Partner Track - Episode 11
The ten episodes of the Netflix series Partner Track managed to take and interesting premise and turn the female lead into an unrecognizable force that lost herself in her journey to achieve her goal.
Transitioning the 2013 Partner Track book by Helen Wan's into a screen play does have it's problems in that the character build up are lost in translation or ignored to achieve a greater impact. The book , which follows idealistic young lawyer Ingrid Yun as she competes to climb the partner track at a prestigious New York law firm fails to deliver how Ingrid got to where she is. The book showed a flashback of young Ingrid and her father whereby a doorman mistakes her father for a delivery boy and a racial incident occurs. This was Little Ingrid's first encounter with racism that shaped her thinking throughout her early life and why making partner becomes so important to her. She thinks that making partner , winning all the shiny signifiers of success in a world filled with setbacks will protect her from the ugliness of sexism, racism, etc
In episode 1 a flashback of a one night stand that Ingrid had with a fellow lawyer Jeff Murphy 6 years ago shaped her thinking in what constituted true love…. The three friends describe Ingrid one night stand
Rachel: you said it was instant connection… Fireworks, upstairs bedroom.
Ingrid: He asked me if I meant what I said in my toast.
Tyler: About soulmate.
Ingrid: " belief in true love is the same as believing in God because you believe in…..destiny".
Rachel: That's when said you had chocolate on your lips and kissed you.
Ingrid: Then he said, "Not chocolate, marzipan….. Pineapple"…. It was nice"
Tyler: Nice?….. Girl you saw love at first sight… You were using soulmate -level language
Ingrid: He was leaving for London the next day… So we agreed " no names, no questions"
Rachel: Uh-huh.
Jeff Murphy appears
Ingrid: What's he doing here?
Rachel: The love of your life from six years ago?
Ingrid: He's not the love of my life.
Rachel: Six years ago….. Oh My God, Ingrid.
Tyler: This is exactly what you need…. We're gonna be 30, and you've dated a grand total of three guys…..
Rachel: Three….My 13 -year -old niece has more experience than you, which is not cool.
Tyler: Seriously, Ingrid…(scoffs)….. life is not just about making partner…. You gotta get out there and live a little.
Ingrid: I will … After I make junior partner.
Ingrid's inexperience in love and her tunnel vision for her goal makes her an easy prey for the predators that have entered her world. Her blind ambition and her sense of what is real and what isn't lead her into a path whereby she looses her self worth and makes decisions that need to be rectified in season 2 .
It should be noted that some of the characters shifted from the transition from page to screen… the character of Lina , Ingrid's younger sister was added in order to add some fun and foil to Ingrid…. However the screen writers failed in delivering any consequences for some of this foil making Ingrid even more pathetic because of her inability to counter those foils.
In the book Rachel is married and has children, but the screen writers decided that in the series Rachel be a lawyer working side by side with Ingrid at Parsons Valentine ignorer to show why Rachel ultimately decided to leave the firm.
The ending of Episode 8 and the beginning of Episode 9 the screen writers did manage to display how far Ingrid allowed herself to fall in the viewers depiction of her… she became nothing more than a lying cheater with no sense of remorse for her misguided notion of true love… Ingrid elated that she now believes she will be made partner celebrates with Murphy by having sex with him in the office… as she playfully runs around in Jeff's shirt…her new reality is staring at her in disbelief.
Ingrid: Nick?…... Uh… What are you doing here?
Nick: We're done.
Ingrid: Nick….Nick, wait…. I'm so sorry…. ( Nick chuckles)
Nick: I think I had this hope that you would actually fight for us… ( exhales)…. Good luck, Ingrid.
Episode 9 begins with a nock on the door as Ingrid taking deep breaths and exhaling … door opens.
Ingrid: Hi
Nick: What are you doing here, Ingrid?
Ingrid returns the engagement ring.
Ingrid: I didn't wanna leave things like that….. Ingrid sighs….. Murphy and I….. we have history…. I wanted it to be over( Ingrid sighs)… I wanted to be in it with you.
