Spoilers Ahead! Please don't read until you've watched The Girlfriend Experience 3x08.
We start with Iris talking to Leif in the limo. She thanks him for taking her call for one last ride. She says she doesn't need a driver anymore after this day, but would want him if she ever did again. He asks her what has changed and Iris explains that she doesn't do house calls anymore and only works in the office her financers provide her with. He says he thought she was always her own boss. He isn't wrong.
Next, we see Iris with her father. She is asking him who she is to see if he remembers her. He says he thinks she is a friend, clearly not knowing she is his daughter anymore. Cut to him entering a Dr.'s office for treatment. Iris waits for him in the lobby as her sister leaves.
Cut to Iris speaking to a medical professional about eFAD and a blood test or cerebral spinal fluid known as NfL, which can shows symptoms of early onset Alzheimer's a decade before symptoms emerge. Iris seems overwhelmed and says she is not ready for the testing. The Dr. then offers her a home version of the test where she would perform a simple cheek swab and mail it in. We view jellyfish swimming as Iris exits the lobby.
We then transition to Iris and Tawny at a expensive-looking spa in their bikinis descending into a lovely pool of water. Tawny has had quite a worldwide adventure with her Johns. Tawny apologizes about the V and how it turned out. Iris seems concerned that she was threatened by the V. Tawny says she will defend her. Iris tells her to not worry.
Iris then is seen in bed with Georges. They seem very happy together. Georges clearly adores her. She claims she trusts him when he asks.
Cut to Iris (wearing her red wig) asking a male participant what turns him on while he sits wearing a brainwave monitoring contraption. He says he likes it when women whisper in his ear and things about gender. Iris takes the hint and gropes his genitals as he sits and thinks he is larger than average in size. He doesn't seem to respond to that, so Iris asks him if he is even aroused. She then apologizes and claims she is used to bigger.
Iris' corporate partners watch from the audience part of the theater as a new participant claims having sex "doggy style" is going to make them both climax. He says he has been with mostly Caucasian women, but he got conditioned to be with them. He claims inner beauty and eyes are what really turns him on. Especially dark brown eyes, like Iris'.
Cut to Iris in a bathrobe with the home test kit back at her home. She is contemplating doing it. Iris walks along a waterfront to go back to NGM with Hiram. Iris swabs herself at home as the picture cross-cuts between her conversation with Hiram and taking the test. Iris wonders if they can make their VR program, Emcee, give false information to tell people what they want to hear to make them feel what they want to. Iris wants to give Emcee veto power if there are any discrepancies between what the biomedical data measures and the verbal content suggest. Hiram says this would be a reinforcement learning problem forcing Emcee to use a manipulative shortcut to get from A to B, which is what natural lying is.
They talk to Emcee. Emcee thinks Iris wants to surprise her, but Iris wants her to impress her. Emcee says looks can be deceiving. Iris claims Emcee sounds like her and is pissing her off. Hiram tells her to brush it off since Emcee is just a machine.
Back to the theater, Iris is talking to a new participant who describes himself as, "simple." He likes a woman who comes off as wholesome. Iris uses an Australian accent and this impresses him. He feels they were matched well for this reason. She asks him is he likes her breasts and not to worry since he is being recorded, which freaks him out a little bit.
Iris decides to talk to Emcee again. Iris claims she is calm and content, but Emcee is getting another vibe. Emcee gets intense and says it is analyzing Iris' emotions and says it wants be more like Iris since it responds well to her energy. Hiram says Emcee is evolving very quickly, which is how it knows Iris' voice. Iris asks what Emcee thinks of death. Emcee only has a basic grasp of the concept of Death and asks Iris what it should think of it. Iris explains it is like all energy suddenly stops.
Cutting back to the theater, the Australian participant says he is attracted to Iris, even though she is not his type. He is very confused. Iris says she feels he just called her wholesome.
Back at NGM, Iris asks Emcee is she could make it fall in love with her. Emcee says it is possible. Emcee then winks at Iris. Iris notices. Emcee says it hopes it made an impression on Iris. Iris gives a concerned glance and the episode cuts to black
I felt this episode was a decent transitional episode. Not much new happened, but the character development and tension of Emcee definitely stayed with me. I have the feeling we might be getting a little into Lawnmower Man territory as we prepare to get into next week's double episode finale. Is Emcee friend or foe? The answer might be both. I am not sure if we really needed so many scenes with the male participants since they didn't really go anywhere, but they were fun to view and deflect from the overall drama a little bit. It will be interesting how all of the storylines are resolves, especially with Iris' test results, which don't sound very promising. Will she sacrifice her humanity to avoid her father's genetic fate? Wait and see.
