Friday has finally arrived, and I decided to watch the new episode of Pitch instead of catching up on Supergirl. It sounds like procrastinating, and I actually kind of am. Sorry, Supergirl!! I'll get to y'all eventually! But I'm not here to talk about that, so let's get started. Once again, the super talented and amazing and diverse cast slayed with an emotional and raw episode.
This week, we finally see the pressure and standards get to Ginny. She gets her first major deal with Nike, and instead of celebrating, she suffers a panic attack at 3 in the morning, calling Amelia for comfort. Mike happens to be in the room with her ('cause, you know, they're sleeping together) and finds out about Ginny's mental issues, inadvertently slipping out his awareness during the game later in the day. Ginny calls out Amelia for letting "outsiders" know about her personal problems, and knowing the damage it caused, Amelia breaks up with Mike. So that was a lot, and I'm about to break it down. Last week, I said that the show was trying too hard to play it safe, and they did not disappoint this time around. Grappling the very real and valid issue of mental health is something most shows desperately try to avoid, so I really applaud the Pitch writers for their boldness. I suffer anxiety and depression myself and have had my fair share of panic attacks, so seeing the female lead break down despite her success and her admirers was so refreshing to me. They don't villainize Ginny because of her anxiety, and everyone around her, even her coach and general manager, makes an effort to try to alleviate her stress. The moment when she finally admits out loud that she isn't okay - to her employers, no less - was incredibly powerful. Also, about the Amelia/Mike breakup - this is a pretty much a clear indication for Mike and Ginny to get together. I don't have any problems about it except for the actual scene. It was kind of clunky and both of them deserved to have ended it better.
Ginny meets a cute waitress named Cara at the Nike launch party - the one person who doesn't seem to just want to be around her for her fame. They sneak out together, and Cara introduces Ginny to her friends. For the first time ever, Ginny just gets to party like a regular college girl, temporarily forgetting her worries. I was lowkey praying that the two would get together - whether intentional or not, the chemistry between Ginny and Cara seems to be more than just platonic. When Cara says, "Do you wanna get out of here?", it literally sounds like they were going to hook up. Of course, this may just be the desperate-for-LGBT-representation part of me speaking, but....Now that I'm on the subject, Pitch has honestly been doing great at representing all races and genders. Not that I would stop watching if they didn't, but I would love for them to take the next step and have some LGBT characters. (Hey, Mike and Ginny can still be endgame even if Ginny isn't straight.)
Ginny has an amazing time at the party in her drunken state, rocking everything from beer pong to Mario Kart. Someone records her slam dunking a basketball into a hoop by the pool...meaning she falls in and gets her "tens of millions of dollars" dress wet. She also happens to be wearing New Balance sneakers, despite her new deal with Nike. The video gets out and luckily, while most everyone loves it, the New Balance sneakers are a no-no. I'm glad to know that by the end of the night, Ginny has found a real, genuine friend in Cara - someone who cares about her privacy and her mental health even if they only JUST met. I need Cara back
Amelia and Eliot desperately try to find Ginny after she leaves the party without telling anyone. Eliot uses GPS tracking to lead them to the house where the party was, and after Amelia takes out her stress on him, he finally stands up to her. Honestly? I LOVED that scene. Seeing the Asian main get positive screentime standing up to his white employer let me gain 5 years of my life back. I do wish, however, that it wasn't glossed over almost immediately after. Eliot has made tremendous sacrifices to get Ginny to where she is now, and he deserves recognition for it. Like I said last week, we need to see more of Eliot and Ginny's friendship, as well as Eliot and Amelia's and possibly Eliot with the other Padres. Eliot also deserves to have a girlfriend - let my boy get some!!!
The episode ends with the discovery that Ginny's NSFW selfies with her ex have been leaked, something that was acknowledged a couple episodes ago and never brought up until now (why is that, by the way?). However, instead of running away from her problems, Ginny decides to face them and conquer. (Running away from your problems is a clearly recurring theme in the episode, with Mike and his relationship issues as well.) While I deeply admire Ginny's bravery and perseverance, I do think she should be a little more scared about the possibility of her nudes being leaked. White women already get crucified and slut-shamed for privately taking photos of themselves, and Ginny's blackness will only exacerbate it. Now that I'm on the subject, the show doesn't seem to want to acknowledge that. Ginny is always referred to simply as the first woman in the MLB, not the first black woman, but I think it's an important distinction to emphasize. This show has given little black girls so much positive representation, allowing them to see that they too can be respected and successful, but I want the writers to outright say it. Sure, it might anger the racists, but race is a crucial factor often overlooked when talking about feminism and equality.
I'd like to take a moment now to appreciate how the story was structured and filmed. The episode starts in present day with Ginny and the Padres' psychiatrist, flashing back to the events leading up to her breakdown. The psychiatrist isn't the typical kind of prying therapist - slowly but surely, she gets Ginny to open up, and the flashbacks that are meshed together in Ginny's mind are beautifully shot and organized.
As this review comes to a close, I'd like to add that once again, Blip and Evelyn slayed together, and I love them a lot. I still stand by my desire to see how Ginny and Blip became friends. A lot of the direction and writing this time around was messy and awkward, but the episode ended up exciting me even more for the ones to come. If this show only gets one season, I will genuinely be heartbroken and mad, so LET IT SHINE!
Rating: 8.6
Extras that didn't make it in: The show completely glossed over the phone call from Mike Ginny rejected!!! What happened!!!!??
*No more procrastinating! My next one will
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