I was thinking "How did I miss that?  I love a good accent!"

 

7 hours ago, twoods said:

Adena was great realizing she overstepped with Sutton. Kat was annoying but reigned it in at the end and apologized.

I was worried--after Sutton turned down the other photographer and decided she would hire Adena--that Adena was going to tell Kat that she didn't want to work for Scarlet.  She kind of seems like someone who would be "above it".  Kind of like she was in the beginning of S1.  I am glad that they did not go that route.  And it was great that she immediately apologized for stepping on Sutton's toes.  It was the first episode that I really liked Adena.  Never been the biggest fan of her.

[Guest]

20 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Kat can be a bit self centered. I do like her as a character though. I also liked that they had Adena realize what she was doing and step back pretty quickly once she heard that conversation.  

In reality, you'd think hiring your BFF's/coworker's girlfriend for an editorial shoot she had zero experience with would be a huge conflict of interest and not only be immediately nixed by superiors, but get Sutton in trouble for favoritism. I was surprised that wasn't the central point of tension as opposed to "your girlfriend is too edgy to understand my candy aesthetic" (...what did that have to do with body posi to begin with?) Kat should've realized that much sooner, but she spent the episode acting like a 13-year-old campaigning for an iPhone from her exasperated mother. Sweet one minute, sulky the next, depending on if she's getting her way. That said, I loved how quickly and maturely Adena resolved everything. The last thing we need is Adena vs. Sutton/Jane. Adena was a really good girlfriend in that moment.

I feel like most of Kat's annoying qualities stem from having her first courtship and relationship with a woman. Like she's just SUPER EXCITED and FULL ON, which definitely happens in real like when one partner isn't as experienced. So she just wants everyone to know that she loves Adena! Adena is great! Have you heard Adena is her girlfriend? They're dating! Like, GIRLFRIENDS GIRLFRIENDS. It's a very wholesome and pure, albeit somewhat irritating, rite of passage for baby gays lol. Even Adena thinks Kat is a lot right now! But the TV alternative is apparently crying and self-loathing and treating your love interest like shit with mixed signals so this is obviously preferable. It's just EVERY single thing she says and does is about Adena. I just want to know about any other aspect of her life at this point. Adena got some breathing room with the shoot (kinda) so fingers crossed they keep building on navigating racial identity for Kat or her social media work.

But nope, next week is about lesbian jealousy! Again! Argh.

Jane is also annoying. I don't like her unemployment arc because it wastes screen time on her wallowing in self-pity alone. She's at her best with the trio.

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Jane is also annoying. I don't like her unemployment arc because it wastes screen time on her wallowing in self-pity alone. She's at her best with the trio.

They definitely need to give her some sort of job sooner rather than later. I did love Kat and Sutton not wanting Jane to get a job too quickly because the apartment had never been cleaner, LOL.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

They definitely need to give her some sort of job sooner rather than later. I did love Kat and Sutton not wanting Jane to get a job too quickly because the apartment had never been cleaner, LOL.

Oh right! I forgot they all live together. (right? Or just Jane and Sutton?)

[Jillybean]

17 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Oh right! I forgot they all live together. (right? Or just Jane and Sutton?)

I'm pretty sure Kat's parents foot the bill for her posh apartment. I feel like that was brought up at some point in S1.

Aside from everything Kat does, the other thing that bugs is when they constantly reference "Tiny Jane." I'm way, way outside the target demographic of this show. Is this type of thing tolerated/encouraged/enjoyed among the 20-something set these days?

[jenrising]

30 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

Aside from everything Kat does, the other thing that bugs is when they constantly reference "Tiny Jane." I'm way, way outside the target demographic of this show. Is this type of thing tolerated/encouraged/enjoyed among the 20-something set these days?

Nicknames among best friends? Yeah, I'm pretty sure 20-somethings still do that. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jillybean said:

I'm pretty sure Kat's parents foot the bill for her posh apartment. I feel like that was brought up at some point in S1.

Aside from everything Kat does, the other thing that bugs is when they constantly reference "Tiny Jane." I'm way, way outside the target demographic of this show. Is this type of thing tolerated/encouraged/enjoyed among the 20-something set these days?

 

1 hour ago, jenrising said:

Nicknames among best friends? Yeah, I'm pretty sure 20-somethings still do that. 

I think it's just that "Tiny Jane" is an odd, out-of-place nickname choice for Jane, who isn't really petite, short, or delicate looking and certainly isn't either a passive wallflower or a gutsy spitfire, which are the two personality types associated with "tiny" as a term of endearment. The closest she gets to indignation is an incredulous blank stare when things don't go her way. The cutesy (and unearned) "Tiny Jane" moniker is just a tryhard way of telling the audience Jane is feisty and scrappy and so free spirited! But Jane thus far this season has given us all the personality of an entitled bowl of oatmeal imo. 

[jenrising]

35 minutes ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

The cutesy (and unearned) "Tiny Jane" moniker is just a tryhard way of telling the audience Jane is feisty and scrappy and so free spirited! But Jane thus far this season has given us all the personality of an entitled bowl of oatmeal imo. 

