“Insecure” Season 3, Episode 3 Recap: Work Woes
Read weekly recaps on HBO’s “Insecure” every Monday on The 94 Percent.
Issa, Molly and Daniel are putting in work this week. When I mean work, I literally mean work as in earning monies to live. Let’s just say everyone is struggling.
Issa wakes up on her side of Daniel’s bed. She’s trying to be a good house guest by only taking up 35% of the mattress. Manners. Daniel invites her to reclaim some more space and get closer (awww), and switches pillows only to find pieces of Hot Cheetos on Issa’s side of the bed. Ma’am. Why are you leaving highly-processed snacks in a bed you do.not.own? Your behind needs to be demoted to that mid-century modern nightmare of a couch.
Clearly, Daniel isn’t that bothered by his soon-to-be flavor dust-stained sheets, because they start making out. He wastes no time going downtown. Bravo, “Insecure” writers! Bravo for putting female pleasure first! Too bad all of this is a dream sequence, but at least we get a little action between Issa and fine-ass Daniel. We’ve been waiting for three weeks!
Issa tags along with Molly to the puppy spa, so Flavor Flav can get a Purina facial or whatever hipsters can monetize for pet owners with too much disposable income. Molly shares her excitement for starting her new job at an all-Black and Latino law firm. She’s counting down the days until she can experience all-white linen Fridays and plastic-covered desk chairs.
Molly also shares her excitement for Issa moving out on her own. Issa kills Molly’s excitement almost immediately. She confesses that she’s sharing a bed with Daniel and reconsidering moving out altogether since they got a nice thing going. Issa could’ve lied to Molly to avoid judgement, but Issa is the worst liar west of the Mississippi. She’s not even a liar for real. What do you call a person who tries to formulate a lie in her head but blurts out the truth instead? That is what Issa is. The “Oh no, baby. What is you doing?” look is written all over Molly’s face. Molly isn’t even going to waste her time reasoning with her best friend. Issa knows she’s making questionable choices.
Issa is kind of back in the field at work. She and Frieda are setting up a We Got Y’all booth at what seems to be a non-profit job fair. These two have no confusion about their objective for the day. Diversity hire or bust!
It’s Molly’s first day at Jackson & Johnson (I made up that name.) I wonder if I’d ever be so lucky to work at an all-Black company. Sigh. Molly is a little too comfortable taking a tour of the office and meeting her new colleagues. Yes, everyone is Black, but this is not a Tom Joyner cruise.
Daniel is playing his latest beat for Khalil at Khalil’s post-fame bachelor pad but he isn’t taking Khalil’s feedback well. Daniel is an artist, and he’s sensitive about his shit. Daniel is trying to experiment with new sounds and stand out amongst the face tattoo rap we’re all inundated with, but Khalil is trying to make hits.
Back at the job fair, Frieda is scaring off candidates. Issa takes a break from recruiting to grab lunch when she stumbles upon a “Drumline”-meets-El Día de los Muertos performance from an organization called The Beat Crew. Issa stops by their booth for more information, and she intrigued. It’s a pretty dope non-profit. We Got Y’all simply doesn’t have the range.
The grass may not be greener at Molly’s new firm. There’s no way to send signed documents electronically. It’s 1995 up in here. Molly is going to have to wait for the courier to finish delivering documents at Flavor Magazine before he stops by Jackson & Johnson for pick up at noon.
Issa interviews for the property manager position. It’s less like an interview and more like a formality. Issa has the job. For what she lacks in property manager experience, she makes up for in life experience. This apartment complex and its residents are quite similar to The Dunes. The learning curve shouldn’t be that steep. The unit where Issa would be living in leaves much to be desired, but it’s half off and has a medicine cabinet with a mirror perfect for impromptu cyphers. Girl, take it!
Daniel and Issa are having more fun in the laundromat than I’ve ever had. They’re flirting and enjoying each other’s company. Issa drops the news that she got the property manager role. Daniel poses a valid question, “Sis, how are you going to balance three jobs?” Daniel reminds Issa that if she wants to stay at his house longer, she’s more than welcomed to. He wants his boo thang at his home and in his bed.
The grass is looking even less green for Molly. It’s like a crusty grain mustard yellow now. Unbeknownst to her, Molly’s office also doubles as a storage closet. Whew Chile...the ghetto! Molly airs her many frustrations with work to Issa, Kelli and a pregnant Tiffany at happy hour.
