Minx Season 2 Episode 7 Review: God Closes a Door, Opens a Glory Hole

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Things are coming to a head as Minx prepares to launch its international branches on Minx Season 2 Episode 7, “God Closes a Door, Opens a Glory Hole.” 

This episode had all the action and movement I’ve wanted to see throughout the season. These storylines allow, not just Joyce, but the entire ensemble to shine.

It also shows where their paths may diverge in the future. 

Just Being Joyce

First, let’s talk about Joyce Prigger. 

Looking at this episode, Joyce’s storyline is the most underwhelming and it has been all season. While Joyce has embraced that she’s the main character in her story, her self-important attitude as they attempt to pick publishers for Minx International is annoying. 

It also shows just how green Joyce is in the world of business. Doug may have made her magazine commercially viable, and her vision is causing a stir, but her attempt to take the reigns back isn’t going to end well.

This iteration of Joyce Prigger feels like a return to Season 1 Joyce Prigger who has seen the future and doesn’t like what it’s become, but she can’t put the genie back in the bottle if she’s now imagining herself as the first female billionaire pornographer as she did on the Season 2 premiere. 

Maybe part of this realization will ultimately drive her back to Doug, but right now Joyce needs to let her ego go if she wants to be a likable main character again. 

Tina Owns Her Future

Tina’s ascent up the Minx ladder has been interesting to watch, and it’s rewarding to see her start to own herself and what running Minx International means for her future.

Given how in-depth she knows Bottom Dollar and its finances it’s not surprising that when Doug comes to her with the news that Constance is planning to strip Bottom Dollar for parts, she feels like it’s outlived its usefulness. 

TINA: You didn’t promote me for over a decade while I helped build your company.

While it’s easy to empathize with Doug here, it is also important to empathize with Tina and her contributions to the company. When we are introduced to Tina, she’s an assistant, but it’s clear that she has greater ambitions, and Doug wasn’t nurturing that. 

Seeing her start to realize that maybe her path and Doug’s aren’t running in the same direction is satisfying.

Especially since Doug’s story hasn’t been compelling this season. 

Tina has been slowly carving her own path and it’s time for her to fly, and if that’s by adapting to Constance’s vision for the future then I am for it. 

Richie Finally Gets His Dream Shoot

Richie is another character who seems to be diverging from the overall vision of Minx. He’s got talent and is getting interest from other people,  but he also has his own artistic vision and the use of the bathhouse is the perfect space to unleash that. 

With a show like Minx it’s easy to forget the political climate at the time, especially in the glossy world of a magazine where a diverse cast of characters is exploring their sexuality. 

The addition of a police raid is jarring, but the moment Richie stops running and starts shooting the raid it’s easy to realize that we may be seeing the very start of a new career for him as a photojournalist. 

Richie has a unique voice and point of view of his own and, while I can easily see Joyce and Constance saying the shots aren’t Minx, it doesn’t mean that those photos won’t be significant in some fashion. 

It’s been hard to see Richie struggle with the frustration of not having his ideas considered and listened to. As Minx grows he gets less and less creative control over his shoots and Joyce’s point of view is going to get stale if he keeps shooting the “Prigger Specials.” 

Does this mean that Richie needs to depart from Minx? I would argue no. While he’s exclusive to Minx I think that he could argue that a photojournalist career serves a different purpose and could fulfill his creativity in a different way. 

Of course, Constance may see that differently.

Shelly Confronts Her Truth

Finally, let’s talk about Shelly.

After last season, and the few Shelly and Bambi scenes we’ve had this season it felt like it was impossible for this season to end without it getting to this point with Shelly discovering a type of queerness that fits her feelings. 

BAMBI: I’m done pretending.
SHELLY: Me too.

Shelly’s exploration of her sexuality throughout the series provides relatable representation for people who realized later in life that heteronormative relationships aren’t for them. 

Minx Season 2 Episode 6, “This Is Our Zig,” does a great job of laying the groundwork for Shelly to come to her identity on her own. Her time at the bathhouse with the owner saying she should bring her girlfriend and then her scene in the sauna during the raid just cinched it. 

What’s particularly poignant about Shelly’s coming out, is how understated it is. While there’s emotion and heartbreak the episode concludes with Lenny holding her hand. There’s priceless support and allyship there, and it’s a relationship that I want to see play out in greater depth.

However, in moving forward, we also need to talk about Bambi.

Bambi seems to have faded into the background just a little bit. I want to see where she’s going, but I really hope it’s not just as Shelly’s girlfriend. Bambi has a lot to offer and she can be more.

Overall, “God Closes a Door, Opens a Glory Hole,” focuses on giving the members of the ensemble their due. 

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

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Minx airs new episodes on Fridays on Starz.

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