It's a reference to the fact that she's the shortest of three (and one they've been making since the first season), and a shortcut way to remind viewers that these three are best friends and have been for a while. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, jenrising said:

It's a reference to the fact that she's the shortest of three (and one they've been making since the first season), and a shortcut way to remind viewers that these three are best friends and have been for a while. 

fair enough! ;)

[KaveDweller]

7 hours ago, Jillybean said:

I'm pretty sure Kat's parents foot the bill for her posh apartment. I feel like that was brought up at some point in S1.

Aside from everything Kat does, the other thing that bugs is when they constantly reference "Tiny Jane." I'm way, way outside the target demographic of this show. Is this type of thing tolerated/encouraged/enjoyed among the 20-something set these days?

Yeah, when Sutton had to take a reduced salary, she referred to Kat having rich parents and how she didn't understand how big a deal money was. 

But Kat is also a director at Scarlett, so presumably she makes a lot more than the other two. She lives alone (or now with Adena) and the other two are roommates. 

[legxleg]

I also thought that Adena was going to turn down the job after Sutton had already let her other choice go. Adena didn't seem as worried about getting a job quickly as Kat was, and Kat had never even broached the general topic of doing commercial photography to make sure Adena was into the idea. But I'm glad that Adena pulled it together and was able to be a pro. She seems a lot more mature and professional than Kat is, which will probably show Kat how to grow up a little bit. And maybe Kat is bringing some more fun and spontaneity to Adena's life (or I hope so anyway). I'm really liking this relationship.

I like Jane and Dr Ben as a potential couple, they are really cute, and his whole disco-the-baby-out thing was super charming to me (although I wonder if the pregnant woman signed a release or something to let this random reporter be there for her labor - or maybe Jane left before labor itself?).  I'm also interested to see where Jane goes from here since they aren't just slotting her back in place at Scarlet. I did appreciate that she was really hustling on the job hunt, and even when that one magazine told her she wasn't a fit for the position she immediately went to 'okay, what about freelance? Let me contact you with a pitch that will be good for your upcoming issue'. I think she was my favorite of the trio this episode. 

It did make me laugh that the trio were the models for this photo shoot and they highlighted acne scars or blemishes that we have *NEVER* seen in the course of the show, even in scenes where they (the characters, not the actors) would not have been wearing makeup. But I'm glad that Sutton did well on her assignment. I appreciate that when Sutton said she was prioritizing her career last episode she meant it, and her storyline is a professional one. I hope it stays that way for a while.

I'm also here for Jacqueline's storyline about running the magazine and the power struggle with the Board. This is so interesting to me, and I'm curious to see how it will affect the girls in future episodes. I half expected her to tell Jane that she *could* probably go to the Board to get Jane's job back, but then she'd lose capital that she wants to spend on something else. I kind of wonder if that wasn't in the back of Jacqueline's mind anyway, even if she didn't tell Jane that outright.

Edited June 23, 2018 by legxleg

[dubbel zout]

2 hours ago, legxleg said:

I'm also here for Jacqueline's storyline about running the magazine and the power struggle with the Board. This is so interesting to me, and I'm curious to see how it will affect the girls in future episodes. I half expected her to tell Jane that she *could* probably go to the Board to get Jane's job back, but then she'd lose capital that she wants to spend on something else. I kind of wonder if that wasn't in the back of Jacqueline's mind anyway, even if she didn't tell Jane that outright.

I like the board stuff, but I wish there was a little less of "Jacqueline schools the old white men about women and social media." I also find the new board member, Cleo, a bit too much of a cliché. But these are nitpicks.

[Bubbles]

45 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I like the board stuff, but I wish there was a little less of "Jacqueline schools the old white men about women and social media." I also find the new board member, Cleo, a bit too much of a cliché. But these are nitpicks.

I think the storyline with the new board member has potential. I'm intrigued by the idea of Jacqueline, a powerful woman who legitimately supports and empowers other women, having to deal with someone who pays lip service to "girl power" and "women looking out for each other" while actually acting in kind of backstabby and anti-feminist ways. It's also nice that they're giving Jacqueline something to do other than be the ridiculously perfect boss. 

[dubbel zout]

I like that Cleo is trying to undermine Jacqueline (well, not like, but it's a fair point, as there are a lot of women who don't legit support other women), but so far, the whole thing feels too predictable. I don't know, it all feels too convenient a way to show how ridiculously perfect a boss Jacqueline is. I'd like to see her have a crisis of conscience or something, but maybe the show won't go there because it's more about the three younger women, not Jacqueline.

[tennisgurl]

I was glad to see how Jane going back to Scarlet went. It would have been so easy for the show to send Jane back to Scarlet after her mess with Insight, but Jacqueline was totally right when she said that just because Jane's job didnt go well, that didnt mean her issues at Scarlet had gone away. I can see Jane doing well doing free lance journalism, and maybe popping by Scarlet again to do a guest article or something. I like the way the story is going.

[CurlyATX]

I thought "Tiny Jane" was some reference to the Tantric Sex article that Pinstripe had written.  Am I imagining that?  Jane is sort of petite, but not the type to be called tiny.  I'm about 5'1/2" (clinging to that half inch) and I get called tiny a lot.  Jane seems to be a 5'3; the kind of girl who doesn't have to get everything hemmed.  

