Pick Your Poison: Partner Track Ep 5,6 & 7
This series just keeps letting me down in the Ingrid healthy-relationship department. It started with Murphy. Lying about their past. Puffing his chest and acting pretentious at the charity ball. Flirting and then making Ingrid feel embarrassed when the feelings were reciprocated. Offering her help on the case and ditching her to schmooze with a client to get ahead. Pursuing her while hooking up with a client. I could go on. He is not the guy for her—no matter how hard the show is trying to push their awkward romance. And yet, Nick isn’t doing so well either.
I’ll admit I was going pretty hard for Ingrid x Nick, but his insecurity over their relationship is giving bad hints of toxic jealousy vibes. Every time Ingrid merely speaks to man, whether it be Muprhy or Z, he’s there with his arm around her shoulder, marking his territory. Viewers know that Murphy and Ingrid have history, but Nick does not. He’s just an asshole co-worker. Nick should trust his partner to make decisions or break up with her. Because of this, the engagement does not feel like the end of a sudden whirlwind romance. It feels like captivity.
But with disappointment in one storylines comes success in another. Rachel has a breakthrough, both in discovering her passion and finding vulnerable romance. At the retreat, cast in a boat far away from the toxic racist skit from Fallon, she hooks up with paralegal Justin under the stars. There’s always been a vibe from him, since the specialty coffee truck in episode 2, that he’s into her. And because of that, she feels comfortable asking him for help. At first I thought it was just a power dynamic she liked, but I think she genuinely finds his opinion fascinating.
It’s my opinion, the only reason Murphy and Ingrid didn’t hook up is because she went home with Tyler after the dismissive and purposefully racist stand-up routine from Fallon. He might as well have said “No, don’t go! I thought we were going to have sex tonight” when she left—only for us to meet his long-term hookup and client Victoria St. Claire (Tehmina Sunny) in the following episode. Classy.
But for a romance drama series, romance really takes a back burner, the spotlight really focused on race and gender discrimination. Though Rachel had good intentions by offering Fallon a comedic role in the Company Retreat, he used his time to make purposefully hateful comments toward Tyler, Ingrid, and more. Because Tyler told him to think about his words before speaking? Parsons, Valentine & Hunt does nothing not because of Fallon’s economic value to the firm. Marty even makes Ingrid is the mouthpiece for 50k severance to Tyler, and I’m so disappointed in what the show has done with her character. It’s the #Girlboss mentality I warned about episode 1, a rise through the ranks only to break the ladder for everyone else. Does she really think Fallon is worth sacrificing her friendships for? He said “You look all glowy. Nick must be jealous” as a “hello.” That’s sexual harassment in itself, associating her demeanor as a side-affect from sex with her boyfriend. Gross. It’s all evident Ingrid was used when she wins a prize at the Diversity Gala for her silence, but it’s too late. Her friends are gone and Fallon remains, as does the toxic work culture.
Justin brings Rachel a cake from Milk Bar (not a great choice, but I’ll let it slide), Ingrid ditching for extra time at her work event. They are now my favorite couple. Rachel is my favorite character. No takesies-backseies. The original friend trio is giving Carrie, Miranda, and Samantha. We all know who not to root for.
The episode ends with Ingrid getting arrested and we have no idea why. Guess that’s one way for us to stick around until the next episode.
Watch on Netflix and stay tuned for episodes 8, 9 & 10.
