Norman Mailer, Samantha Shortcake
Doug and Tina show up at an office construction site only to find that it’s under construction. They’re soon forced to flee and back at Bottom Dollar, Joyce shows up but finds the police swarming outside. The place has been raided and that’s obviously not good news.
Despite the negative attention these shakedowns are receiving, most people seem to be holding their breath and hoping for the best. This is because a new City Hall official has been appointed, and with her arrival, things may change for the better. ..
Doug and the gang have never let a release date get in the way of their work, but with negative film reels and Joyce’s mini-reels at hand, her issue is pushed up a month. ..
This raid has caused a loss of contributors, as well as the fact that Joyce should be able to use her magic touch to make it work.
Doug tries to make up for his mistake by giving her a gift, but Westbury is still not interested. Doug decides to leave and never come back.
Doug realizes this is a big problem, as Tina too shares his sentiments. He decides to try and play the long game, finding out who’s pulling his strings and build the company so they’re “so big that she can’t f**k with them.”
Tina is busy working while Joyce finds herself facing criticism from those inside the office. The words cut deep, and it’s not helped by a swathe of rejection letters thrown her way after. ..
Shelly, Richie, and Bambi are trying to come up with fun and interesting ways to get readers on their side. Joyce is having none of it though, believing the magazine should be put together by real editors and real writers. She’s clearly under a lot of stress and unfortunately the trio take off, hurt by Joyce’s words.
After a failed attempt to sway Westbury, Joyce heads back to her writers’ retreat to apologize for her words and encourage them to jump in and run with their ideas. ..
Doug is happy with the spread and loves the new headlines. Joyce realizes how instrumental Shelly is to the success of Minx and suggests she show up and help.
The episode closes out with Tina handing over a list of incriminating secrets she’s gathered on Westbury to Doug. However, Doug decides to stay straight and not run with this - at least not yet anyway. ..
The Episode Review
It seems that Councilwoman Westbury will be our antagonist for the season ahead. She looks to be a worthy adversary for Minx and their exploits, as we see Joyce start to compromise on her creative vision. ..
The team is important, but Joyce needs to compromise in order to lead them.
The whole episode does wonders for her character, even deciding to bring Shelly along for the ride as they prepare themselves for the next chapter in this wild ride. This has been a bit of a sleeper hit for HBO so far but it’s solid enough to feel like one of those shows that will grow in popularity through word of mouth.
This is a great comedy that has plenty of drama to come. I’m sure there will be more comedy over the episodes ahead.
