In the previous episode of The Girls on the Bus, we saw the characters amidst the ups and downs of the excruciating election campaign, struggling with their own personal lives. Grace was having a tough time being a responsible mother, while Kimberlyn could hardly give the time to her fiance with the wedding preparations. Meanwhile, Lola, a self-made journalist, doesn’t know the jargon in the world of journalism, which exposes her to silly misunderstandings like showing up in a swimsuit at the journalists ‘Pool.’ Sadie, on the other hand, is trying to solve the mystery behind the burner phone until she receives an anonymous tip with dirt on Felicity Walker’s campaign.
With Caroline Bennett out of the presidential race, Walker had become the new face. However, Bennett’s scandal didn’t help her cause much. The Geriatric was the new frontrunner now, followed by the ‘Hot White Guy,’ and Walker being third in line. The Geriatric’s new position was constantly challenged by Kimberlyn, who has been frequently calling him out for his age, questioning if he’d even be an abled President because of his age. Grace, on the other hand, was asked by her friend Jack, the Geriatric’s press secretary, to do a portrait of his boss. Even though it was not Grace’s forte, she complied until she noticed that the old man was actually quite frail. To support his cause, Jack organized a marathon for the Geriatric to prove that he is quite fit for the position, but the plan backfires when the old man unfortunately dies due to a heart attack. With the frontrunner gone now, the anonymous tipper calls Sadie again, clarifying that they need to talk because Felicity is actually a part of the presidential race now.
Spoilers Ahead
How Does Everyone React To The Geriatric’s Death?
In the world of politics, every public appearance is an attempt to gain votes. Perhaps that is what this episode of The Girls on the Bus has tried to portray through the presidential candidates’ reactions when the Geriatric dies. At the Geriatric’s funeral, all the candidates make it seem like expressing their condolences is part of their campaign strategy. Hot White Guy, realizing that he is now the frontrunner, decides to make a personable eulogy to the Geriatric’s widow, which wins the hearts of everyone at the church. For the journalists, things are a bit different, though. Grace and Kimberlyn actually feel guilty for mocking the Geriatric for his age when he was alive. They feel like they are kind of responsible for compelling the old man to participate in the marathon, which ultimately resulted in his death.
What Does Sadie Find Out About Walker?
Following Walker’s actual entry into the presidential race, after her stunt in Vegas and the Geriatric’s death, the stakes are as high as ever. The informant behind the burner phone is also quite serious about helping Sadie expose Walker’s true intentions. For a start, he advises Sadie to look at Walker’s electoral donations. He claims that something is fishy about the donations that have been made for her campaign because not all of the donations are legit. One of the possibilities might be that Walker is using her funds to launder money.
Why Does Walker Contact Sadie?
The presidential campaign now leads the candidates and journalists to Youngstown, Ohio. The people of Youngstown are facing a problem with access to clean drinking water, and the candidates find this to be an important cause to support for their campaigns. Felicity might be enjoying the limelight of the presidential race once again, but it is only second to Hot White Guy’s popularity. Especially when the former actor arrives at Felicity’s rally dressed up as a superhero character from one of his movies, riding a garbage truck. This publicity stunt becomes a decisive factor in winning over the voters when he ends up donating 16 million dollars to help solve Youngstown’s water problem.
Another reason for Hot White Guy’s rise is Sadie’s article on him in The Daily Sentinel. Faced with such a strong competitor, Walker realizes that it is now time for her to put her hatred for Sadie aside. As a result, she summons Sadie, suggesting they shelf their hostilities and go on record for her articles.
What Happens To Grace?
In the previous episode, Grace was already seen struggling to attend to her daughter, Annie, because of the campaign. She is unable to stay in touch with Annie until her daughter shows up at her hotel in Ohio. Annie reveals that she has been suspended from her university for peddling adderall to other students to help out her ‘friend.’ Annie asks for Grace’s help to find a solution by talking to the Dean, but Grace, who is infuriated, turns her daughter down, telling her to sit through the suspension and learn how to take accountability.
However, her mother’s words upset Annie, causing a major disagreement between the mother and the daughter. Annie feels as though her mother has always been unavailable. It was always her father who was present through the different stages of her life. For instance, Grace never even picked Annie up from her ballet recitals as she always preferred her career over her family, to which even Grace agrees. For Grace, her career was indeed important because it was her life’s work. She worked her way diligently until she won four Pulitzer awards, which she feels Annie would never understand. However, Annie disagrees; because of Grace’s misplaced priorities, she has practically abandoned her family. Following this argument, Annie leaves infuriated. Later on, during a discussion between Grace and Sadie, the latter defends Annie, making Grace realize how scary it must’ve been for Annie to even approach her mother. Annie was in need of help, but Grace, being an adult, turned her daughter down. However, when Grace does contact Annie’s university, the Dean notifies her that Annie has already dropped out from the university.
Why Does Bruce Order Sadie Off The Campaign Trail?
Ever since Sadie slept with Malcolm, there has been significant tension between the two. At the time of their encounter, Malcolm was unemployed, but the next thing she knew, Malcolm was working for Walker. Sadie acknowledges that it was certainly a bad decision. If people found out that she had been involved with someone in the campaign, not only her name but even her firm’s name would be slandered. Their credibility as an objective media house would be questioned as well. Sadie’s fears, however, become true when her colleague, Dale, confronts her about having spotted her and Malcolm kissing in the lobby. He threatens her to come clean to Bruce or he will expose her, to which Sadie complies. During a dinner with Bruce, she confesses about her fling with Malcolm. Bruce is infuriated to hear about this. Sadie was already on thin ice, and with her actions that could jeopardize the firm, Bruce orders her to get off the campaign trail.
What Can We Expect In The Next Episode?
With Sadie’s truth out to her employer, her credibility as an objective journalist is challenged. However, she still has an informant who knows about Felicity’s truth. It is true that Sadie is a reliable journalist, and that is why this mysterious whistleblower trusts Sadie to expose Felicity before the elections. Perhaps Sadie would end up going behind Bruce’s back to pursue this story and win back Bruce’s trust.
