Famous In Love Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Prelude to a Diss
Caralynn Lippo
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Is it evil of me to have really enjoyed watching Paige fail spectacularly on Famous In Love Season 1 Episode 4?
Sure, she picked it all up by the end, but Paige is at her most likable when she's legitimately struggling. It humanizes her, at least to some degree.
Also, I appreciated the reality of a total acting neophyte behaving like... well, a total acting neophyte.
This was easily the best hour of the show so far (though, really, that's not saying a ton) for multiple reasons.
The first was the lack of Nina, who, I'll admit, still gives me the creeps. Her absence was explained away with a set trip to Hawaii, where I assume they'll eventually be filming for the movie.
Nina's only participation on "Prelude to a Diss" was sending Jordan a thirsty text and yelling at Paige for her terrible (and costly!) day on set over the phone.
I would have liked to check in with Jake and Alexis over in Palm Springs, but watching Paige melt down in jealousy and frustration over their very public romp was satisfying enough for me. Jalexis can wait 'til next week!
The main plot followed Paige's nervousness about filming the movie. As expected, she completely got in her own head about the enormity of the movie and how many people's jobs depended on her pulling it all off.
That, the ongoing Jalexis distraction, director Wyatt being short-tempered (and obviously irritable about his crush Alexis being out and about with another man), and a last-minute call sheet change all resulted in Paige screwing up epically, multiple times.
The first incident was when she didn't know the lines to a scene. Granted, the scene wasn't supposed to be shot that day, but it still struck me as a bit odd that Paige seemed completely unfamiliar with it. I would have thought that she'd have read the script about 45 times since landing the role. Seems like a Paige thing to do.
The second screw-up was actually hilarious and fairly relatable – Paige hadn't been told that she was acting opposite a CGI character in a particular scene, and for whatever reason seemed fully incapable of delivering her lines to a tennis ball on a broom stick. It totally threw off her game, and Wyatt verbally smacked her down.
We hired you because you seemed to have genuine talent. But what I've seen here today has been abysmal. You held up the crew and you've delayed production. If you don't show up tomorrow ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime, don't show up at all.
Wyatt
Oh. Snap.
Wyatt seemed a bit overly cruel to Paige right off the bat, but I still think his behavior seemed to be within the realm of reality.
There are directors who really are like that, especially when they're working on a big budget movie. I mean, it sucks, but it does happen.
While all of this was going on, Cassie was helpfully supporting her best friend with a variety of encouraging pep talks... all the while keeping secret her own far more serious life problems.
You're Paige Townsen, best friend, karaoke wizard, cheap-skate, and soon-to-be international superstar.
Cassie
...like the fact that she was about to be kicked out of school for not being able to afford her tuition.
Poor Cass. I have to imagine that she's losing her patience with listening to all of Paige's first-world problems, especially when she had to put up with listening to them in the midst of topless-cleaning some skeevy dude's house.
But hey, at least she's able to remain giddy about the simple things, like a well-stocked trailer mini-fridge!
Get out! There's more food in here than we get after a Costco run!
Cassie
In all seriousness, I'm increasingly looking forward to seeing the eventual confrontation between Cassie and Paige when Cassie's secret money issues and topless maid career are revealed.
That should be good – and hopefully Paige isn't too much of a jerk when she finds out that Cassie needed to pawn the expensive bracelet that Paige gifted her from the studio's swag bag.
Also on the Locked set, Rainer was yet another distraction for Paige while she was trying to concentrate on not screwing up the movie. He wouldn't take no for an answer and pompously could not conceive of why she wouldn't want to date him.
I thought you could wear it on our first date... That's me asking you out.
Rainer
Not a good look, Rainer.
Luckily, his recently-renewed BFFship with Jordan helped him sort out the Paige situation.
Jordan wisely suggested that Rainer pump the breaks on trying to woo Paige using his tried-and-true player methods, like an initial necklace that apparently he's given all his famous flings.
Rainer, who is kind of a doofus, literally had no idea that the gift might have seemed disingenuous, given that he's gifted that exact same thing to other women in his life.
Seriously, guy? Insert eye rolls here.
Nevertheless, the chemistry between the two of them is undeniable (or so we keep being told), so it's only a matter of time before Paige's resolve to remain strictly friends and co-stars while Locked films is worn down.
I did appreciate this sassy comeback of hers, though:
Rainer: Come on, Paige. You felt it. I know you did.
Paige: Felt what?
Rainer: The chemistry. That kiss, it was...
Paige: Acting? Yesterday, I did a really moving scene with a tennis ball. Wait 'til you see it.
And on the bright side, we did get the briefest hint into deepening Rainer's character, when he confessed a few of his life woes to Paige in an attempt to explain why he acted like an idiot while trying to ask her out.
Rainer: I'm doing that thing again where I'm looking for excuses. I'll keep going if it's working.
Paige: I don't know. Try me.
Rainer: I was a working child actor so I didn't have a best friend, I was lonely, my dad died when I was a baby.
Paige: Is all that true?
Rainer: Tragically, yes.
I'm interested to hear more about this dad thing, because right now, Rainer is still feeling like a slightly less smolder-y cardboard cutout of Robert Pattinson.
Over on the other half of the set, Jordan and Tangey were dealing with problems of their own, together and separately.
Jordan was still keeping his affair with Nina a secret from everyone, but it's becoming increasingly clear that he has real feelings... for Tangey.
Actually, I'm not even sure why he's still sleeping with Nina when he's so obviously into Tangey – is it a gratitude thing, for what Nina has done for him and his career? Because, if so, that's kind of ew.
Anyway: Tangey was all aboard the Jordan train, but Jordan turned her down, citing the fact that he didn't want to hurt Rainer. Tangey, bless her heart, came right out and confronted Rainer about that fact, prompting him to give Jordan the all-clear to date Tangey.
He very nearly confessed his feelings to her but was interrupted by someone (Nina?) knocking on his door.
How long will they draw out the Jordan/Tangey will they/won't they? Hopefully not too long. The chemistry between the two of them is easily the best among any of the show's various duos.
But Tangey had other things going on – like dealing with her controlling momager, Ida.
"Heart Eyes" is objectively a terrible song, so I don't blame Tangey for wanting to branch out from manufactured pop garbage. Ida is clearly more concerned about making sure Tangey continues to bring in money, rather than her daughter actually doing what makes her happy.
Jordan, on the flip side, encouraged Tangey to do what she wanted to with her own career – which wound up convincing Tangey to perform the country song she'd written (about their hookup) on Conan, to her mother's horror.
All I ever want is support from you. But all I ever get are lectures. My whole life, we've done it your way. Not anymore. No. No, now we're doing it my way. You're fired.
Tangey
Tangey firing Ida was an excellent moment, well-acted by Pepi Sonuga.
Stray thoughts:
- I literally cannot with these punny-takes-on-famous-movies episode titles, you guys.
- I adored Cassie locking that perv out of his own house... though I didn't quite understand why she continued to clean after locking him out. Why not just leave at that point??
- Is it just me, or does anyone else have trouble understanding what Rainer is murmuring, like, 75% of the time?
- The show is really going to some serious lengths to make it seem like Paige might actually choose Jake over Rainer in the long run, which seems obviously laughable to me.
What did you think of "Prelude to a Diss"? Share your thoughts by commenting below.
Remember that you can watch Famous In Love online anytime here at TV Fanatic to relive the star-studded adventures of Paige Townsen Without the D.
Caralynn Lippo is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
