Previously on Famous In Love……
The last episode ended on a cliffhanger of sorts with Alexis recording a video revealing the relationship between Nina and Jordan. The ending of the previous episode did not leave a clear indication of what she was going to do with the video, but it was still messy of her. Nina and Jordan’s relationship is one of the things on the show that truthfully highlights the current concerns of inappropriate relations going on in Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general. It’s great that the show is still trying to focus on this, but it is still disturbing. Jake and Paige seemed happy and glowing in their cute romance, and Tangey was still trying to find some footing after the separation from Ida. Rainer appears to be with Harper, who seems like a nice person that is being set up for a slow crash and burn.
Let’s get into “Totes on a Scandal"……
There was a lot of different stories going on in this episode. One of the significant things that happened was the the movie within the show; “Locked” finally started filming. We see a little bit of the movie that brought all these people together from the beginning. Well, it looks like a boring world war two romance film to be honest. The actors were not feeling it, of course, because of drama that happened that I will address but let’s just say “Locked” isn’t winning any awards. There is also a big lesson in this episode; which is, never record anything while drunk because you might send it to someone and open up a giant can of worms.
In her drunk anger, Alexis managed to provide Ida with one of the best materials to use and cause trouble for her daughter. Ida's hostility towards Tangey is hard to watch. I get it, Ida is upset with the whole being fired situation, but her vindictiveness towards her flesh and blood is quite chilling. She manages to trick Tangey into signing off a release for the video. Deceiving someone to sign something without informing them of what they are signing should be illegal, but Tangey seems to be very naïve when it comes to dealing with Ida. Stories and gossip of family members screwing up their own are always dismissed but watching this show it’s easy to see how these things can happen. Ida books Alexis a room at some fancy retreat to keep her away from the city when the video she sent to TMZ is released. She does not want Alexis to be distracted because her show “Alexilicious” is about to premiere and also Ida is looking out for herself.
The writers are trying hard to give Georgie Flores something to work with, but it still feels out of place. Hopefully this time they get it right. Cassie is in a dilemma and wants to fire her agent Sid who apparently is her grandfather because he is not getting her any roles. It’s frustrating especially when her roommates seem to have things working out for them. Her sounding board Adam encourages her to cut the cord and just as she is about to inform Sid of his firing, he tells her about an audition. Cassie was between a rock and a hard place, and at that point, the audition seemed like the only chance of getting a job that pays. Cassie's audition turns out great, and the writers could not be any more obvious, hinting at the sexual tension between Cassie and her supposed costar in this thriller. She gets the role on the spot, and It looks like there will be a new love interest that will shake things up between her and Adam. Everyone likes sweet Adam, but he is not doing much for Cassie and for a show that thrives on drama he is not cutting it.
This episode is number three, and the little honeymoon Jake and Paige were on is already coming to an end. I like Jake, and I think he is the most stable and grounded person that’s suitable for someone as clueless as Paige. A few months ago Paige was a broke young college student, and now she’s ready to buy a house in Hollywood. Has she even finished one project? The poor girl could not even figure out how to read her contract, and she had a rogue agent. Jake is apparently having second thoughts since they barely started dating and now they have to commit to a mortgage? I used to enjoy Paige’s naïveté, I thought it was cute but this episode she had turned into an entirely different person. Deciding to buy the house by herself was extreme but will be an exciting arc for her moving forward. The gift that Rainer gave her was also a little foreshadowing of what’s coming next for those two, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she runs back to Jake when Rainer breaks her poor heart. Jake, in my opinion, should move on and concentrate on his movie.
Speaking of Rainer, he was having a difficult time in this episode. The video was sent out right in the middle of getting ready to film a scene for “Locked.” He is understandably feeling betrayed and does not want to talk to Nina or Jordan. He is surprisingly okay enough with Allan being around even though he knew and didn’t tell him. Rainer’s anger brought out a stunning emotional scene that was one of the finest in the episode. Paige reminded him that he should take his advice and act instead of freaking out every time and frustrating the director. Boy! Did Carter Jenkins bring it or what? I honestly saw nothing but a brilliant actor in this scene. The performance was so good that it left Jake and Harper jealous and feeling like their partners were slipping away from them and back to each other’s arms.
I hate that Jordan will have to go through this phase where he struggles because I am starting to like him. Marisol seems to have warmed up to him too even though she was upset about all the paparazzi that came to her little school to take pictures of Jordan. He did win her over though by sending a bus to take the kids to the beach after he promised the little boy and didn’t want to disappoint him. I also think he likes Marisol a lot and I must admit I ship them to. It was heartbreaking to see him check into a hotel after Rainer kicked him out, even though I agree with Rainer’s actions at that moment. They have a complicated brotherhood but, they love each other, and hopefully, there will be some forgiveness down the road.
Ally Brooke finally showed up on Famous In love. Fans have been eagerly waiting for her appearance, but honestly, her presence was without any fanfare, and quite frankly I found it anticlimactic. She didn’t sing, which would have been a fantastic thing to watch. The writers might be preparing the audience for a good shakedown; I will give them time to surprise us. Tangey proved to be quite the savvy businesswoman even without Ida’s support. My heart broke for her when she found out about the video and Ida tricking her into signing the release. What honestly hurt the most was Alexis betraying their friendship. They had a genuine friendship that surpassed drama, but Ida found the vulnerable Alexis and managed to poison her further. It was satisfying to see Tangey standing up for herself by cutting Alexis off; I would too if someone did me wrong like that. Ida should be scared because she has poked the wrong nest, I don’t see Tangey backing down any longer, and this is going to be an all-out war.
“Totes on a Scandal” was a good episode, and I enjoyed it more than the first two. I still think they have a pacing problem, but it could be just an editing issue. Currently, they have several plot lines, but I am interested in Cassie’s new movie and what the writers have brewing between her and Toby played by the beautiful Eric Tiede. They also introduced Tasha the new director for “Locked” played by Salome Azizi. I don’t know what the story is here, but I sense some chemistry with Rainer but will see how they craft this.
What did you guys think about "Totes on a Scandal"
Don't forget to watch Famous In Love on Freeform Wednesdays at 8PM ET.
