The Bold Type premiere review: The new normal, but the same fun

It’s been nine torturous months, but we’re finally back with Jane, Kat and Sutton. This season, all three of them have some major adjustments to tackle.

To say it’s good to be back with The Bold Type would be a lie. It’s great to be back with The Bold Type.

It’s been nine months since we left the  ladies in Paris, and yet it doesn’t feel like we’ve missed a beat, as the premiere picks up almost right where we left them.

It’s been a month in their time, so there’s a few new developments, the first being Jane’s decision.

She’s picked her man and the winner is… Pinstripe! It’s bittersweet; Dr. Ben was incredible, and Luca James Lee played him so well. But Jane and Ryan have both chemistry, and a history. He gave her her first Big O, and when the episode kicks off, they’re right back in the throes of passion.

They’re not the only ones though. Sutton and Richard are having a fine time in the shower, until she realizes she doesn’t have any clean clothes for work. Sutton’s been living out of an overnight bag it seems, but Richard has a solution: moving in together.

Thanks to the season promos, this wasn’t a huge shock, but it was no less exciting! Sutton and Richard have been through so much, and they deserve to be happy together. Still, it’s a big step, and Sutton needs to think on it. It’s a mature move.

Less mature is Richard prematurely telling Jaqueline it was happening. It’s hard to be too mad about it though, once his real reasoning is revealed.

Since he and Sutton went public in Paris, Richard’s been getting a lot of not-so-subtle judgement. From being uninvited to a dinner he’s attended for years, to (apparently regular) cracks about Sutton’s youth and flexibility, he’s had to defend his relationship’s integrity more than anyone should.

Sutton’s tough though. Her clapback to Eli’s remarks at the Scarlet Summit is perfect in every sense, and is exactly the kind of attitude we’ve come to expect from The Bold Type. When she finally does decide she wants to move in with Richard, it’s on her own terms, and it feels real and right.

THE BOLD TYPE – “The New Normal” – Picking up right after the heartbreak, romances and uncertainties from the season two finale in Paris, Jane, Kat and Sutton are back in New York City and dealing with the aftermath of some major decisions. Scarlet Magazine brings in Patrick Duchand to run the digital branch, effectively knocking Jacqueline down to only running the print magazine. Meanwhile, Jane has picked her guy, but is frustrated that a man is put in charge of a womenÕs magazine. Kat struggles to keep up happy appearances on social media and as a speaker at the Scarlet Summit, while secretly suffering heartache, and Sutton and Richard enjoy their romance in the limelight and discuss moving in together. This episode of “The Bold Type” airs Tuesday, April 9 (8:00 – 9:01 P.M. EDT) on Freeform. (Freeform/Philippe Bosse)

AISHA DEE

Sadly, Kat is working on the moving out process. Or rather, moving Adena’s stuff out. It’s been a month since Paris, but Kat is still grieving the breakup. She’s taken a hiatus from social media -– minus stalking Adena’s Instagram – and clammed up about the whole situation with her friends.

It’s totally understandable; Adena was a seismic shift in Kat’s life, in the best way. She can’t just fake being happy. Well, she can, and she does, for the benefit of Patrick Duchand, the new Head of Digital.

Agreeing to speak at the Summit was a surprising move for Kat, considering she’s never usually one for doing things just because she has to. Even more surprising was her kiss with Alex. Then again, we all have weird moments when we’re hurting, right? He handled it perfectly. I wouldn’t mind a little more Alex this season.

Of course, Patrick never wanted her to fake it. In fact, he could smell it a mile away. He may be smarmy, but so far, he’s a smarmy good guy.

The first revelation of that comes at the hands of Jane’s reporting, much to her chagrin. As it turns out, he literally pulled his pants down in a meeting with HR to help fight the gender pay gap. Much as she, and all of us, wanted to hate him, the Bold Type writers would never make it that easy.

The show couldn’t have kicked off any stronger, and I have no doubt this season will reach new heights.

The Bold Type airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Freeform.