UnREAL Review: Ambush (Season 2 Episode 7)
It’s no secret that UnREAL knows how to push boundaries and make us uncomfortable.
But “Ambush” takes it to a whole new level with an episode that is all too timely and difficult to watch.
This season has focused on Rachel’s goal to make groundbreaking television and overcome issues of race by bringing in a black suitor, but what really drives her is her ambition.
She wants ratings, she wants success, and ultimately, she wants to control ‘Everlasting.’
She’ll do anything to make that happen, and she doesn’t think about consequences. She never sees the bigger picture, and she manages to justify her actions every single time — no matter how despicable.
Coleman, on the other hand, just seems naive.
He’s on board when Rachel suggests calling the cops on Darius and Romeo when they steal the car, because they both think it will make great television. Neither of them consider what could really happen in this scenario — or if they do, they ignore it.
When things start getting out of hand, Rachel’s conscience makes her want to stop it, but she doesn’t think clearly. Running at the cops at just that moment is the worst thing she could have done, and it has disastrous consequences, leaving Romeo shot.
I appreciate any time a show tries to get into real issues like this, but I can’t quite decide how I feel about this one. Maybe it’s because of the timing, coming only shortly after the two most recent tragedies. That’s what makes this the most difficult to watch, because that wound is still open.
I’m also not sure it’s handled in the way it should be. It’s almost glossed over. If we’re going to go there, really go there, and expose such an important issue, then shouldn’t more time be devoted to it?
That may be unfair, because it may be dealt with more in the upcoming episode, but somehow, the moment feels cheated. I think it deserved more time and attention, rather than jumping right back to what’s happening at the mansion.
We do see the fallout for Rachel, who finally realizes she needs help. She knows she’s responsible for this, and rather than continuing to try to justify her actions, she knows she messed up — she sees the person she’s become.
And all of this happens after Adam’s return. Quinn may have brought Adam in because she knows how doing so will affect Rachel, but Adam tries to be the voice of reason for her.
He sees how toxic the show is, and he tries to convince her to let it go. But Rachel’s too far gone, too power hungry, and too focused on the show to listen to him.
She insists she’s making television that matters, but her words are flat, and we know it’s a lie she’s telling herself.
Besides that, Rachel isn’t a woman he needs to be “rescued” by a man. But she does need help.
Finally reaching out for that help is brave, but calling her mother lands Rachel in a psychiatric facility looking completely empty as she downs some pills, which doesn’t seem like the kind of help Rachel really needs.
What did you think of this episode of UnREAL?
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UnREAL airs Mondays at 10/9c on Lifetime.
Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.