The stress of a new job and the levels to one’s own identity

Season two of The Bold Type opens with a two-week start from where season one left off. Kat’s (Aisha Dee) just returning from her honeymoon phased trip with Adena (Nikohl Boosheri) and she’s coming into some challenges in her personal life. When Adena confronts her about the way she’s been acting about their relationship, Kat has to take a step back and eventually, decides to try something new — bringing the two closer together.

Jane’s (Katie Stevens) pitching articles at Incite when her editor finally gives her the green light for an article. But the article’s purpose does not go as planned. Jane finds out that the creator of the product has been doing false advertisements to continue to sell her product. When Jane writes her article about it in an empowering way, about a woman who made a mistake, her editor twists it into a hit piece.

Sutton’s (Meghann Fahy) in between a rock and a hard place. Richard (Samuel Page) has finally signed papers that will allow him to be able to date Sutton without any repercussions at work. But to his dismay, Sutton isn’t completely sure she’s ready to give him a full relationship and after receiving some unwarranted slut-shaming from her coworkers, she decides to end their affair.

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In the second episode, Kat comes into some identity issues when she has to come up with a bio for her new position as social media director. Alex (Matt Ward) questions how she feels about her identity as the first black social media director at Scarlet, but Kat didn’t want to focus on that. After an uncomfortable talk with her parents, Kat decided that she’d been choosing to keep the rose-colored glasses that her parents gave her own, even when she knew things with her race weren’t as simple as they seemed.

After Jane’s boss changes her article, which results in the creator losing her business, Jane decides to apologize to her through a voicemail. When the creator decides to broadcast that voicemail, Jane and Incite receive backlash and Jane is sent to do damage control on live television. After failing to stick to her boss’s plan, Jane ends up getting fired from Incite.

Sutton’s still dealing with the slut-shaming from her coworkers and the struggle of dealing with it starts to reflect in her work. She’s making more mistakes than normal and constantly doubting her decisions. After getting a reassuring pep talk from Jacqueline (Melora Hardin), she stands with confidence and gets right back to business.

The Bold Type premiere episodes were everything we wanted and more. Our favorite feminist show is back so let’s see what the fans have to say! Here to dive into the juicy details of The Bold Type is our roundtable:

Emily (@waverlyleigh) – Broadway enthusiast, watches too many TV shows, and dances for a living.

Kailee (@ALESSIASHAIR) – New Yorker learning the true New York way through the girls from the fashion closet.

Alex (@AlexxHerreraaa) – Dog mom, I stan Kadena, and Director/Producer in the making.

Sarah (@livinqhere) – Bubbly vegan with a love for music and New York City.

Maria ( @maggiessalexx) – Kadena supremacist first, The Bold Type enthusiast to follow

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1. Jane got fired from Incite! What do you think she will do now that the big life-changing career move didn’t succeed like she thought it would?

Emily (@waverlyleigh): I believe that Jane will go back to Scarlet. While she did want to focus more on hard-hitting journalism, she really belonged at Scarlet. She found topics she was passionate about and was able to actually learn from her mistakes.

Kailee (@ALESSIASHAIR): After a few nights at the bar, a few bear hugs from Sutton and Kat, and a whole lot of stress tweezing to the eyebrows, I think that Jane will find somewhere that can fully utilize her talent as a writer. Although it might leave her jobless for a while, I think she will find a place that makes her fully shine. Now will that place be back at Scarlett with her best friends in the fashion closet….or via FaceTime in one of the boroughs? I guess only time will tell.

Alex (@AlexxHerreraaa): Go back to SCARLET!! Deep down she knows she belongs to Scarlet. Even Jacqueline wants her back. And if she ever comes back the closet trio will be reunited again.

Sarah (@livinqhere): I think this will be an eye-opening experience for Jane. It shows that you may think something is what’s best for you but it turns out to not be what you expected and is more harmful than helpful. She couldn’t be true to herself and that is very important to her and her career. I think she will use this to take some time to find herself and reflect upon what she truly wants and what’s best for her in the long run.

Maria (@maggiessalexx): My guess is that she would have a hard time accepting that she is in fact, jobless. Going back to Scarlet? Very logical choice. Will it be easy? Hell, no!

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2. Sutton experienced some slut-shaming due to her consistently getting all of the great projects. Have you or anyone you’ve known ever experienced this kind of treatment from co-workers?

