Aïssa was shocked to see the long line of people waiting for her show at the venue. After the show, Nezir played at the Drôle. ..
At Drôle, Apolline is in the audience again, taking notes on the acts. After, she sees Nezir at the bar and asks him about his comedy career and process. The bartender interrupts, noting that Apolline often comes to take notes, which she shouldn’t be doing. ..
She swore to Nezir she wasn’t a joke thief; comedy just interests her. Nezir laughs, but doesn’t say much.
Apolline goes home, where she lives with her aristocratic parents. She tells them that she was in the city, and that she saw nothing interesting.
Aïssa meets with Laurent, who represents her. Laurent tells her that he has found her a new major venue to perform at- the same one where he used to book Bling. Aïssa is excited to hear the news and runs into Bling outside, but she leaves without telling him the news. ..
Laurent decides he’ll take a look at Bling’s new material in two months. So, Nezir meets with Bling later to start working on material with him, but he doesn’t offer much inspiration.
Vlad is worried that everyone at their child’s school knows about Aïssa’s act and is judging him. He calls her selfish for sacrificing him for her job, but she reminds him of everything she’s sacrificed for him. She’s proud that her comedy is deconstructing social norms.
Drôle is a small, intimate club that only accepts comedians. Apolline shows up to apply for an open mic slot, though she’s never performed. Bling tells her to come by again, but to bring people, otherwise the room will be empty.
Nathaniel Walsh offers to help Apolline with her art history presentation for school, but Apolline and her parents are not sure if they should take his offer. They meet with Nathaniel to see if he can help them secure an internship.
Nezir and Bling set a schedule for their meeting, but it seems that the bling never follows through. So Nezir eventually has to insist on no more meetings. He’ll send him material from now on, which Bling agrees to.
Vlad tells Aïssa that it is best if she does not attend his thesis defence. He is afraid that people will recognize her and be reminded of her act. Aïssa is upset; she has rearranged her schedule, but she agrees.
Nezir is trying to get information from Bling about girls he knows, but the rapper won’t cooperate.
Aïssa later has an interview with Konbini at the Drôle. Konbini tells her that he heard about her slot at the Palais des Glaces from Bling, and that he was the one who got her started.
Nezir finds Apolline outside the club at Newbie Comedy Hour. She tells him she’s going to perform. Nezir gives her advice before she goes on. She keeps fiddling with her bracelet nervously, so he gives it to her to hold on to.
Nezir returns the bracelet to the woman before she can cry any more.
Bling watches Aïssa perform at the Drôle that night and decides to go on after her. Corinne and Nezir try to stop him.
Nezir makes a joke about Bling’s sneakers right before Bling makes the same joke in his act. This causes Aïssa to look strangely at Nezir. Bling’s act goes over well, though Aïssa doesn’t admire him any more for it.
Nezir says she’s being harsh with him, and Aïssa laughs. She says she knows he’s writing for himself, and he can do better. He asks her not to tell anyone. ..
Aïssa shows up at the after party to Vlad’s thesis. When she gets there, people ask for tickets to her future performances. Vlad tenses up. ..
Nezir goes to Apolline’s house, where her mother greets him at the door. He says he’s there to return her bracelet. Apolline makes an excuse that she forgot it in his Uber.
Nezir goes on a food delivery run to find Apolline, only to find her living in a building with her mom. Nezir’s plan backfires when he gets there and finds her living with her boyfriend.
The Episode Review
The tension between Aïssa and Vlad/Bling escalates as Aïssa, strangely, is not so worried. While she sees herself as dismantling the patriarchy through her comedy, she seems naive to the obstacles she’ll have to face by being a woman who’s trying to excel in a man’s world.
Aïssa has a compelling story on her own, but it’s the underdog Nezir and Apolline who demand one’s attention. Nezir’s quiet suffering, self-deprecation, and humble wit. Apolline’s suffocated talent, ambition, and charm. The two of them step cautiously through life, never expecting to receive anything from the world–and that makes us want their success all the more. ..
The stand-up scenes on “The Office” are suffering from a lack of a good French-English translator. But these characters breathe life into the show on their own, whether those one liners hit or they don’t.
