White Famous - Make-Believe - Review

As I thought at the end of last week's review, the video that Kali took of their night together has no immediate bearing when it comes to this week's episode. In a world that is seemingly fast paced, this show definitely seems to do things languidly. Following their night together, Floyd is a little down in the dumps as he hasn't heard a peep from Kali. Two people who don't seem to have a problem contacting him are Malcolm and Teddy, as always, but it turns out it's because he's been offered a new role; as a love interest in Kali's new music video which Teddy is directing.

Kali claims that she lost her phone and that's why she didn't contact Floyd after they spent the night together, but something about that just raised red flags with me. This is a woman who is famous enough that she's being constantly followed by a documentary team and she somehow manages to lose her phone? I don't buy it. Nothing came of it this episode, but I just think that her old phone is going to turn up somewhere and that video of Floyd is going to be used against him somehow. The synopsis for the next episode makes me think they might be going there with it but it would just seem strange that they would have a scene like that with no pay-off.

Teddy is up to his usual antics as a director once again, including the use of bugs (which Floyd is terrified of) and dodgy lifting equipment. Once again, White Famous goes above and beyond in making their white characters (Teddy in particular) do outlandish and offensive things. In this episode we have him say that movie stars are of a different race and that he doesn't see Denzel Washington as a black man, and then he decides to have shackled men in a black woman's music video. I am honestly astounded how far the writers go sometimes when they critique race and white privilege on this show, and I do think they sometimes go too far, but maybe that's what some of their target audience need. It's too much for me, but there might be someone out there who's really connecting with it. After Teddy gets called out one too many times for his directorial decisions, he walks off set, but also seems to give up on a working relationship with Floyd altogether. Somehow I really don't think that will stick because Teddy is so volatile and temperamental, but with this show, who knows?

Back at their apartment, Floyd is complaining about not having Kali's number and losing her and losing another gig, and Balls just can't take being his sounding board once again without being asked and getting barely anything in return. Balls is such an underutilised character, and every scene he had this episode was great. I really feel for him and I hope he gets some great material the rest of the season. He always seems to be the life of every scene he's in; he's hilarious, but he can also be incredibly deep and kind and caring and he's such a great friend to Floyd. He's truly the best part of the show and in the unlikely event that White Famous does get renewed for a second season, I hope they somehow make him a larger part of the show. I loved that he knows when to push back against Floyd and make sure that he isn't taken entirely for granted. I wasn't overly keen on Floyd letting Kali deal with Balls and making her cheer him up, but we know Balls is a fan of hers and it was nice to see him sing and smile.

Following another night together, Kali says goodbye to Floyd, but of course as the show has previously established that she is a star and has zero privacy, their new relationship is quickly found by the paparazzi, and thus concludes this week's episode.

What did you think of Make-Believe? Let me know in the comments.