I’m not sure what it says about this season that the best installment thus far had everyone paired up and scattered around.
It’s clear that the objective for this second effort has been to show the next step in Minx’s evolution: its success. And it’s been hard for some, while nearly everyone and every relationship has changed now that Minx has become a household name.
As we barrel toward the finale Minx Season 2 Episode 6, was a slap in the face for many as they realized how much things were changing, including themselves.
I’ve lamented the lack of Doug and Tina this season, and it’s a shame that we got an episode that focused on their relationship, only for it to feel like a precursor to its conclusion.
We’ve never been privy to exactly what happened in the past between the pair, but here we found out that after their former relationship, Doug married someone else, which couldn’t have been easy for Tina.
But she stuck behind him, as an employee, until they found their way back to each other during Minx Season 1.
There has always been a lot of love between the two, and that still doesn’t seem to be an issue here, but there’s a significant disconnect in their relationship, namely that Tina doesn’t seem willing to bare herself entirely for Doug.
Doug is a lot of things, and he’s certainly not a romantic, but when he detailed all the reasons why he wanted to propose to Tina, it was truly as simple as her being his person. She was the one he always wanted to confide in. She’s the one he always wants to be there with him.
It’s an uncomplicated thing for Doug. But for Tina’s part, she doesn’t see Doug the same.
She shies away from telling Doug everything, hiding behind an excuse of not knowing how he’ll react, but perhaps more from a lack of fully trusting in her partner, born from a complicated past and path to where they currently are.
Tina is such an intriguing character in the Minx world. Wholly respected by her peers and arguably the most competent and well-rounded Bottom Dollar employee, we rarely see Tina outside work mode.
Introducing her family was a marvelous, albeit slightly rushed, way of peeling back the curtain and letting us see another side of Tina.
Unwilling to blindly follow the path already laid out for her, Tina took Doug up on his offer to leave the family business, and it doesn’t appear as if she’s ever looked back. And her family’s never forgiven either of them.
Doug can be very persuasive, though I wouldn’t quite say he’s ascended to hypnotizing just yet. He presented Tina with an opportunity, and she saw a way out from underneath the family business no one wanted to be a part of. So, did Doug’s persuasion or Tina’s ambition ultimately win out?
While it was a big moment for Tina to stand up to her family and fight back against their disapproval, dropping the bomb about Minx International landed like a lead balloon for various reasons.
Joyce was awfully premature in anointing Doug as the Minx International leader during Minx Season 1 Episode 5, though her heart was in the right place. She thought Doug was deserving, and with Constance letting her take the reigns for the most part, she felt it was within her right to offer him the position.
But she clearly never discussed anything with Constance, who offered Tina the position, and she was right to do so. Tina can do that job just as well, if not better, than Doug.
She took her lumps for many years as Doug’s secretary, but so much of Bottom Dollars and, subsequently, Doug’s success came with Tina’s assistance. She’s qualified to do the job, and I’m not sure Doug’s disappointment was so much tied to him not getting the job but with Tina not telling him straight away.
Doug: You’re the first person I want to share my news with, good and bad. I want to be that for you.
Tina: I want that, too.
Now, I would love to think of this as just a speedbump in the road for Doug and Tina, but it’s hard to have hope when you see how broken they are through all of this. They love each other, but Tina’s holding back, and Doug’s realizing they may not approach their relationship similarly.
Tina didn’t look delighted to see that engagement ring. She looked petrified at the prospect of becoming the third Mrs. Doug Renetti.
Well, it was sort of fun while it lasted, at least.
Relationships were falling apart all over the place as Shelly finally got to tell Joyce straight up that she was tired of her inflated ego. And it’s something a few people would probably like to say to her.
Joyce has had every right to revel in her accomplishments, but she’s started to make everything about her to the point she’s not even able to spend one-on-one time with her sister and even pretend to care about what she has to say.
Shelly has spent all season trying to find her voice, and she certainly found it after she took time out of her life to support a sister who wasn’t willing to let the spotlight leave her shoulders for more than five seconds.
Maybe I’m being too harsh on Joyce, but her attitude at Vassar was awful, and while it was a shame to see her idol let her down, it didn’t excuse her complete lack of self-awareness.
It was borderline painful to see Joyce callously dismiss Shelly at almost every turn, and even when she tried to make amends, it wasn’t even wholly genuine because she didn’t fully take in anything Shelly told her.
Until she’s willing to look at herself in the mirror and recognize her faults, she will continue to alienate those who’ve supported her the most during this journey.
Shelly: Look at this, Joycey. You think Jackie O got this turnout when she came back?
Joyce: Well, yeah, but her husband just died.
Shelly’s always been more than just Joyce’s big sister, and it was nice to see her get her time to shine and her opportunity to be looked at as more than just a wife and mother. She’s spent so much of her life caring for others, and it’s wonderful to see her be a little selfish and do things for herself.
Now, I’m not sure how open she and Lenny are now, but they need to have a more extensive discussion surrounding their relationship at some point this season. Have they ever discussed her affair with Bambi?
Shelly needs to be completely honest with herself about what she wants and how she wants to move forward with her life.
Everything Else You Need To Know
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Richie and Bambi did a lot of drugs and continued to search for themselves and their place within the company. We’re kind of at a standstill with this storyline because they’re still searching with little progress.
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Speaking of Richie, he absolutely should be exploring other options. And his self-portraits were GORGEOUS.
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I’m wondering how Joyce will react to Tina’s promotion because, on the one hand, I think she’ll be happy, but on the other, Constance decided without a conversation with her. It has felt like a Joyce and Constance confrontation has been on the horizon for a while.
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Will Doug accept losing out on Minx International to Tina? Or will he fight back?
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Joyce hooking up with a man who immediately wanted her autograph so he could brag to his buddies HAS to be her wake-up call. She’s lost her way.
Can you believe Minx Season 2 is almost over? This season has flown by, and things are hitting a boiling point.
With shaky dynamics and a fractured core, can this family find its way back to one another? Or is it too late?
Let me know how you felt about this installment and where you think things will wind up when the curtains close.
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Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
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