Warning: This article contains spoilers.
This week, The Bold Type addressed sexual assault and the domino effect that occurs when someone who speaks out about sexual assault inspires others to do the same, in an episode aptly titled “The Domino Effect.” The way Jane honored Jacqueline in this episode was just one of many examples of women supporting women on The Bold Type.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most inspiring moments from season two (so far) that show women supporting women.
1. When Sutton says no to slut-shaming
Remember when Sutton was working on that photoshoot featuring extraordinary men (including Jane’s now-SO, Dr. Ben) and started thinking she was only selected because she was known as the “office flirt”? Thanks to some slut-shaming from her colleagues, Sutton thought she was selected because she works well with men. As a result, Sutton acted awkward during the shoot and tried to keep her distance. When she talked to Jacqueline about it, Jacqueline assured her that her “magnetic personality” is something to embrace and be proud of. With Jacqueline’s reassurance and support, Sutton began acting like herself again, wound up doing an awesome job working with the men at the shoot, and even called out the woman who had been slut-shaming her, saying, “We don’t tear each other down, not as women and definitely not as women of Scarlet.”
2. When Sutton and Adena work together despite their differences
When Kat suggested that Sutton select Adena for a photoshoot, Sutton was hesitant but ultimately chose Adena for the shoot to help Kat out. At first, Sutton and Adena had very different visions for the shoot and it wasn’t going well. However, they had an inspiring moment where they recognized their similarities and worked together to create an awesome, and admittedly risky shoot, for the body positivity issue of Scarlet. Sutton, Kat and Jane got naked for the photoshoot, showing their “imperfections,” like acne. The moment was made to be even more empowering because Adena also shot the photos while naked, saying she wanted to make her models feel more comfortable.
3. When Kat and Jane help Sutton with her walk of shame
This was a moment of true friendship. Sutton woke up in bed with a man just before work and didn’t have time to get ready. She contacted Jane and Kat, and they reacted with such an awesome level of support. Jane was with Ben but told him it was an emergency (well, a fashion emergency, she clarified). Kat and Jane show up at the Scarlet office building, bringing along items like dry shampoo, a disposable toothbrush, shoes and a leather jacket. Jane and Kat didn’t act like Sutton’s “walk of shame” (or stride of pride) was shameful at all — they were extremely supportive, and that’s how it should be.
4. When Sutton meets up with Dylan’s wife
That guy that Sutton slept with? Yeah, he was actually married—but Sutton didn’t find out until she saw a text on his phone. After seeing the text, she was pretty upset, but her reaction that followed was admirable—she decided she needed to tell Dylan’s wife. Sutton found Dylan’s wife on social media and showed Kat. They talked about how his wife even went to the Women’s March (and had a good sign). Kat didn’t think telling Dylan’s wife was necessarily a good idea, but Sutton stood by her decision. “I spent my childhood watching my mother date guys like Dylan,” Sutton said. “They lie and cheat and she really suffered, so even if Allison isn’t on my side, I’m going to be on hers.” Cool and inspiring AF. When Sutton met up with Allison, Allison was obviously upset, but she didn’t take it out on Sutton or blame her. “I don’t hate you. I want to find a good guy who loves me and treats me with respect,” Allison said. “You seem like a nice girl, Sutton, and I hope you find one of those guys.” Thanks, The Bold Type, for showing us women having an honest conversation and not perpetuating the idea that women always react with woman-on-woman hate in this type of situation.
5. When Kat tries to hire Angie
Kat wanted to hire Angie, a woman she described as “amazing, smart, refreshing and hungry.” The problem? She didn’t finish college, so hiring her would go against company policy. But Kat kept fighting to challenge the policy because she believed in Angie. Jacqueline was also supportive, telling Kat, “If you think she’s worth fighting for, I’m all for it.” When Richard granted Kat the opportunity to pitch a policy change to the board, Kat wanted Angie to be there and to speak for herself. However, Angie was working and didn’t want to risk losing her job, in case she didn’t get the job at Scarlet. Jane, after recognizing her own white privilege and wanting to apologize to Kat, filled in for Angie at work, allowing Angie to go to the board meeting, where she killed it, obviously.
6. When Jane writes a story about the domino effect
On this week’s episode, Jane was presented with an opportunity to write a follow-up to her story about sexual assault. She started working on a story about the domino effect, interviewing many women and hearing their stories. When one source told her that she was inspired by Jacqueline—but also had some negative feelings about Jacqueline—Jane was upfront and honest with Jacqueline, keeping her informed about the story. The woman said she was assaulted by the same man who assaulted Jacqueline, and when Jane told Jacqueline this, Jacqueline said, “That’s devastating to think that another woman was victimized by the same man who assaulted me.” Even though the woman had some negative feelings about Jacqueline (though she also credited her with helping her understand the importance of speaking up), Jacqueline was understanding, supportive and empathetic. At the end of the episode, Jacqueline told Jane that she reached out to the woman. “We’re going to start working together to make sure there are safe spaces for women who want or need to tell their stories,” Jacqueline said.
7. When Jane and Jacqueline support each other
This week, Jane won an award for her story about sexual assault that she had written for Scarlet. When she gave her speech, she credited Jacqueline as her mentor, saying, “She pushed me to dig deeper even when it was too painful and she taught me that what matters most isn’t your byline or these awards. What matters most is the story and the truth.” After the follow-up story was published, Jane was concerned about how Jacqueline would feel about it, since she originally wanted the piece to honor Jacqueline. But Jacqueline was supportive of Jane, telling her that Jane’s article pushed her to think in new ways. She then offered Jane an opportunity to work at Scarlet again.
With so many powerful women on the show, it’s no surprise that the the show features many inspiring and empowering moments like these. Still, it’s something we unfortunately don’t see in movies and TV shows enough, so we’re glad The Bold Type is helping change the conversation.