Freeform's The Bold Type - Episode 3.05 "Technical Difficulties"
Scarlet falls prey to a data hack, halting production of the dotcom and magazine. Jane and Jacqueline fear their investigation could be compromised as a result. Pressures escalate when Sutton and Richard host a dinner party. Kat opens up to Tia as they begin her campaign.
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.
"Technical Difficulties" was written by Lijah J. Barasz & Celeste Vasquez and directed by Anna Mastro
At times, the show has been interested in the generational divide between Sutton and Richard. It has never been a predominate aspect of their relationship though. And yet, they are at two different points in their lives. Sutton feels like her career is still just getting started. Meanwhile, Richard is looking ahead at the future he wants with a family. He is somewhat envious of the lives his friends have in the suburbs. Sure, their lives may not be as perfect as they appear to be. But it's enough to trigger this conversation about the future. Will they always live in the city? Are they on the same page about wanting children? Sutton wants to focus on getting her career as a fashion designer started. She was given the clarity that she would have several more years to figure that out. She knows she can't ask Richard to wait. He is willing to do so anyway. That's the importance of this conversation. It's not something they avoid talking about until it randomly pops up when they've already been serious together for a long time. It's something they need to discuss upfront. It doesn't create a major rift between them. But it does offer a sense of the characters looking ahead to the future. Sutton and Kat are both making decisions that could take them far away from Scarlet magazine. Sutton is interested in becoming a designer while Kat is running for City Council. Meanwhile, Jane is the one who is being nurtured with the understanding that she too could become a boss within this company. She is hardly there at this moment in time. She is still just learning how to work sources in a way that makes them feel protected and free to share their stories. The piece she is working on with Jacqueline is important. There's a risk that all of their hard work will be exposed because of a data hack of the company. That means that everyone mostly just walks away from work here. But it's also fundamentally a conversation about the importance of privacy. Jane doesn't want her emails to be released because of all the things she has said about Patrick. But it's more important for her to protect Ingrid's anonymity. That is crucial to the story. This hack has the potential to blow her sources which could compromise their lives and careers. That's what she largely needs to be focused on here. Instead, it's mostly about her and Patrick continuing to clash. Now, there are valid reasons to be concerned about how Patrick operates as the boss. He believes in openness. He has nothing to hide. That's why he doesn't want to pay the ransom. The company needs to take a firm stance against these terrorists. But he makes that decision not knowing just how damaging the release could be for the entire company. He is impulsive and doesn't always listen to the best legal advice. He is still just a young adult learning how to live in the real world as well. He wants sympathy for how hard it is being the boss. He and Jane have to find a good place to land. But it's still uncertain just how much he learns from this and learns to trust the people in his orbit instead of just telling them what they get to write about for the website. Ideas can be so moving as well. Ryan is a published author now. Kat is engaging with people who appear at her town halls. Everyone is getting more informed about the world around them. They are using that information to make better decisions. They still may not always make the right ones. Plus, the show has to throw in some melodrama as well - like the awkwardness between Kat and Tia. But overall, the show is trying to evolve in ways that are interesting this season.
