Summary
It was coming, but “Catch & Release” finally unearths the corruption in the ballet school with some shocking truths.
This recap of Netflix’s Tiny Pretty Things season 1, episode 7, “Catch & Release” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
The opening
Monique tells June that she has a donor that could underwrite her debt as she doesn’t have time to work and make money. June is appreciative of the financial incentive. There is a twist; June has to sign a non-disclosure agreement. It’s evident that Monique doesn’t want June speaking about her experiences at the school and the VIP lounge. This is the classic silencing of women; June is getting suppressed from the top. Her mouth will be gagged.
Cruz continues to press
Oren tries to speak to Bette about the investigation, but she isn’t in the mood and plays games with Oren. Meanwhile, Shane tells Cruz about the issues she had with Cassie and how there’s an email that gives him an alibi. Cruz is struggling to move on, but she needs to make progress soon as her story is laboring as “Catch & Release” proves — she needs to see that email from Cassie.
Bette lies to her sister
Bette tells her sister Delia that Ramon tried seducing her into a threesome — this is a lie of course because it was the other way around. You have to think that eventually, it’s going to come back and bite Bette. Delia confronts Ramon about the apparent threesome and tells him he is showing a pattern. Ramon is frustrated at the accusations and tells her to pack her stuff and leave. She has a point though; he does have a pattern. However, Delia is accusing him of this pattern based on Bette’s lies.
Cassie moves
While asking Cassie for a sign in the hospital, Nabil sees her hand move which shocks him. He tells the doctor that he saw Cassie move. The doctor explains that her body is shutting down and it isn’t a movement; he explains the likelihood of recovery is slim. Nabil also has another thing to think about; Sienna offers him a tour because of the success of the music video — Caleb tells Nabil that Cassie didn’t love him back the same and that he should take the tour. “Catch & Release” shows Nabil having to make a difficult choice based on his principles. This is a character that needs to be true to himself.
Teaming up
Paige has been sexually abused in the VIP Lounge, and Neveah comforts her and makes sure she is okay. June and Neveah decide to gang up with Paige to get revenge on Travis at the lounge. It’s now a point of no return.
Understudy
Bette learns that June has been made understudy as part of Monique’s offer. June shows her a routine and tries to give her advice but she doesn’t want to hear it. Bette states that she’s here to help.
Do you care about me?
Monique asks Ramon if he cares about her. Ramon expresses that he does care and that she was his “first”. The pair kiss and have sex. Ramon seems to have a history with all his protégés. He appears to have a long history with dancers, past and present.
After they have had sex, Monique tells Ramon to go back to Paris. There appears to be a dark past between them both. It looks like whatever it is, Monique has played Ramon — she has used blackmail and different techniques to keep him at the school.
Dates
Bette spends time with Matteo on an official date, but suddenly, Bette gets texts from her friends — they need her car so she cuts the date early. On another date, Shane and Jason enjoy a fancy restaurant. Shane is nervous because he’s not sure how to date. Afterward, Shane is upset with himself for having sex with Jason again. He feels like he’s only used for his body. He confides with Oren and he is annoyed with himself. Oren tells Shane he will find a guy who loves him for who he is. Shane represents many of us in today’s superficial society — he just wants to be loved and feels he is a product, rather than a human being.
Esmé is feeling the heat
Cruz confronts Esmé about the night Cassie fell. Esmé claims she was with Oren doing coke with him. Esmé speaks to Oren afterward and she wants him to back her up; she remarks that Bette doesn’t even love him and wonders why he’s protecting her.
Paying off ballerinas
And then there’s a significant twist that changes the story entirely.
June, Bette, and Neveah head to the VIP lounge; June meets Travis, and she is bugged — Neveah and Bette are listening in. Travis tells June that Mr. Talbot from the board wanted her to himself. June asks what Paige did. She learns that the VIP lounge only hires ballerinas as hostesses and that they pay Monique. It’s a system of sexual abuse and money under the table. When Travis finds out that he’s being recorded, Neveah and Bette come to June’s rescue. Meanwhile, Paige, who was sexually abused, is pregnant. Alan offers her advice and gives her a “get out of dance” note. What a sad part of the story — while June managed to get away without significant abuse, Paige got the raw end of the deal.
Car accident
As Bette, June, and Neveah drive home, they end up in a car accident. Bette’s face is all cut up and the police show up — surprise, surprise, it’s officer Cruz who always appears out of nowhere. Neveah wants to take down Travis and Monique. June explains that she can’t because she’s signed a non-disclosure agreement. Delia and Oren turn up and Bette asks her sister to pee in a cup; she was driving under influence.
Cruz takes the cup of pee and asks Bette for access to her computer.
War between Ramon and Monique
Monique tells Ramon that most of the texts that were sent to him were from Selena and threatens him with immediate removal. Ramon encourages her to do it because he knows that this place has no time for a scandal. Little does he know that scandals are coming their way.
Bette is out of the showcase
After the accident, the MRI showed Bette’s messed up foot. She’s out of the showcase and she confides with Matteo — the only saving grace here is that she doesn’t dance and injure herself further. Meanwhile, Cruz manages to get inside Bette’s emails, and she finds the one from Cassie. “Catch & Release” shows a monologue from Cruz — she detests the abuse shown in the ballet world that has been around for 100 years, and she vows to fight it as much as she can.
The ending
Oren shares a private dance session with Neveah. He wants them both to open up. As he’s about to tell her something, the camera pans away. Meanwhile, before Nabil leaves to go on tour, he learns that Cassie’s parents are pulling the plug on Cassie’s life support. This is a huge blow for the character, who decided to leave.
It was coming, but Tiny Pretty Things season 1, episode 7 finally unearths the corruption in the ballet school with some shocking truths. The story will not be the same from here as we enter the final phases of the series.
