The Bold Type Tackles Societal Issues and Identity Struggles in Season 2

From fertility, LGBTQ representation, career endeavors, and more, The Bold Type tackles many of the main issues within society in season two and it’s exactly what we needed.

The ladies of Scarlett, Jane, Sutton, and Kat, really went there in season two. During the freshman season of Freeform’s female-led series, we learned what made the trio tick. After learning who each woman was in their own right, season two allowed the viewers and the show writers to hit the real issues in the world today and send a message that many shows just aren’t doing.

The best thing about The Bold Type is that is represents so many people. You might not directly relate to one character fully but there is at least a part of one or maybe multiple parts of various characters where you see them and think, “Wow, that is me.”

And it’s a beautiful thing.

Sutton (Meghann Fahy) follows her dreams and finally lands the role as Oliver’s fashion assistant. Throughout season two, Sutton proves that she really deserves the position she is in but after weeks of other assistants saying she slept her way to the top she started to get paranoid.

Sutton faced a difficult decision that many women in the workforce face today: love vs. career. Sutton didn’t want her secret relationship with Richard to be a catalyst for people to assume she got her spot because of him. This ultimately led her to end things with the love of her life.

For Sutton it was a good move at the time. She was able to thrive in her position and prove to Oliver she is the best of the best. It’s not until she lands the opportunity to go to Paris Fashion Week that she realizes love is an integral part of who she is. Lucky for her, Oliver understands and tells her to get Richard back.

Before she heads to the airport Richard is there waiting. It all works out for Sutton and she is able to have her cake and eat it to. She showed women that yes, you can have the career and love. You might have to make sacrifices here and there, but if you’re determined or passionate, it can work.

For Kat (Aisha Dee), she discovers her sexuality as a biracial lesbian throughout season two and ends up kissing someone else while Adena is away on a retreat. Things with Adena become rocky and because of this, they explore an open relationship. This is something that we’re starting to see a little more of on television, but it’s still not common.

Adena is able to give Kat the freedom to figure out what she likes and wants out of a relationship. Kat has open conversations about sex, and specifically oral sex, and questions she has surrounding it. These conversations and experiences lead Kat down a road where she not only questions her relationship but also realizes what it is exactly she wants.  

Kat also reveals more about her struggle with her identity. After becoming the youngest department director at Scarlett, Kat reveals that she’d always struggled with her identity as a biracial woman. In an earlier episode in the series, Kat has a heart-to-heart with her parents and how they never addressed race with her as a child.

It was a moving episode that needed to be told because it is an issue that many teens and young adults struggle with. For Kat, it’s her friends who help her figure out who she is and, with the help of Alex as well, she becomes comfortable with acknowledging that she isn’t just the youngest female department director, but also the first black female department director. 

Jane (Katie Stevens) has the hardest road throughout season two. In the season two premiere, Jane starts her new gig at a competing outlet. She’s fired after a bad viral experience and not truly meshing with the brand. This sent A-Type Jane into a tailspin. She has never been fired and has always had a job. After speaking with Jacqueline and trying to get her job back, she’s told she needs to find her voice first before coming back to her old job.

Through a series of freelance positions and learning more about what makes her a writer, Jane is able to reestablish her voice. It’s definitely a series of ups and downs and again shows the struggle that many young professionals and recent college graduates are facing today. There are so many qualified people in the world, but there aren’t always opportunities available.

In one episode, Jane loses a position because the outlet wants a different voice, and one from a minority group, for their brand. This sparks a conversation with Kat about white privilege and what that really means. This was another powerful episode that tackled the issue of representation in the workplace and was especially important following Kat’s recent identity struggles.

While Jane’s career ends up working out (she writes her way back into Scarlett), her personal life is a mess. After learning she has the mutation for the BRCA Gene, Jane has to face the reality of her options. With the help of her friends and even the support of Scarlett, Jane is able to lay out her options on prevention and even fertility.

For many 25-year-old women, worrying about the future and kids might not be a focus point, but for those who do have health issues it weighs heavy on their heart and minds. I don’t think I’ve seen a show that tackles an issue like fertility with characters who are young adults.

It’s a blessing that we have The Bold Type on a network that supports originality and pushing the envelope. For a show that started out about three friends who worked at a women’s magazine, it has turned into something many young females need to watch. It’s about female empowerment, love, support, issues, and more importantly, friendship.

Season three of The Bold Type will premiere on Freeform in the Spring of 2019.