The Girlfriend Experience - S1E3 – Retention

The Girlfriend Experience | S1E3 – Retention | Starring: Riley Keogh, Paul Sparks, Briony Glassco, Andy McQueen, Kate Lyn Sheil

The Girlfriend Experience picks up this episode throwing the viewer into the more seedy aspects of the world of escorts. Gone is the blush of naivety that comes with any new occupation. Christine can only keep the balls in the air for so long, and her school work is the first to suffer.

This episode focuses on the end of relationships across the board, from Christine’s Johns, to her friendship and job. Christine continues to be a good friend to Avery by speaking on her behalf to Jacqueline. Why? Im not really sure. Maybe it’s because Avery brought her into her world, but it doesn’t really matter, the final straw for me was early on when Christine comes home to Avery drinking her wine in this dismissive and entitled way - like she wasn’t mooching off her. Still, Christine is pretty good at lying to her about meeting with Jacqueline on her behalf.

And how does Avery reward this? By stealing from Christine just because Jaqueline cleared out her bank account. It’s so hard to tell whose scamming who, but I guess they are all using each other. Christine’s experiences with Avery and Jacqueline then become the catalyst for extracting herself from Jacqueline. She meets with her the next day to unleash her wrath in the form of a tossed plate of pasta on Jacqueline’s lap. I do start to wonder  whether she’s being nice or controlling, from finding Christine a place to live, or having access to Avery’s financial accounts.

But brava to Christine: in two months she gathered the confidence and the trust of these men who have no problem committing to exclusivity with her, sans Jacqueline. That’s taking a revenue stream from Jacqueline that will inevitably lead to problems in the future. Thirty percent of tax free earnings is nothing to turn your nose up at and we see this same issue rear its head when Christine’s at work. Her boss Josh is left scrambling when an employee leaves, and takes along with him the revenue from a huge client.  But the difference is: I don’t think Josh has nudes of his ex-employee to blackmail him with.