Summary
The characters try and confront their problems in episode 7; there’s a sense of tragedy that bestows the characters as they learn the hard truths of life.
This recap of Netflix’s Grand Army season 1, episode 7, “Making Moves” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped the entire series — check out the archive.
The opening
Episode 7 opens up with the following text — “You aren’t listening.” Sid has multiple messages from Flora — she wants to know if he’s okay but he doesn’t know how to respond. Meera wonders if her brother wanted this to happen and claims no-one cares. Sid doesn’t want to go back to school.
The seventh chapter forces Sid into confronting what he didn’t want anyone to know — it’s his coming out event.
Jay still feels guilty
Jay tells Sonia that he wants to see Owen after he’s taken his spot at the All-State Performance. She tells him not to worry about it as it isn’t his fault. At school, there are bag inspections — security has been increased.
You always sense that Jay has something up his sleeve but this sense of guilt is starting to cripple him in Grand Army season 1, episode 7 — he is battling between a sense of social justice and his future.
Confrontational
Sid confronts Victor at school about the essay leak. He thinks Victor did it but he denies it. Leila also tries to be confrontational and speaks to Rachel — she admits to talking to Rachel’s Rabbi. Leila wants Rachel to be there for her. Rachel is offended and walks off. Leila is trying to take accountability but she’s not doing it the right way.
It’s becoming transparent that Leila is a strange character that is born from her misplaced identity — each chapter she reveals more about herself; she takes things at face value and approaches the situation completely wrong with Rachel.
The interview
Burning the candle at both ends has finally gotten to Dom but episode 7 offers her some hope and also the following scene provides a strong message about mental health and the black community.
After waking up late, Dom tries to get to her interview for the internship. Dom is stressing after overworking herself. Her friend reminds Dom that “vulnerability is power”. Dom attends her interview and it gets off to a bad start. When on the topic of mental health, Dom asks if she can be vulnerable — she talks about how culture makes self-care a luxury. Dom then talks about how she’s tired as she doesn’t have time to do all the things she wants to do; she goes on about anger and how her fury is not allowed to be seen — she wants people to hear them. She then makes a point: “95% of mental health workers in this city are Caucasian”. Dom thinks it’s amazing that they are training black women to be counselors.
This was an impressive interview but it’s also emotionally impactful to the audience.
Who leaked it?
Leila tries to speak to Sid about the essay and tries to sympathize because he was exposed. She wants to be there for him but Sid laughs and walks off — Leila also texts Joey and asks if she’s okay and apologizes if she hurt her. Sid then sees the school counselor and wonders how it got leaked, implying that it was her.
Sid is embarrassed and angry and it’s easy to feel for him in episode 7 — his embarrassment has led him to investigate the leak and accuse people who are trying to hurt him.
I don’t want to run away
Joey asks her parents how they are affording her education — her mother explains it is prorated and that her grandparents are helping out. Joey feels like she is running away — her mother explains she has choices and she isn’t running away by going to a new school; she’s protecting herself. When her sister joins the conversation, Joey reveals she is staying at her father’s for a little while.
When her sisters start raiding her room, Joey reminds them that she’s coming back.
It seems Joey is still battling with her new change in life; she’s gone from a settled friendship group to a new environment — the situation shows how even though she was assaulted, it was her life that had to drastically change, not the boys who raped her — it’s a tragic story.
The father finds out
Dom goes to the dance night. Jay has an idea; to do a sit-in protest for Owen. Sid arrives and asks Meera if Flora is at the event; he feels like everyone is staring at him. Orlov from the swim team coyly says “Hello” to him and walks off. Sid knows it was him and confronts him — Orlov punches Sid and busts his nose. At the hospital, Sid’s father believes Sid was targeted but Meera makes out it was because of her. However, the father senses the lies and wants to get the police involved. Sid tells his father that he’s gay as frustrations boil over — his father chuckles and believes that it is ridiculous — he doesn’t believe it. And then it dawns on the father and there is silence.
The story has pushed Sid into a corner that is quite uncomfortable to watch — “coming out” shouldn’t be a torturous experience and this storyline has many layers and lessons — it especially highlights how different cultures deal with the LGBTQ+ community.
Lack of evidence
While having a meal, Joey’s mother gets a call from the cops — they aren’t moving forward with the rape charges based on lack of evidence. Joey screams and sobs — she cannot believe it. This is a hard scene to watch; you can sense Joey’s world crashing around her — she will feel like she went to the police for no reason and will be seen as a “Girl who cried rape” — again, Grand Army is indicative of what happens regularly in today’s society.
The ending
Dom returns home with John. When she gets into the living room, there is an unexpected guest — John decides to leave. Her mother tells Dom that Francine wants to introduce her nephew to her but Dom says she isn’t interested. Her mother says they cannot continue like this and asks her to meet him and at least to try — there is a financial link to all this.
Dom introduces herself to Ronald.
The chapter ends with “You aren’t listening. So I’m going to make you listen.”
The characters try and confront their problems in Grand Army season 1, episode 7; there’s a sense of tragedy that bestows the characters as they learn the hard truths of life.
