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'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Is Set in the 1950s, but It's Harshly Relevant to 2017


There’s a moment in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel—Amazon’s delightful new comedy from the creators of Gilmore Girls—where the main character, Miriam “Midge” Maisel, is stuck in front of a judge who’s threatening to hold her in contempt for disrespecting him in court. Faced with having to choose between staying behind bars and not being able to pick up her son from the babysitter, she succumbs to the man in power. “My behavior earlier today was irrational, irresponsible, and extremely disrespectful. I let my emotions get the better of me,” she says. “After all, I am a woman.”

Though the scene takes place in a mid-century courtroom, it still feels harshly relevant. It’s not a one-off moment, either: Throughout the eight-episode first season, about a 1950s Jewish housewife whose life is uprooted when her husband leaves her for his secretary, Midge is constantly confronting (male-driven) societal norms. And while at first glance, Midge’s character might come off as a stereotype—she doesn’t remove her makeup until her husband falls asleep, sneakily waking up to apply it before he gets up, and measures every part of her body to track her thinness—in reality she’s anything but. When her husband flies the coop, Midge (played to perfection by Rachel Brosnahan) takes matters into her own hands. She pursues her stand-up comedy career. She gets a job despite her mother’s aversion to women working and her father’s disbelief that she knows how to set up a bank account for her paychecks. She even finds a talent manager in Susie, played by Alex Borstein, who defiantly wears a newsboy cap, pantsuits, and suspenders. Susie, too, wants to forge her own path, and the two work hard together as a female duo in a man’s world.

Whenever there’s a chance for Midge to push back on the norms of the ’50s, she pushes—and hard. Midge may apologize to the judge for “being a woman,” but it’s so obviously a tactic to get out of her situation. She is, in fact, entirely unapologetic for who she is. Midge doesn’t think that being a woman makes her volatile in a bad way. No, it’s what makes her excellent—something we see in her stand-up sets. Her comedy persona falls in line with that of Joan Rivers, who, like Midge, started out performing at The Gaslight Café in New York’s Greenwich Village. Rivers’ early comedy didn’t follow a rule book and introduced the world to something unfamiliar: a defiant, funny, confident woman doesn’t need a man to be valuable or successful. And like Rivers, these traits carry over off the stage for Midge too. Rather than falling into a sad soon-to-be divorcee role, she focuses on reorganizing her life to fit her current circumstances. Be it 1958 or 2017, Midge is a modern woman—the kind of heroine we want to root for in an era when politicians (including our President) and Hollywood executives are trying to silence the force of the female.

In fact, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel feels so timely that it brings to mind another brilliant Amazon show about women who refuse to play along: Good Girls Revolt. The series, which featured a ridiculously relevant story of female journalists fighting for equality at Newsweek in 1969, was canceled last year despite receiving positive buzz and good ratings. The fact that it was axed just weeks after Hillary Clinton’s election defeat made the decision seem even more pointed. And while we still hold out hope that Good Girls Revolt will return in some form, Mrs. Maisel at least softens the blow. After all, the shows share similar DNA: They’re both smart television series about bold women from a bygone era that isn’t so different from today. (That’s not the only thing they have in common: Fans of both shows will recognize Erin Darke, who plays a friend of Midge’s and also starred as Cindy, a reporter and sexually frustrated wife on Good Girls.)

Like Good Girls, Mrs. Maisel shows us the inception of the fight against the patriarchy—even if Midge isn’t fully aware she’s leading the charge. But interwoven with these revolutionary moments, Mrs. Maisel offers something else we all want (and, honestly, need) from shows today: charming escapism. There’s creator Amy Sherman-Palladino’s signature fast-talking a la Lorelai Gilmore, not to mention the cheekiness of a very specific type of humor that makes what could be a sad plot about a woman whose life is upended by her husband’s indiscretions a very funny and inspiring one. And, of course, classic music, gorgeous fashion, perfectly applied lipstick, and a candy-coated New York City social scene of martinis and fancy dinners to look forward to.

