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    Dietland S01E05 Review: Plum Tuckered – Can I have Kitty’s entire wardrobe?

    By Salome G
    | June 26, 2018
    TV Blogs

    In the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale, we find out that Serena Joy, who is married to one of the “Commanders” of the new America, was once a famous-ish author. She advocated for a return to so-called traditional family values and well…she got it. Now she lives in Gilead where her books were pulped and she’s been shut out of the decision-making from the beginning.

    Dietland S1e5 1

    I was reminded of that while watching this week’s episode of Dietland. Specifically, I was reminded of how people can be complicit in their own oppression. Sometimes they do this out of self-preservation. Sometimes they don’t even realize it’s happening. What then to make of Stella Cross (Danielle Sepulveres)? As Plum knows her, she’s a fun influencer who shills for jeans and cosmetic companies. But she’s also an adult film star, whose specialty is rape porn. And she’s Jennifer’s first female victim.

    They leave her body in a cemetery on an elaborate pyre where one of the groundskeepers who discovers her drops his cigarette and inadvertently sets her and the other groundskeeper ablaze. It’s a terrible scene and not one that is likely to win Jennifer support. In fact, after an opening that tells us that grade school girls are now forming their own Jennifer chapters, it’s quite a reversal to go from that to Stanley storming into his media building to demote Kitty. As he puts it, she’s aligned his company with terrorists. Sure, but they were terrorists before.

    Kitty does not take her demotion well, trashing her office and firing Plum, whom she blames for getting her fired. After all, if Plum hadn’t suggested that the letter girls were supportive of Jennifer’s message, then Kitty would still have her creative wings. Once again, Kitty’s logic is not there.

    Dietland S1e5 2

    And it’s not like Plum isn’t already having a hell of a time. She’s on the next phase of the New Baptist Plan, threatened last week, wherein she goes on Verena-directed dates. This part was confusing. Verena says that the men were recommended by her dentist (???), which is a big “MA’AM, WHAT?!” but the point of this phase is also unclear. All these men are awful to Plum in their own special ways. Is that the point?

    The first one, for example, doesn’t even go out with her. Once she opens the door and he sees her, he shoves a bouquet at her and then he leaves. The second one, Aiden (Desmin Borges), seems nice, but ghosts her at dinner when she’s in the restroom. When the third one was a little too eager, I knew right away that he was going to turn out to be a feeder. And what a not surprise–he is!

    After she finally realizes that she’s just a fetish to this guy, Plum tells him off and literally storms out, followed by her own personal rain cloud. We then see a glimpse here of her coping mechanism. She’s gotta be stuffed as a tick after eating all that in the food court, especially since she’s been dieting. But she immediately buys a hot dog. They don’t call it comfort food for nothin’.

    Dietland S1e5 3

    Unfortunately, there’s little comfort in the streets these days, as a man walks directly into her hot dog and then berates her with the very kind “Get your eyes off your food, fatass, and watch where you’re going!” Her pushed-down feelings finally explode and she smushes the hot dog into his shirt before spitting the rest onto him. As an example of the charming, decent man we already know he is, he punches her in the face. Then Dominic, who’s been following her, punches him.

    Dominic calls Bobby (Marc Blucas, who will always be Riley Finn, sorrynotsorry), a cop buddy, to arrest the guy and before he carts him away, Bobby tells Dominic to bring the family over for dinner. Uh-oh. That’s how Plum finds out about Dominic’s marriage and children. And as a giant news screen nearby proclaims Leeta as the possible “face of Jennifer,” Plum gives up or gives in, showing up at Calliope House to tell Verena, “I’m ready.” Ready for what, though, boo?

    8/10 – As I said, I don’t really understand the point of the date phase. Is it like a shock doctrine where Verena’s trying to force Plum to feel her own feelings? If so, there are surely a lot kinder ways to go about that. As for the rest, I think Stella Cross’s murder is going to have serious repercussions. Women and others can be complicit in their own oppression, but they can often be punished for being close to their oppressors. Even Plum, though she’s trying to be “balanced,” seems to imply that Stella was almost asking for what happened to her. And some people felt that way about the men they killed. But what is their ultimate message? What about the groundskeeper they injured this week or the tabloid magnate’s son they traumatized last week? Where are we going from here? And perhaps most importantly, can I have Kitty’s entire wardrobe?

