UnREAL – Commitment

By starrymag | May 3, 2018

By: Taylor Gates

 

 

Quinn (Constance Zimmer) calls Fiona (Tracie Thoms), begging her to help her stop the career-ending article about to come out about her. She goes in search of Rachel (Shiri Appleby), but she’s nowhere to be found. While she’s in Rachel’s room, she spies the camera Dr. Simon (Brandon Jay McLaren) has planted and knocks it down with her shoe.

 

Quinn sees an article announcing Fiona as the head of the network, suddenly realizing why she’s not been returning her calls. Chet (Craig Bierko) tells Quinn he’s called in every favor to try and get the article about her pulled but to no avail. He thinks maybe the industry really is tougher on women than men.

 

Rachel asks Serena (Caitlin FitzGerald) if she was serious about the job offer, and Serena says yes—she thinks they can change the world together. Serena wishes she could combine elements of all the guys into one perfect man. Rachel tells her nothing will ever be perfect, but things will be amazing. She just has to decide what kind of amazing she wants.

 

At their morning meeting, Rachel suggests they bring both Jasper (Bart Edwards) and Owen (Alex Hernandez) to Connecticut to meet Serena’s parents. Quinn agrees this could be a great way to help Serena choose and approves the idea.

 

After the meeting, Quinn sends everyone out of the control room and fires Dr. Simon for spying on Rachel. Dr. Simon fights back, revealing that he saw Rachel cry herself to sleep every night and that no relationship with Quinn will ever be healthy for Rachel.

 

Rachel apologizes to Jay (Jeffrey Bowyer Chapman) for sleeping with Alexi (Alex Sparrow), swearing she had no idea he liked him. Jay doesn’t believe that she wouldn’t have done it anyway even if she did know, saying she never takes responsibility for her actions.

 

Quinn barges into Fiona’s office, giving her a binder of every unethical and shady thing Gary (Christopher Cousins) has ever done. Quinn tells her Gary will not empower her, and she’s not going to be happy being number two to some mediocre white dude. She tells Fiona they can work to bring Gary down together so she can be number one.

 

Jeremy (Josh Kelly) tells Rachel he’s leaving for good this time, which motivates Rachel to finally tell Quinn she’s taking a job with Serena. Quinn tells Rachel that in the real world, Serena isn’t going to stick her neck out to her when it comes to interacting with her Ivy League friends. Rachel disagrees, saying that Serena is a really good person who can give her a fulfilling career. She begs Quinn to let her get out, saying that the set is killing her.

 

Quinn starts writing Rachel a check for the amount of money her dad’s rehab costed, not to buy her off, but so she can get the cabin she desperately wanted and not have to go to Silicon Valley. Rachel assumes that Quinn is just trying to guilt trip her so she stays and keeps making her rich, citing Dr. Simon’s words. Quinn tells her the ugly truth about Dr. Simon—that he’s a creep who’s been watching her. Rachel thinks Quinn is lying, jealous that Rachel just trusts him more than her.

 

In Connecticut, Owen and Jasper try to sell themselves to Serena’s parents. Her dad (Daryl Shuttleworth) hates the fact that Serena went on a reality show to find love, and Serena’s mom (Karen Kruper) grills Jasper about his bet. However, they both seem to do a good job winning them over, gushing about their love for their daughter.

 

Dr. Simon has flown across the country to talk to Rachel, who is disgusted by his behavior. Dr. Simon attempts to apologize, saying he was genuinely afraid she was going to hurt herself, which is why he monitored her. He says now they can have an open and honest relationship since she’s told him so many things about her life. He reveals that nobody has touched his life or heart like she has, excited they can now begin a romantic relationship. Rachel is both hurt and appalled, ordering him to leave and never contact her again.

 

Madison (Genevieve Buechner) shows up to the Wolcott house, telling Rachel that Quinn asked her back. She tells her that Quinn is grooming her, and Rachel responds by blowing cigarette smoke in her face. Quinn gives Madison an short, barely-there apology before setting her plan into motion.

