At the end of episode 1, Benjamin says what everyone is thinking. The behavior being shown is downright reckless. So far, from watching the first four episodes of the highly anticipated, Reckless Behavior the Series, I have formed three major themes. One, the overall difficulty of being a young woman in this decade. Two, the pressures of career timelines and invisible biological clocks. And three all of our friends’ and families’ opinions interfering with our decision making. One thing I am LIVING FOR is how natural, honest, and realistic the dialogue and situations occurring are. I have found myself over and over laughing and preparing for what is to be said, and remembering a situation or time in my life, reflective of what is on the screen. So many times we watch shows on television and they are so Hollywood. We laugh, but only about how unlikely it would be for our screens to transfer to real life. Everything I see on Reckless Behavior I can relate to. Its predictable in the best ways. Reflective, relatable and realer than real.
When episode 1 closes off, Michaela is flirting back and forth with Jaleel, a colorful salesman trying to climb the business ladder. He is in a relationship and his girlfriend is not Michaela’s biggest fan. Meanwhile a mysterious man is following Michaela, but informing someone else of what is going on. This person is later revealed as an informant for “stalker bae”. I get from the titles that each episode addresses certain aspects of Michaela’s life, but it will be interesting to see if Damien’s informant lets him know about what he witnessed at the pop up shop. If he doesn’t , from the title of episode two, Reckless Squad , I’m sure Michaela will be discussing her day with her friends. If they are anything like mine, they will have plenty to say.
When episode two starts Michaela is not in the scene, her friends are at her house waiting on her to get back from the store. When she gets back, she updates everyone on the current state of her life and as I expected, they volunteer their opinions. I love the way this episode is executed because it represents an authentic experience we all have . We want to be able to lean on our friends and family but sometimes it’s overwhelming to be bombarded with all of their ideas and suggestions on how we live our lives. Michaela takes this in stride and doesn’t get offended, but I can notice some of the comments bother her. She copes by partying with them and laughing everything off. Maybe that sounds like someone you know. This episode we also are briefly introduced to Michaela’s roommate, and let’s just say she is not in the best mood.
If I were to give this episode any “criticism” it would be in terms of flow. The vibe of the series so far from watching episodes one and two is very natural . The actors do not seem to be acting and interact with one another in genuine ways. However, sometimes the empty spaces cause me as the audience to get distracted. In the real world these pauses are always there, however, do not translate the same on screen.
My favorite episode of the first four was definitely Reckless Turn Up. The themes I mentioned earlier are all present and I again see myself in the series, which is refreshing. All in one episode, we see Michaela turning up, overindulging, being disrespected, having a great time, acting strong, and then falling again for some shenanigans. Healing is rarely linear. We go through many cycles , mixed emotions, and confusion before we finally move on from a toxic situation. Micheala and all of the executives of the series have done an amazing job translating this reality. It is never easy to leave someone alone and sometimes I think having everyone around you hate that person, only entices you to be around them more.
Finally, in episode four, we see the consequences of all the reckless decisions Michaela has made so far. Stalker bae has new found confidence, Michaela’s circle is growing frustrated and she is just more confused. Thankfully, she has one person in her life that loves her enough to tell her the truth but also gives her the space to live in it. I know for me back in the days when I was reckless, I loved calling my god brother because he would tell me how he viewed the situation, but never told me how to handle it. I always hated being bombarded by friends on what I should do with my life and my feelings.
Listen to your friends, love your friends, and support your friends, even when you do not agree.
BUT if you find them behaving too reckless, always make sure to put your mental health first, if they are really your friend, they’ll be back once they come to their senses.
If you have not yet watched episode one, make sure to head over to the reckless behavior tab and catch up, because BOTH episodes 2 and 3 dropped earlier this week!!
Queen Media Collective 