UnREAL: WAR {SECOND SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The second season premiere in this drama series about the powerful women working behind the scenes on a reality dating television show.
In this episode, Quinn and Rachel get matching tattoos reflecting their blunt life goals as they party with Brad and the other executives in Las Vegas. Everyone is shocked and impressed when they introduce the new "Everlasting" suitor, a black football star named Darius Beck. Rachel sneaks off for some private time with Darius' manager Romeo as elsewhere, in Patagonia, Chet embarks on a "paleolithic lifestyle retreat." Later, Quinn convinces a skeptical Gary that Darius, who caused a PR scandal by insulting a female reporter, is the right choice, arguing that the race angle will be a "ratings bonanza." When Darius expresses doubts about the show, Rachel, now the showrunner, assures him that it will revamp his image and aid his career. She is then offended to learn from Dr. Wagerstein that Jeremy has been in contact with her mother, suggesting that she is having a "hyper-sexual manic episode"; Jeremy coldly assures her that he no longer cares if she harms herself with her irresponsible choices.
Quinn and Rachel assemble a volatile group of female contestants, including a racist white woman, a "terrorist" and an "angry black woman" named Ruby, though Jay explains that Ruby has changed her mind, not wishing to drop out of school to appear on the show. When Rachel reprimands him for losing her, he accuses her of selling out, appalled that she is still "twinsies" with Quinn after Quinn's harmful actions regarding Adam. Undeterred, Rachel visits Ruby and suggests that she can use the show as a political platform for her activism, "promising" her that she will make it to the final two. Quinn is stunned when Chet returns and declares that he intends to relieve her of her "male role" and take the show back for himself. When she kicks him out, he appeals directly to Darius. Rachel is upset to learn that Jeremy and the other men are creating a "kill list" of disqualified women whom they can sexually pursue; when Quinn warns Rachel that she cannot fire Jeremy because of their romantic history, she instead fires his focus puller to make her point. When Beth Ann, the white Southern debutante, expresses distaste at rooming with Chantal, a black woman, Rachel angrily orders Madison to leave them where they are and to create a fight between the two for the camera. As Madison attempts to conduct Chantal's pre-interview, Rachel uses her earpiece to force Madison to bait her with hurtful and manipulative questions about her fiancé's death, much to Jay's disgust and Quinn's approval.
On the night of the first episode shoot, Rachel is outraged when Darius does not appear in the limo as planned, and she and Quinn find that Chet has "stolen" him with more enticing offers. Romeo offers Rachel no loyalty despite their sexual encounters; Quinn, aware that she needs Darius' cooperation, grudgingly agrees to compromise with Chet and change the tone of the introductory episode, putting the women in bikinis by the pool rather than in ball gowns. Rachel is distressed with her apparent failure as a showrunner, but Quinn promises to give the show "back" to her once they have eliminated Chet. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Lifetime
- DATE: November 30, 1999 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:41:05
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 126064
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Television producers and directors; Reality programs; Women in TV
- SERIES RUN: Lifetime - TV series, 2015-2018; Hulu - Internet series, 2018
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sally DeSipio … Executive Producer
- Robert Sertner … Executive Producer
- Adam Kane … Executive Producer
- Carol Barbee … Executive Producer
- Stacy Rukeyser … Executive Producer
- Peter O'Fallon … Executive Producer, Director
- Marti Noxon … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Sarah Gertrude Shapiro … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Alex Taub … Co-Executive Producer
- Alex Metcalf … Supervising Producer
- S. Lily Hui … Producer
- Scott Wallace … Co-Producer
- Ariana Jackson … Co-Producer
- Jason Neese … Co-Producer
- Jamie Neese … Associate Producer
- Alex Metcalf … Consulting Producer
- Bob Habros … Visual Effects Executive Producer
- Adele Venables … Visual Effects Supervising Producer
- Fil Eisler … Music by
- Shiri Appleby … Cast, Rachel Goldberg
- Monica Barbaro … Cast, Yael
- Denée Benton … Cast, Ruby Carter
- Craig Bierko … Cast, Chet Wilton
- Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman … Cast, Jay
- B.J. Britt … Cast, Darius Beck
- Josh Kelly … Cast, Jeremy Caner
- Kim Matula … Cast, Tiffany James
- Michael Rady … Cast, Coleman Wasserman
- Gentry White … Cast, Romeo
- Constance Zimmer … Cast, Quinn King
- Genevieve Buechner … Cast, Madison
- Brennan Elliott … Cast, Graham
- Amy Hill … Cast, Dr. Wagerstein
- Lindsay Musil … Cast, Beth Ann
- Christopher Cousins … Cast, Gary
- Martin Cummins … Cast, Brad
- Monique Ganderton … Cast, Brandi
- Sunita Prasad … Cast, London
- Jessica Sipos … Cast, Hayley
- Karissa Tynes … Cast, Jameson
- Elizabeth Whitmere … Cast, Dominique
- Jennifer Spence … Cast, Connie
- Darren Dolynski … Cast, Barry
- Donavon Stinson … Cast, AD Dan
- Wolsey Brooks … Cast, Sugar
- Leanne Aguilera … Cast, Reporter
- Darren Bennett … Cast, Grand Leader
- Todd Thomson … Cast, Crew Guy