That blend of rebellion and sophistication is what makes Midge Maisel the kind of leading lady that TV needs right now. Though the show isn’t inherently political, it fits right in with the atmosphere that’s been simmering since the 2016 election. Midge’s fight against the patriarchy might take place in the ’50s comedy scene, but you could just as easily drop her in the 1969 Newsweek offices. Or at the 2017 Women’s March, for that matter. Midge is relevant because she reminds us to speak out, to keep pushing for what you want and, most importantly, for what you deserve—even if it’s not “the norm.” And if you want to do it all in a high-waisted flare skirt with a drink and a laugh, well, you do you.



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'Jane the Virgin' Star Justin Baldoni Wants to End Toxic Masculinity: 'The Glass Ceiling Exists Because Men Put It There'


Since the shocking sexual harassment allegations were first reported against Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein in October, there’s been an avalanche of accusations against other power players in media, business, and yes, Hollywood. (If you, too, are having a hard time keeping up, we created this—horrifying, frankly—list of the latest men facing allegations, which we’re updating.)

In the wake of all these accusations, the concept of “toxic masculinity” has become a hotly debated topic. How are we (or “the patriarchy”) as a culture subtly reinforcing the kinds of stereotypes that may lead to detrimental behavior patterns? These stereotypes, like the idea that men are supposed to be “strong” and never show emotions, can easily lead to misogynistic ideas or acts. (Picture, say, a certain American president dismissing certain comments made on a certain Access Hollywood tape as “locker room talk”—typical male banter, made in jest, and not to be taken seriously.)

One of the emerging voices in this conversation is a surprising one: Justin Baldoni, an actor best known for his work as the—often shirtless—Rafael on Jane the Virgin.

At the TEDWomen conference in New Orleans, Baldoni gave an impassioned talk on the subject, saying the characters he’s often asked to play actually feel all too similar to the one he’s been encouraged to play all his life: a stereotypical man’s man. “This is the script that we’ve been given,” he said. “Girls are weak, and boys are strong…. I came here today to say as a man that this is wrong, this is toxic, and it has to end.”

Baldoni has started leveraging his impressive social following—1 million on Instagram, 160,000 on Twitter—to tackle this issue head-on, and, as he tells it, he got a really great response [from women]. In an effort to court more male followers, he started posting more content that felt stereotypically male—workouts, meal plans, etc.—and lo and behold, not only did men start to engage with him, but a men’s fitness magazine even offered to feature him as one of their “game changers.” (The irony of the moment was not lost on Baldoni.)

But Baldoni isn’t giving up. He’s developing an online talk show, titled Man Enough, and he’s putting himself out there at conferences like TEDWomen. “I believe that as men, it’s time we start to see past our privilege and recognize that we are not just part of the problem, fellas, we are the problem,” he said during his TED speech. “The glass ceiling exists because we put it there. And if we want to be a part of the solution, then words are no longer enough.”

I spoke with Baldoni at TEDWomen following his talk to discuss the correlations between these masculine tropes and pressing issues like sexual harassment in the workplace. (And yes, I asked if he ever worries about doing exactly what he rails against—taking command of a conversation in the women’s space and “mansplaining” it.) Read his responses, and watch his speech at TEDWomen below.

Glamour: Let’s first address that Glamour’s audience might not necessarily be the demo you’ve said you want to reach. What are the men’s brands you want to be interviewing you about this stuff?

Justin Baldoni: I think as a young man, I would collect Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness and GQ, Esquire, and all those magazines. As an actor, it was always kind of a bummer that none of them ever wanted to talk to me…. Part of it is also because I’m on a feminist show, primarily watched by women…. I’ve had my reps tell me, bluntly: “Men’s magazines are not going to write about you because you’re too feminine and because you don’t attract a male audience.” That’s just where it becomes frustrating because the men that I really want to have dialogue with are not listening unless their girlfriends tag them or their girlfriends send them something that I said…. And that’s a bummer because in reality I’m not telling them they have to be different. I don’t think that men have to change. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with men inherently; I think it’s what we’ve learned and the roles that we play.

“The glass ceiling exists because we put it there. And if we want to
be a part of the solution, then words are no longer enough.”

Glamour: I’m sure it’s anxiety-inducing to speak at TEDWomen because you run the risk of mansplaining a women’s issue.

