The Bold Type: Jane’s journey before coming back

We’re more than halfway through the second season of Freeform’s “The Bold Type,” and it’s been quite an exciting ride. Sutton is getting further in her career, Kat is breaking down racial barriers— but it’s Jane that has made the biggest transitions this year.

 

It’s been quite a rollercoaster ride for Jane Sloane. At the end of season 1, she departed Scarlett Magazine and set off for a new writing position with an online website. But unfortunately, the job was not a good match for Jane. First, Jane and her boss disagreed on what approach she should take with her first big story. This led to Jane apologizing to the subject of her story, and getting nationwide criticism for her apology. Her boss was not happy, and made Jane do some damage control. But the pairing just wasn’t working, and Jane was fired from her job. Jane set up a meeting with her former boss Jacqueline at Scarlett, hoping to get her old job back, but no luck. Jacqueline said that Jane was not ready to come back to Scarlett yet, and that she had to “live in this failure.” Bottom line- Tiny Jane had to live with unemployment.

But this week’s episode of The Bold Type was full of wins for our Tiny Jane: she won her first award for writing, had the support of her amazing friends and cute new boyfriend, and… (spoiler alert) Jacqueline gave Jane her job back at Scarlett! Our three friends are back to their workplace adventures, and Jane is back at the magazine where she belongs.

With Jane’s absence from Scarlett, she eventually found her footing in the world of freelancing and unemployment. But was it the right decision for her? Did Jacqueline do the right thing by making Jane wait to return to Scarlett? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Jane taking some time before her return…

Pro: Jacquline has always been right about what Jane needs before.

She’s teaching Jane another one of her famous lessons. All throughout season one during Jane’s time at Scarlett, Jacquline was her mentor. She showed Jane the ropes of writing, which translated into life lessons. Jqcquline wasn’t just a boss for Jane, she took on a motherly role as well.

Con: Jacquline has always been at Scarlett.

Jacquline spoke with Sutton about how she began her career at Scarlett. And from how it sounds, Jacquline has spend decades at Scarlett, working her way up from the bottom. But if Jacquline has been at Scarlett all this time, that means she’s never had to deal with unemployment like Jane has. Jacquline doesn’t know how tough it is out there in the world of finding a new job. Jacquline hasn’t experienced the uncertainty that Jane is going through, and the fear that she may never find a job that she can thrive in.

Pro: Jacquline knows what Jane is capable of.

Jacquline has always been a good judge of character, especially when it comes to Jane. Remember, Jane came to Scarlett as an intern, and eventually proved that she can be a full time writer for the magazine. Jacquline has seen Jane’s growth into a professional, and has been reading Jane’s writing more than anyone else. If anyone knows Jane’s potential, it’s Jacquline.

Con: Jane has been laughed out of the industry.

When Jane apologized for her first big story at her online job, she became a bit of a laughing stock in the world of writing. She even became a social media sensation (#SorryNotSorry #NotTheDemiLovatoVersion). Since Jane has been fired and going on several job interviews, people are recognizing her—and not as a writer, but as the girl that made her boss look bad on a worldwide scale. That’s not something potential bosses want in an employee, and Jane is risking never being hired anywhere. Jacquline at Scarlett may be the only boss who is willing to work with Jane again.

Pro: Jane has time.

Honestly, Jane is so young. She has so much time to figure things out. This is the time for her to make mistakes and learn. Jane has so much time ahead of her, this is when she could use her time to take a break, reflect, and learn what will be best for her in the future.

Con: Jane needs the money.

As Jane explained to Kat, no one is helping her financially. She has no steady income, no health insurance, she had rent to pay, AND she’s in an New York (which isn’t cheap). It’s hard out there for any millennial to make money, especially the ones that aren’t working full time.

Pro: Jane needs to learn to be alone for a bit, without security.

Being an adult isn’t easy, and when Jane has problems, Jacquline won’t always be there to help her. This isn’t just about work, it’s about life.

Con: Jacquline just realized her love of writing again- what if Jane loses her love of writing?

When new Board Member Cleo inspired Jacquline to return to writing, it is as if Jacquline has returned to her first love. She wonders why she hasn’t returned to writing sooner. But what is this has the opposite affect on Jane? While Jacquline is encouraged to write again, Jane may begin to question if writing is right for her. It’s not fair that Jacquline just affirmed her love of writing, when Jane is struggling. What if this dry spell causes Jane to use her love of writing?

Pro: Jane needs to learn to take things slow.

Jane is very type A. Right after Jane lost her job, she was already looking for more work. She is comfortable when she’s overworked, but it’s healthy to take a break sometimes. This may be the break Jane needs to recharge and become her best self.

Con (Or maybe a pro) Jane is a scarlett girl at heart.

From the very first episode of The Bold Type, Jane’s love of Scarlett has been apparent. In her first application to Scarlett, she talked about how Scarlett is like the older sister she never had. Her whole life, Jane has turned to Scarlett for advice and security. Her friends are there, her mentor is there, and the happiest times of her life is spent at Scarlett magazine. Scarlett isn’t just a job for Jane, it is home.

And now, Jane Sloane is finally at home at Scarlett magazine, where she belongs.

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