What I’m Watching: Shrill

Shrill: Season 2, Episode 7 “Salon” (B+)

It’s been about two months since I temporarily stopped watching this show to focus on content airing on particular dates, and it’s good to return to it to finish the remaining two episodes knowing that a third season was ordered at the end of March. This was an uncomfortable episode to watch since Annie is doing so well and Ryan is so self-absorbed and clueless that he doesn’t understand quite how horribly he’s dragging her down. Opening with them having sex at work didn’t seem like they kind of thing she would do, and I worried immediately that his having to go throw the condom out outside was going to lead the trouble. It turns out that wasn’t the problem, but instead his inability to deny what someone guessed had happened, prompting the information to come out at the salon. Bringing Ryan was a huge mistake to begin with, and his fixation on his burger league dinner indicated that right from the start. Coming over and inappropriately touching her while she was having her crucial moment with Illeana Douglas’ Sheila was cringe-worthy, and making her feel bad for being upset was just unkind. I’m glad Annie finally confronted him and refused to leave with him when he called his Lyft to go to the burger event, though kissing her on the head as he left indicates that he has no concept of what he’s done and how upset she is. Ruthie’s explosive passive-aggressive behavior towards Amadi was both confusing and very entertaining.