JB: I actually hired a very good friend of mine who’s a very powerful feminist, and I had her tell me and make sure that nowhere in my talk was I mansplaining. There’s no way that I could have given this talk without the support and help of women, there’s just no way. By nature I would have mansplained something because I have the privilege of being a white male and I’ve been mansplaining my whole life—that’s just the way it is. I did everything I could to take out any part that could potentially be that, or to just be aware of what I was saying, because I really wasn’t trying to talk to women, I was really trying to talk to men.

Glamour: Working at a women’s media publication, we speak pretty openly about the “lady media” tropes that now feel incredibly not modern. For example, the myth of “having it all.” What are some of the men’s media tropes that you’ve run into?

JB: I’ve got to be honest, it breaks my heart when I look at both…. Men’s Fitness reached out to me to be a game changer, and what was interesting was that they knew about me for a few years, but it wasn’t until I started talking about working out—like how I tore my pec and I kind of followed my journey the whole way—that they were able to sell it up the chain. And that’s the bummer; it has to be, “Oh yeah, he’s a regular dude too,” because that’s the entry point. But at the same time that’s also a gift because I now understand the psyche of the system. If I want to talk to men, I do have to kind of be a man…. Because if I’m a “girly man,” then they’re not going to listen, but if i can do more pull-ups than you and if I can do that crazy workout that I guarantee can kick your ass, then you’ll listen to me, right? Like all right, cool, maybe I’ll start a whole fitness plan, maybe I’ll do something masculine-focused because I’m cool being a Trojan horse. I have to imagine that I was built the way that I was for a bunch of different reasons, but I have the heart that I have for a reason as well.

If I can be an entry point to help men recognize that being feminine and masculine is OK, then that’s beautiful work that I’m honored to do.… I hope that male fitness magazines and male magazines in general can put as much emphasis on men that are leading with their hearts, and men that are championing women, and men that are standing for equal rights as they do with the men that are making billions of dollars playing sports and men that are alpha males.

Glamour: In your talk, you also discuss sexual harassment and the “Me Too” phenomenon, and it must be acknowledged that women aren’t the only victims. Did you ever feel like you were harassed or victimized on set?

JB: When I was 21 or so, I was very new in the business. I had just done my first show and a girlfriend at the time had gotten me a spa certificate to go to Burke Williams in West Hollywood. I remember there were hot tubs and steam rooms and all kinds of stuff, and it’s kind of fancier people, wealthier guys. I went and jumped in the hot tub and I saw a guy kind of look over. I saw him look over at me, jump out of the other hot tub, and jump in with me, and he said, “Oh what do you do?” And I said, “Oh I’m an actor,” and he said, “Oh I’m a producer,” and he started talking about all of the movies he’s done and all the people he knows. He’s friends with Clooney, Cheadle, and this person and this person, and he slowly started to try to get me to take off my pants because I had my bathing suit on and he was naked.

And I remember the way he did it, using his power and what he does and who he knows as a way to make me feel less than, like I wasn’t going to be as successful as the other guys who’d been in the same hot tub with him, naked. I just remember that feeling and having a moment of saying, “Well, should I do that? And where does that lead?”… I remember a split second [of thought], and then going, “What? No,” and just leaving. I could imagine how hard and painful that must be for a woman. I mean I was stronger and bigger than the guy, and [then there’s] the fact that no one is going to believe you if you’re a woman because your voice is already not heard…. I’ve also experienced [harassment] as a man from women of power…. I’ve had my ass grabbed multiple times by powerful women.

I just think the system is broken, but thank God we’re now at a place where, as gross as it sounds, the infected pimple is finally being popped and healing can actually begin…. And then the other thing men are going to have to start doing now is recognizing when they did it and didn’t realize it. I think that’s when the other side of the “Me Too” movement is “I’m Sorry.” I guarantee at some point in my life there is a woman or two that I in some way made uncomfortable by saying something or doing something that was chauvinistic or sexist. There is one million percent probability that that exists, and all I can do is say, “I’m sorry, I was naive, I was young, I screwed up, and I’ll try to do better.”

