I learned one very important thing from this week’s episode: Jake doesn’t really own any shirts. Well, maybe he owns five of them but he definitely prefers to go without one. I’m not complaining or anything, because he also makes pancakes. Along with those two very charming things, he is also pitching his film thesis which could lead to getting his film funded and made. Big stuff. Paige, on the otherhand, is struggling to write a 20-page paper and deal with an urgent meeting with Nina. Cassie is very innocently borrowing a skirt from Paige’s closet to wear to an interview at the Pizza Dome, which is actually a meeting with Brody, but, you know, her friends have no idea about Brody.
Paige’s meeting with Nina was short, sweet and to the point. Nina wants Paige to get an agent. Nina has set Paige up with someone named Ken Chapman at TAC. Paige is clearly nervous about getting an agent and consults her best friends for some advice. We learn that Cassie’s mom was a soap star with an agent who still sends Cassie Christmas cards. We also learn that Cassie’s mom was on her way to being a huge star before she got sick. With a little convincing and a deal that Cassie and Jake will be in attendance, Paige agrees to the meeting with the agent.
Alexis is surprisingly reading Jake’s script with the hope it could be her ticket back to the top and also because she has to find her own projects since her agent is doing it. Rachel is there also, however, Alexis doesn’t seem to really notice her until it’s too late. Rachel is more enthusiastic about working on Locked together, whereas Alexis doesn’t want it to complicate things. Rachel knows exactly what that means; Alexis doesn’t want to go public. Alexis’ defense is that she wants to keep her private life private, but Rachel is not going to pretend. Things are clearly rocky between these two during the entire episode.
Alan Mills waltzes into the WOMEN’S BATHROOM because telling Nina that she needs to cut 3 million dollars from the Locked budget or she’ll be fired just couldn’t wait. Nina responds in the most iconic way, “How can I help you, Alan? Do you need a tampon?” Perrey Reeves is so fantastic! With her job on the line, Nina stops in to see her son to tell him that she prefers he surf with a friend and that he’s going to have to take a pay-cut. Apparently the entire cast will need to lower their fees in order to get the budget where it needs to be. At first Rainer doesn’t want to lose the money he’s already been promised, but then Nina mentions something about how she’s had to borrow money from sketchy people to get things done in the past. “I’ll do anything you need me to do,” Rainer tells his mom. Maybe if she had looked into using a equity release calculator, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Borrowing money from people you don’t trust never works out well, especially not when it comes to your financial situation.
The first time we see Jordan in this episode he is meeting with that mystery woman from last week. We learn that she’s a bartender named Brandy and that she wants $50,000 or she will tell his fans about the “real” him. If it makes the situation any better, the money is going to a great cause. She wants to open a nail salon in Tuscan. He only has 2 days to get her the money. She says, “Consider it your final payment.” How much money has Jordan given Brandy? Later on in the episode, a man who was specifically hired to handle Jordan’s money meets Jordan in his trailer. The man brings it to Jordan’s attention that this is the third time this year Jordan has asked for a large sum of money like this, so Jordan has been giving Brandy lots and lots of money.
Cassie, Jake, and Paige are stressing about buying a grilled cheese that cost $36 when the very kind Ken Chapman swoops in and offers to pay. There’s a really weird moment when some guys named the Dolan Twins pop up and I’m not really sure why, so I just ignored that moment. Ken gets right to work by cluing Paige in on all of the interviews, photo shoots and more she’ll have to do. He also mentions that school will be an issue and that’d he prefer to talk to Paige alone. Being the protective, wonderful people they are, Jake and Cassie jump in to stop that from happening right away. Ken says that he’ll read Jake’s script as a sort of trade for Paige meeting with him alone. This Ken guy is smart, I’ll give him that. Though the best part of this scene was the shriek Cassie let out when Ken clued Paige and her friends in on how much money she’d be making. Once the lunch comes to a close, all Paige can think about is her dad, school, that horrendous paper, Nina, and more. My head hurts for her. Jake and Cassie say they will help Paige with her paper, meaning Cassie must reschedule with Brody and Jake will have to write his pitch later that night. Things were starting to look up for Jake, which is great because he can’t seem to catch a break, but then he found his script in the trash. Ken ditched it. NOT COOL, KEN!
Rainer runs into Jordan picking up the last of his things from Rainer’s place. THEY USED TO LIVE TOGETHER. Jordan gets a text from Brandy that she now has Barrett Hopper’s number and is ready to talk if she doesn’t get the money. Rainer notices the distress on his old best friend’s face and asks, “Dude, are you okay?” He still cares! I’m not even going to apologize about how invested I am in their friendship. Jordan brushes off the Brandy stuff and thanks Rainer for taking the pay-cut because his agents weren’t going for it. What?! Seems like the whole cast didn’t take a pay-cut after all. Rainer is understandbaly beyond angry. He learns that everyone took a cut except Jordan and Nina. Nina says in so many words that Rainer isn’t as important to the film as Jordan is. Rainer stands up for himself by saying, “You know, every once in a while I need you not be Nina Devon, the producer. I need you to be my mom.” This relationship is another strained one, and Locked isn’t the first time things have been rough.
