UnREAL Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Confront
Rebecca Eisen
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Dear August,
How we've lusted after you and your man bun!
So much, in fact, that each of us has either had, almost had or still wants to have, a piece of you.
Yet at this juncture, we find ourselves on the verge of change.
Hope you had a few good nights' sleep in that hammock.
Because as of now, it's GAME ON!
- Quinn, Rachel, and Serena
On UnREAL Season 3 Episode 4, the formidable fight for the Suitress takes an aggressive turn when Madison discovers August's severed man bun.
The first sign of impending war, it indicates a palpable shift of energy both on camera and behind the scenes.
"Bunghazi" and the DUMB-ASS idea of an on-set reporter become the two slices of bread holding this Everlasting sandwich together.
But the meat of this meal is the forward movement of our main characters -- as Rachel, Quinn, Serena, Jay and even Madison -- reach pivotal points in their storylines.
Rachel ...
At the start of UnREAL Season 3, if you told me "Essentially honest Rachel" would outlive "Celibate Rachel," I'd have bet money you'd be wrong.
Of course, that was before we knew Quinn would beat her mini-me to the pound-town punch!
Not to say RG's been an angel. Sure, Rachel's walked the fine ethical line of producing a little here -- with that fight on UnREAL Season 3 Episode 2, and manipulating a bit there -- lying to contestants about Jasper's bet on UnREAL Season 3 Episode 3.
But nothing so egregious it was unforgivable, certainly not by Rachel Goldberg standards.
Now the day of reckoning is upon Quinn’s number two, as she finally tells Rachel what we've all been thinking since UnREAL Season 3 Episode 1 when she first arrived back on the scene.
You cannot do this job AND be essentially honest at the same time.
Quinn
Rather than drop her Honest Abe routine, Rachel sets out to prove Quinn wrong.
The result is a schizophrenic back and forth between GOOD RACHEL, who's essentially honest, and BAD RACHEL, who creates conditions to make things happen.
At the start of Everlasting's new shoot day, BAD RACHEL is on fire. She manipulates Serena into a dream date with Alexi and produces Alexi into giving good date to Serena.
GOOD RACHEL, however, is hell-bent on coming clean with the Suitress, revealing August slept with Quinn!
Related: UnREAL Season 3 Episode 2 Review: Shield
As if the dueling angel and devil atop Rachel's shoulders weren't enough to contend with, she decides the time is right to not only identify where her darkness comes from but to show up at his door.
Rachel's experience aligns with the #MeToo era in that the abuse of women by men in positions of power is far from uncommon, regardless of time, place, or industry.
Though widely known for its connection to the entertainment world, the #MeToo movement is designed to help us all understand the magnitude of sexual assault in society.
Rachel's identity as a feminist has clearly been shaped by her early assault, but will be facing her darkness and confronting her abuser be the first step in lightening her load? That remains to be seen.
Of course, Rachel doesn't get to just ring and run. Instead, the man who assaulted her reveals Daddy Goldberg has always known about that fateful night.
A lovely parting gift from Rachel's rapist. And speaking of creepy men we don't trust...
Jasper and Serena share a moonlit moment where she eats up all the smarmy bullshit he feeds her. Unless … is it possible the man who came for $400k could soon be leaving with real feelings for the Suitress?
(Still) speaking of creeps, Jeremy spent his week with a mouth full of hot wings and a chaser of Charlie.
Seems like a step in the right direction for Jeremy and Rachel. But given their tendency to run back to one another as soon as a new person enters the picture, you'll understand if I hold off on celebrating.
Also qualifying for the creep category ... remember on UnREAL Season 3 Episode 3 somehow getting the idea that Alexi may NOT be all about the ladies?
Oh yeah, it was that kiss the dancer planted on Jay.
Related: UnREAL Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Clarity
Now THERE is a situation getting crazier by the second, with the potential to spin further out of control than any other thus far.
Jay...
Struggling with how to tell the bad boy of ballet he's committed him to another show, Alexi misreads Jay's torment.
We kissed! So what! Get over me!
Alexi
After Jay screws up and allows his suitor to get to get his hands on cocaine -- Alexi's biggest vice -- it's a game changer for the cast member and his handler.
I get you more blow, you host Passport To Dance!
Jay
It's a deal with the devil Jay doesn't yet know.
Serena...
Knowing the last reporter who snuck onto set was such a danger to the Everlasting family that she ended up dead in a ditch, well, even Chet should know better than to let another one of her kind on set. But O.K., let’s say Chet couldn't resist the attention.
Robin is clearly there to provide Serena with an outsider's perspective.
These producers are monsters! Trust no one!
Robin
Her words can't help but scare the Suitress into running to Rachel for the truth.
When RG comes clean about August and Quinn banging bodies, for one second I question how the hell Quinn will clean her hands of the season's first sex scandal.
Shame on me, I should know better!
This is Quinn we're dealing with here, chief puppeteer and master manipulator.
We've both made mistakes. I slept with August. You slept with the jockey. Our bad!
Quinn
The scene serves two masters. On one hand, it wakes Serena the hell up and gets her to pull her head out of her ass!
Gurrrl, you may be trying to land a husband, but that's a teensy weensy part of a much bigger picture.
In the grand scheme of things, this is all a game. An often vicious, down and dirty game.
On the other hand, Serena's conversation with Quinn reestablishes the Show Runner as Head Bitch in Charge! Someone the Suitress would like to stay away from in the future.
I don't trust you as far as I can punt you!
Serena
Quinn...
Not only does Quinn put things in perspective for Serena, she also kicks the reporter to the curb, reminding us that nobody messes with her television show or her family.
Before Robin goes, we do have her to thank for one more thing: the vulnerable spot in which she puts Madison.
Madison...
When Madison is conned into giving the reporter access to the Suitress, the little girl whose " story instincts are ass backward" gets the chance to hang herself.
This provides Quinn with the opportunity to save her minier-me's job.
Earlier, Quinn took Madison to task for being Gay's bitch.
You’re always saying you wanna be just like me. But all you’ve done is sucked off my fiancé and and spread your legs for my boss. So if you wanna earn real power and respect, you gotta step into your balls and grab it. Be your own woman, not somebody else’s bitch.
Quinn
We know how much an older, wiser female perspective means to Madison because right after Rachel jokes that her pilot should be called "Keeping Up with Gary's Sidepiece," Maddy immediately calls Gary and demands they go to dinner in public.
So the young producer's wheels are already spinning when Quinn saves her job. And after sparing Madison, Quinn hammers home the danger of aligning with Gary.
Slow down, You're trying to cut tot to the front of the line with Gary and I promise you that it’s not going to end well.
Quinn
Suddenly Quinn finds herself in a potentially powerful position because there's nowhere she'd rather be than with Madison owing her a favor.
By the time Madison meets Gary at his place, her head must be ready to explode with opposing thoughts of girl power and the tried-and-true power of her pussy.
So when the network bigwig cancels their dinner and admits he still hasn't watched her pilot ... Let's just say, it's enough to make her wonder with whom she wants to stand.
Feigning a headache to jump on Gary's computer, we have no idea what Madison does next!
Come on Madison, step into your balls and grab that respect!
Assuming she crawls out of Quinn’s lap, where will RG go from here?
Is Jasper jerking Serena around in the name of the bet, or has he caught real feelings for the Suitress?
Comment below!
Don't forget, you can watch UnREAL online here via TV Fanatic!
Rebecca Eisen was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2018.
