The Bold Type – Betsy

By starrymag | July 23, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens) struggles to pick the perfect outfit for her return to Scarlet. Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy) asks when her obsession is going to end, and Jane comments that she would have more room in her closet if she took out the long out-of-style clothes and a large locked case. Sutton attempts to divert Jane’s attention from the case, but Jane sees through it.

 

Jane demands to know what’s inside the case, and Sutton finally admits that it’s her gun. Jane thinks Sutton is joking but is horrified when she realizes that Sutton isn’t. Sutton explains that she used the shotgun, nicknamed Betsy, for her high school shooting club, but Jane is still horrified by the gun.

 

Sutton answers Jane’s questions about the shooting club, and Jane asks why the gun is named Betsy. She replies that everyone named their guns, and Jane gets Sutton to admit that having a gun in the real world is dangerous. Sutton replies that she kept the gun a secret because she anticipated Jane’s reaction.

 

Jane questions what else Sutton has been keeping from her and Sutton stops Jane from telling Kat Edison (Aisha Dee) about the gun. Kat tells them that Adena El Amin (Nikohl Boosheri) wants to talk and feels bad about telling her about the kiss and dream. Jane tells her that people who live together shouldn’t have secrets while looking pointedly at Sutton.

 

Jane makes her entrance into Scarlet, declaring that she’s happy to be back. Kat and Sutton wish her luck and Oliver Grayson (Stephen Conrad Moore) determines that she really missed them by her appearance. Andrew (Adam Capriolo) takes Jane to her desk, and Jane is surprised that it’s not the one she’s used to. He tells her that Jacqueline Carlyle (Melora Hardin) specifically requested this desk.

 

Oliver tells Sutton that they have a big photoshoot with Kate Upton coming up and requests a particular bag for the shoot. Sutton promises to have it, and calls Tyler requesting it, mentioning that she’s a friend of Brooke Langley’s (Alexandra Turshen).

 

Adena asks Kat how many women she’s kissed, and Kat answers two before insisting that Daniella meant nothing. However, Adena believes that Kat should explore her sexuality like she had the chance to. Adena suggests that they open their relationship for a while but lays out the ground rules for it. Kat doesn’t know what to make of it, but Adena believes it would be best for them.

 

Jane struggles with her chair and complains to Sutton that she wants her old desk back. She explains that she likes to know her surroundings and tells Sutton that she looked up that New York law requires everyone in the residence to know if a gun is there.

 

Jacqueline calls a pitch meeting and tells the reporters that the issue’s theme is love. She challenges them to come up with headlines that will grab the reader and asks Jane for a headline with the word love in it. Jane hesitates, but then suggests the headline, “I love everything about my best friend except her gun.” Jacqueline approves the idea and welcomes Jane back.

 

Jane promises Sutton to keep her anonymous as they go into the fashion closet. Sutton and Jane start arguing, and Jane asks Kat if she’s okay with Sutton having a gun. Kat admits that she doesn’t love it, but she wants to learn more about it. Sutton challenges Jane to finish her sentence about her and tells her she can interview her when she’s working.

 

Kat tells them about Adena’s suggestion. She asks them if they’ve ever questioned if they’re gay or bi and Sutton admits she’s considered it while Jane admits she hasn’t. Kat tells them about Adena’s rules, and that she’s considering it. She decides to do it with Sutton’s encouragement.

 

Sutton rants about her struggle in getting the bag for Oliver, and Jane comments that Sutton isn’t a typical gun-owner. Sutton calls Jane out for making assumptions about gun-owners, but Jane believes that owning a gun is dangerous. Jane asks Sutton how she feels about all of the mass shootings, and Sutton can’t believe she’s asking her that. Jane clarifies to ask how she feels about assault rifles, and Sutton replies that she’s in favor of banning them as well as having stricter background checks.

 

Sutton tells her that the mass shootings have nothing to do with her or her shotgun, but Jane argues her gun was still made to shoot people. Sutton replies that her gun is made to hunt birds and accuses Jane of ignoring the facts that go against her argument. Jane asks what she’s ignoring, and Sutton tells her she knows nothing about growing up in Central Pennsylvania. Jane tells her they should fix that tonight.

 

Kat complains about her struggles of finding dates on Tinder, hypothesizing that her social media knowledge makes her more critical of the profile pictures. She decides that she’s going to look the old-fashioned way, and Jane invites her over for Sutton’s show-and-tell.

 

Later that evening, Sutton shows Kat and Jane Betsy as well as her high school yearbook. She identifies the others in her shooting club photo and tells them that they would hang out together and with the boys shooting club. Sutton explains that the two cardinal rules is to never point a gun at someone and to always assume the gun is loaded. Sutton tells them she doesn’t have any shells in the house, but Jane is still wary as Sutton puts Betsy together for them. Sutton assures her that a shotgun is different than the other guns used in mass shootings, but Jane insists it’s still a gun.

 

Jane explains that she was in first grade when Columbine happened and that she was five miles away. She tells them she was so shaken that she threw away her light-up sneakers to prevent her from being an easier target for the next shooting, informing Sutton that a shotgun was used in Columbine. Sutton tells her it was terrible but argues that it’s not the shotgun’s fault. Jane doesn’t believe it, and Sutton tells her she can use her name for the article, declaring she’s tired of being blamed for something she had no part in.

