Room 104 – Bangs

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

From wrestlers to wrestling with life, this week’s episode is all about the big “D” word—divorce. Our main character Eva (Melissa Fumero) is on the way out of a marriage from her ex-husband Derek (Adam Shapiro) and hoping to rise above. Her friend Jaimie (Vivian Bang) is trying to convince Eva to try a new look to reflect a new chapter in her life: bangs. Through a progression of changing the length and style of her bangs, Eva’s reflection on her own life becomes a powerful reminder of how one can fall apart and come back together.

As we open on the ever-popular Room 104, the room is decked out in champagne balloons and bachelorette party-esque gear. But this is no bachelor party as Jaimie spray paints black over the “Bride” on a “Bride-To-Be” sash. Eva is having a divorce party with her bestie, hoping to conjure positive feelings about being back on the market. As Jaimie posts about Eva’s freedom on social media, a notification pops up that Walker Young, a former high school crush that Eva obsessed over, has liked the post. Jaimie also glances at videos from inspirational speaker Poppy March (Breeda Wool), who Eva assumes Derek has been quite chummy with via social media.

But now the moment of truth has come. As Eva zips up her sparkly party dress, Jaimie is ready to give Eva a makeover with bangs. Reluctant to cut her hair, Jaimie gives her a test run by cutting some long bangs that blend into her natural locks. The subtle difference sets off a shift for Eva as the once form-flattering dress seems a little too big for her. Jaimie doesn’t notice any difference and instead believes Eva needs some more “liquid courage” to calm her nerves. When Jaimie leaves Eva examines her new look and notices a glint out of the corner of her eye: a pair of golden scissors. Unfortunately, these scissors follow Eva everywhere she turns in the room and eventually end up in her hand.

Curious, she makes another snip that shortens not only the bangs but makes her dress snug right back up to her body. However, she is not alone in the room now as the high school version of Walker Young (Finn Roberts) has appeared in a chair with guitar in his lap. As Walker starts to share how he knew of Eva’s crush on him he sings a song for her before taking the initiative to kiss her. While young Eva would have swooned, this now jaded version tells Walker that his song was awful and he vanishes. During Eva’s minor freak out the scissors reappear, tempting her to make yet another cut to the bangs.

With this cut the dress and Eva have now taken on a rumpled, loose “walk of shame” style—the bangs all askew. In this moment Derek decides to start reappearing in a “Groundhog Day” style montage, continually coming out of the bathroom and berating Eva as much as possible. This Derek seems to highlight that he is not the victim before pointing out all of Eva’s insecurities in quick succession. Frustrated and angered, Eva makes yet another cut to the bangs to silence Derek.

Now with super-short bangs and the dress taking on puffy long sleeves and an open chest, Eva is met by none other than Poppy March. Unlike Walker and Derek, it seems that Poppy is determined to make Eva stop living in the past. By questioning Eva’s identity and pushing her to proclaim “my past self is not my present self” over and over, Walker and Derek appear along with Poppy to try and derail the change. Eva can no longer take all the voices and makes one final cut that lands her right back where we started: in her regular dress and practically no bangs left.

It is at this time Jaimie has returned with more liquor to party, but the damage has been done. And when Eva shows her hack-job to Jaimie we see that Eva truly does not have it as together as she had hoped she would. Jaimie reminds her that she doesn’t need to keep it together and that it’s okay to fall apart. They embrace and it is then that Eva notices a glow coming from Jaimie’s bag, pulling the razor out before turning to her friend with a mischievous gleam and making one simple request: “Shave me.”