The Bold Type Season 1 Episode 5 Review: No Feminism in the Champagne Room
Yana Grebenyuk
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On The Bold Type Season 1 Episode 5, the relationship between Kat and Adena grew but was it in the right direction? Adena choosing to go back to Coco definitely isn't promising, especially when Kat was taking a huge leap from within herself.
Meanwhile, Sutton ended up fighting for more from her new job when the initial offer was too low. Jane had to deal with being sued over an article she really believed in and learned a lesson in the process.
Kat and Adena's relationship looked like it would be rainbows and sunshine from here on out because if anyone deserved it, it's those two.
In a pretty realistic twist though, life got in the way.
Kat kissing Adena didn't take away from the fact that Coco existed nor did it change the amount of time Adena spent with her. It didn't take away from Kat's very relatable, almost too relatable, issues with relationships because there is so much emotion that goes into that.
Frankly, I understand Kat more and more with each new episode because her story connects so much with me. Kat was just trying to figure out what these feelings were for this wonderful woman in her life, and with one kiss they were committed to a relationship which is very new.
Kat has never been in a real relationship, with anybody, and on top of that with someone who she likes a lot and who has history with another person.
It was heartbreaking to watch Kat fade more and more into her guilt, the guilt she hadn't felt in the morning but that set in when she started to question if she was enough for Adena when she was with Coco for so long before that.
Then it a pretty funny scene; all those inspirational quotes remind me of the many notebooks I have with those exact words taking up space on my bookshelves pushed Kat to stand up for what she wanted.
She was terrified but didn't want to give into that, and I only wish things had worked out exactly right if only to keep that smile on her face a little while longer.
But Adena decided to make it work with Coco, and I can't wait to see what this means. I don't see Kat giving up after she realized how much she wanted to make this work with Adena, I want to see how those feelings affect her actions.
Kat and Adena continue to bring only happiness and excitement out of me. Their relationship is real; it isn't written as just a check in the representation box on some list.
There is genuine writing being done to tell a story that is true to form because no relationship is easy and sometimes it is in the very beginning that you have to put in the most work.
Don't say I'm sorry when you have nothing to apologize for.
Jacqueline
Sutton got the job she wanted, so you'd expect the next conflict to come out of her actually doing the job.
Instead, Sutton got to experience my worst nightmare, in a way continuing to prepare people like me for the future.
Asking for more money because you truly believe you are worth more is so anxiety inducing. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. I'm glad Sutton was the one we saw go through that because it was something she struggled with.
For everyone watching who also went through something similar or might have to go through it in the near future, seeing Sutton go through the motions was special.
She didn't back down even though at one point she thought that was her only choice, and I have to admit that I agreed. I would have signed after that first phone call from Oliver because it is difficult to think you are worth more when you are starting out in a new place in your career.
But Sutton stood up for herself and her value, and she got what she deserved from the beginning.
It was great also not to have Richard helping in away way because he usually will try to just put in a good word for her if he can. Which isn't to say that is a bad thing, but Sutton felt like this was something only she could fight for.
Richard is always there when she needs him, which Sutton knows yet also doesn't always refer to. This time around he was cheering for her from the sidelines, and maybe even caught a glimpse of something else in the making?
Listen, I am all about a good M/F friendship because there are so few out there that actually have substance to them. I'm also not one to say a M/F friendship can't become more, because who wouldn't want to be with one of their best friends if they work together romantically too?
But for Alex and Sutton, the signs were there for many fans of the show, yet I always wrote that off because it was genuine support and friendship at the core.
Plus it just didn't seem like something that might be explored if Sutton seemed so happy with Richard, but him walking in doing adorable power poses hinted at a big something for me.
This could very well be the beginning of some conflicting feelings down the line for Sutton, although I think neither Alex nor Sutton came off that fun moment believing there is something brewing between them.
Perhaps this is the start of an issue between Richard and Sutton in the workplace? Richard can never goof off or have fun with Sutton in the open, and that might not bother them in their relationship but could it still sting a little as Sutton works her way up in the magazine?
Either way, bring on more supportive Richard being in awe of Sutton and more Alex reminding Sutton of her importance. I will never say no to Sutton hearing of her value to other people at Scarlet.
Alex: Okay. Gonna have to bring out the big guns.
Sutton: Please don't take your shirt off.
