The Girlfriend Experience - Crossing the Line

*** / ****

What a busy plot! A recurring thought while watching this episode was my astonishment in just how much plot is wedged into this small space of thirty minutes. The editing of this episode had to have been a headache. What to just leave out must have been a creative frustration. Because artists want to put forth their vision, how they see this story of Christine/Chelsea formulated from their preconceived (and developing) creative process on screen, I can't imagine how difficult it must be to trim away probably great material just so the thirty minutes is met. Just the same, I remain impressed with just how Lodge Kerrigan & Amy Seimetz get it done.

This has Christine attempting to finesse a situation involving a client (Kevin) wanting to continue seeing her despite financial setbacks (he has actually been taking out loans just to continue their "transaction"!), negotiating a "stoppage" (a client's wife calls her up wanting to pay her to stop seeing her husband!), deciding to have sex with her boss (attorney David of Kirkland & Allen) after a party with clients and co-workers at his home (which includes David spatting with a wife not particularly interested in mingling with his associates but doing so out of loyalty), meeting with her sister for drinks, and spending time with an older client (Michael) who talks with her on daddy-daughter dynamics.

Whether it is Christine aggressively initiating sex with David after the party at a place where he stays on "work nights" or her alter ego, Chelsea, with a client, Ryan, on a "date" at a restaurant when Ryan's friends surprise him (they are in the city, just happening to be in this particular eating locale; talk about shitty coincidence); the intern/law student/escort is steadily complicating her life. Sure, Ryan's wife offers her a lot of money to stay away "or else", but was it wise to fall into an affair with your attorney while interning for him? That after you have decided to softly dump a client (Kevin), while juggling other clients (Michael seems to be the one that remains after this episode as Ryan is now out of the picture also), law school, and this internship.

Christine does wonder to her sister if she's a sociopath, and her sister has to reassure her that she, as an attorney herself, deals with sociopaths everyday...sociopaths don't ask if they are sociopaths. Christine does mention to her sister, Annabel (Amy Seimetz, the director of the episode), that she just doesn't like to really associate with people much or having conversations (or waste time) that don't have a purpose. I personally can't imagine living like that, because meaningless drivel between those I speak with on a daily business is actually normal in conversation! She definitely seems to have a general understanding in what she does and doesn't want in her life, but what interests her could bring with it certain complications.

The life of an escort does appear to grant Chelsea access to pleasurable sex and a financial upswing, but also "playing a part" could require her to adapt to engaging with clients who want to talk about topics that will disinterest her. Yet she does so if the money is right.

David and Christine, though, that's a different story. That wasn't about money. Christine likes to eye the dynamics of the law firm, including Erin's rise in it. Securing the loyalty of XHP through the use of her body, Kirkland & Allen benefit from Erin's involvement with Emery (Neil Whitely). Emery represents XHP and Erin goes to David trying to justify the sacrifice in order for the firm not to lose them. Erin also becomes the lead attorney representing XHP. Things are starting to work against David, so his fling with Christine won't help.