‘Mood’ Recap: ‘Bitches in Cages’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Mood’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. This article also contains discussions regarding violence against women, which may be triggering to some individuals.
​
There are times in our lives, where we sign up for a job that wows us and impresses us to the point where we believe… this could be... the one. The one that will provide us with everything we need from a financial and emotional standpoint, only to learn… that simply is not the case. It could be that the money isn’t what we hoped it would be in the long run, or the work/life balance of the gig is subpar at best. Or at the very worst, we learn the gig is toxic in nature and will impact our mental health and potentially put our regular health at risk and that’s when… we find ourselves at a crossroads. One where we simply have to decide what comes next for us now that this isn’t working out.

If anything, that crossroads and that epiphany are top of mind today, simply because that is precisely what Sasha encountered in the next episode of Mood on BBC America. But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on in ‘Bitches in Cages’. For when we caught up with Sasha and Carly in this tale, they were off to a weekend excursion, where they would make stupid money for hanging out with a bunch of guys for the weekend and well… being in an exotic location, one that was beautiful and isolated… seemed like just another perk of the job for Sasha. Not to mention, there would be good food and friends nearby, so there really appeared to be no way that anything could go wrong during this trip. 

But alas, that simply turned out to not be the case. For their passports were confiscated by the host of this party and well, it didn’t take long for things to go terribly, terribly wrong. For Esmeralda had a horrible encounter with a Sheik at the party, since he decided that physically abusing her during sex was of no concern since he and the group were ‘renting’ them for the weekend. But that was a line that Sasha was not good with anyone crossing and she and the other girls confronted Carly about this, since she set the event up… and tried their best to leave… to no avail. Since Carly did nothing really to help them and to top it all off, their passports were still in the host’s hands and things only got worse from there, believe it or not.

For the last night of this weekend getaway, was filled with worry, drugs and more lines being crossed. The kind that saw Carly perform some illegal sex acts and everyone’s moods simply slid into darkness. Because this wasn’t a fun party, this was… abuse and trafficking in its own way since they were indeed rental property and at the whim of others, and that put Sasha at her lowest and left her wondering what she was doing with her life. A concern that was further confounded by the reality… that Carly didn’t have her best interests in mind. For it turned out, they did get their passports back after raising concerns. They were given to Carly, who just hid them to get that money and that was stunning for Sasha to witness and it of course, put her at a crossroads.

Because it was obvious in the closing moments of this tale that Sasha was indeed, contemplating on her career choice. Because she didn’t sign up for physical abuse or to be controlled in this manner, nor did she sign up to be utterly betrayed by someone she thought she could be close to. Leaving her in a dark place, one where she is truly lost and well… a round of applause is in order for this episode for taking the time to showcase the dark side of sex work, because of how it is isn’t regulated, because of how it is viewed and for having Sasha face the realities of this job, and how it might not be for her. For that in turn might lead to a different kind of finale, one that is introspective, and growth based since Sasha has spent her time in this series… searching for meaning and direction and perhaps a wakeup call, will push her toward that at last. Until next time.

---

Powered by JustWatch