UnREAL Review: Confront (Season 3 Episode 4)

UnREAL Season 3 Episode 4, “Confront,” does more in an hour than most shows do in an entire season. The episode is a thesis defense, a ruddy manifesto, and a blockbuster thrill-ride, all in one.

I am entertained.

There is much to chew on in “Confront,” so let’s masticate together, bite by bite.

Rachel Says #TimesUp

Rachel has her #MeToo moment on “Confront,” when she decides #TimesUp for her abuser. Rachel visits her rapist and asks him to answer for what he did to her.

As in real life, nothing is ever quite as you thought on UnREAL.

Rachel’s rapist remembers Rachel waiting for him outside the bathroom. He remembers a young woman expressing curiosity. He remembers having sex with a 17-year-old.

Rachel remembers being 12. Rachel remembers an adult, married man following her into her bedroom. Rachel remembers being raped.

It’s a heart-wrenching scene that kicks up more dust than it settles.

Rachel was raped when she was a child. Even if he didn’t know she was 12, he should have. Even if she had been 17, that is too young to provide consent.

However, the facts and logical conclusions are pithy compared to Rachel’s complex yearning for justice and healing.

The guilt, anger, grief, compassion, and confusion remain. The facts and logic of declaring her victimization don’t necessarily help Rachel rid herself of those conflicting emotions.

And then: “If my father knew…”

With this admission, Rachel just shakes her head, over and over, as her world slips off an unseen cliff.

We cry along with Rachel, and both people leave the confrontation reeling from the revelations uncovered.

We feel, too, for Rachel’s rapist. UnREAL doesn’t cast dragons, damsels, and princes. Everyone wears more than one costume.

Shiri Appleby’s performance rips out my soul, exposes it, and then stomps on it. It’s profoundly affecting.

Every person who aches for vindication after a sexual assault needs to watch the episode. Actually, everyone needs to watch “Confront.”

It is very important that Rachel does not leave the confrontation victorious. Rachel wants to fix herself, and when she decides to confront her rapist, she takes a very important first step.

But sexual violence is layered. It’s not a clean crime. Its effects are never gone.

And as Rachel learns, there are as many hazards in facing childhood traumas as there are covering them up with high-risk sex. But, unlike high-risk sex, the hazards of healing are worth it.

As Rachel crawls into Quinn’s lap and rests her head on her thighs, in a gesture of complete vulnerability and trust, a glimmer of hope and progress shines through the door.

It’s an authentic image of what it is like after the #MeToo moment, and it is every bit as important to see as the confrontation itself.

Real Ass Feminist

Chet brings a Real Ass Reporter on the set of Everlasting in an effort to enhance the zeitgeist-y character of the show and get on the road to an Emmy.

As with all of Chet’s attempts at showrunning, this move is misguided. He is not capable of doing what Rachel and Quinn do with ease.

Through it, though, we see a pointed investigation of what it means to be a Real Ass Feminist.

Real Ass Reporter accuses Quinn of being anti-feminist and making her life’s work to destroy other women.

It’s not exactly true, although Quinn can certainly be destructive. The better truth the Real Ass Reporter provides comes from the confrontation she provokes between Madison and Quinn.

“Confront” zooms in on Quinn’s relationship with Madison in order to ask: Is Quinn a “real” feminist?

Quinn’s work is her life. Her colleagues are her family. She loves her family, even when she can’t stand them.

The first episode of the season, UnREAL Season 3 Episode 1, “Oath,” showcases the blood oath the Everlasting team is willing to make with each other.

Quinn continues to bring her family close, even Jeremy. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water.

When it’s period blood, it runs even thicker.

So, Quinn considers Madison family. From that lens, the way Quinn treats Madison is clearly feminist.

Quinn doesn’t seem to have even considered firing Madison. She calls Madison — a woman Quinn caught giving her fiancé an on-set blow-job — her mini-me.

Let that sink in.

Either Quinn is the least effective destroyer on the planet, or she is not actually interested in taking Madison down.

Quinn, in her own way, pushes Madison up.

In two speeches, Quinn provides powerful, direct advice to Madison.

Quinn advises Madison, “Be your own woman, not somebody’s else’s bitch.” She then tells her, “You should be looking for a long career that means something.”

Her advice is free of condescension or vitriol. Quinn doesn’t ascribe to the zero-sum mentality that Real Ass Reporter would attribute to her.

Rather, Quinn takes care of her own by preparing her team the best way she knows how. It might be bloody, but it makes for strong loyalty.

In a way, Quinn transcends feminism by refusing to validate the constructs of the patriarchal system that requires feminism to fight against it.

From a zoomed-out perspective, “Confront” presents a sad truth: different brands of feminism compete and argue with each other over which is “real.”

And while feminists fight in factions, powerful white men like Chet can just slip into the background, silently benefitting from the rifts between people trying to accomplish similar goals.

UnREAL highlights the frustrating reality that feminism often attacks itself and fights to be the “right way” to be a feminist.

Jay Bouncing

“Confront” gives me what I’ve been wanting for several episodes: more of a Jay storyline.

Alexi is not my favorite character, and I find the performance a bit over-done, but the dilemma he forces Jay into is very exciting.

Jay is balancing his ambition, his relationship with his boyfriend, his integrity, and his growing attraction to Alexi.

Jay has a front row seat to the hot-mess of Rachel’s life. He wants to do things differently, but he is also aware of how effective Rachel is.

Things are getting Avril Lavigne-level complicated for Jay.

Jay could justify dangling cocaine over Alexi by claiming that Rachel forced his hand by stealing his ace.

Jay can justify many of his choices, but that doesn’t make them the right ones. 

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman is a powerful presence on screen and more time with him and his new love Xavier (played by Jamie Callica) only adds to the impact of the rich episode “Confront.”

Serena Wins Me Over

Serena defends her feminism on “Confront,” and in the process wins me over. Typically, I am so focused on Quinn and Rachel that Serena is secondary as a foil.

“Confront” brings us closer to Quinn, Rachel, and Serena by letting us in on their vulnerabilities. Serena’s vulnerability is a more romantic shade than her producers, and it creates a fully fleshed out picture of feminism.

Caitlin FitzGerald’s delivery is absolutely delicious. She spits fire at Billy saying, “Because I’m cutting you BITCH.” How this manages to come off as powerful AND graceful is beyond me.

It is my most re-watched scene of Season 3.

Serena is balanced, though, smoke and fire. She spills her fears onto Rachel, pleading, “Please do not make an ass out of me, Rachel. I will not survive it.”

It’s truly gorgeous writing.

It’s truly gorgeous everything.

UnREAL is giving us rich characters with complicated conflicts. It is never easy, but it is so entertaining that it leaves you breathless.

Real Talk:

• Real Ass Shrink Simon is actually making a difference. He is spreading his therapy to Quinn as well, and I am here for it.
• Xavier is so cute, and I have a craving to see Jay out dancing with his boyfriend.
• Quinn singing “Our bad” at Serena gives me no small amount of glee.
• Quinn is a good friend to Rachel, but it is notable that she asks her to put her healing on hold for the sake of the show. Quinn’s flaws highlight the reality of a woman’s struggle. There is pressure on women who say they are feminist to be perfect — an impossible standard.
• I love that the main conflict amongst the contestants, “Bungazi,” has to do with hair. Whereas, when Serena threatens Quinn, she uses a football reference (“I don’t trust you as far as I can punt you”). What a delightful gender norm reversal.

What did you think of this episode of UnREAL? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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UnREAL airs Mondays at 10/9c on Lifetime.

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