The Girlfriend Recap: Level Up

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Just as a snake discards its old outer layer, revealing a more captivating interior, The Girlfriend is casting off its superficial layers in episode four, offering a smoother narrative flow by merging the two perspectives organically into the story’s natural rhythm. However, it’s somewhat bittersweet as the initial shift in perspective for the first 20 minutes of this episode still feels forced and disrupts the balance of the show. If this gradual change continues, perhaps we won’t encounter this issue at all by the finale.

In this riveting episode, we delve into Cherry’s world, a character whose complexity left me questioning her actions at times. Despite her deceitful nature and the regrettable incident where she threw Moses out of a window, I found myself empathizing with her by the end. After all, her affection for Daniel, though misguided, seemed authentic.

Interestingly, I found myself aligning with Brigitte’s sentiment – a testament to Cherry’s actions at the wedding. Yes, she lied and committed an act that cannot be excused, but does her life have to be destroyed over it?

What often gets overlooked is that Cherry’s love for Daniel was real, as was his love for Laura. This episode serves as a reminder of their entangled emotions, making it hard not to root for them, despite their flaws.

To clarify, this character development isn’t primarily due to the change in perspective, but rather, it’s inherent to the plot itself. Each switch in point of view serves to emphasize that every story has multiple angles, memory can be flawed, and everyone believes they are the hero in their own narrative. The story seems to strive for subtlety and intelligence, becoming more nuanced once it lets go of this conceit.

In this context, Cherry becomes more relatable, while Laura gains depth as well. She’s not just a passive combatant but an active one; she’s capable of committing wrongs and even finding pleasure in them. In this aspect, she and Cherry share more similarities than Laura might realize.

The narrative starts with my intentions, fueled by goodwill, guiding me towards Daniel’s newly purchased flat, where I intended to share some life-altering news with Cherry – that Daniel was miraculously still alive. As fate would have it, Cherry arrives at the same time, driving Daniel’s car recklessly and laden with shopping bags. Upon entering the flat, I discovered Daniel’s credit card on the floor and a pair of men’s boxers. Assuming they didn’t belong to Daniel, given he hadn’t stayed there before the accident, my anger began to simmer.

Despite feeling provoked, I resolved to maintain my composure. Starting to convey my message, I was interrupted by Cherry who revealed a shocking twist – Daniel had proposed to her right before the accident. My mind raced as I processed this information. If Daniel were indeed deceased, their marriage plans would be foiled. I told Cherry that Daniel’s funeral had already taken place, a small, private family affair, much like the one we held for Rose. How could she!

Cherry was indeed upset, and it’s understandable given the circumstances. Even if her memory of the event aligned with Laura’s, her reaction could still be justified. Compared to yelling at Laura to leave, Cherry perceived herself as more restrained in her response. The day had been particularly tough for Cherry; she was wearing Daniel’s clothes around the house (explaining the presence of his boxers) and was shopping for a funeral suit, hoping to have some role in Daniel’s memorial, albeit a minor one. Although she used Daniel’s credit card to purchase the suit, it was because her own had been declined-and in Cherry’s mind, this was one of the more reasonable uses of Sanderson money. Lastly, Cherry wore sunglasses not as a fashion statement but due to crying, rather than attempting to look cool.

Laura, having Daniel’s possessions like his laptop (which Cherry had been using), takes them home. Using the fact that Cherry was still logged into her “Connesta” account, a makeshift Instagram account, Laura blocks Daniel and learns his password. She also snoops through Cherry’s emails, an action considered illegal in both the UK and US, and discovers that Cherry has an overdue bill of more than 5000 pounds from a nursing home that she was supposed to settle for her mother.

Feeling agitated, Cherry follows Laura to question her actions. While Laura might perceive Cherry’s approach as aggressive, Cherry sees it as passionate, and I personally find it justified given the circumstances. It’s not hard to understand why someone might say “You’re not going to get rid of me, you fucking bitch” when their partner’s existence is being fabricated to keep them apart. What do you think?

Instead of saying “And worse: By erasing every trace of Cherry from Daniel’s life, Laura essentially destroys Cherry’s as well,” you could rephrase it like this: “Moreover, by systematically eliminating any evidence of Cherry in Daniel’s life, Laura effectively dismantles Cherry’s existence too.” The original sentence was a bit difficult to understand due to its complex structure. By breaking it down into simpler terms and using more common phrases, the rephrased version is easier to read and comprehend.

In Spain, Daniel feels unhappy. Laura shows him excessive affection, much like Dee Dee Blanchard did. At first, Daniel resents this, but eventually grows more accepting. To help Daniel, Laura hires a young, attractive physical therapist to work with him in the pool. When Daniel becomes exhausted and upset, he allows Laura to hold him in her arms. She takes additional measures too: she asks Isabella to tell Brigitte to keep quiet about Daniel’s progress, as she doesn’t want anyone intruding, and asks Howard to speak to Daniel about moving out of the apartment so that he can advance more swiftly.