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    16 Comments
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    Eversleigh
    Eversleigh
    4 years ago

    Does anyone else think that Julianna Margulies is looking too thin? I know that’s who her character is and a big part of the story, but jeez. Judgment of the female body is part of it too and here I am playing along.

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Eversleigh

    If she is, I think it’s just part of the character. Kitty has always been very weight-concerned.

    0
    Reply
    Rouge
    Rouge
    4 years ago

    Kitty and Verena are not making any sense this episode. Their wardrobe does, though, so I agree with you!

    Jennifer probably wants to punish anyone who mocks women’s dignity, even if the culprit is the woman herself. Killing the innocent means that they don’t care if they have to destroy the country to get their justice. The next question is, how does it relate to Plum as the heroine?

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Rouge

    Plum could too easily find herself a (potential) victim of Jennifer, depending on how far they go.

    0
    Reply
    Rouge
    Rouge
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    If we are expecting Plum to come to peace with her own body, then it is unlikely that we will find her as Jennifer’s victim. Even if that happens, she is a prey too minor for a huge group like Jennifer.

    I think it is more likely that she finds their secrets or identities which force them to go after her.

    0
    Reply
    callmeishmael
    callmeishmael
    4 years ago

    I’ve finally gotten around to watching this! I feel like I haven’t paid close enough attention though. I already need to go back and re-watch episodes. It’s a lot to take in. I’m sure I’ll be back with more commentary when I do. I don’t understand the point of the whole dating thing either. It just seems cruel. “The Stare” breaks my heart. I agree about Stella. I felt like they were really trying to play up the “porn star in violent movies” bit. I got the feeling that Plum was implying that she was asking for it too. It… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago
    Reply to  callmeishmael

    Yes, it can all be overwhelming at first.

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago
    Reply to  callmeishmael

    Oh and that Gucci dress was great, but I’ve got my eye on that off-the-shoulder white dress she wore in the first episode.

    0
    Reply
    callmeishmael
    callmeishmael
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    It’s fabulous, just like everything else she’s worn. I’m actually re-watching the first episode right now and you’re so right about that white dress. I’ll just take them all, please.

    Overwhelming is one way to put it! It’s one of those shows where you really need to focus.

    0
    Reply
    jake3_14
    jake3_14
    4 years ago

    Yeah, this ep. was a mess, for all the reasons you mentioned. It was literally unbelievable that Verena solicitied her dentist for dates and that Plum accepted that situation. And Jennifer would have been more effective in their message by disfiguring Stella Cross’ face than killing her, preventing her from cashing in on her porn fame but leaving her to suffer for life. I also expected Plum to stand up for herself more when Kitty started haranguing her. I have a feeling that ep. 6 might be even more ridiculous, and if so, it will be my last. Also, what’s… Read more »

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago
    Reply to  jake3_14

    Regarding your last paragraph, man, I don’t know. I like Aisha Tyler, but I don’t think she’s asking the hard questions. I know it’s not really her fault–she’s constrained by the guest selection and that’s not her department.

    0
    Reply
    jake3_14
    jake3_14
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Salome G

    She doesn’t select her own guests?! That makes me really question the premise of the show.

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago
    Reply to  jake3_14

    I mean, I assume she doesn’t. I assume there’s a guest coordinator that does all that.

    0
    Reply
    Eversleigh
    Eversleigh
    4 years ago
    Reply to  jake3_14

    I’m not from the U.S. but my understanding is that while there are many loud voices who say that misogyny is bad, no one actually does anything about it to make a real difference. The audience feels like someone understands and feels faux empowered while remaining complacent because it’s easy. These programmes are basically commercialized feminism. There isn’t a point besides making money.

    0
    Reply
    jake3_14
    jake3_14
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Eversleigh

    Things have been changing dramatically in the past two years. Beginning with the public shaming, then prosecution of Harvey Weinstein, the conviction of Larry Nassar, and the firing of Bill O’Reilly, the dam has broken. Not a week goes by, it seems, without some male public figure facing the consequences of his mysogyny. Of course, there’s a long way to go (see this article from STAT news: https://www.statnews.com/2018/07/03/benign-sexism-aspen-ideas-festival/) , but there is undeniable progress on this front in the U.S.

    0
    Reply
    Salome G
    Salome G
    4 years ago

    I am hollering at the subtitle of this review. Well played.

    0
    Reply

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