The penultimate episode of the second season of Famous in Love gave me what I’ve been asking for since the second season started. I wanted more character-driven stories and less overt Hollywood drama. This week delivered. Let’s get into all of the good and bad things that happened in “Full Mental Jacket.”
THE GOOD:
1. A PRIVATE JET & AN APPETITE
Even after everything that happened in last week’s episode, Paige is still ready for the “press whirlwind” in New York City. She and Rainer take a private jet to the city. Rainer asks for “a mimosa without the champagne” and acknowledges his slip up when Paige brings up the meeting he went to recently. Paige tells him how proud she is of him for getting back up. Their entire trip is full of heartfelt moments that show how close these two are and how well they really know each other. Rainer asks if Paige wants to talk about her bad dreams. He redirects the press to the topic of Locked when they attempt to get Paige to talk about Shane. He brings extra food to her room so they don’t have to eat alone. When Paige is struggling to gather herself before their interview on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Rainer notices that she’s not okay. He steps in and asks her what’s wrong. When no one seems to be checking in with Paige, Rainer is always watching out for her. Rainer notices Paige is very nervous and stressed. She’s fumbling and dropping things. She’s having nightmares. Her hands are shaking. Rainer steadies her hands with his own and tells her to “take the morning” for herself. It is also on this private jet that Rainer’s glasses make another appearance. That’s just an important thing to note.
2. RAINER’S OWN PATH
As for Paige being supportive of Rainer, she couldn’t be more #TeamRainer than she was in this episode. She helps him examine his options and pushes him to ask himself why he really wanted to leave Hollywood. Rainer shares that he’s always wanted to play a cowboy and that Redemption Ridge could be the dream project for him. This project could be the one that separates him from his controlling mother and allows him to forge his own path in Hollywood. When Rainer says, “I just wish there was a sign, you know? Something to tell me that is something worth staying in Hollywood for,” Paige draws him an actual sign. The whole time she’s making it, Rainer can’t take his eyes off of her. That night with Paige seems to really influence Rainer. When Kelly and Ryan press Rainer on leaving the business, Rainer says, “Let’s just say I’m choosing my next step very carefully.” Rainer a few episodes ago would have blurted out that Trending Oceans as his next move. This Rainer is pondering on things. He’s not so sure he wants to give up on his cowboy dreams. Sadly, Rainer’s dreams are squashed pretty quickly because of Harper Tate. More on that later.
3. BILLY’S LIFE IN NYC
I have been waiting to learn more about Billy! This week we meet Billy’s dads named Andre Schwartz and Dwayne London. Billy and Jake visit Andre and Dwayne in an attempt to get funding to make “Stealing Georgia” into a feature film. They get the funding and Billy’s dads suggest aiming for Tribeca next year. We also learn that Jake isn’t the first guy she’s introduced to her dads in this specific way. Dwayne clues us in on Billy’s unconscious pattern: she usually brings guys she has a crush, who also happen to be her business partners, home to meet her dads.
4. JORDAN’S HONESTY
Jordan admits to killing Aiden Burn during his deposition. He tries to find his mother to stop the case from going to trial but has no luck. His lawyer tells him that “the indictment would be second-degree murder,” which basically means Jordan is going to prison. Marisol comes to his hotel room with homemade tamales to cheer him up. Jordan takes out some of his frustrations on Marisol, blaming her for his recent urge to be honest about everything. He says, “You want to fix me like I’m one of your little City Block kids.” Jordan then tells Marisol why he’s so angry, nervous, and scared. He tells her, “Sixteen-year-old Cyntoia Brown is up for parole when she’s 69 years old for killing her rapist. Her rapist. What are they going to do to me? Outside of this Hollywood bubble, I’m the guy this system is rigged against.” This is one of the many ways the show has brought real headlines and topics into their fictional world to further the plot and elevate the realism of the material. That moment of brutal honesty from Jordan is one that every person should be more aware of. Hopefully, Jordan talking about Cynotia Brown and how the justice system is rigged against him and people who look like him opened the eyes of some viewers.