“We’ve built in this system—the opposite of accountability—and now
it’s time to figure out how, as men, we can break that system.”

Glamour: For men who may have been enablers—either inadvertently or because they were intimidated—do you have any script or recommendations for guys to help combat this behavior in the moment?

JB: Well, can you be man enough to actually say something? The fact is that so many of us men are so terrified of losing our standing with our other male friends or our standing at our jobs because, at the end of the day, it’s a fraternity. The hierarchy of power is just a big fraternity, and if you go against one of your brothers, then you’re breaking this thing they call “the guy code.” Growing up, how many times did I hear “bros before hoes”? Just think about it. First of all, how demeaning, how sexist. What are we saying about women, and how we’re saying the importance is us, not them. Right? It’s the worst thing you could say, but all young boys, teenagers, guys, we get it. So you have a 17-year-old boy that witnessed another boy date-rape a girl? Bros before hoes. Are you going to break the guy code? We’ve built in this system—the opposite of accountability—and now it’s time to figure out how, as men, we can break that system, and it starts with showing what a real man is. A real man is someone that says, “Hey man, we’re still friends, but that’s not cool.”

Or if it’s a director or someone that’s in power, you could say, “I want to bring this up because I’m worried about you and this could be perceived the wrong way.” Every situation is different…. Men have to start small because it takes a lot of courage to stand up to another man and go against everything you’ve been conditioned to say…. Or in some cases it’s so obvious that you do need to stand up and say something. Like if you’re hanging out and you see a girl who’s so wasted and your buddy’s not, say, “No, don’t take her home, man, what are you doing?” Stop him. I think that it’s going to take some strong men to be willing to stand up and do that, so, hopefully, now thanks to the bravery of women, that men will finally find the strength to do the same thing.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Watch Justin Baldoni’s speech at TEDWomen 2017:



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'The Crown' Season 2, the Return of 'Vanderpump Rules,' and More Things You Can't Miss This Week


It’s hard to stand out in the golden age of television, but The Crown does just that. Netflix’s hit series about Queen Elizabeth II’s life and reign debuted in November 2016 to rave reviews and social media pandemonium. It racked up five Emmy nominations—and one win for John Lithgow—and reignited the world’s fascination with the Royal Family. Most people whipped through the first season in a week, which means they’ve been waiting over a year now for more episodes of The Crown. And now they’ve finally arrived: Yes, the second season of The Crown will be available in its entirety on Netflix Friday, December 8. The wait is over—well, almost. You still have about five days to go—so it’s a good thing there’s plenty of other TV shows and movies airing this week to keep you satisfied until then.

Here are the 14 things happening in TV and movies this week that you can’t miss:

Sunday, December 3

My Christmas Prince: It’s like The Prince & Me, but Christmas-themed. What happens when a teacher realizes her European diplomat boyfriend is actually a prince…and in line for the throne? Shenanigans, that’s what! 8 P.M. ET on Lifetime

Christmas at Holly Lodge: A real estate developer gets a crush on a lodge owner when he arrives for an undercover inspection. But will their sparks continue to fly when she realizes why he’s actually at her lodge? You’ve got nothing going on Sunday night, so tune in to find out. 8 P.M. ET on Hallmark

Monday, December 4

Supergirl: The Dark Arrow and Overgirl have been unmasked, so you know shit’s about to go down in this midseason finale. Yes, you read that correctly: This is the last Supergirl episode of 2017. Devastating, I know. 8 P.M. ET on The CW

Vanderpump Rules: As if you need incentive to tune in tonight. Fingers crossed we see some good Jax and Brittany wedding-planning drama. 9 P.M. ET on Bravo

Tuesday, December 5

The Flash: Remember, last week’s episode was a crossover with Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow, so what elements of those worlds (if any) will trickle into this week’s Flash? We’re excited to find out. 8 P.M. ET on The CW

Stripped: It’s a pretty literal title: Participants in this reality series are stripped of both their clothes and belongings and must simply exist for an isolated period of time. 10 P.M. ET on Bravo

