The Bold Type Season 5 Episode 4 Review: Day Trippers

Well, that was quite a trip. Pun intended.

No, it was not an actual day trip that our three leading ladies took on The Bold Type Season 5 Episode 4 but rather a psychedelic experience meant to help with creativity, self-confidence, and vision.

So was it successful? In a way, it was.

First, let’s get this out of the way: Never go to work while high on ‘shrooms. 

It doesn’t matter if the sky is falling or the world is ending. You never go to work while tripping.

It’s completely unprofessional, and Kat’s the only one who had the good sense to get someone to cover her shift at the Belle.

Jane: You know when I told you I was too busy to see you today, I lied. The real reason I couldn’t help you was because I wasn’t feeling well.
Addison: Are you sick?
Jane: No, I was kind of tripping.
Addison: You seemed wound up… wait, literally or figuratively?
Jane: Uh, both. I know, it’s kind of crazy, but when I thought I was going to lose you, I panicked and I got really in my head because I want to be the kind of mentor that you deserve. And my friend said that microdosing might help. So I tried it, and it was a little stronger than I thought it would be. I want to be transparent about that with you because I do want to do right by you. I want to be your Jacqueline, but I can’t be someone that I’m not. I can only be Jane.
Addison: And who’s that?
Jane: Someone who’s really new at managing, and who even when she tries her hardest doesn’t get it right every time, but I’m going to do everything I can to support you and to try to be a good mentor to you.

Yes, I understand that this is a television show, and a certain suspension of belief is required — such as Jane being named interim editor-in-chief after only a few years at the publication — but going to work high is something I can never get behind.

Call me old-fashioned, but employees should be in their proper state and mind when they go into the office. Diatribe aside, this installment turned into a turning point for all three of them.

To start, Jane learned that sometimes the key to being a good manager is admitting your mistakes.

Opening up to Addison about tripping while at work may have gone a step too far, but Jane had the right idea when she sat down with the younger writer in admitting her flaws.

It’s never easy to concede you don’t know what the f*ck you’re doing, but it was Jane’s honesty and vulnerability that kept Addison at Scarlet.

Jane spent so much of this episode trying to emulate Jacqueline, but the truth is, Jane was never going to achieve that.

Becoming Jacqueline in a matter of days was not only unattainable, but it nearly drove Jane crazy.

In classic Jane fashion, she tried to overcompensate by transforming herself into the perfect mentor.

Jane: Things are going horribly. I’m supposed to prove to Addison that I can be her Jacqueline and I’m failing, so you’re welcome.
Andrew: OK, when I first joined drag choir, I was replacing a really legendary queen, and I really wanted to prove I could fill her shoes, but I couldn’t hit a high C. I tried and tried until my throat hurt and my roommate threatened to move out. Anyway, the night before the show, you know what happened?
Jane: You hit the note?
Andrew: No, I admitted the queens it was out of my range, and honestly, it was one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done. No matter how hard we try, sometimes, we’re gonna struggle. And being honest doesn’t make you weak. It actually makes you strong.

She was so hyperfocused on keeping Addison at the publication that she forget to take time to take care of herself, and it was only a matter of time before she cracked.

Deciding to microdose was a controversial decision — from our point of view — to deal with the stress and gain some clarity, but it seems to be all the rage for TV characters.

However, it wasn’t exactly the microdosing responsible for Jane’s decision to be honest with Addison about her failures as a mentor and boss.

No, that award weirdly belongs to Andrew, who decided to give Jane some much-needed advice after some tough love from Kat.

His words of wisdom reassured Jane that it’s OK to admit when we’re struggling, and saying that out loud doesn’t make us weak. It’s the opposite; it makes us strong.

And apparently, Jane’s ability to mentor Addison at the 11th hour after ignoring her all day was enough to give Jacqueline the confidence to name Jane as interim editor-in-chief while Jacqueline’s away.

Jacqueline’s confidence in Jane is touching, but Jane is still so green as a boss that it’s puzzling why Jacqueline would entrust Jane to run the publication in her absence and possibly the future should Jacqueline step down.

She’s nowhere near ready to oversee the entirety of Scarlet.

Jacqueline: While I’m gone, I’m planning to ask Jane to be the interim editor-in-chief, and I would love it if you would be a steadying influence for her.
Oliver: Of course. That’s why she was in the layout meeting.
Jacqueline: Yeah, I’ve been trying to ease in some new things for her, and if I do this, I’ll start some more intensive training soon.
Oliver: If you do this?
Jacqueline: Jane has enormous potential, but leading a place like Scarlet, you really have to be able to inspire people, bring out their best.
Oliver: That’s the toughest part of the job.
Jacqueline: Jane got critical reviews from Addison. Before I pull the trigger, I just want to see how she handles that.

She’s just figuring out how to manage one writer, and now Jacqueline wants her to run the entire publication. It’s ludicrous.

Not to mention, there are other writers and staff at Scarlet who have more seniority than Jane.

Yes, seniority doesn’t always translate to promotions, but someone with more experience or an outside candidate should at least be considered before Jacqueline decides to hand the reins over to Jane full-time.

This decision reminds me of Younger Season 7 Episode 12 when Charles decided to name Liza, someone with only a few years of experience, as interim publisher.

What is it with bosses cherrypicking their favorite employees to take over the company lately?

Do they not understand that running a company takes more than heart and passion? Business experience and acumen are good places to start.

The show is building to Jane taking over Scarlet by the end of the series, which dovetails nicely with where Jane started but doesn’t make the most logical sense. Oh well, it’s television. What can you do?

Next, Sutton realized that maybe she’s been drinking too much.

