The Girlfriend Experience - S1E5 - Insurance

The Girlfriend Experience | S2 E5 | Insurance | Staring: Riley Keough, Paul Sparks, Mary Lynn Rajskub | Writers: Lodge Kerrigan & Amy Seimetz | Director: Amy Seimetz 

Christine sheds all pretense of naiveté in an opening scene filled with foreshadowing as she spends time with Michael on his yacht. I must say, her evolution from episode one till now made this really enjoyable. She takes a call from a potential client within earshot of Michael and we see her easily slip from madam to girlfriend in a second. But just as quickly they negotiate a new deal all the while maintaining the illusion of a relationship. As she and Michael spend the day alternating between sex and relaxation the audience is forced to feel the growing tension of bad things ahead when Michael pulls away from the dock, against a background of grey.

She gets a call that Michael is dead and left her an inheritance of $500,000, which she would have to use her legal name in order to claim. She is emotionally spent by the time she arrives to an appointment with clients who eerily seem like Robert Durst and an abused wife, and that combined with too many drinks equals an embarrassing night for Christine. She tries to recover her failure with a night with David, and that doesn’t go well either and leads to him being snippy with her and leaving. Before he does, he reminds her that they’re not friends; as always there is that thin line between who wields the power in all of her interactions with men. 

But this one act of letting her spend the night has implications for not only the rest of the episode, but the season as well, when Christine sees the opposing lawyer from XHP drop files off in David’s apartment.

Ben (the XHP lawyer) confronts David on not only what Christine knows, but whether he can control her. David double downs on his decisions to sink his company via XHP from the inside. He also has Christine reassigned to another lawyer. But as he celebrates being made partner, she confronts him and asks for “One more time”. At first I thought, damn she gave in too easily. But when we see that final shot of her in the bathroom and we realize she not only recorded David and Ben’s incriminating conversation, but the two of them having sex, it felt like the game was finally on.

Erin the Oracle

Erin takes it upon herself to warn Christine off David, mentioning one of the same points Ryan’s wife made in episode four regarding family. But it feels as if she’s leaving something unsaid. Later, David lets her know he’s been made partner, but will be staying on the XHP case. She takes that as well as can be expected.

Interesting Fact

Christine charges $3,000 for threesomes.