A fundraising gala sets the stage for drama, as Nabil stirs suspicion and Bette makes a scene. Tensions between Oren and Shane hit a breaking point.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Netflix's Tiny Pretty Things.
"Class Act" was written by David Rambo and directed by Joanna Kerns
The drama hasn't exactly had a firm grasp on plotting through its first two episodes. It's already starting to loss the thread massively here. It's simply difficult for the audience to track the motivations of characters. Now, that may actually be seen as rational behavior for teenagers. It just doesn't create compelling drama. One moment Bette is locking June on the roof to steal the principle role from her. And then, she is rallying the troops together to present a case for emancipation. Now, June's drama is inherently interesting. There was no reasonable expectation of her leaving the school so early in the season. However, she clashes with her mother because people don't see her as capable of succeeding in this profession. She has already reached her peak. It's solid. It's just not remarkable. She wants to prove people wrong. She has the skills to shine. Opportunities were simply taken away from her. Bette trying to make up for that now doesn't take away from the damage that has already been done. Of course, Bette feels the pressure to provide Ramon with exactly what he needs at every possible moment. No one can ever disappoint him. He is a god in the industry who can make or break careers. As such, everyone needs to keep him happy. Pleasing him is all it takes in order to achieve success. That is giving a lot of inherent power to him. It's power that he uses for corrupt purposes as well. It's a pattern for him to essentially be on the prowl. He exudes the energy that people desperately want more. He wields it with the charisma that makes him seem like a brilliant and tortured artist. And yes, his choreography has beauty in it - as well as a ton of lifts that throw Delia's body around. That doesn't give him the right to abuse the men and women under his tutelage. The narration remarks that pain is a part of the sport. It is at its most agonizing when the dancer stops dancing. Taking a break can actually do the most harm because it reveals just how dangerous it has all been. People are willing to push the pain aside in order to create moments of absolute beauty. They are all chasing that high. They view Ramon and Madame Debois as being able to give it to them. Their opinions change on a regular basis as well. Lives are radically altered based on the perspectives they have of the world. And yet, the show also states that many people actually wield that power and use it only to cause more disruption. At first, Nabil is labeled as a violent person who more than likely pushed Cassie off the roof. He did so in a violent rage. Neveah is told to fear him. As such, that's how she responds. That means every evidence she receives about his inner life can only be seen through that context. She wants to believe he pushed her into traffic. She tells Isabel that. That's used as the basis to arrest him and try to expose this criminal case. It implodes right in Isabel's face. But it's also an instance of people refusing to talk with one another. Neveah expresses her concerns. And then, she doesn't clarify what actually happened when she receives the context herself. People desperately want to believe certain things. Shane thinks he is happy enough with what he has with Oren. He shouldn't have to settle for love with someone who hates himself and his body. Oren is lashing out in the hopes that someone notices and can acknowledge his pain. Him pushing people away only ensures that they no longer have the intimacy to notice something is wrong. But again, it's all of these big dramatic moments in the hopes of creating beautiful and inspiring art later on with the raw emotions being felt. It's mostly just chaotic energy turned up significantly in the hopes of keeping everyone guessing. The world is uncertain. And yet, the show wants to embrace simplicity with these characters. The audience can only think what the narrative is comfortable letting them think at the moment. It's a power that is abused in order to constantly tease red herrings and law enforcement that doesn't know what it's doing. It's very much a mess that is struggling to explain its actions as well. Neveah and Nabil kiss. The only explanation is the fact that they were physically close to one another on several occasions in this episode.
The drama hasn't exactly had a firm grasp on plotting through its first two episodes. It's already starting to loss the thread massively here. It's simply difficult for the audience to track the motivations of characters. Now, that may actually be seen as rational behavior for teenagers. It just doesn't create compelling drama. One moment Bette is locking June on the roof to steal the principle role from her. And then, she is rallying the troops together to present a case for emancipation. Now, June's drama is inherently interesting. There was no reasonable expectation of her leaving the school so early in the season. However, she clashes with her mother because people don't see her as capable of succeeding in this profession. She has already reached her peak. It's solid. It's just not remarkable. She wants to prove people wrong. She has the skills to shine. Opportunities were simply taken away from her. Bette trying to make up for that now doesn't take away from the damage that has already been done. Of course, Bette feels the pressure to provide Ramon with exactly what he needs at every possible moment. No one can ever disappoint him. He is a god in the industry who can make or break careers. As such, everyone needs to keep him happy. Pleasing him is all it takes in order to achieve success. That is giving a lot of inherent power to him. It's power that he uses for corrupt purposes as well. It's a pattern for him to essentially be on the prowl. He exudes the energy that people desperately want more. He wields it with the charisma that makes him seem like a brilliant and tortured artist. And yes, his choreography has beauty in it - as well as a ton of lifts that throw Delia's body around. That doesn't give him the right to abuse the men and women under his tutelage. The narration remarks that pain is a part of the sport. It is at its most agonizing when the dancer stops dancing. Taking a break can actually do the most harm because it reveals just how dangerous it has all been. People are willing to push the pain aside in order to create moments of absolute beauty. They are all chasing that high. They view Ramon and Madame Debois as being able to give it to them. Their opinions change on a regular basis as well. Lives are radically altered based on the perspectives they have of the world. And yet, the show also states that many people actually wield that power and use it only to cause more disruption. At first, Nabil is labeled as a violent person who more than likely pushed Cassie off the roof. He did so in a violent rage. Neveah is told to fear him. As such, that's how she responds. That means every evidence she receives about his inner life can only be seen through that context. She wants to believe he pushed her into traffic. She tells Isabel that. That's used as the basis to arrest him and try to expose this criminal case. It implodes right in Isabel's face. But it's also an instance of people refusing to talk with one another. Neveah expresses her concerns. And then, she doesn't clarify what actually happened when she receives the context herself. People desperately want to believe certain things. Shane thinks he is happy enough with what he has with Oren. He shouldn't have to settle for love with someone who hates himself and his body. Oren is lashing out in the hopes that someone notices and can acknowledge his pain. Him pushing people away only ensures that they no longer have the intimacy to notice something is wrong. But again, it's all of these big dramatic moments in the hopes of creating beautiful and inspiring art later on with the raw emotions being felt. It's mostly just chaotic energy turned up significantly in the hopes of keeping everyone guessing. The world is uncertain. And yet, the show wants to embrace simplicity with these characters. The audience can only think what the narrative is comfortable letting them think at the moment. It's a power that is abused in order to constantly tease red herrings and law enforcement that doesn't know what it's doing. It's very much a mess that is struggling to explain its actions as well. Neveah and Nabil kiss. The only explanation is the fact that they were physically close to one another on several occasions in this episode.
