(Image credit: Apple TV+)
“Women Who Rule”
Original Airdate: May 1, 2024
This week’s episode focuses a lot on Molly coming to terms with aging, Sofia coming to terms with being vulnerable in a loving (and serious) relationship, and Arthur finding some self-confidence!
At the beginning of the episode, Sofia shows up late to the office — in casual clothes, no less! Apparently she stayed over at Isaac’s and didn’t have her things for work. The whole team takes the opportunity to grill her about her relationship with Isaac. Even though Sofia declares that they’re just casual, the team decides that all of the evidence points to the contrary. And that terrifies Sofia, especially later on in the episode when Isaac asks if he should get them both season passes to the Hollywood Bowl. Initially, Sofia panics and just freezes up, unable to respond, so Isaac leaves.
Later in the day, however, she confronts Isaac at his office. Clearly the tactic has worked before in her other relationships — Sofia pushing someone away because things are getting serious and it scares her — but what I love is that it doesn’t work on Isaac. It doesn’t really rattle him or cause him to lash out at her. Sofia is a person who pushes people away before they can hurt her. She says later on in the episode that fights typically have ended her relationships in the past. So when she leaves Isaac’s office that afternoon, in her mind, she’s broken up with Isaac — which is a little confusing to her when he shows up at her doorstep with groceries for dinner. Isaac and Sofia have an honest conversation about wanting to be together and taking things slow. It’s such a lovely little arc for Sofia (which we will see more of in the next few episodes too) learning vulnerability and that it’s okay to feel safe and stable with someone without self-sabotaging.
Molly, meanwhile, gets invited to walk the runway as a special guest in L.A. Fashion Week at a “Women Who Rule” themed event. She’s really excited about the whole experience... until her stylist accidentally mistakes Howard for her son. A little distraught, Molly slightly grieves her age, so Nicholas decides to help her feel and look younger. Molly confesses to him that most days, she’s fine with being a middle-aged woman; but the stark reminder of it from someone else felt too much for her. Molly notes that she spent so much of her youth wrapped up in John and his world that it hurts a bit to be reminded of the fact that she’s not young anymore.
She’s even more aware of the fact that she’s not young anymore when she tries her best to hang out and fit in with the models. She’s exhausted from doing TikTok dances and the backstage area is so warm that when a young model offers Molly champagne and a pill that she claims is “mostly herbal” (spoiler alert: it is not), Molly takes it. But it doesn’t matter, because Molly walks down the runway and absolutely crushes it! ... Until it’s revealed that the runway perfection was just in her head. In actuality, Molly’s very, very high and has to be sent to the emergency room to get her stomach pumped. While there, however, she gains a little perspective from a nurse who thanks her for creating Space for Everyone. Apparently the nurse’s cousin moved into the hotel, having had a rough few years, and his life is turning around already.
One thing the nurse says though toward the end of their short conversation strikes Molly — Molly has lived a lot in the time she’s been on earth. She’s got a lot of miles under her belt, with more to come down the line. To that statement, however, the nurse simply tells Molly: “Well be proud of them [the miles],” and for the first time all episode, I think Molly chooses to reframe her age and her experience as something to be grateful for, rather than something to be defeated by or ashamed of. She has more wisdom and perspective now than she did in her youth and is doing good in the world because of it.
Elsewhere in the episode, Arthur gets a little confidence booster from Howard about what to wear to the fashion show and opts for a classic look with a red striped tie — which immediately means he’s mistaken for security at the show (they are wearing identical outfits) and is forced to work. Of course he’s not actually forced; Arthur is such a non-confrontational and nice person that he just agrees to do it when he gets yelled at.
But through this, Arthur meets and banters with a model named Willa who, later on in the episode, puts her number in his phone and asks him out. I know last week I talked a lot about how much I love Arthur and Molly together, but I also know that neither of them are ready to move forward yet in their relationship. They are still dancing around their feelings: remember that Molly even gave Arthur the chance last week to tell her what he was going to say in Corsica before John showed up. So it’s nice to see Arthur’s wit and personality appreciated by someone outside of the office.
Besides, isn’t this a plot point in so many rom-coms? People repressing their true feelings for each other? I guess we’ll have to just stay tuned to find out how Molly feels about Arthur’s new relationship next week.
Notes & Quotes:
- I know Nicholas is supposed to be vain and his remarks are often reflective of his obliviousness, but the random Armie Hammer comment he makes in this episode was uncomfortable and unnecessary. Armie is an actual abuser. No thanks.
- “I was gonna do it anyway, but I love being called pretty. Thanks guys!”
- “I don’t need you to be my therapist. I have a therapist. ... Well, I’m trying to get one. I’m looking into names. My last one asked too many questions.”
- “I need a doctor for my bones.”
- Did anyone else just assume that the “twist” was going to be that Willa wasn’t a model and Arthur let someone in a restricted area who wasn’t supposed to be there? Glad it worked out differently for his sake!
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