‘Ten Percent’ Recap: ‘Episode 6’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Ten Percent’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Thus far, our journey through the mega deal side of Hollywood… courtesy of the Sundance Now series, Ten Percent. Has been quite the lighthearted affair. One that has had its bittersweet moments outnumbered by quirky adventures and goofy personal pratfalls and minor workplace drama, alongside some fascinating observations about the entertainment industry through the eyes of the agents that put actors on the screen. But after five weeks of fascinating insider looks at the business and moments that work out in the end, the writer’s room decided that now might be a good time to shake things up just a bit and offer up a story that is a little more down to earth, by showing us some of the struggles’ agents might run into in real life.
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Such as say… dealing with egotistical people that are more concerned with personal merit than progress as a team. Which is something that Rebecca dealt with in this tale. Because this was it, the moment was upon Nightingale/Hart to launch their production wing via Eight Days, and that meant, the press release spotlighting Rebecca’s hard work and efforts needed to be perfect. Which is why Misha worked day and night upon it, to make sure it was absolutely ready to wow the world and showcase what Rebecca was capable of. But alas, a request from Kirsten changed all of that quickly since she snagged the file and decided to put her name on everything. Hurting Rebecca’s feelings and reminding her of the fact that this can be a cutthroat business. The kind where anything goes if the right person needs their ego fed over anything else.

But while that could have carried this episode over the course of the entire hour, there were more tough struggles present in this tale, and the rest of them involved Jonathan. Because he was rightfully in the doghouse for keeping the truth about Misha from his wife, and that put him in a tough spot in this story since he had to find a temporary place to live whilst juggling a big problem at work. For David and Jessica Oyelowo had some concerns about a project they both starred in. Because it was paying David more when his stance was equal pay regardless of gender, and Jessica didn’t have the heart to tell her husband that he was about to be written out of the franchise. And since they made a pact to never lie to one another… they needed guidance from their agent as to how to navigate this problem without hurting the other’s feelings, and well, Jonathan’s advice was… to lie to one another.

Which brought about all kinds of tension and strife in the marriage. To the point where they reached a cold war of sorts. One that was going to keep them away from the premiere of this project, a move that would look bad upon Nightingale/Hart… or rather… Kirsten, of course. Which motivated Jonathan to find a way to convince the two of them to tell the truth to one another and to move on from this mess by looking ahead at their future career options. The kind that ensured they could remain honest with each other and see their respective concerns assuaged. Which brought peace to the whole mess and brought about the positive press that Kirsten was looking for. But alas, the fact that Jonathan encouraged them to lie and that they went along with it… motivated them to part ways with Jonathan.

A move that puts all kind of fresh pressure on Jonathan and clearly left him beside himself. In fact, there were subtle hints that he was suddenly second guessing his future as an agent shortly after this disaster and it should be interesting to see what comes next for this legendary agent now that his world is beginning to crumble. But while we wait to explore the fallout of this utter disaster, we can bask in the wonder of one brave tale. Because it takes guts for a writers’ room to show us a darker side to the business in a show designed to celebrate it, but it is the right move to make here. Since a proper story about the industry, needs to exhibit all aspects of it, both good and bad, and with only two episodes left in season one, it should be interesting to see if this is merely a one-off story, or if this is the beginning of a realistic stretch of storytelling. One where tough times await, and the humor will be the story’s saving grace… so things don’t get too overwhelming. Until next time.  

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