Wednesday, December 6

Happy!: Christopher Meloni, your favorite detective from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (well, save for Olivia Benson), stars in this whacky series about a corrupt ex-cop who wakes up to find that his best friend is now a cartoon talking horse. I wonder how Ice-T would handle this situation. 10 P.M. ET on SyFy

Shut Eye: The life of a failed magician turned psychic (Jeffrey Donovan) is way more interesting than we thought. Season two of Hulu’s hit original series kicks off today. Streaming on Hulu

Thursday, December 7

Supernatural: Soak in Jared Padalecki while you can, my friends: Tonight is also the midseason finale of Supernatural. 8 P.M. ET on The CW

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Hey, you guessed it! Tonight is the midseason finale of Legends, as well. How am I going to make it through the holiday season without Hawkman? 9 P.M. ET on The CW

Friday, December 8

The Crown, season two: The trailer for this new season alone proves there’s a lot in store for viewers. It starts with Her Majesty’s Armed Forces battling in Egypt, illegally, and ends with the downfall of her third prime minister, Harold Macmillan, after a controversy rocks their country. There’s a rebellious spirit to the plot this season that perfectly matches England’s actual political climate in the 1960s. If you can only watch one thing on this list, make it The Crown. It’s just too damn good. Streaming on Netflix

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I, Tonya: Margot Robbie is a tour-de-force in this dark and hilarious film about figure skater Tonya Harding, who found herself in the middle of a scandal in 1994 after her ex-boyfriend hired someone to break her competition Nancy Kerrigan’s leg. We smell an Oscar nomination (and maybe a win) for Robbie. In theaters

Saturday, December 9

Christmas in Mississippi: A woman returns home to Mississippi for the holidays and decides to help plan the town’s annual light show—not knowing her high school sweetheart is at the helm. This sounds cheesy, sure, but these types of movies are exactly what the holiday season is for. 8 P.M. ET on Lifetime

Christmas Encore: Which is why you should also watch Christmas Encore on Hallmark. This one’s surprisingly meta: A New York actress snags a role in a Broadway production of A Christmas Carol and falls in love with the director. 8 P.M. ET on Hallmark



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 9 Recap: Sheldon and Amy's Wedding Plans Stall


Less than two months ago on The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper nearly had a breakdown trying to come up with the perfect wedding date to marry Amy Farrah Fowler. Apparently there are certain problems even physicists can’t solve, so the solution was to let his fiancé take over the wedding planning—specifically the location and date. Amy revealed that she had always wanted to be a June bride and get married “on a cliff overlooking the ocean at sunset.” And aside from a slight jab at the end of the episode, Sheldon agreed to it all.

Funny how things change….because in tonight’s episode—titled “The Bitcoin Entanglement”—Amy tells Penny that Sheldon no longer wants to get married outside, by the beach, or near a cliff. Why? Because regardless of the fact that it’s her dream scenario, he doesn’t like cliffs, doesn’t like the beach, and doesn’t like the outside. If we’re being completely honest, then I’ll admit this: I don’t like him.

The conversation between Penny and Amy—with Sheldon present—lasts no more than 30 seconds, and the rest of the episode revolves around the hot new TV topic, bitcoin. (Seriously, even Grey’s Anatomy did an entire episode about it a few weeks ago.) There’s no other mention of Sheldon and Amy’s wedding throughout this episode, which raises my TV antenna: Why even bring up the wedding if it serves no purpose to the story? That’s just TV storytelling 101: No one mentions anything for the hell of it. With 22 minutes in a sitcom, every word—and exchange—counts.

And that’s where my theory comes in: What if Amy and Sheldon are closer to getting married than we think?

Now, I think Sheldon needs his head examined before he walks down the aisle. Perhaps Amy does too. After all, she’s put up with his insane behavior all season long without raising an eyebrow. But that’s a topic for a different time. For right now, though, the issue is that wedding planning is not doing this couple any favors. Have they reached their breaking point?

Let’s look at the clues. In next week’s Big Bang Theory episode—called “The Confidence Erosion”—the summary states that Sheldon and Amy try to eliminate stress from wedding planning by applying math. I don’t know, looks to me here like they just got tickets to The Last Jedi…

PHOTO: Monty Brinton/CBS

But then comes the trusty dry erase board to try and solve all their wedding problems. Yeah, because that always does the trick.

