The Baker and The Beauty Review: Blow Out (Season 1 Episode 7)
Natalie and Noa are facing down parents and their problems on The Baker and the Beauty Season 1 Episode 7, “Blow Out,” as Daniel faces the consequences for his actions.
Natalie embraces a rebellious streak in the face of Mari, forbidding her from seeing Amy that finds her lashing out at her parents and ditching school for Mayhem in Miami, a music festival.
Natalie: Parents are the problem.
It’s nice seeing Natalie having a fun time, doing something that is not usually her style. The best part about her act of rebellion is that it’s not so wildly extreme that it would be difficult to believe in the face of the kind of person we’ve known Natalie to be in the span of 6 episodes.
It’s defiant enough and sensible enough that when she’s faced with news about Daniel’s arrest, she’s resolute in heading back, and there’s no need to dial any of her choices back.
Rafael and Mari’s reactions to the news of Natalie’s absence from school differ wildly. As Mari continues to dig her heels in about Natalie and Amy for her disappointing perspective on their daughter’s sexuality, Rafael continues to stand as the voice of reason.
I love how he stands up for Natalie when he’s trying to get through to Mari about the skipping school and their daughter and Amy. The moment does an excellent job of holding a mirror to Mari’s actions when it comes to Natalie in a way that finally conveys the message to his wife.
While Natalie finds her solution in rebellion, Noa attempts to find hers in facing down her father and the board. Seeing her struggle with her father play out in the boardroom and in such a calculated way throughout the hour is a little heartbreaking.
Sure, Mari and Natalie’s blow out may have been bad, but there’s still love on both sides of that argument. Noa’s situation with her father just feels like a play of convenience for him, as he tries (and succeeds) in using his daughter’s company to curry favor with a bank for the sake of another business loan.
With Lewis’ diagnosis now out in the open, Noa takes stock of what needs to be her priorities. Seeing her come to terms with what she must do is rough but makes sense in the face of what happens throughout the episode.
Not to mention, her sweet moment with Lewis after dealing with her father.
Noa: I’m better than that because you raised me, and I am much more your daughter than I am his.
I love this moment and what it clearly means for both Noa and Lewis. Through everything we’ve seen, the one clear thing is that they are each other’s family, blood, or no. Noa’s words just solidify it and seemingly touch him in one of his most challenging moments.
I would love to see more of that.
Meanwhile, Daniel’s arrest after assaulting the reporter at the end of The Baker and the Beauty Season 1 Episode 6, “Side of Effects.” His arrest is ultimately a solid catalyst to his and Vanessa’s talk about the end of their relationship.
Their walk through Miami and lunch very much feels like a bookend to their romantic relationship and potentially the foundation for a beautiful friendship. But will they continue that path?
Random Thoughts
- Mateo and Vanessa’s confrontation and kiss feel like something that’s been building up for a few episodes, with the powder keg of tension and emotions perfectly leading up to it. I’m curious to see if they’d pursue it and see if there are at least some feelings on Vanessa’s part because it’s obvious that Mateo does.
What did you think of this episode of The Baker and the Beauty? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Baker and the Beauty airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.
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Brianna Martinez
Brianna spends her time away from briefs, legal research, and pleadings, watching TV and writing about it. She generally has a lot of feelings about TV, which you can read about here and on Twitter.