The Bold Type – Stroke of Genius

By starrymag | April 29, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy), and Kat Edison (Aisha Dee) take a boxing class together, and Jane comments on how hard Kat is punching. Kat rants about the councilman while Jane tells Sutton that she can have sex again once her eggs are frozen. Kat takes out her frustration on Sutton’s hand pads, knocking her to the ground.

 

Sage (Stephanie Costa) and Alex (Matt Ward) show Jane a story written by Kristen (Alli Chung) recounting a time that she felt pressured to have sex. Alex tells her that Kristen is an old friend and that he wants to do a profile on her for Scarlet. Patrick Duchand (Peter Vack) asks if all straight men are like that, and Alex defends himself. Patrick begs Alex to write the article for digital and Alex agrees.

 

Jane goes to show Patrick something on her laptop, but several windows pop up. Patrick diagnoses it as porn spam and insists that someone watched porn on her computer when Jane denies watching porn herself. A model (Moni Ogunsuyi) tells Sutton that she can’t zip the dress up and Sutton is unable to zip it up. Sutton tells the model that they have to do this shoot and comes up with an idea.

 

Kat visits the campaign office of Linda Zephyr (Mary Lu Zahalan) and Linda introduces herself and Tia Clayton (Alexis Floyd). Kat offers to volunteer, telling them that she’s the head of social media at Scarlet. Tia questions if she wants something to do with her free time, but Kat tells her she needs something to channel her rage and depression. Tia tells Kat that they have a rally in two days, but Linda is bad with messaging. Kat offers her help, and Tia welcomes her aboard.

 

Sutton finds Jane cleaning her laptop, and Jane explains that she thinks Ryan Decker (Dan Jeannotte) used it to watch porn. Kat shows them Linda’s boring campaign video, explaining that she needs their help. Sutton offers to help with Linda’s wardrobe while Jane offers to write a profile on her. Kat asks what Ryan was watching, and Jane tells her he cleared his search history. Sutton tells her she can retrieve it, and Jane asks how.

 

In the fashion closet, Sutton accesses the search history and Jane determines he looked at the clips while she was in the shower. Jane comments that there are twenty clips, and Sutton explains that finding the right clip can be a journey. Sutton realizes that they can’t watch the video on the company network and transfers it to her phone. They go through the videos and realize that all of the videos contain bondage in them.

 

Oliver Grayson (Stephen Conrad Moore) tells Sutton that Dana Jacobs (Nicola Correia-Damude) isn’t happy with her alterations to her dress. Sutton explains that she had no choice and Oliver tells her that she has to get Dana to approve the photos from the shoot. Oliver explains that he has a hearing and tells her that he’s preparing for her to take over his job someday.

 

Jacqueline Carlyle (Melora Hardin) asks to speak to Patrick and confronts him about taking Alex’s story for digital. Patrick argues that the story is a better fit for digital, but Jacqueline argues that thoughtful journalism has a place in the magazine. He tells her that he didn’t mean to step on her toes, but Jacqueline reminds him the magazine keeps the operation afloat.

 

Alex meets with Kristen and compliments her success. Kristen is glad to hear he’s not mad, telling him she based the man in her story on him. Alex denies that he was pushy, arguing that their hookup was consensual. Kristen asks him how he remembers the evening, and Alex recounts his version of events.

 

Kristen reminds him that she made it clear how tired she was and that he didn’t leave. Kristen tells him she wanted him to read her writing and that in the moment she thought his offer was conditional. Alex tells her he resents the implication, but Kristen suggests he knew what he was doing.

 

Ryan comes home from his game and tells Jane that he’s taking a shower. Jane tells him not to jerk off in there and confronts him about watching porn on her laptop. Ryan apologizes, admitting he got the urge. Jane asks why he didn’t tell her he was into bondage, suggesting that she can change things up. Ryan tells her they have an amazing sex life, but she asks if he thinks she’s vanilla. He tells her it’s not a bad thing, but she insists there’s things she wants to explore. Ryan asks her to clarify, and Jane realizes she’s vanilla.

 

Patrick asks Alex about his article, but Alex tells him he’s not writing it. Alex tells him that he doesn’t think there’s a story there, but Patrick suggests that Jane could take over the story. However, Alex declares it’ll be another article about men being the worst and storms off. Sutton checks on her delivery to Jacobs’ office and comments about how she’s not a fan of the hand-holding and ego stroking.

 

Sutton and Kat go to Linda’s office with potential outfits for the rally. Linda comments that she doesn’t think it’s necessary and Sutton promises she won’t put her in anything she doesn’t love. Linda goes to talk to Janice Goodwin (Linda Joyce Nourse), and Kat sees the conversation as a great photo opportunity. Kat takes a picture but Linda objects to her posting it without Janice’s permission. Tia tells Kat that Linda’s avoidance of social media is why they need her.