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PHOTO: Monty Brinton/CBS

Maybe all of this is too much for Shamy, and they realize dry erase boards are never the answer. At this point the only solution is to dress in their Sunday best and head to the city clerk’s office. And why does one go to the clerk’s office? Well, it’s not to buy lottery tickets. A marriage license, perhaps?

the-big-bang-theory-engaged-couple-sheldon-cooper-mayim-bialik-amy-farrah-fowler-jim-parsons-holding-hands-season-11-2017.jpg

PHOTO: Monty Brinton/CBS

Also, Amy’s hair has never been shinier. That’s like five clues rolled into one.

the-big-bang-theory-amy-sheldon-season-11-2017-mayim-bialik-jim-parsons.jpg

PHOTO: Monty Brinton/CBS

Notice how serious Sheldon is here? Either he realizes they need pre-marriage counseling, or he’s about to go through with one of the biggest moments of his life.

the-big-bang-theory-the-confidence-erosion-amy-farrah-fowler-sheldon-cooper-jim-parsons-mayim-bialik-season-11-2017.jpg

PHOTO: Monty Brinton/CBS

Here’s the bottom line: While I actually don’t think Shamy will tie the knot at the city clerk’s office, I do think that we’re going to see a wedding happen sooner than expected. As we approach the second anniversary of the iconic coitus episode, viewers know that big things happen to these two in the month of December. We can only guess what’s next…



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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 11 Episode 8 Recap: Sheldon Screws Over Leonard


The Big Bang Theory constantly tests the relationships among the central core characters, but tonight’s episode featured a fracture between Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard that felt particularly infuriating—and real.

“The Tesla Recoil” began with Leonard and Howard learning about that shocking revelation that Sheldon is still working for the military, months after the three of them were fired. As it turns out, Sheldon was hired back because he came up with an idea to modify the technology into a communications system, which Colonel Williams found interesting. Instead of looping in the rest of his squad, Sheldon mostly kept quiet, planning to reap the rewards for himself. The worst part? Not only did Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard originally develop the technology as a team, but when Leonard and Howard find out about Sheldon’s betrayal, he wasn’t even remorseful. As he said, “There is no ‘i’ in team. There’s only I’m working with the military, and you’re not.”

Sure, it’s always been in Sheldon’s DNA not to put others first, but I’ve never wanted to sit in his spot on the couch and irritate the hell out of him more. (And by the way, notice there’s been zero wedding talk in the last few episodes? If I were Amy, I’d be nowhere near wanting to walk down the aisle with this self-absorbed individual.)

I’m not the only one who feels this way, as Howard and Leonard come over armed with insults (who knew that calling someone an Edison was the equivalent of being referred to as pond scum?). They tell him he’s “a bully, a credit hog, and a self-promoter.” The whole fight would be great on a reality show called The Real Scientists of Pasadena.

Of course, Sheldon’s pissed. He tells Howard and Leonard to “take that back,” but they’re not having it. Amy isn’t either, telling Sheldon that he’s building on their work and “that’s a classic Edison move.” Sheldon classically blames his mother (anyone else feel like Big Bang is trying to insert nods to Young Sheldon each episode?), who encouraged him to have friends in the first place.

But name-calling isn’t enough for Leonard and Howard, who decide the best revenge is to develop a better, more efficient system to pitch to the military, making Sheldon’s idea obsolete. They do this by recruiting their nemesis, Kripke, who later turns the tables on them to start a project of his own with their ideas. At the end of the episode, not only is Sheldon’s project canceled, but Leonard and Howard’s as well. Amy says they all acted terribly and deserved what they got, somehow still not realizing that her season 10 boyfriend has been brainwashed or kidnapped in the form of this fella from season 11. Where’s Professor Proton when you really need him?

