Summary
Episode 6 sees characters face their truths but also seek redemption as the series heads into the final third with plenty of questions still unanswered.
This recap of Netflix’s Grand Army season 1, episode 6, “Superman This S**t” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped the entire series — check out the archive.
The opening
Episode 6 opens with the text “You think being part of your elitist institution is some kind of super power?”. Dom is hustling to sell products at school and on social media — she calls it “Design by Dom”. Her teacher finds her selling and then buys some skin cream off her — she’s also told not to sell at school.
Dom is hustling hard in episode 6 but burning both ends of the candle.
I don’t know if I believe her
Leila smokes a vape pen with Omar. She asks him if he looks like her mother or her father and expresses how she’s adopted. Omar recommends a website for her to use to find out more about herself. The pair continue talking and getting to know each other.
Interestingly, in this scene, Leila keeps the stance that she does not believe Joey’s rape story. She’s also starting to really struggle with her identity now and how she fits into America.
Scientific results
Sid and Victor continue with their science project which is about stimulation and reaction. Victor notices he has an erection and says that is a stimulus in itself. They then talk about Sid’s girlfriend and agree that she’s great; Sid states they are doing better now. Victor then reveals that he’s bisexual.
Keep that hustle
Dom continues hustling, selling products and doing people’s hair. She’s doing some serious multi-tasking — studying while braiding. John and Tamika come over as well. It’s all a little hectic. John is worried that Dom is angry that he is there because the place isn’t tidy — John says he likes seeing her work hard.
The next day, Dom tells her coach that she cannot participate in the game — the coach tells her she needs to be committed and that she needs to prioritize; Dom states she needs to drop the team for now and the teacher supports it.
Episode 6 hints very early on that Dom is doing too much and eventually, you can sense that it is all going to collapse.
A guilty opportunity
Jay learns that Owen is going to miss the All-State Performance but that they are offering him his friend’s spot. Jay is feeling guilty as that was his friend’s place, not his.
We’ll see each other weekends
Sid talks to Flora about future plans when they are at college; including taking buses and seeing each other at weekends. He’s suddenly committed to her.
This is evidently just delaying the inevitable though — luckily, Sid, as a character has a moral conscience and you can sense he will do the right thing eventually.
Giving Owen the news
Jay tries to speak to Owen after school. Owen has been jumped and looks injured. He tells him he got into the All-State Performance despite the fact that he cannot take it. Owen is frustrated and tells Jay that he f*cked him and doesn’t want him around. Jay feels like he’s lost a best friend.
I’m drowning
Joey is trying to keep fit. While out running, she sees George. She runs home and tells her mother she’s drowning and sobs into her arms. It’s a quiet episode for Joey — it’s the calm after a choppy storm.
During a swimming competition, Grand Army is disqualified. In the changing rooms, Sid confronts the student who messed up but the coach splits them up; he tells Sid the scouts are looking for him as they were impressed. Sid leaves his laptop in the changing room and the student who messed up is eying it up.
Taking a leap of faith
While helping clients with their hair, Dom rings about a high school internship. Her clients encourage her to ring. They manage to squeeze her in for an interview.
Let go of the shame
Grand Army season 1, episode 6 sees Leila trying a different path — she wants solutions but it’s difficult to put a finger on this character. Maybe that’s the point — the character is so confused and struggling with her place in the world that the audience also struggles to connect with her.
Leila meets the Rabbi and says she’s been feeling miserable. She then imagines her cartoon again where she’s powerful and stops an army of skulls. She then stops George. Back to the present, Leila feels guilty as she isn’t sure if Joey is lying and she posted about her on social media. She then admits to performing oral sex on George that was consensual but is now questioning if he’s a rapist; she continues that her best friend Rachel thinks she isn’t acting like herself. The Rabbi advises that she should remove the shame from herself. She also suggests that she practices accountability.
The ending
Jay tells his father that he got into the All-State Performance — it looks like he’s taken the opportunity. His father is very proud of him. But you can tell Jay is feeling guilty about it. He watches a video of Owen playing the saxophone.
While out, Sid finds Meera — his phone is dead. His sister tells him that someone has posted his essay and that she loves him no matter what. Sid sees the Instagram post and he’s gutted.
As the chapter ends, Dom is staying up late to study — she’s burning herself out.
The chapter concludes with the following text — “You think being part of your elitist institution is some kind of superpower? It’s not.”
Grand Army season 1, episode 6 sees characters face their truths but also seek redemption as the series heads into the final third with plenty of questions still unanswered.
