‘Vinyl’ Recap: You Sexy Thing
From the Nasty Bits’ lips (literally) to God and the writers’ ears: It’s always a great idea to place Jamie Vine at the center of the action. Juno Temple’s ambitious A&R up-and-comer is one of the series’ most vibrant players: living on the edge, ears and eyes open to new experiences but nostrils mostly closed to them. And since no good Vinyl character comes without a signature Seventies look, don’t forget her incredible hairstyle (her face seems to be poking through a blonde waterfall). She’s the “Rock and Roll Queen” that gave tonight’s episode its title, if the Mott the Hoople song that soundtracks her MMF threesome with Kip Stevens and his guitarist Alex is any indication. It’s her self-possession and confidence that turned what could have been a dreary “girl comes between the boys in the band” storyline—the exact one predicted by a furious Andrea Zito when she discovers both Jamie and CeCe are sleeping with American Century acts — into a surprising, spontaneous, sexy scene. Now that’s what I call conflict resolution!
If only Richie Finestra could take a page from her playbook. The manic mogul’s total failure to finesse personal relationships is a recurring theme, with his alienating wild-man personality constantly contrasted with the show’s more emotionally intelligent characters (see Jamie, Andrea, Devon, and his old friend Lester). All of them have been able to woo recalcitrant artists in their favor, but when Richie puts on a charm offensive, the emphasis is on “offensive.” Presented with a situation similar to Jamie’s when he noticed his wife’s attraction to funk superstar Hannibal, he exploded and cost the label his contract. Tonight, he and the photographer beau of his estranged missus (whom she’d shot in full-frontal splendor a few minutes earlier) share a moment when they kill a bat that has somehow infiltrated the Chelsea Hotel. His sense of camaraderie and concern evaporates almost immediately, however, when he realizes who the guy must be, what he must be doing there, and whom he must be doing it with.
This isn’t to say that open relationships are the only way to go — just to illustrate that Richie’s instinct is always to serve his own short-term needs. He did this to Zak Yankovic when, reeling from his disastrous attempt to sign Elvis Presley without his martinet manager Col. Tom Parker’s consent, he blew all the money they had and pinned the blame on his partner. Getting his ass kicked in the elevator when the poor sap finds out, as he does near the end of tonight’s episode, is the least he deserves.
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