 

Sutton is called to Jacobs’ office, and Jacobs calls her the one who ruined her dress. Sutton explains that it was necessary, arguing that the spirit of the garment remained intact. Jacobs explains that Sutton’s alterations will make customers go looking for a dress that doesn’t exist and that she has to change the production line. She tells Sutton she’s lucky the changes were good enough to be worth it and advises her to become a designer if she wants to design clothes as she approves the photos.

 

Sutton recounts her experience with Jacobs to Jane and Kat and admits that she enjoyed making the dress. Kat asks if she wants to be a designer and Sutton admits she hadn’t thought about it until now. After Kat tells them she’s going to visit Tia, Sutton comments that her Instagram indicates that she’s single and Kat replies that she’s still getting over Adena.

 

Jane asks them what ice cream flavor they think she is sexually. She explains that Ryan thinks she’s vanilla and Sutton laughs. Jane tells them that she’s thinking of trying new things once her eggs are frozen and asks them to teach her their ways. Sutton suggests that she and Ryan watch porn together and offers to send some links.

 

Sutton pulls Alex into the fashion closet and he asks her if she felt pressured during their hookup. She replies that she didn’t, and he explains what Kristen told him. Alex admits he feels awful, but questions why Kristen didn’t stop if she felt uncomfortable. Sutton explains that all women have been in Kristen’s position at some point and that sometimes stopping can be harder than it seems.

 

Tia tells Kat that the RSVPs for the rally are pretty low so far and asks Kat to boost the event through social media. Kat and Tia realize they both attended NYU and Kat notices a garment that Sutton didn’t give to Linda nearby. Tia explains that Linda bought it from a thrift store and Jane texts Ryan that she has a surprise for him later.

 

Alex approaches Jane and asks if she thinks the character in Kristen’s story is a bad guy. Jane suggests he’s not but that he’s like a lot of guys. He tells her the character is based on him but admits that he didn’t know he was making Kristen uncomfortable in the moment. Jane understands his struggle but tells him the story is worth digging into.

 

Sutton tells Richard Hunter (Sam Page) that she’s realized that she misses making her own clothes and asks if she’s crazy for wanting to become a designer. Richard tells her he had an opportunity to join a startup in law school that he still thinks about despite turning it down. He advises her to try it if she has the itch and Jane says goodbye to Sutton, telling her that she and Ryan are going to watch the links that evening.

 

As Jane and Ryan watch the video, Jane admits the women’s breasts make her feel inadequate. Ryan assures her that she’s not and Jane asks if he feels the same regarding the man’s penis size. Ryan admits that he just thinks about having it and Jane changes the video to more female-catered videos. They discuss the differences between the videos and Jane tells him to take off his pants. He reminds her that they can’t have sex, but Jane tells him she wants to watch him masturbate.

 

Kat hands Sutton the thrift store garment, telling her that her chance to be a designer starts now before pecking her lips. Alex gives Jane cookies to eat after her surgery and tells her he apologized to Kristen, thanking her for pushing him to continue the story. Sutton asks what he wrote, and he tells her he identified himself as the character in the story. Sutton warns him that he might face backlash if he identifies himself. Alex asks Kat what she thinks, and she warns him that it might spiral into something.

 

Sutton and Kat apologize for not being able to go to Jane’s surgery, telling her they’ll be there in spirit. Jane tells them that her future kids will have the best aunts, and Kat and Sutton argue over who will be favored. Kat and Sutton arrive at the rally and Tia thanks them for their efforts. Sutton shows Linda the updated garment and Linda approves. Tia welcomes the crowd and introduces Linda.

 

Jacqueline invites Alex into her office, complimenting his article. Alex tells her about his hesitations in publishing it despite how much the discussion needs to be had. She tells him that she doesn’t want to work there anymore if outrage culture forces their editorial decisions and offers her support if he publishes it. Kat and Sutton watch as people leave Linda’s boring speech, and Kat asks if she can say something. She comes to the stage and addresses the crowd, making an impassioned speech declaring that they need to fight for the small things and support candidates who can make change.

 

Ryan helps Jane as Jane is still recovering from the surgery. He offers to get her everything she wants for dinner, but Jane falls asleep on his chest. Alex publishes his article and Oliver compliments Sutton on getting the photos approved. Sutton tells him about her desire to be a designer and Oliver tells her about his friend’s design seminar while encouraging her to continue gaining connections and experience at Scarlet before taking the next step.

 

Alex sees the angry comments on his published article while Kristen sends him a text thanking him for writing it. Jane comes out of the bathroom in a sexy outfit and whip and climbs into bed with Ryan. Patrick tells Jacqueline he got the invitation to her ten-year work anniversary party, and she tells him the anniversary is for her role as editor-in-chief, replying that she’s been working at Scarlet even longer.

 

As Sutton begins her application for the design seminar, Kat finds Tia packing up the campaign office. Tia explains that Linda is dropping out of the race, telling Kat that they think she should be the candidate instead.