Initially, everything appears to be going smoothly for Laura until an unexpected incident occurs one afternoon. Daniel has been put down for his nap, and the conversation shifts, implying a dialogue. Suddenly, things heat up between Laura and Howard. Laura has been monitoring a secondary phone when it rings again, causing her to check it. To her dismay, she discovers Daniel is sending explicit photos to Cherry. This shocking revelation causes Laura to send Howard away and impersonate Cherry in responding: “I’m sorry, Daniel. I can’t continue with this. It’s over.” Listening closely, she hears Daniel’s anguished cry in another room, followed by the sound of his phone being thrown across the yard. Seeing her son distressed makes Laura cry, but it doesn’t soften her resolve for her own cunning strategy.

Gradually, Daniel’s health begins to improve. He finds his footing and makes significant strides with his physical therapist, to the point where he invites her out for drinks. This progress brings such joy to Laura that she confides in Howard over a special bottle of wine that she wishes to re-establish their marriage, a decision that has long been desired by him (it’s hard not to feel sympathy towards poor Marianne).

While Daniel recovers in Spain, Cherry endeavors to carry on with her life. Upon discovering her belongings thrown out onto the street from an apartment whose locks have been changed (who did Laura hire for such a vile task?), she checks into a seedy hotel. That evening, she consents to go out with Pandora, hoping to numb herself with alcohol, narcotics, and a random attractive man. However, fate seems against her as she encounters Brigitte, who mistakenly presumes that Cherry has lost Daniel’s contact details during his hospitalization. Upon stating that they will never be friends due to what Cherry did to Daniel, Cherry misunderstands, assuming that Daniel is deceased. The way Brigitte phrases it is: “I’m so glad he’s not around to witness this.

Laura learns about this meeting with delight. Desiring to exclude her from an entire district of London, Laura accesses Cherry’s “Connesta” account and posts on her professional page: “Wealthy foreigners, buying up London homes, taking our properties. And my boss is thrilled as a pig in mud.” When he sees this, her boss is far from pleased. Cherry receives an angry call from him and is immediately dismissed. Shocked, she questions who could have done this to her, leaving me wishing I could grab her by the shoulders through the screen. Cherry, it’s obvious who did this! She is in Spain, enjoying a joint with her son and laughing at the fact that your headshot has been removed from the agency’s “Meet the Team” page. It appears the intention behind sabotaging her career is to prevent Daniel from contacting Cherry at all. However, given Cherry’s precarious financial situation, firing her seems cruel.

The positive outcome of Cherry’s downfall is that she now spends significantly more time with her mother, Mrs. Cherry, who warmly accepts her return and invites her to work at the butcher shop. Cherry attempts to secure employment elsewhere by contacting several agencies, only to discover that news of her predicament has already spread. At first, she maintains that her extended stay with Mrs. Cherry is temporary, but as her hopes dwindle, she begins unpacking her belongings at the same pace. Even going out for Mai Tais and karaoke with her mom seems more appealing than attending a dull musical with Laura. Moreover, Mrs. Cherry proves to be wise; when Cherry frets about never finding someone like Daniel again, Mrs. Cherry encourages her to endure and create a fulfilling life for herself, acknowledging the harsh reality of life’s injustices – a lesson she has learned herself ever since Cherry’s father was admitted to a nursing home.

The source of that bill is clear: We’ll refer to him as Mr. Cherry. Despite being catatonic, he’s not deceased, but holds a deep resentment from Cherry who refuses to meet him. “I’ve forgiven him,” Mrs. Cherry expresses, hoping for the same from Cherry. Softened by her personal hardships, she consents to visit him, yet their encounter doesn’t go smoothly. Once alone, he becomes agitated and lashes out with insults, telling her to “get lost” as soon as they’re in private. This interaction shakes Cherry and reminds her of the reasons she has strived so diligently to escape her past.

She decides it’s time for her to regain control of her life, so she contacts Max Kader, a friend of Howard’s whose business card Howard gave her in Spain. Cherry proposes an investment in affordable housing to him and flatters him by appealing to his sense of responsibility, suggesting that when the government doesn’t act, it falls upon business leaders to do so. She also cleverly uses Daniel’s (a name she hates typing) death as a way to explain why she hasn’t spoken with Howard since then, but Kader is shocked when he realizes she meant that Daniel had actually passed away, because he was having lunch upstairs at the time.

That’s the very same eatery where Daniel dined with Cherry on their third date. Coincidentally, there sits Daniel, enjoying a meal with Laura, seemingly oblivious to the fact that, as shrewd Lilith had warned her, all deceit ultimately unveils itself; regardless of who spreads it or for what purpose.

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2025-09-10 21:56