Following the climatic ending of last week’s episode, Unreal picks up the Jeremy/Rachel plot once again.
Something that needs to be mentioned off the bat is the way the abuse on Unreal was framed. No one questioned if Jeremy really hurt Rachel, no one asked for proof and no one tried to excuse away his behavior. The abuse happened and the aftermath is all about addressing it. Jeremy barely gets a scene to himself, and when he does it’s not about trying to make him the victim. Quinn calls him out on what he did to Rachel and doesn’t fall for his baiting.
Unreal approached Rachel’s abuse in a way that supported the victim instead of doubting her or trying to diminish the impact it had on her.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t speak out about it because of the way the industry rules interfered. Rachel is in a position where she could get her abuser punished, but she doesn’t because it risks her job and her future. This is the ugly side of the TV industry, the secrets that need to be kept quiet and that prevent issues like these from coming to light.
Rachel spiraling over this doesn’t help her or the people around her. She is still clinging to Coleman in a way that really has me worried because they barely know each other, and already it seems like their relationship isn’t headed anywhere good. Rachel has offered so much of herself to him because of the future she could have if she’s with him. Coleman has gotten used to Rachel being this close to him that now he expects it, and the way he tries to fight her battles for her proves it even more. He always gets into her business, and I can’t be the only one who notices how suffocated Rachel must feel with Coleman around.
And it looks like Adam returning to Everlasting will only stir up even more drama.
Adam and Rachel’s relationship was never healthy, but they were both messed up and somehow it worked for them. If they weren’t always in that manipulative world, they might have made it work. But Adam fell for Quinn’s lies about Rachel’s health (which might have been a little true) and he let it all fall apart. And even though we probably aren’t supposed to root for those two, I can’t help myself. Coleman and Rachel came out of the blue, we were never given time or scenes to adjust to, like we had with Adam and Rachel. I’m hoping this plays out this season, with Rachel at least catching on to how wrong Coleman is for her.
As for the contestants and Darius, there’s no obvious clue on who will win or who Darius will grow close to but my money is on Tiffany. He kept her in the running after she told him about Romeo, so maybe those two could hold on until the final three. There wasn’t much going on between Darius and the other girls, and with Chet in her corner, I can see Tiffany making it to that finish line. But will Darius fall for this act? Or will he push back after that mess in Alabama?
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Unreal is getting better with each new episode, the drama is heating up so much that I’m not even sure if I’m ready for the blowout that’s right around the corner.
Rating: 10/10
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