Meanwhile, Sheldon’s not the only one trying to screw people over this episode. Ruchi—Bernadette’s co-worker and Raj’s new fling—seemed like a welcome addition to the show, until we find out that she’s attempting to steal all of Bernadette’s work projects while she’s on bed rest for her pregnancy. Of course it’s normal for anyone to want to climb the work ladder and prove your abilities, but Ruchi basically turns into a one-note villain. She tells Raj she loves getting to handle all of Bernadette’s work projects and hopes she doesn’t come back to work too soon. This is followed up by a fist bump and an invisible twirl of a mustache. Is Ruchi really that dumb that not only would she not realize this kind of behavior will come back to bite her in the ass, but to admit such things to the best friend of the woman she’s trying to take work from?

Naturally, it’s Penny (let’s keep #JusticeForPenny going you guys!) who’s the voice of reason again this episode, and she tells Raj he can’t go on sleeping with a woman who’s trying to screw over his friend. I feel like the series finale of The Big Bang Theory will end up being one big dream of Penny’s, who’s really a world-respected psychologist.

Anyway, Ruchi ends up dumping Raj, who tells Bernadette what her co-worker was up to. Bernadette scares the hell out of Raj (and me, tbh) by channeling her inner Miranda Priestly and quietly insisting that she’s going to kill Ruchi. Raj then calls out Bernadette and accuses her of probably doing the same thing if she were in that situation. Bernadette says she would never undermine a co-worker, but Raj counters her argument with an example of the time she falsely told this guy it was bring your cat to work day, except the guy didn’t know their boss was allergic to cats. “You should take a long, hard look in the mirror,” Raj says, before noting that Bernadette is a hypocrite.

The episode ends with a few light-hearted jokes to wrap up both stories as best as one can. I mean, the entire gang should be thanking their lucky stars that they have friends at all at this point. And while everyone can relate to wanting to succeed professionally, the often forgotten advice is that doing so at the expense of others will never work. If this were real life, you’d definitely lose your friends—and your reputation—with it.



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A 'The Handmaid's Tale' Season Two First Look Is Here


The Handmaid’s Tale season 2 is officially underway, and now we know when to expect the return of Offred, Moira, and the other citizens and defectors of Gilead. On Tuesday, Hulu announced its Emmy-winning drama will be coming back in April 2018 with a short but spooky teaser. The video, which Hulu released via the show’s official Twitter, is captioned “No turning back.” It shows a Handmaid running down a dark corridor while a menacing soundtrack plays in the background. If you get goosebumps while watching it, you’re not alone.

The teaser’s pretty short on other details for season 2, which is currently under production. Still, if the “No turning back” tagline is a clue, the next installment could mean Offred’s escape mission from Gilead was successful. (If you don’t want spoilers, turn back now.) The finale ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger, with June/Offred (Elizabeth Moss) getting picked up by Nick (Max Minghella) in a black van. Although the van belongs to the Eyes, Gilead’s secret police, Nick whispers to her to trust him. Whether Nick is really just a spy for Gilead, or a double agent for the resistance movement, was left intentionally ambiguous. If you’ve read Margaret Atwood’s novel, you’ll know that the story ends there. (The epilogue, however, suggests that Nick was, in fact, part of the resistance.)

Watch the teaser, below:

This means that while the novel’s fans were at a distinct advantage during season one, we’ll all start on equal footing as season 2 delves into uncharted territory. But we do have one tiny clue, thanks to Moss, that will probably just make you even more confused than before.

“I have been saying, about the opening [scene] of season 2, that whatever you think it’s going to be—just throw it out,” she said on Watch What Happens Now Live with Andy Cohen, according to Refinery29. It’s gone in a completely different way that I never would have expected.” So I guess if you thought Offred was screwed, you should assume the complete opposite happened, or vice versa.

Besides that, IMDB says season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale will have 13 episodes, with members of the main cast returning for all or most of them. If you take that literally, that means Serena Joy, Commander Fred, Nick, Ofglen, Moira, and other major characters will play significant roles in Offred’s season 2 journey. But there’s lots of other possibilities for why they’ll return, like flashbacks or parallel stories. Guess we’ll have to wait until next April to find out. In the meantime, you could stream every episode of another critically acclaimed Atwood adaptation, Netflix’s historical murder-mystery psychological thriller Alias Grace.

Blessed be the binge.

Related: Today in Must-Watch: There’s a ‘Meninist’ Parody of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’





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