Freeform's The Bold Type - Episode 3.04 "The Deep End"
Jane stumbles on the scoop of a lifetime, but Jacqueline turns down the pitch when her impending 10th anniversary gala and continued power struggles with Patrick force her to contemplate her future with Scarlet. Sutton preps a design seminar application for Oliver's recommendation, but he remains distracted by things in his personal life. Kat decides to run for City Council but reconsiders when she learns what the opposition might spin about her past.
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 The Bold Type.
"The Deep End" was written by Becky Hartman Edwards and directed by Jamie Travis
This season is essentially saying that the world and the nature of the publishing industry are constantly changing. As such, the main characters have to continue making the active choice to be a part of this business despite how terrifying and frightening it can be. Jacqueline is simply held up as a prop by the board and her professional colleagues as a legacy at Scarlet who may not best represent the future of the company anymore. Instead, Patrick is the shining new star whom everyone has flocked to. He has the ear of the founder of this publishing company. That's significant and makes Jacqueline fear that it won't be long before the magazine is shut down to focus entirely on the digital presence. That's a pitfall that has plagued many companies over the last few years where they believe the shift to video will greatly pay off in the end over well-researched and written articles of depth. That has proven not to be true. But the impulse is still very relatable and powerful. It seems enticing. It just may ensure this celebratory gala is Jacqueline's retirement party instead of her signaling the strength of this company for the next decade. She is resigned to that fate until she finds inspiration once again through Jane. That shows the power that comes from tackling a big and important story. Plus, it's just more factual to see Jane actually investigating a lead and working her sources in order to get to the truth about potential abuses in the world. It's just not true of the industry that every single article online is about one's personal life and the many experiences they go on at the urging of their publisher. That's essentially all that Patrick has been interested in as well. He wants to hear pitches but he ultimately just tells his writers what articles they are actually going to write about for the site. That's the way he leads. It has been successful so far. Alex's latest article has gone viral and Patrick is hoping to build on that momentum. However, it may not be beneficial in the long run because there needs to be more actual substance. Sure, the show has always struggled to articulate why Jane wants to write for the magazine instead of the digital site. She was seemingly given more power because of Patrick at the start of the season. But it also all connects back to everyone on the staff simply having more respect and trust with Jacqueline. There is a willingness to confide in her about their concerns over the articles they are writing. Jane wants to know if she'll have the resources to pursue this story. Alex sought her advice on whether he should publish the exposé on himself. They haven't gone to Patrick to make those decisions. He just always presumes that people have already made up their minds when they approach him. That's how he sees things when Kat wants to know if Scarlet will support her if she decides to take time away to run for office. He just sees it as beneficial to the overall brand instead of telling her whether or not she would make a good candidate for City Council. She still ultimately walks away making that decision with confidence. It just comes as everyone learns that secrets still exist amongst the friends. Alex was recently shocked by how someone else perceived his behavior. Kat is surprised by how difficult it is to talk about the abortion she had in college. Sutton fears that she doesn't have the talent to pursue a career in fashion design after getting some harsh but constructive criticism. But all of this is a part of life. People need the confidence to actually talk about how they are coping with the world and how they are making their decisions. Right now, Patrick is a little too business-minded and eager to push as much content out there in the digital space as possible. It's an approach that has gotten him noticed. He still presents as an ally to so many cultural communities different from him. But he also doesn't totally understand how some of his actions could be perceived. They haven't created any problems yet either. This just seems to be a transitional point in the lives for so many of the characters. Patrick being hired was really the nexus for all of that too.