Jane's story within her writing career continues to swerve around, with something really interesting this time around.
Out of the three ladies, I am beginning to feel like I understand Jane less and less. That isn't to say that she isn't amazing, but it is hard to connect with her sometimes, like this time around with her article.
We will never actually see how that interview with Morgan went down, maybe because that isn't meant to be part of how we interpret Jane's journey with judgment.
At first, I didn't feel like Jane was judging Morgan for her career change, she was inspired by it and did reference how their readers would accept it.
But somewhere down the line, Jane might have forgotten that Morgan was a real person who might be asking to stay anonymous for a reason.
It was a case of Jane seeing the story and its potential a bit more than the subject and their experiences outside of this piece.
It was a great lesson to learn, something Jane will take with her whenever she does a feature on someone else again, and I am thankful we saw her grasping where exactly she went wrong.
For me, Jane's story was more captivating because there wasn't any Ryan in the picture this time around, so all the attention was on this issue and her friendship with Sutton.
Each time Jane gets assigned a new project there is something both her, and the audience can take away from it. The required perception that played into her feature was a lesson for all writers, and for all people in general.
You see someone in a specific way, whether you realize it or not. It was a one off storyline, but it was another great example of female relationships being explored on The Bold Type.
They aren't always the ones you expect to pay attention to, but there was value to the exchanges that Jane had with Morgan.
This lesbian shit is intense!
Kat
Jacqueline, Oliver, and Richard actually were explored more as the people with power this time around.
It didn't reach me until the end, but we got a peek into who they are as bosses. So far their interactions with the girls were more mentor type or in Sutton's case more romantic.
But Jacqueline had to be more strict and more detached, with both Jane and Kat. With Jane, Jacqueline had to tell her as her boss that she couldn't fix every issue her writing could create.
The best she could do is not make the situation worse, and when Jane did, then Jacqueline firmly told her to get back to work. It wasn't the time for Jacqueline to be anything other than the editor-in-chief and think about what to tell her employee, putting her business first.
While with Kat, Jacqueline was serious when the tweet went up but still wanted to check in on her personally. Jacqueline tried to ask how her personal life was going and offered to talk, even though Kat turned her down.
It was Kat turning her down though that built up that wall because they were at work and if Kat said that she was fine, there wasn't much else Jacqueline could do as her boss if her work continued to excel.
The same went for Richard, who went back and forth between professional and a bit more aware that Jane was his girlfriend's friend. But at the end he was doing his job, a role we haven't seen much of yet.
There are a few work interactions between Richard and Jacqueline, and I can't say I don't want more. They have an interesting dynamic and Richard doing a job that sometimes connects with the core group is grabbing my attention.
And Oliver, he was rooting for Sutton and chose her for the job. It still became an issue when she was pushing for her own interests and Oliver had to put on the boss hat because this was a salary he was going to stand behind.
Him still hearing Sutton out and agreeing to her terms though is a reminder that he isn't working against her. He wants her to have the job and he wants her to do well, but he also has his own interests to think about, especially when it comes to money.
All in all, it was a great little tangent to go on, creating new boundaries for all the girls this time around.
You did not fail my Jane, you just failed. Sometimes you're going to fail. That is what it means to be a professional writer. Now go write something else.
Jacqueline
The Bold Type is only getting better; it is settling in and crafting long term plot lines going forward.
Jane is learning and messing up with her writing, a journey that only gets better. She is also juggling a relationship of some kind with a guy that she continues to call by his magazine name, which can't end well.
Sutton's biggest adventure yet is approaching, where she will start doing what she has wanted to for so long, and I honestly see her coming out even more successful.
Kat has a lot on her plate, but it has started a beautiful conversation that is only growing in depth, especially now that she has to fight for these feelings that she couldn't figure out at first.
But the main story will always follow the friendship between the core three and the way they can fight and not understand each other the time yet always be each other's safety nets.
All I ask is maybe to see some more of Alex? He is a wonderful part of the Scarlet team, and I can't get enough of him because he brings so much support to any of the girls that he is talking to.
We're your safety net.
Jane
What do you see in store for Kat and Adena now? Do you think Jane will take what she learned with this article into her future writing? Will Sutton get to have a bit of a breather at her new job? What are you really hoping to see more of? And what could you do without?
Yana Grebenyuk was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in April 2021.