This realization seemed to come out of nowhere, but looking back over the past few episodes, she has been drinking more since her separation from Richard.

Sutton: I still think Villadar is ruining the planet, but I didn’t have to go about it that way. It’s just that it’s been a crazy year for me, and so much is changing, but fashion’s always been my constant. Then when I realized we were supporting a brand that was bad, I kind of felt even more lost. You know?
Oliver: We’re reconsidering our ties to Villadar…
Sutton: That’s amazing.
Oliver: But, I am also reconsidering this hands-off approach I’ve had with you.
Sutton: What do you mean?
Oliver: The drinking at work.
Sutton: Oliver it was a glass.
Oliver: And the retreat. You don’t think I know what really happened, do you? You were drunk. Why do you think I was calling yesterday to check on Carly and Jasper?
Sutton: Because you miss being with them?
Oliver: I was also calling to check on him, make sure a glass of wine at lunch doesn’t turn into six. Yes, Jasper is doing better, and maybe, I shouldn’t worry about him, but I still do. I know how dangerous substance abuse can be, and I think that you know better than anybody else to watch someone that you love have to go through that. So I was worried about it, and I’m worried about you.

Having a drink of wine to unwind after a long day doesn’t mean someone has a problem, but there’s no doubt Sutton has been drinking more frequently. 

She was drunk at the Scarlet retreat and when she briefly went back home and hooked up with her married ex-boyfriend. 

I wouldn’t go so far as to label Sutton an alcoholic, but Oliver did make some compelling points, especially when he reminded Sutton of her mother.

Alcoholism and addiction can be hereditary, and unlike Jane and Kat, Sutton may not have the luxury of having a few drinks without it turning into a problem.

Understandably, Sutton has been struggling since her separation and has been using alcohol as a crutch, but she’s realized drinking to take the edge off may not be the best coping mechanism.

I fully applaud her decision to see a therapist and talk about everything she’s been going through — her divorce, moving, career pressures.

A social stigma usually accompanies therapy and the people who seek treatment, so I’m thrilled the series decided to bypass any hesitation on Sutton’s part, at least in terms of what others will think.

Therapy is also the perfect setting for Sutton to dissect her decision not to have children, as Sutton’s therapist may provide insight into her choice.

Sutton: Do we drink too much?
Kat: Us? Who’s out here drinking three drinks a week? No one. We drink the correct amount.
Sutton: Do I drink too much?
Kat: What’s going on boo?
Sutton: I just… well, Oliver said some things to me today that scared me.
Jane: What?
Sutton: That I remind him of Jasper when he had a problem.
Jane: Oh honey.
Sutton: The truth is I’ve been drinking more since Richard and I separated. I sort of felt like it was a reasonable way to cope, but with my family and my mom, do you guys think it’s a problem.
Jane: We’re your best friends, so I don’t think we’re really capable of answering that question.
Kat: Yeah.
Sutton: Well, I wish that somebody would because I would like to know.

Again, not having children is a valid option for women, and the constant flip-flopping from female characters on television sets an unfair expectation that women will eventually come around.

However, something always felt off about Sutton’s decision not to have children, and maybe seeing a therapist can help her get some clarity on the issue.

And if she does, then that may pave the way for her to reunite with Richard, which may or may not happen in the past two episodes. 

Lastly, Kat decided to quit her job at the Belle to focus on her activism, which is great in theory but not practical.

Remember, this is the same woman whose parents cut her off, forcing her to move in with Jane and get a job at the Belle in the first place.

So with Kat now unemployed, what is she going to do for money?

It almost would have been better if she were fired as she may have collected unemployment.

Aside from the logistics of a steady income, Kat quitting her job was the right move for her.

She’s felt stifled since bartending at the Belle, and while it provided her with financial stability, it’s not what Kat wants to be doing in the long run.

Kat: So listen I really appreciate you, and this place has given me stability at a time when I really needed it, but I think Don’t Turn Away has the potential to be really big and create change in a sustainable way, and in order to really do that, I think I need to commit to it fulltime. So this is my notice. Don’t worry I already covered my shifts for the next two weeks.
Darby: I’m sorry to see you go.
Kat: Oh, you’re not just really happy to get rid of me?
Darby: The woman who got the Belle to change her policy on hiring the formerly incarcerated?
Kat: Wait, really?
Darby: Yeah, I’ll miss her.

She wants to be out there enacting change and making a difference, not slinging drinks for a living.

Helping Zuri find a job reminded her of where her passions lie, and it’s in activism, not bartending.

Kat can turn #DontTurnAway into a movement and make substantial change. Let’s hope Jane and Sutton cover her share of the rent while she’s out there doing her thing.

Some stray thoughts:

• 
  Andrew giving Jane some advice was a 180, but Kat hit the nail on the head when she said Jane and Andrew are essentially the same person. Usually, it’s the people most alike that butt heads, and that’s been the case since the beginning. Moving forward, maybe these two can have a less adversarial relationship.

• 
  What is Jacqueline thinking naming Jane as the interim editor-in-chief while she’s away? She wants to give Jane more responsibility, fine, but please, find someone else to step in for now. Give it five or ten years. Then Jane will be ready.

• 
  Jacqueline singing at the layout meeting was hilarious. If I were Jane, I’d have been freaking out too. 

So what did you think, Bold Type Fanatics?

Can Jane hack it as interim editor-in-chief?

Does Sutton have a drinking problem?

Did Kat make the right decision in quitting her job?

Don’t forget to hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you missed the latest episode, remember you can watch The Bold Type online at TV Fanatic.

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Jessica Lerner is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

You can view the original article HERE.