‘The Bold Type’ Review: I’m Here for Sutton the Designer

A constant theme in every episode of The Bold Type is inspiration. This week Kat and Sutton were giving us a different kind of inspiration.

Both Sutton (Meghann Fahy) and Kat (Aisha Dee) were finding passions they didn’t know they had before. Sutton had to fix a dress when a model couldn’t fit into her dress. It helped Sutton tap into her creative side that she hadn’t done in a while. Then she really enjoyed sprucing up a vintage jacket for the congressional candidate. 

I think my favorite part of this storyline was how supportive Oliver (Stephen Conrad Moore) was. He’s become such a great mentor for Sutton. He tells her she has a long road ahead of her and Scarlet is a great place to build connections. It’s a great reminder to all of us that our end goal is long and the path may not be as direct as we once thought. You wouldn’t think a women’s magazine would be the path to being a designer, but it certainly is one path, especially with Oliver by your side.

I’m definitely here for Sutton being a designer and excited for her new path.

Kat also found her voice when she was helping a congressional candidate with messaging but it turns out she may be the better candidate. From the promos we’ve seen, we already pretty much know she’s going to run. I hope this storyline gives other young women the courage to get involved in politics if they are seeking to make a change in their communities.

Our dreams can definitely change. And it can be scary. I love that these women take on the change together and support each other every step of the way. It’s something to aspire to.

The Bold Type is always telling stories about current cultural topics too. Sometimes it gets it right, sometimes it doesn’t, but it gets the conversation started. This week it chose to talk about consent. I liked the way the writers took this topic on. They did it from Alex’s (Matt Ward) perspective. He thought he was an ally to women but then finds out he’s the inspiration for an old flame’s story that a guy was little too aggressive in the bedroom.

At first, he didn’t think he did anything wrong. It was just like any other night. He didn’t realize that the girl felt pressured because he said he would read her articles. We know Alex, so we know that would never be the case. But as Sutton pointed out, some women find it easier to just go along with it even if that’s not what they want because that’s easier than making a fuss.

Women should definitely be brave enough to voice what they want and say no. But men shouldn’t always assume that’s what the woman wants. It was brave for Alex to write a personal story admitting his fault and admitting things need to change. You can’t make the change unless you get the conversation started. Consent is definitely complicated and a topic that needs to be discussed more. I’m not sure telling the male side of the story on a young women’s show is the best way to go, but the conversation will certainly get started online and I hope guys will join in.

Men definitely need to take ownership of their part. When my boyfriend and I first started dating he asked me if I was sure. It was a simple thing but it made all the difference. And really guys, it’s as simple as that.

Jane (Katie Stevens) had a much more carefree episode this week, except for the fact that she caught Ryan (Dan Jeannotte) looking at porn on her computer. This story has been done before. Think One Tree Hill with Haley and Nathan. This take was much better. Yeah, Jane was uncomfortable but they were able to talk about it and even spice things up a bit. The Bold Type is great when it comes to the positive spin. How many girls have had this happen to them? Well, now you can take a cue from Jane on how to handle it.