It’s been a very twisty season for UnREAL in season 2. While season 1 was far from normal, the twists and turns at least fell into some kind of logic. In season 1, it felt like each new episode was building a twist on top of another one. It all seemed to reach a head in the last episode, with Romeo and Darius being arrested and Romeo being shot. It appeared that all the twists of UnREAL season 2 had a purpose, but in this episode, “Fugitive,” the twists just keep on rolling. The arrest and shooting of Darius wasn’t the endgame; it was just a pit stop.
UnREAL has turned from a dark satire on the unreality and high drama of reality TV to being every bit as wild and unbelievable as the shows it is parodying. Granted, the show is still entertaining, but it is a very different type of show than it started as in season 1. Time will tell if season 2 becomes the new status quo for UnREAL or just an experiment in craziness. Just buckle your seat belts because “Fugitive” adds a few new crazy wrinkles to this tapestry of insanity.
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The Fallout … Barely
Quinn is on major damage control following the shooting of Romeo. Quinn is determined to quash the entire story of the shooting from the news and Everlasting. This should be literally impossible, but so are most things about Everlasting. (There is no way this TV show would actually exist in the real world.) Regardless, Quinn seems to do a pretty good job of squashing things, but there is a bit of a road block. Darius has fled the hospital where he was being kept following the shooting and has gone to meet with Ruby at some random diner.
Darius tells Ruby that he wants to be with her and that his football career is over. Darius had to have back surgery following his arrest. The surgery didn’t work, though, and his back will never be the same. Ruby, because she is too good for this show (both Everlasting and UnREAL), tells Darius to shove it. Ruby doesn’t want to be Darius’ second choice or his “back-up” plan. Ruby contacts Jay, and Darius is taken back to the Everlasting lion’s den. That’s it; no real fallout from Darius having to watch his cousin be shot in front of him by racist cops. UnREAL, you disappoint me.
When Darius comes back to the show, he does make an ultimatum. He tells Quinn that he doesn’t want to deal with anyone on the show anymore. Darius will be making his own decisions, and if he has to be produced by anyone, it will be from Jay. Darius doesn’t want to see “that bitch Rachel” anymore (Darius’ words, not mine). It is understandable, though; she did get his cousin shot.
Coleman Makes His Move
Speaking of Rachel, the gross Coleman — let’s just call him Grossman — goes to see Rachel in the mental hospital. Grossman tells Rachel that he is in love with her and wants to take her away from her evil pill-peddling mother. Rachel agrees, so Grossman takes her away. So I guess there was no point to the “Rachel being committed” cliffhanger of the previous episode beyond shock value.
The only apparent consequence of Rachel’s stay at the hospital is that she continues to be drugged out of her mind. This state makes it possible for Grossman to easily manipulate Rachel. Grossman sets up a camera and has Rachel confess all of Everlasting‘s dirty little secrets, including the truth behind Mary’s death.
You see, Grossman is now working with Yael. In the secret that pretty much everyone guessed, Yael is an undercover reporter and is here to expose the underbelly of Everlasting. That’s right. Grossman is using his “relationship” with Real Rachel to start a new thing with Hot Rachel. At least Jeremy had the decency to be a human train wreck before he attacked Rachel and slept with Yael. Coleman — sorry, Grossman — is just unadulterated human garbage.
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The Twists Keep on Coming
Rachel’s mother shows up on set and is determined to take her daughter back to her den of drugs and sedation. Quinn tries to head the woman off, but it doesn’t work. Quinn is just as surprised as Rachel’s real mother is to find Rachel on set with Grossman. Rachel storms away from Coleman and Quinn, and her mother follows her.
It is revealed that there is something more going on with Rachel and her mother than just the latter’s glee to drug the former. Something serious happened in Rachel’s past. Rachel’s mother tells Rachel that if anyone ever finds out the truth, they will never love Rachel. I’ve lost count of the number of twists UnREAL has had this season, but we’ve got to be pushing high double digits in just eight episodes.
The secret is that Rachel was raped by one of her mother’s patients when she was 12. I suppose this fits into Rachel’s reaction to Jeremy’s attack earlier, but it feels like another needless twist in this insane season. Rachel tells Grossman about it, and he doesn’t turn her away. All the wheels in his gross little head are turning, though, over how he can turn this into a story.
UnREAL season 2 airs Mondays at 10pm on Lifetime.
(Image courtesy of Lifetime)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