Alexis is not the happiest camper in the world when she learns that Paige has a closer parking spot, her pay has been cut majorly, and that her agent wants to pass on the role in Locked because the money just isn’t there.
Rainer finds Paige in her fitting to take her to hair and makeup before their camera test. Rainer makes me root for him even more during the camera test. Paige starts talking about how bad she needs to get home, and Rainer says, “I know you need to get out of here. Wish we can make it go faster.” I don’t know whether I am supposed to fully trust him or anyone on this show at this point, but the way Carter Jenkins delivers this and so many other lines makes Rainer seem so genuine and caring. Even though Paige had somewhere to be and was on the way to her car, she jumps at the chance to look at some of the Locked sets with Rainer. “Jimmy Stewart. Audrey Hepburn. Cary Grant. They all made movies right where you’re standing,” Rainer points out. This is also the scene where we learn that Rainer has been acting for 10 years.
We meet Francine in this episode. Francine is Paige’s stylist and fairy godmother. She sets Paige up in this beautiful red dress. Right before the photo shoot with the cast, Cassie calls Paige to fill her in on everything Jake had just told her. Jake’s pitch didn’t go well, he doesn’t know how to finance his movie, he wants to change his career to journalism, and Alexis won’t call him back after he gave her his script. Paige then explains that she is the reason why Alexis never called Jake and promises to fix it. After Paige tells Alexis everything, Alexis responds the only way Alexis possibly could by saying, “You naughty, little señorita.” Paige says something next that I would never have said in her situation, she tells Alexis that she will do anything for her so she’ll call Jake. First up: Alexis wants Paige’s dress.
The whole photo shoot turns out to be a mess. No one is getting along. Jordan and Rainer won’t stop bickering about a lost wetsuit, Alexis wants Paige to fetch her slippers for her which are on the other side of the lot. To make matters worse, Rachel thinks that Alexis got her fired because her best friend Tangey took her spot and they won’t have to go public. Alexis comes home at the end of the night to see her place trashed.
Nina is still off on her own mission to save her job. She finds Ida in the studio. Ida is willing to reduce Tangey’s pay as long has she gets a role in the movie. Nina then returns the bathroom favor by walking in on Alan. She delivers the new budget that is 3 million dollars lighter AND Tangey closed.
Jordan meets Brandy just in time with only $25,000, but it’s okay because Nina shows up with the other $25,000 much to Jordan’s surprise. Nina threatens that Brandy will be dealing with her if she ever bothers Jordan again. Obviously because he’s paid her 3 times, Jordan is worried that Brandy may come back. Nina delivers the line that literally made me gasp, “Don’t worry. I think that’s the last time we’ll be seeing your mother.” The police end up pulling Brandy over from a tip that a car matching hers was swerving. They find the money AND a hefty amount of cocaine in her bag. Looks like Nina slid that in without anyone noticing, because the camera pulls back and reveals Nina in her own car watching the scene unfold.
Paige finally gets home to an irritated and exhausted Jake. He lets Paige know that Alexis called him, “Her agents liked the script and they want to rep me.” Alexis also let Jake know that Paige was the reason why she never called him back, and Jake is even more disappointed to learn that Cassie knew about the call.
The next day Paige opens her door to reveal an adorable Rainer holding a very large present for her. It’s the dress from the photo shoot. He was able to get it because OF COURSE Francine is a family friend. He apologizes for his argument with Jordan at the photo shoot, and Paige reminds him that it’s Jordan he should be apologizing to. There’s a moment when Paige tries to explain to Rainer why Jake is mad at her, and he immediately straightens up asking, “Who’s mad at you?” The look on his face almost made me tattoo #TeamRainer on my arm. I didn’t because that would hurt a lot, duh. Rainer and Paige then get on the topic of her balancing school, so Rainer brings up a time when he was on Backsplash and was able to make a doable compromise with his mom. He suggests that Paige present Nina with a solution, not a problem – to really let Nina know how much school means to Paige.
Paige does exactly that. She tells Nina that she rearranged her schedule to make it work. She has her most important class on Wednesdays, but that is not going to distract her from the movie. Paige promises to give it her all. I was really, really proud of Paige in that moment. It takes a lot of guts and passion to stand up for what’s important to you.
Jordan meets Rainer at his place, where Rainer tells Jordan that he found the wetsuit. The former besties talk about surfing and moving on. This scene was rather short but very important. It proved that Jordan and Rainer are taking a step in the right direction that may lead to forgiveness.
One of the most shocking twists comes within the last minute and a half of the episode. While this twist is shocking, it also makes complete sense. Alexis hops into Jake’s car and they’re headed to the desert. I would assume this trip is to set things in motion for his movie. It makes sense that the two characters that continually were knocked down since this series started found an escape from the chaos together. I am very curious to see how all of this goes.