5. TANGEY BEING THE BEST BFF
Okay, it’s no secret that I am Tangey’s biggest fan. I love her. This week she comes to Alexis’s rescue after Tangey catches a TMZ video of Alexis assaulting the paparazzi. Tangey finds her mother sitting in Alexis’s apartment after sending her to go rest. Ida is pushing Alexis to the very brink as her reality show is renewed for a second season. Ida informs Alexis that she has two weeks to turn her life around before filming starts again. Alexis refuses to come back to the show. She even says, “This show has ruined my life.” I don’t understand how Ida doesn’t see how pushing Alexis is a terrible thing. I bet walking in on Alexis (at the end of the episode) doing a livestream and chopping away at her hair is a big enough sign. Alexis is visibly tired of people calling her “crazy,” so it seems like she is acting the part people want her to play. So when Tangey comes in, she tells her mother, “You need to back off my friend.” Ida questions why Tangey is involving herself. To which Tangey responds, “I’m always going to be involved. It doesn’t matter what we go through. She’s my best friend, mom.” TANGEY IS THE BEST BFF EVER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THE BAD:
1. JAKE’S ATTITUDE
I don’t know what it is, Jake has been driving me mad this entire season. He’s just mopey and wants everyone to feel sorry for him. He hovers over Paige during the majority of the episode because he feels bad for being a jerk and for not being there when she needed him. He shows up unannounced at her place of work to surprise her instead of just letting her focus on work. Maybe I’m being too hard on Jake. If you’re a Jake fan, please, share your thoughts with me! I was on Jake’s side when Paige admitted to cheating, until he said “I could have cheated on you but I didn’t.” That doesn’t make you any better than Paige. To me, that insinuates that you thought about cheating, which is just as bad as cheating in my eyes. He and Billy kissed that same day but Jake didn’t mention that to Paige. Is that not cheating as well? IT IS. I also don’t get why Jake always blames Rainer for EVERYTHING. When Paige confesses to cheating, Jake immediately points fingers at Rainer. Clearly, there are some weak spots in his relationship with Paige if he can’t even trust her around a friend. Ugh, it’s exhausting. I’m glad Jake ended things with Paige. I don’t want to deal with them anymore.
2. ICELAND… AGAIN
On to a couple I love much more than Jake and Paige… Cassie and Adam are having some serious long-distance relationship communication problems. They keep missing each other. When Cassie calls Adam, it’s just static. When she skypes him, a random Icelandic girl picks up. When he calls her, she’s asleep. ICELAND, I HATE YOU.
3. MARISOL
This is just a critique of the way Marisol is presented as a character. She feels like she’s just a part of the show to support Jordan’s story. She doesn’t really have a story of her own and I don’t like that. I have seen so many female characters introduced to prop up the story of a male character in so many shows I have watched through the years. It’s exhausting. Marisol seems to be around so Jordan has a way to tell everyone he killed Aiden. I wish Marisol had something more. I wish she had her own purpose in Famous in Love that’s independent of Jordan.
4. HARPER TATE
Even when she’s not in the episode she’s causing problems. Harper leaks to the press that her and Rainer are doing Redemption Ridge together. Rainer expresses to Paige how excited he is to finally have the role of his dreams if he wants it. He says, “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to play a role like this.” Redemption Ridge is supposed to be a decision he makes for himself. Instead, Harper makes it for him, taking the reins of controlling Rainer from Nina. Rainer knows that Harper is using him and doesn’t want anything to do with people like that any longer. After making sure Paige is okay with being on her own, he gets off of the jet so he doesn’t have to be around those toxic people waiting to control his every move when the jet lands.
5. PABLO $$
He wasn’t in the episode but his presence was felt. I wish it hadn’t been but it was. Jordan goes to see Tangey to talk about all of the things he is thinking and feeling but she can’t let him in. She says, “He can’t see you here. I’m sorry.” Tangey, I want to help you get out of this relationship. Pablo is not a good guy.
Watch Famous in Love Wednesdays at 8:00pm on Freeform!
