The Boomerang showrunners continue to show us they are willing to take risks with conventional narrative even relatively early into the life of the series and have enough respect for the audience’s intelligence that they will appreciate those risks. Last week there was the absence of the regular male characters, totally centering the narrative on the women characters. This episode continually shifts back and forth between flashbacks of the night before, and Simone and her friends sitting in the church listening to David.
The first flashback gives us Ari trying to kick it to a girl right outside a random club. It’s apparently almost time for the club to close and she thinks everyone will be heading home. Ari informs her she is dead wrong and that when the club closes is when the real clubbing begins- in the parking lot right outside the club. He calls it “The Let Out”, which is also the name of the episode. And Ari is right. As soon as the clubgoers tumble out, the turn up starts out in the parking lot.
Cut to Tia trying to get rid of a guy trying to pick her up. No matter what she says, he refuses to take a hint so she has to break it down to him in blunt terms. “I’m not into D” she says. “I’m into the P.” And asks him to move along if he’s not considering making a change. He soon disappears.
Simone confronts Ari asking him why the DJ did not play Tia’s song as she had requested (well technically bribed) him to do. Ari tells her that there were no guarantees and she is basically sh*t out of luck, and $200! Upon hearing the news that her girlfriend’s song isn’t going to be played, Rocky is not happy. She half-jokingly blames the lack of queer people on why the DJ wouldn’t play Tia’s song, proclaiming, “I hate straight clubs!”
David shares the sentiment for a different reason. He declares, “I hate clubs!” after a bunch of girls who approach him slink away when he tells them (maybe a bit too soon) that he is a preacher. He just blames his failure on the fact that they are at a club-though really, at this point, they are actually just in a parking lot outside a club. Ahem!
Frustrated, Simone ends up playing Tia’s song in her car- loud. However, as good as her intentions are, she ends up looking crazy since she doesn’t have the kind of sound system that would make doing this make sense. Tia tries talking her down from the ledge telling her it’s okay and that she should just chill. Simone retorts that she “Will not accept defeat!” Tia not so gently reminds her, “Bitch this ain’t Gladiator!”
Bryson also tries to tell Simone she needs to relax. Simone, however, isn’t having it. She tells him she doesn’t need him to save her and stomps away. Obviously, her frustration stems from her sense that she has failed Tia.
The Gladiator reference isn’t the only movie reference either. Ari, on his mission to pick up the girl he met that night asks her if she has ever seen “Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead.” So it looks like this series is set on making cinephiles of viewers if they aren’t already!
Meanwhile, as the narrative, switches to the present, much of David’s sermon is about persistence resilience, and relying on God rather than relying on oneself. Just like when the Biblical David defeated the giant Goliath with a stone, thanks to God’s positioning of both David, Goliath, the wind and the stone, preacher David says that “God will make the wind blow in a certain way.”
Flashback to Simone going to the hot dog stand where the vendor out of nowhere tells her maybe her husband can help her out. Simone perks up quickly, asking the vendor if her husband is a DJ. “No,” the vendor replies. “He’s not a DJ he’s Dominican!” And yes, he has a monster sound system and yes, he plays Tia’s song- and it’s a bop!
Everybody’s getting into it and dancing and Simone is feeling real proud of herself and happy for Tia. Bryson too, is impressed with Simone’s accomplishment and the way she came through for her friend/client. They start to get close and are sharing a sweet kiss when all hell breaks loose as it seems to always do after clubs and parties. Everyone scatters and the moment between Bryson and Simone is lost, but not before he kisses her forehead and puts her in her car to safety. Damn!
In the last flash forward to the church service, Crystal sees David smiling from the pulpit and she thinks it’s at her, but she turns around to see a woman from the club that seemed like she was curving David, but apparently is interested in him after all. Crystal seems confused but she also kind of smiles; maybe she’s happy that her ex is finally moving on.We shall see.
David ends his sermon on a rousing note, reminding parishioners if, “You think like a loser, you’ll lose… Always look up… Go and slay your Goliaths!” Just like Simone did the night before.