Nick: Right… If I were dark and tortured like him… Ingrid Inhales… You know you might wanna ask yourself why you chase the storm, Ingrid.
Ingrid: You're a good man, Nick.
Nick: Apparently, not good enough…. You know, for all your love of justice, how does this pass Kant's categorical imperative of " don't fuck people over"?
Ingrid: I'm sorry , Nick.
Nick: Thanks for bringing it by.
Nick closes the door on Ingrid whose short lived romantic romp with Jeff will put her in Nick's shoes at the season one finale.
Marty: Lassiter Called me….. What the fuck did you do?
Ingrid: Justice calls us to right our wrongs….. Marty scoffs.
Marty: Oh!…. You fucked up big-time, Yun.
Ingrid: I don't work for you anymore, Marty.
Marty: No, you don't and you're never gonna work for any other firm again. I'll see to it personally. I will call every shop in town. I'll have you fucking disbarred. By the time I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you never set foot in New York.
Z: That would be a shame. I'm Sun Corp now, and if Parsons Valentine is interested in our continued business, then I want Ingrid as our relationship partner….. Ingrid chuckles…. Or we can take our business elsewhere….. And Parsons must implement a real diversity and inclusion program…. And not just at the junior level, all the way up to partnership. ….. Sounds like the perfect partner for us.
Marty: Your perfect partner just had to be bailed out of the 20th precinct.
Z: Well even better…. Civil disobedience… I look forward to working with both of you.
Marty: Of Course.
Z: Wonderful….. Ingrid… Genuinely , thank you…. We are going to do great things together.
Ingrid: Thanks for trusting me.
Marty walks away and Z is called away
Ingrid: Marty…. Marty….. wait… How did you know?
Marty: How did I know about you getting arrested? …. A partner puts the firm first, Ingrid. I thought I could trust you, Ingrid….. You didn't tell the firm you'd been arrested, you didn't tell the firm you went to jail, and you didn't tell the firm you needed to be bailed out…. But Jeff Murphy did…. I hope the two of you have fun together on Sun Corp.
Episode 10 ends with Ingrid with eyes watered looking at Jeff Murphy looking back at her with his pompous arrogant demeanor…. Nick's words come rushing back into her mind… " Don't fuck people over"
The reviews for the series by it's viewer has been a 6/10 which doesn't bode well for renewal. I have specific thoughts on how Ingrid's journey will continue and restore some hope for her redemption as a person and how she will wright the wrongs she so foolishly allowed her self to commit.
Episode 11
Justice calls us to wright our wrongs.
Episode 11 begins with Ingrid meeting her friends Rachel and Tyler at their usual morning coffee bistro.
Rachel: How does it feel knowing that you're coming back to Parsons Valentine as a partner…. You did it.
Tyler: Girl…. You should be proud of yourself….. you did it your way.
Ingrid: Really…. My way… if it wasn't for Z …. I would be unemployed… if Marty had his way…. Look at what I've lost to get here…. You were my friends why didn't you tell me how stupid I was.
Rachel: Are you having buyers remorse?…. What's bothering you?
Tyler: Have you and Murphy talked?
Ingrid: Why did you have to bring him up? ….. How was I so wrong about someone?… I truly believed he cared for me…. With Nick I knew he loved me and what did I do? …. I fucked him over with lies and deceit … what gave me the right to do that?
Tyler: Don't beat yourself up over it….. Hey… We've all have done it… we live and learn and just move on.
Rachel: Let's promise each other if any one of us fucks up again, we give each other the permission to get kicked in that ass to get our brains straight.
Ingrid: I'm staying away from men for a while.
Tyler: I don't know if I could do that.
Rachel: This is your first day back are…. you ready to enter the lion den.?
Ingrid: As ready as I'll ever be.
Ingrid reports to Marty's office and Roberta informs her to wait until he is finishes his conference call.
Roberta: he will see you now.
Ingrid takes a deep breath and walks in.
Marty: Yun…. You were forced down my throat….. so,….. so I don't know how the fuck I'm going to deal with you…. But the firm comes first and Sun Corp is now a big part of Parsons Valentine….. So , just do your fucking job and stay out of my hair… as far as this diversity and inclusion stuff , you provide me with a written report before anything is implemented.