Emily: Many of my friends have been slut-shamed because they have been involved with a guy or two. It doesn’t make them sluts, it makes them human. We need to put an end to this idea of slut-shaming and start realizing people can do whatever they want with their bodies.

Kailee: In this day in age, I think it has become much more evident that this is a problem that is constantly being addressed. Although it has never happened to me, I have been the person who hears the rants about it. I think that comments like this come out of jealousy and trying to easily justify why someone is getting a project instead of that person working harder to get it. It’s an easy, temporary fix to a bigger problem that the person who is slut-shaming is struggling with.

Alex: I haven’t heard or known anyone who gets a special treatment. I work in a gas station, and I think that there is a lot of favoritism happening in that store. Especially when it comes to the schedules that our manager gave us.

Sarah: Yes, I have not personally but during my high school career I was a student athletic trainer for my school’s football and wrestling team. Our head athletic trainer tended to rely on some of the same trainers over and over again which lead to jealousy by the others and that tended to spark rumors of he only picked her because of her popularity status with the players or because she was prettier.

Maria: Sadly, yes. Several of my friends experienced slut-shaming for this or other reasons. And seeing Sutton standing up to herself – I wish we had this show at that time so that people can feel more confident in speaking up their minds and stand up for themselves.

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3. Do you think Sutton is done with Richard for good this time?

Emily: I don’t think Sutton is done with Richard. What they have is so real, she will most definitely go back for him.

Kailee: Their relationship was real, it was important and it was strong. I don’t think viewers should give up on them just yet. As you see in the past episode, it is hard for Sutton to face Richard but working in the same building brings on the struggle for her on the daily. I think that those dreaded elevator rides will become less awkward and with that, their relationship will grow. I know that whatever happens, they could put feelings aside and still be friends.

Alex: With what happened between them in Season 1. I personally think that she’s not done with Richard. Because in her heart she knows that she stills wants to be with him and build a future together.

Sarah: Yes, she is starting to realize that Richard isn’t her only option. As she becomes more confident in herself and her work it will open her eyes to all the other opportunities that are out there. She will find someone to grow with instead of someone who has already grown and is waiting for her to catch up.

Maria: I do think that in her mind she decided that she is done with Richard for good this time. But that elevator scene from last night? The heart wants what heart wants, right?

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4. Alex called out Kat for not acknowledging her blackness as a way to empower others and identify herself. What are your thoughts on the conversations between the two?

Emily: I do agree with Alex. As a white person, I cannot speak about racial issues, but I do know that many younger black girls and boys don’t see themselves being represented as much as white people. Her putting that she’s the first black department head shows that young girls of color can do whatever she’s doing too.

Kailee: I think there is truth in both sides. For someone who is confident with their race and someone who understands it, it is easy to tell someone to empower others and embrace it. But for someone who is struggling with that idea, it can be hard to try and empower others when you are trying to empower yourself and understand it on your own level.

Alex: When you think about it, everyone has their own right with who they are and what they want to do with it. Kat is comfortable with what she’s doing with her race and it’s for the good.

Sarah: I know this was an important conversation to have because it gave her a new perspective that she had been hidden from and continued to hide from as she got older. It basically forced her to uncover this piece of her that was screaming to be set free. It opened her up to so many new choices and opportunities because she found a new side of herself that she needs to explore. This will definitely play a key role in her future for all areas of her life.

Maria: I really loved Kat’s arc in this episode. It was all so well addressed and having Alex, as a black person, to be there for her and talk to her about the issue, jut put all that story into so much more, deeper perspective. The line that got me was “Standing up for who you are matters”. hope we get to see more of their interaction during this season.

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5. The vibe between Adena and Kat has already caused some small speed bumps. Do you think their different personalities will cause more conflict now that they’re not in their own happy bubble?

Emily: A real relationship does have conflicts, fights, and many speed bumps. While they are different, I believe that’s what makes them realistic and perfect. They will work around it in their own way.

Kailee: I think that these speed bumps are only making their relationship stronger. It portrays a real relationship, a relationship that goes through ups and downs, a relationship that comes out stronger after the conversation. I think that their opposite opinions bring out the best in each other because they are both so understanding. They are able to have meaningful conversations about an important topic to make their relationship stronger.

Alex: Well every person in a relationship has their own personality and that’s why they’re together so that they could explore each other at their own pace.

Sarah: I definitely think their personalities will cause more problems because they are both very strong in their opinions and they have different aspirations in life. However, I do think that if they remain committed to each other they can work through things as a united front and be the power couple that we know they are meant to be.

