What About Your Friends
Episode 4 of The Other Black Girl starts with Malaika and Nella finishing up a yoga session, and Malaika compliments Nella’s new look. Nella says it is because of Hazel, who pushed her to talk to Richard in her clothes, and she felt like a different person.
Nella invites Malaika out to dinner to introduce her to Hazel. Malaika agrees to dinner but tells Nella that Richard would have loved her proposal even if she presented it in rags. Outside the Yoga studio, Nella bumps into Shani, which she finds odd. She arrives at the office, and Hazel is excited about her new look and agrees to join her for dinner.
Vera frantically asks her to print two copies of the document she emails and asks to meet in her office urgently. They received the report from the sensitivity reader, and removing the parts the reader flags means there is hardly a book left and the release date is already set. Nella agrees to write a memo summarizing the issues and see what everyone else thinks.
Sophie interrupts their meeting, saying Richard wants to see Nella, which puzzles Vera and Sophie. Richard tells Nella that their conversation inspired him and suggests meeting with Diana Gordon, who is already in his office. Richard introduces Nella as one of their best assistants and then says probably not much longer. He says that Diana is considering bringing her next project to Wagner and returning home.
Richard asks Sophie to gather all the editors in the conference room. The editors start pitching ideas, and Vera suggests a narrative-driven cookbook. Diana asks if she looks like she can cook. The ideas raised are terrible, and Diana does not like them. Nella masters the courage and suggests a re-release of Burning Heart.
Vera tries to silence her, but Diana is curious and asks her to keep going. Diana likes the idea but says the book is too painful for her and does not want to look backwards.
Later, Nella tries to apologize to Diana when they run into each other in the bathroom. Diana says her idea was the best in the room and applauds her for being bold and showing guts. Nella has much potential, but she needs a little polish. Diana invites her to her place this coming Saturday to talk shop.
Next, Nella arrives at Diana’s house. Hazel texts her to have fun, and they will discuss it at dinner. Over wine, Nella apologizes again for bringing up Burning Heart. Hazel arrives at Nella’s house, and Malaika thinks that she might be jealous that Nella is with Diana without her. Hazel says jealousy is not her thing; she is happy when something good happens to her friends.
Nella looks around Diana’s house when the lights flicker and thinks she heard something in one of the rooms. Nella looks through old pictures of Diana and suggests another idea: a memoir. She thinks Diana has lived a full life and she should tell her story. Diana says she thought about it, but it never felt right, and she never found an editor who was good enough.
Nella suggests they work together. Diana agrees to swing by the office on Monday, and they can discuss it with Richard. Nella arrives home, and she and Owen go to get some. Left together in the house, Malaika tells Hazel that she is not buying her act since she tried to screw over Nella the first day they met. Hazel says she and Nella have worked through that and wonders why Malaika is still hung up on it.
Malaika asks to talk to Nella privately, and she tells her that Hazel is being so fake. Nella thinks that Malaika is overreacting. They argue about it, and Nella says she can be friends with whoever she wants and asks Malaika to leave so they can enjoy dinner. Malaika storms out.
After 36 hours of being mad at each other, Nella visits Malaika at her workplace to apologize. Malaika insists that she does not get good vibes from Hazel, and Nella understands, saying they do not have to like the same people. Nella has to work with Hazel, and she likes her. Nella agrees not to force Malaika to hang out with Hazel. Malaika tells her she will be there for her when things with Hazel fall apart.
Diana meets with Nella at work, and she suggests bringing Hazel into the project. Diana is surprised since she thought Nella would want to work with Diana alone. Nella says that Hazel convinced her to talk to Richard about the re-release, and their relationship matters. Diana thinks Nella gives Hazel much credit for something she did but still agrees to bring her on.
Nella tells Hazel the excellent news and apologizes for the incident during dinner. Hazel is stunned upon learning that Nella wants to work with her. Vera asks Nella not to send out the memo about the sensitivity read and says she will handle it with Colin.
Hazel visits Malaika’s workplace. Malaika warns Hazel not to mess with her, but Hazel tells her she got it backwards. She is the one who shouldn’t try to mess with her. She and Nella are working closely together at work and will become close friends. She is not going anywhere.
Nella is heading home when Shani approaches her on the subway. She tells her that Hazel is Eva, and puts a note in Nella’s purse before leaving, asking to meet the next day at 5 p.m.
The Episode Review
The storyline of The Other Black Girl is becoming increasingly intriguing. It is impossible to figure out what happens next with the constant mix of highs and lows to keep the viewer glued. Hazel is still a mystery, and the suspense surrounding her is agonizing. Malaika seems to think she is up to no good, and her change of demeanour when warning Malaika not to mess with her indicates that Malaika might be right.
I agree with Diana; Nella might be giving her unnecessary credit for things she did herself. Is Hazel her real name, or is it Eva? What does Shani know about her? If she is planning something, why is Nella involved? Let us hope to find out more in the next episode if Shani meets Nella.
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