Katie Stevens and Melora Hardin in ‘The Bold Type’ on Freeform. (Freeform/screenshot)
Our favorite trio at “Scarlet” are back on Freeform to as they traverse the latest in romance, fashion and of course, their work at the popular women’s magazine. Season three, premiered on the channel last night with the episode “The New Normal,” which follows Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee) and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) as they have to deal with the aftermath of some major decisions from season two.
Back in New York City after the drama of Paris Fashion Week, all three of our protagonists have some hurdles to get over as they get back into the swing of things at “Scarlet.” As Kat celebrated her success back in Paris as the magazine’s first black female department head, she was also faced with personal realizations. At the end of the previous season, she broke up with Adena, her love interest, but this episode shows Kat’s grief a month later. She struggles with voicing her pain, not only because she doesn’t want to acknowledge the reality of the situation, but also because she does not want the industry to have another reason to view her as vulnerable, considering her identity as a queer black woman. Her assignments to energize her social media presence following her absence and speaking at the Scarlet Summit allow Kat the moment that she needs to handle her emotions.
Jane has to deal with “Scarlet” hiring the tech wizard Patrick Duchand to run the magazine’s digital branch, which demotes Jacqueline to only running the print version of the magazine. She voices her frustration with a man put in charge of a women’s magazine. On the other hand, Sutton and Richard have been enjoying their time together and discuss the possibility of moving in together.
The comedy-drama series has been likened to “Sex and the City” and is inspired by the life of former “Cosmopolitan” editor-in-chief, Joanna Coles. The show tackles current social issues, such as the #MeToo movement, sexuality, women’s reproductive health, career advancement and race. All three of the women present different facets of these issues, such as Jane’s decision to freeze her eggs, Kat’s identity as a queer black woman and Sutton’s desires to take her fashion and design career to the next level.
This episode sets the tone for the new season, which will put the trio’s journey through the trials of being 21st-century women. It appropriately addresses lingering conflict and issues from the season two finale, such as Kat’s heartbreak, while also introducing new plot points, such as the hiring of Patrick. The balance brought a nice pace to the opening of a season. I’m looking forward to see where the rest of this season takes our favorite ladies.
Hollie Lao is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at hollianne.lao@uconn.edu.
