Loveday Writing

We are then introduced to Maggie, an old friend and workmate of Joyce’s who congratulates her on her success, before Joyce is called away to get her make-up done. When the make-up artist asks her if she has been to New York before, we are given another flashback to Joyce handing in the eggs from the chicken coop to the men running the commune, who are just as sexist as the other men we’ve seen on the series so far. Meanwhile, Doug meets footballer, Billy Brunson, at a restaurant where they are surrounded by topless waitresses, to entice him to pose for Minx, Billy makes it clear to both Doug and the viewers that he is anti-feminist.

Meanwhile, Bambi and Richie go over to Tina’s apartment to eat fondue and watch Joyce on the Dick Cavett Show. When Richie tries to find fondue forks, he instead finds a vase of flowers and asks Tina about them. When Tina tries to lie, he catches her out and finds the card that Doug sent with them in the trash. Bambi asks Tina whether her and Doug are back together again, revealing that they’ve had an on-off relationship for a long time, and Tina tells them it feels different now.

Doug makes his way backstage to watch Joyce’s appearance on the Dick Cavett Show and finds feminist writer, Victoria Hartnett. During the interview, Dick reveals he’s done his homework on her, which leads to another flashback revealing that Joyce worked at New York magazine as a researcher (as did Maggie), although she is doing undercover reporting at the commune, and having an affair with her older editor, George.

When Victoria Hartnett joins Joyce on the Show, she tells Joyce she admires her for trying to change the magazine landscape, but also criticises her for the focus being on the centrefold instead of the feminist content. She also tells Joyce she has been used by Doug and that he is giving her the illusion of control. While Doug, who also joins them on the Show, tries to tell Joyce otherwise, he ends up revealing that he booked Billy for the cover and centrefold of the next issue behind Joyce’s back, both to hers (and Bambi’s, Richie’s, and Tina’s) shock.

This reveal leads to another flashback which shows George taking Joyce’s work and story idea and turning into another piece, written by the male reporters. When Joyce goes to confront George in his office, she finds him flirting with another young female employee in the same way that he flirted with her, and leaves. Back in the present, Joyce and Doug argue over his decision to book Billy, which culminates in Doug telling her that he’s the one in control due to being the publisher. Joyce hands him the binder for everything he’ll need for the next issue and leaves, telling him that she thought she had done enough to earn his respect and won’t be treated badly by him or any other man anymore, which echoes the way she was treated by George, this time standing up for herself.

The episode ends with Bambi and Richie trying to help Tina clean up after their fondue/viewing party, only for Tina to tell them it’s okay to leave, and a broken hearted Joyce walking away from the studio with Maggie.

Overall, this wasn’t the strongest episode in the season, however it was a necessary one. Joyce and Doug’s power struggle as Joyce came up with the idea but Doug finances it has been shown throughout the season, but they’ve managed to avoid a blow up over it, but not anymore. This time, with Minx riding a huge wave of success, they couldn’t avoid it any longer. Now Minx is falling hard from its rise with Joyce quitting and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here without her at the helm.

I felt that the flashbacks into her past showed solid character development with Joyce. She has grown but more in a ‘two steps forward, one step back’ kind of way. She’s always been more assertive with Doug than with George, but I believe this is due to a lack of romantic chemistry and feelings towards Doug, and she’s always needed Doug’s money, which he points out, however instead of putting up with it, she quits, but now Minx is out of her hands. As I said above, it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.

Bambi, Richie and Tina didn’t really get the spotlight, however the brief appearances of them talking to Tina about dating Doug again provided a nice and interesting insight into their friendship.

Stray Observations:

Episode title – Oh, so you’re the sun now? You’re the giver of life? Is a remark Doug makes as he argues with Joyce about booking Billy.

-Doug’s middle initial is ‘J’.

-Doug started in the magazine industry with coupon clipping magazines and took out a small loan to finance Bottom Dollar Publications.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Nothing, my dad sent them.” “Well, first of all, your dad’s dead. Secondly, why are you hiding ghost dad’s flowers in the pantry?” (Tina-Richie on the flowers Doug sent her)
• “Women can be loud when they use their voices.” (Joyce to Dick Cavett on the audience praising her)
• “I’m an equal opportunity wimp.” (Dick Cavett to Joyce when she says he can pose for Minx)
• “The wretched pornographer.” “I prefer ‘vile’.” (Victoria Hartnett-Doug when they meet)
• “Tina deserves more than life insurance, she deserves adventure.” (Bambi to Richie on the type of man Tina should date)