Ingrid: Marty… I worked my ass off for you… I did everything you wanted…. I gave up everything… for the firm… yes I made a mistake….. Admit it you were never going to make me a partner… because I don't fit in the good old boys club.
Marty: Look you're here for now….. you got what you wanted….just go do your fucking job and stop your whining.
Ingrid: Two can play your game.
Marty: Are you threatening me?
Ingrid: I'll excuse myself…..
Marty: What a fucking bitch she's become.
Murphy makes his way to Ingrid's office.
Murphy: You've been avoiding my calls….. Is there a problem with us?
Ingrid scoffs: Us… What about us?… Have you always been a snake?…. You sliver and slide into someone's heart so that you can break it….. You have the audacity to still come in hear after what you did….. Murphy … I wish I had never met you…. Stay away from me.
Murphy: What did I do wrong?… as a company lawyer I got you out of jail… should I have left you there? We still have to work on Sun Corp together….. so get use to it.
Ingrid: You should do us both a favor and go back to being Victoria St Clair's boy toy and leave me alone.
Murphy: I worked just as hard as you did on Sun Corp… I have just as much right to it as you.
Ingrid: Without me there is no Sun Corp for Parson's Valentine….. We are done talking…. Please leave…. I need to talk to Z.
Murphy: I guess you rebounded nicely?
Dan Fallon has been everywhere trying to get a feel as to what's going on…. Ingrid had quit now she's back as a partner….. Murphy has been playing footies with her now he's out.
Fallon: Todd… do you have any idea what's going on…. Why is Yun back?
Ames: Ask Murphy….. he's the one that been fucking her lately.
Fallon: Really…. Murphy and Yun doing the horizontal mambo…. I thought she was with that rich playboy.
Ames: That's old news….. Yun got caught fucking Murphy in the office by her fiancé… he dropped her on the spot. Shows how stupid Yun is… giving up a billionaire for Murphy.
Z Min decides to arrive at Parson Valentine and goes directly to Ingrid's office
Ingrid: Z … I was just about to call you….. Why are you hear?
Z: Being your first day back in your in your new capacity and Marty's uproar…. I wanted to see for myself how you're getting along.
Ingrid: This place hasn't changed… I can handle it.
Z: Let's have coffee and you can tell me what your planning on doing.
Ingrid: Donna….. can you bring two Latte expresso in please?
Z: How is Marty treating you…. He strikes me as someone who doesn't like to be told what to do.
Ingrid: Marty is your typical Alpha male….. Your bruised his ego by making him take me back.
Z: Did I put you in a predicament you can't handle.
Ingrid: I took you on and now we are friends….. The structure in this place hasn't changed…. Look around you can see all eyes are on you and why you're with me instead of Marty.
Z: I'm satisfied I chose the right person….. I need you to untangle what Lassiter was trying to do with my technology.
Ingrid: Give me a little time….. but I will do that… Once again Thank you Z ….. you've allowed me to get a fresh start.
Z: Business or personal?
Ingrid : Both.
Z: I'll let you be for now…. Z goes and meets with Marty.
Ingrid stays focused on work even though all eyes are on her constantly… her every move is watched and commented on….. Murphy tries to use his normal tactics to try to break the Ice that formed between them , but Ingrid will have none of it.
Marty calls them in and tells them that they will have to team up and work on acquisition that Sun Corp still had on the books, but got put off because of the management change.
Marty: Z wants this handle as quickly as possible…. Murphy you take the lead…. Yun … you back him up… Can the two of you come together without fucking it up.
Ingrid: I don't have a problem as long as Murphy can handle his end.
Murphy: This is going to be interesting.
Marty: Just make it happen.
Ingrid calls Rachel : Can we get a drink after work?…. I think I'm being sucked into a rabbit hole again.
Rachel: What happened?
Ingrid: Meet me at my place…. I think I want to get drunk… Have Tyler join us.
Tyler brings the liquor.
Tyler: What's going on?….. tell me all the details.
