Episode Report Card Jessica: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Box And The Bunny
By Jessica | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.04.2006
Goody, it's time for FashionTV! This time, the host is a wry blonde girl, who I believe was in the British version of The Office. ["True -- that's Lucy Davis, the British Pam." -- Wing Chun] She basically recaps everything that was exposited last week, wondering if Wilhelmina has gotten over "the HUMILIATION of being passed over for the boss's son." She then recaps Daniel's ascent to the EIC role, hilariously calling him "the slutty son of scion Bradford Meade," and reminding us that former EIC Fey Sommers was killed in a car crash. Which is, in FashionTV parlance, a "hot, hot death." It seems Fey lost control of her car while she was being chased by angry animal-rights activists. Like Princess Diana, but with more vegans.
Daniel goes to visit his father's office to check in. He tells Bradford that everything is going beautifully: his first issue goes to press tomorrow, with Natalie Whitman as the featured layout. "You do the math," Bradford catchphrases. Daniel looks surprised that his father is keeping up with chick flicks, but doesn't get the chance to say anything, because his father yaps at him that he needs to do really well with Mode if he ever wants to inherit Bradford's gig: "Have you been given The Book?" Daniel looks blank. "Which book are you referring to, exactly?" he asks. "Editor in Chief for Dummies," Bradford snaps, before explaining that The Book is the mock-up of the magazine in its entirety, which the EIC is supposed to take home every night, in order to give notes on it. "The person who controls The Book controls the magazine," Bradford concludes. The person controlling it right now, of course, is Wilhelmina. Daniel just looks blank. Bradford stresses that Daniel has to control the book. "The Book is your responsibility." Got that? The Book = Important.
Cut to the Natalie Whitman meeting, where Daniel, Betty, Wilhelmina, and Evil Marc are observing as one of Mode's graphic artists Photoshops the Natalie Whitman photo shoot under the watchful eye of Natalie herself, along with her PR flack. They're really doing this the day before they go to press? I find that hard to believe. The graphics girl makes a ton of changes, including reducing Natalie's hips about 15%. "At LEAST," the flack directs. Natalie looks moderately uncomfortable, and Betty seems horrified. Flack assures Natalie that she's going to look amazing, but Natalie didn't think she looked all that bad to begin with: "I thought I looked --" "Normal?" Wilhelmina sneers. She explains that if this were any other magazine, "normal" would be fine, but that Mode is not about looking normal. It is "aspirational." Natalie turns to Betty and asks her what she -- the REALLY normal-looking one -- thinks. Betty begins to say something, but is silenced by a look from Daniel, who leaps in and tells Natalie that she needs to take this opportunity to take what's hot (normal Natalie), and make it "SUPER-hot" (Photoshopped Natalie). The Flack takes this moment to call Natalie's skinnifacation a "très good career move," since they're still trying to land her Two Million Dollar Baby. Finally, Natalie gives up, and tells them to do their thing. Wilhelmina directs the Graphic Artist to put the finished version in The Book: "And, by the way, why have I not yet seen any sort of concept on that Beyoncé Pyromania spread we talked about?" At this moment, Daniel steps in and announces that he wants to see The Book as well. He needs to start seeing The Book every night, in fact. Wilhelmina sniffs that he probably doesn't really have time for that. He should delegate it. To her. Everyone in the room is watching this face-off with great interest. "Wilhelmina," Daniel says firmly. "Certain things fall under my purview. The Book is one of them. So from now on, I'm going to start receiving The Book every night." I have to admit, that was sort of hot. Apparently, I just want someone to boss me around. But don't tell anyone. I have to maintain some kind of cred. Wilhelmina sees no way out of this. "As you wish," she finally trills.