The Bold Type review: Let’s go back to the beginning

Before they were the OT3, Kat, Jane and Sutton were just three employees at Scarlet trying to find their place. But even then, they were unstoppable.

In most workplaces, team building exercises include obstacle courses, or puzzles. But Scarlet Magazine isn’t most workplaces. Here, team building comes down to almost killing a major advertiser.

However unintentional it was, it was effective for Kat, Jane and Sutton. But first, let’s review how we got there.

In the aftermath of last week’s hack, every email on Scarlet’s server was dumped onto the web. Surprisingly, they could have been worse! Oliver seemed to be the only one who was truly in any hot water for things he said. Then again, would he really be the Oliver we love if he hadn’t offended all of Manhattan?

So far, it appears Jane’s audio of Ingrid somehow didn’t get out. If it did, it didn’t make any major headlines or waves. But that doesn’t mean it won’t, and Jane is determined to get just one person on the list Ingrid provided to back up her story.

So far, it’s been a quick list. No one wants to go on record against Pamela Dolan, and it made for an interesting shade of Jane this week. Her struggle with keeping her identity a secret in order to get answers versus maintaining her ethics is one that plenty of journalists face.

Luckily, she listens to not only her head, but her friends and boyfriend too. Ryan is proving over and over that Jane made the right choice in Paris. The Janestripe ship is going strong, and had one of the most important scenes this week.

“No matter how hard my day is, I will never not celebrate your success,” she tells him in the final minutes of the episode.

It’s that sentiment that’s at the core of this show. Whether it’s Jane lifting up Ryan, or the girls lifting each other, The Bold Type is all about support. It always has been – even before we joined its world.

Let’s get to the flashback, shall we? In 2014, Jane is on her way into her first day at Scarlet, where she shares an elevator with none other than her future BFFs. And it’s a very near future at that. The OT3 have solidified their bond by the end of the workday.

When Jane enters the bullpen, she’s greeted by a much more happy-go-lucky Andrew. Don’t worry, he’s just as sassy (being Jacqueline’s assistant is his dream). At some point, we have to find out why he’s got such a distaste for Jane though, right?

It isn’t long before she’s scooped up by Lauren Park. Remember her? We met Sutton as her assistant in season one. Now we know how Sutton got that job; she created it!

Of course, she had some support from her new friends in the fashion closet. There was something almost sacred about seeing the trio’s first meeting in their special hideout.

It was also there that the women concocted their plan for saving their skins. After accidentally eating the  sandwiches made for Jacqueline’s meeting with an advertiser – who is seeming a bit shady by the end of the episode – the girls need to find a replacement.

Luckily, Sutton knows where all the food in the building is. She’s a girl after my own heart. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know that Jacqueline’s comrade has a peanut allergy. Oops.

But, in stealing those lethal sandwiches, she immediately steals Richard’s heart. For every Suttard shipper there is, the encounter proved one thing: these two were meant for each other.

Back in the present day, Tia and Kat could be headed the same way. Tia owned up to the fact that she likes girls…but she doesn’t want to. Though she and Kat end the night in a passionate kiss, that will likely be a major speed bump if the relationship moves forward – especially with Adena still set to arrive this season.

Sadly, beyond that romantic development, the episode didn’t do much to move the overall story forward. As much of a joy as it was to watch, that tends to be the caveat with flashback episodes. But this writer isn’t too worried.

The Bold Type still has plenty of time this season – and, as of today, an entire fourth season! – to keep things moving forward.

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