 

Quinn has Madison greet Gary and his wife Margo (Anita Brown), telling Margo that Gary never talks about his wife. Margo is offended and storms inside to get a drink. But that’s just the beginning—out back Quinn has accumulated eleven women with sexual harassment suits against him, telling him that sluts get cut.

 

Jeremy tells Charlie (Chelsea Hobbs) that she’s shooting the finale and he’s recommending her for the DP job next year. He’s leaving, as he’s been wanting to get away for awhile but hasn’t because of her. Charlie thinks it’s because he can’t be with Rachel, but Jeremy warns her there’s a darkness inside him and that he’s doing her a favor by leaving. Charlie is annoyed by this, telling him to take his darkness and go. Charlie angrily tells Rachel that Jeremy is leaving because of her. She doesn’t understand why he’s still in love with her, as she’s a manipulative bitch who gets off on hurting good people.

 

Rachel asks Jeremy if he broke up with Charlie because of their history, and he responds that he doesn’t want to hurt more innocent people. However, he doesn’t want to be with her anymore, either. She’s merely a stain on his life he’ll never be able to get rid of, and he would rather be alone forever than settle for her. He thinks she’ll be alone forever, too, and believes that’s best for everyone.

 

Serena tells Rachel that she’s made her decision and she’s really, truly happy about it. Rachel admits that she didn’t seem super into either of the guys, asking her if she has any doubts. Serena is adamant she doesn’t, but it’s clear Rachel has planted some uncertainty in her mind.

 

Before the ceremony, Crystal (Kassandra Clementi) is gushing about how she thinks she and Chet will be the next to get married. Rachel says she has a good idea and encourages her to change into a wedding dress and propose to Chet on live television. Everyone in the control room bursts out laughing, but Chet is mortified. He embarrasses Crystal, declining her proposal and announcing that he’s in love with Quinn. Crystal has a breakdown, yelling that she sucked his ball for months for absolutely no reason and he’s never going to find someone with better boobs than her. Serena sees Rachel smiling from the sidelines and is disgusted with her.

 

Both Owen and Jasper propose to Serena, but she turns both of them down. She realizes she has to wait until she knows for sure she’s found her perfect match. She thanks a friend for helping her realize that, and Rachel is touched. Graham (Brennan Elliot) says that Serena has chosen the greatest love of all: herself.

 

Fiona tells Quinn she killed the article about her, giving Robin (Stacey Farber) an exclusive on Gary and his harassment suit instead. Thirteen more women have come forward since then. Fiona promises she’s going to do things the right way now that she’s number one. Madison comes in, telling Fiona how excited she is that she’s the new head of the network. Fiona is flattered, telling her to pitch her #Adulting on the way to the airport. While they’re in the car, Fiona tells Madison that the pilot is actually pretty good. She’s taken aback when Madison starts unbuttoning her shirt and tells Fiona that she’s pitching her. Madison asks if she wants her to stop, but Fiona says no.

 

Rachel is thrilled at all the positive, feminist press Serena’s finale got, but Serena is pissed off at Rachel. She saw the real her when she produced and humiliated Crystal. Serena tells her to forget about the job, saying Everlasting is exactly where she belongs. She promises she made her choice because it’s what her heart was saying—not because Rachel produced her. In the empty limo ride home, Serena goes through all of her dating apps.

 

Quinn and Rachel share a bottle of champagne on the lawn chairs. Rachel is worried that she’s delusional in thinking she could go somewhere and start over, but Quinn tells her she’s brilliant and will shine in anything she decides to do. She’s been doing everything she can to keep her for herself, but she won’t anymore. Quinn tells Rachel she knows exactly who she is: a dark, twisted wreck of which she’s going to miss every bit.

 

That night, Quinn goes to Chet’s house to tell him she wants to be with him. Rachel wakes up on the chair alone before driving to her cabin and laying down on the porch, contemplating her life.