Wednesday, February 13, 2019

REVIEW: 'Grown-ish' - Zoey Gives Style Makeovers to Sky and Jazz to Help With Their Online Rebrand in 'Workin' Me'

Freeform's Grown-ish - Episode 2.08 "Workin' Me"

Zoey decides to give styling a try and offers to help the twins revamp their image in the hope of boosting their social media following. Knowing that sex sells, Jazz wants to play up her sexuality more than the other girls are comfortable with, sparking a conversation about image and empowerment. Meanwhile, Ana's new romance heats up.


In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Freeform's Grown-ish.

"Workin' Me" was written by Ritza Bloom and directed by Linda Mendoza

This episode struggles a little bit in deciding whose story is actually of importance and needs to be told regarding the central plot. Jazz and Sky have hired Zoey to be their stylist so that they can change up their image online. They are the ones putting these photos out into the world. Zoey has her name attributed to them. However, Sky and Jazz are the ones who are getting the attention around campus. As such, it's an important story about the costs of fame and just how perverted and destructive the internet can be. However, the audience also has a more personal connection with Zoey because we do get those direct-to-camera addresses. As such, that makes her seem like an incredibly selfish person who really only cares about how all of this will impact her life. That means that the overall message can be a little mixed because Zoey spends so much time complaining only for her to ultimately say that she has Sky and Jazz's backs as a friend. They are willing to hire her despite how selfish she was in the past too. There was tension between them. And now, everything has been mended because Zoey is starting her new career. She wants to move pop culture forward. She got that validation from Michelle Obama that she had a solid eye for styling. She knows just how influential this profession can be in the world of celebrities. Sky and Jazz are her first clients. They too were recently discussing how another athlete is getting all of the attention on campus simply because of her sex appeal. She's not a notable basketball player at all. And yet, she has so many opportunities afforded to her because she has already marketed herself as a brand. Jazz sees the need to catch up quickly to ensure that their time spent in college is productive. That's her sole focus. She believes she's not hurting anyone because she pays no attention to the comments below the first post. But she actually is because she's not including anyone else in the process. Sky will stand by her sister no matter what. However, it is increasingly seeming like Jazz is always the one making the decisions while Sky is comfortable just being in the background. That's what makes it so meaningful when Sky stands up to her sister to say that this isn't the way they should be getting attention for themselves. They are only attracting negative press. Sure, they are getting a ton of new followers. But it may not be worth it in the long run. They may have moved too hastily. Meanwhile, Zoey just wanted to please her first clients by giving them whatever they wanted. Jazz had the directive to sex up their brand. She's fine with showing off her body in this context. She and Nomi see it as empowering. However, she doesn't consider Doug's feelings at all. Sure, he blows it up into a huge drama that eventually starts an actual fist fight. That means this relationship could be coming to an end soon. And yet, everything comes together with a simple solution that seems to please everyone. It's just a learning curve that takes awhile to hit. Meanwhile, the rest of the characters are trying to keep secrets in their lives. Of course, some are more meaningful than others - like Ana and Aaron sleeping together. It ultimately doesn't matter that Luca isn't actually a vegan. But Ana believes the perception of this new coupling could put too much pressure on it. That's not something she wants right now even though they are exposed here.