Pitch, 1.07 - "San Francisco"

Warning: SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED.

I was crazy busy this week and I only got to catch up with Pitch now. Boy, have I missed out. Hopefully this week's episode will be up soon but for now, let's get started with last week's!



Pitch continues with their baseball mumble jumble, which I didn't understand. However, it did seem kind of unrealistic that they got so many hits in at a time (or at least I think they did). Aren't the stats of even the best baseball players really bad when you compare them to, say, a letter grade?

Anyways, Ginny and Amelia must deal with the aftermath of her nudes being leaked before it reaches the big news companies. Amelia initially suggests "proving" that the selfies aren't really her, but Ginny insists upon doing it in a more gracious and empowering way. And she does. The way the team came together for her to take nude photoshoots was so amazing and positive. It gives me hope that someday the MLB will actually be this accepting and supportive if they ever had a female teammate facing double standards. (The song in the background, "Unstoppable" by The Score, was also very fitting, and now it's my newest jam.) I know a lot of people complained the "my body, my choice" storyline was cliche, but it really isn't. Few shows feature women of color as their main, and fewer boldly tackle misogyny and racism in one go. The fact that Ginny called out the men (even some of her close friends) who tried to make her feel dumb about sending nudes and eventually received their full support is important for little girls of color, especially little black girls.

Of course, not everyone gets a happy ending - this week, Mike's spotlight is taken away by Livan Duarte, the new catcher from Cuba. There's no denying it - Mike's only getting older, and his body is failing him more and more. Having moved around all his life in his childhood, the thought of leaving behind his career and his friends is especially hurtful. It was interesting to see flashbacks of Mike this week; raised by a struggling single mother, he constantly moved from neighborhood to neighborhood. Plot twist - the local coach this week turns out to be his dad, only he already has a family of his own. Man, Mike's mom is a dick. Mike's rough upbringing obviously parallels Duarte's adjustment with the Padres as well as his struggles as an immigrant. An obvious wild card, Duarte pretends to not speak English and flirts with the girls, getting on the team and especially Mike's nerves. While I feel a little bad for him, his arrogance was off-putting, and Oscar was right to put him in his place, especially as a fellow Latino immigrant.

Mike's petty side truly shined this episode - from humiliating Duarte in front of the press to refusing to give into Ginny's teasing, all of his words had an undertone of bitterness, and it was great. Mike, however, does deserve better. All his male teammates have significant others and/or children, and he doesn't. His chemistry with Ginny continues to shine through their silly banter, and I'm excited to see where they go, though a part of me lowkey still wants Ginny to hook up with Cara. (Hey, they were cute. When's she coming back?!?!) In the end, however, Mike realizes he has to deal with his issues like an adult, because he never had a true role model growing up.

Overall, this was another successful episode. Blip and Mike's friendship, as well as Ginny's with her team, continue to slay. Another surprising shining star was Ginny and Coach Al's relationship. It's fascinating and albeit a little strange to see an experienced veteran take the (relative) newbie under his wing. Honestly, it's weird not finding any major problems, both plot wise and representation wise, with a show and actually feeling happy at the end of the episode, unlike my struggles with DCTV. However, I would've liked to see Cara's return as well as at least one scene with a therapist. Just because she has overcome a major obstacle doesn't mean her mental illness is completely gone! Also, where was Eliot? I miss him, and I still want to see him befriend Ginny and the Padres.

I look forward to reviewing and watching the next episode, and the season finale after that. I can't believe season 1 is almost over! Dear Fox: RENEW PITCH!!!

Rating: 8.5
Extras that didn't make it in: Amelia calling out Oscar for mansplaining was great. This show is truly legendary.

*My next review will probably be of Pitch or Supergirl! See you then!