Pitch Review: San Francisco (Season 1 Episode 7)
The team that gets naked together wins together.
I could easily “mansplain” exactly what happens on Pitch Season 1 Episode 7, but it’s not necessary.
Amelia and Ginny take control of the long-looming nude selfie scandal, bringing the Padres closer together, and empowering girls (and boys) everywhere.
No, seriously though — did you see these photos?
There can be no doubt now that Ginny is one of the guys. Her team really stepped up their game for her, and rallied behind her when she needed it most. It’s heartwarming, and it speaks volumes about what she means to them.
A not-so-heartwarming aspect of “San Francisco” is the journey down memory lane that we take with Mike Lawson, learning that his childhood was pretty terrible.
Discovering that Mike’s father chose another family over him, and that he grew up with a mother who used him to scam money from others, explains a lot about the Mike we know and love; why the walls that surround him are high and thick, and why his role on the team is so important to him.
Paralleling his story against Livan’s is creative, but doesn’t quite land for me, or for Mike. When Oscar makes a plea for Mike to consider the rough beginning Livan had in Cuba, Mike spins his answer back to Oscar; there are a lot of people who have traumatic childhoods.
It doesn’t give them a free pass to be top-notch jerks.
Livan’s introduction is loaded with ups and downs, and by the end of the hour I’m not sure if I want to see him fail or succeed. He’s cocky, disrespectful, and immature – but those traits are the exact reason that the Padres win in San Francisco. So while I hate his attitude, he’s clearly doing something right.
As for Oscar, who spends a lot of time defending Livan and getting frustrating with Amelia, I can’t quite figure out what his endgame is.
He’s shady. He’s REALLY shady.
Oscar’s assurances to Mike that he’s not going anywhere are flimsy. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he is working behind the scenes to get rid of Mike.
On top of that, I don’t love the way he handles the news of Ginny’s nude selfies. He’s crass to Amelia, and doesn’t think of his player first.
I’ve been on the fence about Oscar since his first appearance on-screen, but now I can confidently say that I don’t like him, trust him, or care if he should happen to be written off of the show.
Ginny gets to spend some quality time with Al in his hometown, as he insists on taking her out for dinner as a distraction from her missed start.
I love scenes between Al and Ginny. There’s something sweet about their relationship, not so much in a mentorship way, but more of a surrogate-grandparent type of feel.
Al sees that Ginny works her butt off, and he reminds her to take a break – to take in things that aren’t baseball. He’s open and honest with Ginny about his mistakes, about his shortcomings, and how he overcomes his nerves. Al doesn’t treat Ginny the way he treats the rest of the players on his team.
It comes across like she’s his favorite.
We wouldn’t blame him if she is.
So here’s the thing about Ginny and Mike – I flip-flop constantly about what kind of story I want them to have.
I want to wave a Team Bawson banner high in the sky, but I also want Ginny to stay the course, become a better player with Mike’s help, and leave the romance out of it.
Mike and Ginny’s relationship is the cornerstone of Pitch. It’s playful, heartfelt, and LOADED with unresolved sexual tension.
That being said, I REALLY wanted Mike to call Ginny after he saw his father. I want Mike to talk to her the way that Al does. I want them to have a “lay out all of the cards” conversation, and see how those characters would naturally unfold after a night of naked honesty. (Not THAT kind of naked…this isn’t a Padres photoshoot!)
Based on this preview for Pitch Season 1 Episode 8, “Unstoppable Forces and Immovable Objects,” it looks like I may just get my wish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2aNzlfxGvE
What did you think of this episode of Pitch? Are you glad that Ginny’s teammates stripped down for her? Did Mike’s childhood leave you in tears? Is Oscar up to no good?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Pitch airs Thursdays at 9/8c on FOX.
Christine Laskodi
Christine is guilty of watching Hart of Dixie more times than the average human will in their lifetime. She's the host of Long Live the Hart: A Hart of Dixie Podcast (available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!) as well as co-host on The Shipping Room, a podcast devoted to television's greatest relationships. You can find some of her older television reviews at TV Fanatic and IGN. Christine eagerly anticipates every cheesy holiday movie that networks can throw at her, and current favorite shows include The Good Place, The Resident, Shark Tank, and All Rise.