Ingrid: Marty is trying to fuck me over…. He is forcing Murphy and me to work side by side again.
Rachel: I thought you said you were over Murphy….. are you having second thoughts?
Ingrid: That prick has a way of playing with my mind…. When I think back, especially with what Nick said after dumping me.
Rachel: let's be honest… You forced Nick to dump you…. Nick wanted to marry you… he loved you very much… you got scared or cold feet….. or whatever and Murphy understood how vulnerable you were .
Tyler: I know that feeling….I had that one night stand with Javi because I was vulnerable …..all the frustration that I was feeling that my world was falling apart … Javi was there and I let go.
Rachel : I never asked you this… what would've happened if Nick didn't show up that night…. Would you have broken up with him anyway or would you have cheated until you got caught.
Ingrid: I'm ashamed to admit it… but after I kissed Murphy the first time … I did run back to Nick and took advantage of his charms. I was a coward… I wanted both… Nick was the perfect husband… Murphy was my misguided fantasy ….. now I have neither.
Rachel: You've got clarity…. You know what Murphy's like… if need be do what he did to you… Fuck him and leave him… under no circumstance get pregnant with him.
Tyler: that's one thing I don't have to worry about… getting my lovers pregnant.
Rachel: very funny….. but your ass takes a beating.
Ingrid: Let's just drink…. I don't want to think about Nick or Murphy.
Drink they did…..Ingrid managed to get to her bed while Rachel slept on the couch and Tyler remained passed out in the lounge chair. In the morning Ingrid began with what will be her morning routine for the short term.
Tyler not only is a fashion connoisseur but is a very good cook. He surprises his friends with his special breakfast that he is known to cook for his lovers the morning after.
Tyler: come ladies… this is your one time to experience what Tyler Robinson is famous for.
Rachel: How can you be this cheerful and ready this early in the morning…She looks at the table …. Tyler you made this… maybe I need to make you my wife.
Tyler: As much as I love you….. I don't know if you can fill my needs.
Rachel: Tyler… have you ever been with a woman? … you know.
Tyler: I fucked plenty of women… but I never wanted to make love to them… I found myself left unsatisfied…. Most of those women only used me as their human dildo…like they say once you have black you don't go back.
Ingrid comes into the room: What are you two cackling about… my head is spinning.
Tyler: Come here love….. my cooking will do you a world of good.
Ingrid takes a bite and immediately runs to the bathroom…. Her nauseousness is now in full swing….After several minutes she returns.
Tyler: You're the first to ever react like that… was it that bad?
Ingrid: It must be all the alcohol from last night… lately everything seem to make me sick.
Rachel looks to Tyler.
Rachel: Ingrid how long has this been going on?
Ingrid : What do you mean?… if you think I'm pregnant your crazy….. All the stress I've been under and now being forced to work with Murphy again it's understandable that I want to throw up…. I'm fine … so don't worry about me.
At the office Rachel sees Ingrid rushing to the restroom more than usual she goes to Ingrid
Rachel: Ingrid… why don't you go home…. You really don't look well…. Maybe like you said you got a bug …. You don't want to get everyone one else sick.
Ingrid: Do I really look that bad?
Rachel: You need to rest….. I'll come by later and check up on you.
Rachel knows this isn't normal Ingrid… on the way to Ingrids she stops at the pharmacy and purchases a pregnancy kit… better safe than sorrow.
Ingrid opens the door: Thanks for making me come home I slept all day….. I feel much better.
Rachel: Have you eaten anything?
Ingrid: I don't feel like it.
Rachel: How many times have you thrown up… don't lie to me?
Ingrid: Ever since you mentioned pregnancy…I've been a nervous wreck… Rachel I can't be pregnant …. especially with Murphy.
Rachel: before you get all worked up … let's make sure… I bought this pregnancy kit that I used when I thought I was.
Ingrid: You never told me… when…. Who?
Rachel: Enough about me… take this and go to the bath room.
Ingrid spends the next 10 minutes in a state of shock…. She comes out of the bathroom motionless… she hands Rachel the stick… two red bars.
Rachel: It's going to be all right…we'll get through this.