 I remember worrying at my first birth if the doctor who I'd been seeing all this time would deliver the baby or if I'd get the "on-call doctor".  I was having contractions on a Friday and I knew by 5, the on-call would come.  For baby #2, I didn't care but for the first, you have grand illusions of a birth plan, etc.  The dancing was weird- normally they force you to walk around the halls.  And I would have asked who this rando girl with the notepad was.   Anyone else think that Jane would "out" the doctor's illegal filing and signing of the paperwork? 

I've been in Sutton's position before and it sucks.  Recently my husband asked me to use a friend of his to take my company headshots for a few employees.  I agreed.  This guy was too "artistic" and kept wanting us to "have a story" and refused to set up shots, asking ME to set them up instead.  The entire time, hubs kept defending this idiot saying how he was an important contact.  I have had luck using friends but it's tricky.  

I don't understand Cleo.  She said she was a bored mom who got YouTube famous.  What does she know about publishing?  I hope Jacqueline squashes this.  I love Jacqueline and want to have more of her.  She seems amazingly connected to her staff and seems to take a genuine interest in mentoring Jane. I hope Jane realizes this and doesn't dismiss her wise words.  

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, CurlyATX said:

I don't understand Cleo.  She said she was a bored mom who got YouTube famous.  What does she know about publishing? 

Very little, but the board hired her because of her YouTube success. It wants her to bring that to the company/Scarlet, even if Cleo's message is at odds with Scarlet's.

[sashayshante]

On 6/23/2018 at 4:05 PM, dubbel zout said:

I like that Cleo is trying to undermine Jacqueline (well, not like, but it's a fair point, as there are a lot of women who don't legit support other women), but so far, the whole thing feels too predictable. I don't know, it all feels too convenient a way to show how ridiculously perfect a boss Jacqueline is. I'd like to see her have a crisis of conscience or something, but maybe the show won't go there because it's more about the three younger women, not Jacqueline.

i would really like to see them explore the idea that a woman can disagree or even dislike another woman and her reasons are valid and not rooted in jealousy.  i would also like them to delve into the Healthy At Any Size issue, as it is such a polarizing conversation, especially in feminist circles.

Richard can go. Hi. You're, like,  40 and dating a woman 12-15 years your junior. At work, no less. You're a gross cliche. Byeeeeeee!

 

 

On 6/23/2018 at 4:05 PM, dubbel zout said:

I like that Cleo is trying to undermine Jacqueline (well, not like, but it's a fair point, as there are a lo of women who don't legit support other women), but so far, the whole thing feels too predictable. I don't know, it all feels too convenient a way to show how ridiculously perfect a boss Jacqueline is. I'd like to see her have a crisis of conscience or something, but maybe the show won't go there because it's more about the three younger women, not Jacqueline.

[sashayshante]

On 6/23/2018 at 1:36 PM, Bubbles said:

I think the storyline with the new board member has potential. I'm intrigued by the idea of Jacqueline, a powerful woman who legitimately supports and empowers other women, having to deal with someone who pays lip service to "girl power" and "women looking out for each other" while actually acting in kind of backstabby and anti-feminist ways.

But is she being backstabby and anti-feminist? This is another topical issue that doesn't get aired out enough. what is anti-feminist about Cleo's approach? She doesn't take things to a personal level when she disagrees with Jacqueline. I'm a vocal feminist and support the body positivity movement, but I can't get behind the healthy at any size idea because, science. Does that make me less of a feminist?

[slaterain]

On 6/25/2018 at 11:26 AM, CurlyATX said:

Anyone else think that Jane would "out" the doctor's illegal filing and signing of the paperwork? 

YES!!! And why does she need to include his name in the article at all?!! It might be better to have him be anonymous. Yet similar to her issue with Insight and how she kept calling them out - she doesn't seem to think out potential consequences. 

[Bubbles]

On 2018-06-25 at 10:36 PM, sashayshante said:

I'm a vocal feminist and support the body positivity movement, but I can't get behind the healthy at any size idea because, science.

You mean like the science that shows that a single-minded emphasis on weight as the most important determinant of health tends to result in worse health outcomes for fat people, and that programs that focus on taking steps to be healthier regardless of size can actually be more effective for weight loss than those where weight loss is the primary goal?

I watched the episode a while ago and don't really remember the specifics of their conversation, but it came across to me as pretty much "I'm a huge supporter of body positivity when it means telling thin white women to accept their tiny imperfections but I draw the line at telling fat people they shouldn't hate themselves". 

[Washi45]

On 6/25/2018 at 7:36 PM, sashayshante said:

But is she being backstabby and anti-feminist? This is another topical issue that doesn't get aired out enough. what is anti-feminist about Cleo's approach? She doesn't take things to a personal level when she disagrees with Jacqueline. I'm a vocal feminist and support the body positivity movement, but I can't get behind the healthy at any size idea because, science. Does that make me less of a feminist?

I mean, you sound like someone doing the typical concern trolling.