 

Jacqueline rejects Jane’s story, calling it a one-sided rant and asking for Sutton’s viewpoint. Jane promises to dig deeper and asks her is she’s done something wrong. She suggests that Jacqueline is irritated with her, and Jacqueline reminds her that she’s her boss and that she knows better than this. Jane calls Ryan Decker (Dan Jeannotte) and asks if he knows any security guards she can interview for the story. She explains her confusions about Sutton owning a gun, and he asks if she’s ever seen Sutton shoot.

 

Jane asks Oliver to borrow Sutton, arguing that Jacqueline wants her to get to the bottom of the story. Oliver gives Jane permission, and Jane tells Sutton that they need outdoor clothes and Betsy. Jane thanks Sutton for agreeing to do this, and Sutton tells her she’s looking forward to it. Sutton calls Brooke and leaves a message asking about the bag. Jane asks if she can just tell Oliver the truth, but Sutton refuses. In the front seat, Kat talks to the Uber driver, Gina (Olivia Luccardi).

 

At the shooting range, Kat tells Jane that she’s interested in experimenting with Gina. Sutton loads Betsy and hits the target easily. Kat tries shooting Betsy and hits the target after three tries. Sutton offers to let Jane try and she reluctantly takes Betsy as Sutton corrects her stance. Jane misses the target and refuses to do it again. She declares that she hated it, unable to see it as anything other than deadly.

 

Sutton assures Jane that they’re safe, but Jane tells her she wants Betsy out of the apartment. Sutton reminds her that it’s locked up and not loaded, but Jane doesn’t care. Sutton is offended that Jane doesn’t trust her after her demonstration, and Jane storms off. Kat scrolls through Gina’s Instagram profiles, and asks her out to lunch. Adena tells her to relax before kissing her goodbye.

 

Jane rants to Ryan that she doesn’t understand why Sutton won’t get rid of Betsy, and he asks why she’s not talking to Ben about this. She tells him that Ben is out of town, and Ryan agrees with Sutton that having the gun in the apartment won’t be dangerous. Jane argues that she’s going to feel uncomfortable, but Ryan doesn’t think that’s a good argument.

 

Jane asks what he would do if something made his friend uncomfortable, and Ryan tells her he doesn’t have a Kat or Sutton like she does.  He asks if it’s worth the effort, and Jane declares she wouldn’t survive without them. Ryan questions why she doesn’t trust them and advises her to work harder to understand Sutton’s viewpoint.

 

Sutton runs into Brooke on the street, telling her she saw her location on Instagram. She asks Brooke to give back the bag, and Brooke tells her she sent it back to Tyler. Sutton asks Brooke to text him, but Brooke tells her he’s on a retreat. Kat explains her situation to Gina, and she is fine with the arrangement. They start making out, and Kat asks Gina to be gentle with her. Gina explains that she’s a submissive and wants to be pushed around. Kat agrees and pushes her on the bed.

 

Jane approaches Sutton, telling her that she intends to write her article on how the gun debate is more difficult than she thought. She admits that she’ll never fully understand, and Sutton tells her that the shooting range helped her remember how much she loved shooting. Sutton tells Jane that she’s going to try and get the bag, but later Jane tracks Sutton at the shooting range.

 

Kat makes sure Gina is okay after she screams, and Gina assesses that she’s never been dominant before. Kat admits she hasn’t, and Gina tells her she likes being bossed around in bed. Kat orders Gina to put her arms back and ties her hands to the headboard.

 

Jane approaches Sutton at the shooting range and tells her that she’s been looking through her yearbook. She’s realized that Sutton joined the shooting club to blow off steam after taking care of her mother. Jane suggests that she loves the control Betsy gives her, and Sutton agrees it’s possible. Jane questions if she needs a gun for that and assures Sutton that she trusts her. Jane asks her why she’s fighting so hard to keep it and suggests that she regain control of her life in another way.

 

Kat returns home and tells Adena she needs to talk. Adena is hesitant since they agreed not to talk about Kat’s experimentation, but Kat tells her she wants to share her life with her to feel closer to her. Adena agrees and Kat tells her about her experience and that she wasn’t really into the dominant/submissive dynamic. Kat questions if she’s boring, and Adena assures her she’s incredible.

 

The next morning, Sutton approaches Oliver and tells her that she won’t be able to get the bag. Sutton apologizes for her mistake, but Oliver calls Tyler and asks for a favor. Sutton is surprised that he knows Oliver, and Oliver tells her he got him his first job. Oliver tells her it’s great to take control but emphasizes that they’re a team and need to communicate with each other.

 

Jacqueline compliments Jane’s improved story, commenting that it shifted from being solely about guns. Jane asks for her old desk back but realizes that Jacqueline put her at the desk because it makes her uncomfortable. Sutton and Kat give Jane a vase for her desk, bought from a place that turns old guns into other things. Sutton tells her that Betsy is going to be turned into earrings soon, and Jane thanks her. Sutton admits that it was time to let go of Betsy, and Jane asks why she named her gun Betsy. She explains that they named their guns after heroes and that she named hers after Betsy Ross.