Maria: First have you all seen THAT scene? I don’t see any bumps there, lol.
On a serious note, I think that at the beginning of any relationship, when we are at that honeymoon stage, everything looks great and awesome and perfect. When it comes to Kat and Adena, what really fascinates me is their ability to have honest conversations, and not to sweep the problems under the rug. Communication is the key to every relationship. Their different personalities might cause them a little bit of conflict, but sometimes that’s also necessary to help them grow as individuals and as partners.

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6. Kat said that she made a choice to keep on her rose-colored glasses. Do you think it was the best choice for Kat’s parents not to label her race? Did it cause more harm than good?

Emily: I think her parents not labeling her face did more good for Kat. She’s a fully independent woman now, instead of her parents labeling her, she gets to decide how she wants to live and how she wants to be represented.

Kailee: This is a conversation that needs to be told on TV more. It is something that so many people deal with– even at a very young age, especially with the example that Kat gives. I understand where Kat’s parents were coming from, but it can be confusing for someone who does want to embrace their culture. Just because her parents have a different outlook on it, doesn’t mean Kat has to have the same, which is what I think she ended up struggling with due to those walls that her parents put up.

Alex: I’m not really a labels person but I think Kat’s parents did it for her good in the future.

Sarah: It definitely can be more harmful than helpful, for many different reasons. I am mixed race (African American and Caucasian) and I was adopted into an all Caucasian family. I was raised in a small conservative Town in Oklahoma and my family is very dismissive of my race. I was always told that I wasn’t black because “I didn’t act that way”. Which was very harmful to my racial identity and now that I’m older and able to see that it is okay to be mixed, I’m trying to find my true identity as a black woman and explore my culture.

Maria: “Your parents did what they believe was best for you” and “Why are the labels a bad thing” are such powerful lines from Adena. But on the other hand, I feel for Kat when she said that she didn’t wanna label herself cause that would mean rejecting her parents’ skin color in a way. I don’t think it caused her so much harm up until this point– where she finally decided to embrace her blackness and go with it. I am excited to see more of that, how that will be handled.

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7. What are you most excited for season two to explore?

Emily: I’m really excited to go more in-depth on Kat and Adena’s relationship. As a lesbian myself, we don’t get to see a lot of serious conversations between two females on TV. It’s important to see f/f relationships get the same amount of representation and treatment that a m/f relationship would get.

Kailee: I am excited to see their friendship grow. In the first season we met the characters and grew to love them, but now after we have been with them for a while, we are able to understand their relationship more. I’m excited to see three females empower each other and help each other succeed instead of try and tear each other down. I am excited to learn from their mistakes and see them tackle their struggles.

Alex: More Kadena!!!

Sarah: I am super excited to see the girls grow as professionals in their industries because I love a good girl boss vibe. I am also excited to see how the girls friendships evolve because as you add more factors to friendship circles like new friends, partners, and career moves- there tends to be more tension and disagreements between friend groups. I think this season will have more twists and turns than any of us can imagine but at the same time will capture our hearts over and over again.

Maria: Definitely, more of Kat’s sexuality– I can’t wait to see how that will unfold. I wanna see more of Kat and Adena’s relationship, how they will continue to navigate through it now that the external problems are out of the way. Being all in, fully committed.

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More hard, life-changing decisions to be made, but our favorite city girls will pull through

The Bold Type entered into its season two with great character development and a nice start for each of our favorite girls. Kadena is one of the absolute best aspects of The Bold Type and we love that the writers are still exploring the complexities of their relationship. It was great to see that even though they had been in a honeymoon phase and through other difficult things, that a simple sexual act went unnoticed by Kat. Kat is still learning how to be in this relationship and it’s beautiful to watch her maneuver through everything.

It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to see Jane really do much at Insight. We all thought the move there wasn’t the best choice, to begin with, but it still would have been nice to see her try to make it there. It was a huge decision she made trying to move on from Scarlet. It’ll be exciting to see what Jane decides to next. Will she try to return to Scarlet? Or will she seek other options?

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The feminism in this show is everything the show you love wishes it could be. We’re continuing to learn new things and relate to these young women as they navigate through the real world of business and relationships. The Bold Type continues to push forward and the premiere episodes set us up for a season we know will be filled with greatness!

The Bold Type returns Tuesday, June 19th on Freeform.