In the span of a few hours, Sally goes from the peak of her career to rock bottom. She celebrated the premiere of her own show. It was critically acclaimed. So many people showed up to support her. The magnitude of this moment didn't hit her until she got onstage to deliver a speech. A lifelong dream has finally been accomplished. She understands the power of her platform. She hopes others can be inspired by what she has created. She is also tantalized by the prospect of celebrity. She sees it as inevitable now. People will recognize her in public. She and Natalie want to test it. That recognition never occurs. Instead, Sally's show is immediately forgotten. It's never given the full support of the streaming service. The executives moved up the premiere just so it could compete with a rival project. Sally's was better received. That doesn't matter. The algorithm dictates what keeps viewers engaged. It's not how well the show plays to the people consuming it both at large and within the office. All the decisions are made by a piece of coding. People place so much reverence onto the algorithm. It can't make a mistake. It's always right. Of course, algorithms typically carry out the same biases their creators have. As such, a perspective is absolutely placed in this situation. Plus, different companies have different algorithms. Sally believes her show is trusted and beloved. All it takes is minimal performance out of the gate to drop it entirely. Word of mouth isn't allowed to fester. Sally has no control over the situation. Her chosen narrative isn't brought down by the concern it too may be nothing more than a fabrication. Instead, it's all so impersonal. Sally appreciates all the kind words Natalie has to say about this experience. She learned so much simply by being on set and watching Sally lead. Of course, that was all with the intention of pursuing her own dreams. Everyone in Gene's former class have aspirations for stardom. They are eager to break out in Hollywood. Sally has had the biggest opportunity so far. She formed creative and business relationships she believed were necessary for success. The premiere was the culmination of all that hard work. And then, opinions shift in an instant. Instead, it's no longer up to the people she has engaged with so far to make all the decisions. The industry changed right in front of her. This is how vicious the business can be. Sally has grown accustomed to so much. This is the most devastating because she gave everything to making the show a success. She can't even return home and be comforted by Barry. He still wants to fulfill that role despite their recent breakup. He wants to prove he is capable of so much more. That only further affirms the darkness and violence within him. Sally refused to see it for far too long. Now that she can, it's all she can see in Barry.
Barry doesn't understand how yelling once is made Sally break up with him. Of course, he's conditioning himself to believe it wasn't as bad as it was. Sally indulged in the exact same behavior. In the immediate aftermath, she wanted to be at home and make life easier for Barry so he didn't behave that way again. She wanted to appease him. Katie was the one who spoke up about how dangerous this situation was. Sally so badly wanted to escape that past trauma. She only ended up repeating it. She was determined not to make the same mistakes. She had the courage and conviction to break up. It was empowering for her while Barry was left completely confused. He doesn't understand what he did wrong. It takes more than good intentions to actually make a situation functional. Gene has a new lease on life as well. He's welcomed in circles that once shunned him - and for good reasons too. Sometimes a sincere apology is all it takes to make a situation better. Gene proceeds with that dignity and grace. That's how he carries himself after Barry agreed not to kill him. He has better opportunities now. He still must fully atone for the past and actually make things better for the people around him. When he attends dinner at Joe Mantegna's house, Gene still makes it all about himself. He leads with new values. He's still the same man who can't be trusted because his words are meaningless. He has a capacity to show people he's changed. At times, it takes that message being spelled out clearly for others to hear it. Hank stresses the importance of honesty to Barry when he comes needing relationship advice. Of course, it's all ironic because the Bolivians and Chechens are at war. The two sides are still viciously killing each other. The police are tangled up in the middle as well. Life is allowed to prosper in so many ways. However, the animosity and vitriol of betrayal is all too prevalent. Barry saved Albert's life when they served together. And now, he joins the police as the FBI liaison who can competently lead the investigation. He already knows about Barry's proximity to the case. That's a dangerous threat that looms out there. The same is true of the various people Fuches has outed Barry's true identity to. None of them have been able to carry out a hit against him. They only get harmed in the process. Fuches continues to spread that dysfunction and danger. Barry can still prosper. Him telling Sally all that he could do to the executive who cancelled her show is far more illuminating than any craft he could leave behind. That's the truth. It's just as scary as when he was yelling at her. In this case, it showcases how this fear and intimidation is quickly accessible. It's terrorizing. Barry sees it all so casually. People use him for these specific skills. They've brought danger to Sally. She doesn't even know the full extent of it. She's blinded by her pursuit for fame. Even in the wake of personal failure, she still acknowledges how bad Barry is. He should stay as far away from her as possible. That was a moment of honesty. It just revealed the horrors that have always been present.