The conversation quickly devolves to why Black businesses can sometimes be a hot mess. This debate is entirely too deep and too complex for drinks while waiting for a table. This is the kind of talk you have at the Black conference. Nothing being said at the bar is foreign or unfamiliar to many of us. Do Black people hold Black-owned businesses to impossible standards while blindly trusting their white, Asian and Latino and Native counterparts, or are some Black-owned businesses simply not on point?
The girls make their way to their table while skirting around the fact that Issa, Molly and Kelli have a whole group chat without Tiffany. I can’t even blame them. Tiffany would stress me out too. On to more important business, Issa tells the girls she’s toying with the idea of staying with Daniel and she’s met with ummeduate pushback. There’s literally a collective and resounding “No” from the girls. They don’t want to see their girl caught up in drama.
Antoinette, the one promising candidate from the non-profit job fair, is being interviewed by Issa and Frieda for a position at We Got Y’all. She’s killing it so much that Frieda thinks it’s as good a time as any for her to meet Joanne. Frieda steps out, and Antoinette seeks the real tea from Issa: What is it like to be Black at this organization? Issa gives a textbook answer—it’s cool, but white people be tripping from time to time. How real can you really get without compromising professionalism?
Their conversation also reveals that Issa has been with We Got Y’all for five years. Excuse me? Five years? You know how many Kardashian asses ago that was? It hits Issa for what seems to be the first time that she needs to start making career moves ASAP. It’s long overdue. For starters, we’re millennials. We’re not staying with companies for 25 years anymore. We’re going after bigger bags, more challenges and greater work satisfaction every two to three years now. Secondly, Issa’s chances for professional growth are non-existent. Although looking for a new job at your current job is in poor taste, I’m glad that Issa is taking a second look at The Beat Crew—somewhere that might reignite her passion for helping others.
Molly is continuing to let down her wig at work. Girl, this is still a place of business. It’s understood that your colleagues may be more inclined to operate on CP time, BUT YOU DON’T SAY THAT ALOUD IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM. These comparisons between your old and new firms are seriously going to prevent you from getting better acclimated at work and better acquainted with your colleagues. Focus on the now.
Daniel is finally getting studio time with Equate-brand Drake. How many bright-colored jackets does Spyder own? Khalil is also there. Daniel plays his original beat for Spyder. It’s received well. You know what’s also received well? Khalil’s remix to Daniel’s beat. Spyder can’t decide on which beat he likes better, so both are scraped. Great.
Issa and Daniel are at a restaurant with ocean views. If this ain’t a date if I ain’t never seen one. Issa is treating her pseudo-bae to dinner as a token of her appreciation for everything he’s done for her over the last few months. Daniel is tense. That disastrous studio session is messing with his mood, and Issa is trying to lighten things with jokes. It loosens him up a bit. Things tense back up when Issa lets Daniel know that she’s going to take the part-time property manager role and move out. Daniel is disappointed, but Issa reassures him that her having her own space may actually be healthy for their budding romance.
Daniel is the type of guy that will walk around all day angry, but not actually say anything until prompted. He tells Issa the studio session with Spyder didn’t go as planned, and his faux pas of playing his original beat instead of the remixed beat probably soured things with Khalil. Daniel has accepted that the bridge is burned, but Issa urges him to apologize to Khalil. Daniel isn’t trying to hear it and lashes out. He hits her with something along the lines of: “Who are you to give career advice?” I felt that in my chest more than Dro’s “doN’T wORRy AbOuT WHat ME AnD MY wIFe Do!” from two episodes ago.
Although Daniel has a hard time expressing his feelings in times of hurt and anger, he had no problem trying to apologize to Issa later that night in bed. He said what he said out of anger not because he actually thinks Issa’s career is on life support. You ain’t got to lie. That’s exactly how you feel! The apology is mildly effective, so he initiates sex. Not dream sequence sex. Real sex. Issa snaps out of the cunniligus and stops Daniel.
*Fights air*
Girl, I totally agree that sleeping with Daniel is a bad idea, but you couldn’t just get yours now and hit him with the “This isn’t going to work.” afterwards? That’d be too easy, and we know Issa doesn’t do easy. Always thinking and whatnot. Daniel backs off and rolls over...disgruntled.
