Escape from the Reality

HIV

Nearly everything of interest takes place the night of Harry’s party. One in which, unbeknownst to Harry, Omar has drugged the punch, is handing out pills, and secretly making out with Thomas. Someone who, by using Jack, got out of punishment and seemingly planned to have a good ole time. Well, at least get some of his pent-up lust out.

Though, with a secret touch of a finger, the desire to kiss on the dance floor, after a pill he takes. Well, thanks to Jack threatening to out Omar as a dealer, we may not know for a little bit. For with Jack’s parents, biological parents, ten years ago overdosing, the last thing he wants is his childhood best friend to follow their fate. So even if he has to ruin everything.

It is wrong that a part of me wants to call BS on Jack being adopted. It makes for a good shock, and the way it is supported by his anti-drug thing makes it seem legit. However, he comes off like such a master manipulator that who is to say this isn’t a lie to regain control of Thomas?

Perhaps learn his secret and feel close to him again?

It seems he doesn’t take Faaha seriously and with Hazel showing, she may not have learned anything from what happened last time, all that is left is Thomas.

Switching over to Omar and Thomas, though Jack has threatened them being together, He still see them as end game. There is just something too cute about them for Jack to get in the way, it seems a bit inevitable for Omar’s family to learn he is a dealer and a homosexual. If not bi. The only thing to question is, will Maryam be the first, then the rest of the family?

Being that Amy enjoyed Christian quite a bit, she decides to manipulate Daniel into letting her see him again. Especially with Faaha, who doesn’t know much, trying to add her two cents and make it seem Amy grovels to win back Daniel whenever he is mad. In truth, it isn’t that she enjoys the silence but she has to let him feel like he has some power in their relationship. Leaving him completely emasculated would ruin everything. She convinces Christian and Daniel to participate in a threesome – with her in the middle. Something which she keeps going by reminding Daniel that as he loves her, she loves him more.

Bringing us back to Jack again. With worries about Hazel going to Harry’s party, he pressures Maryam to take him and she gives in. Perhaps because she desires to let loose a little bit, but the problem is, she gets drugged by her brother’s pill in the punch and ends up alone with Jack. Granted, she initiated being alone with him, in his pool, but considering he had his phone propped to make a video, it seemed like the beginning of the end for her.

However, despite the plans he and Faaha had, he can’t go through with it. She was clearly drugged and he doesn’t want to be that guy. That’s the guy, Joseph, who gave his sister HIV. So he backs off and even puts her in a cab home. Leaving us to wonder how she got inside, and to bed, without her father or brother knowing what was going on.

Oh, but we can’t forget Faaha. Alongside Amy revealing Faaha and Jack are f*** buddies since he has no desire to date her, she decides to mess with Maryam and reveal the bet. Which Jack admits to then push the idea that once he got to know her, it wasn’t like that. However, the damage is done, he talks about her spreading her legs wide, she smacks him, and like Thomas and Omar, they end up on pause. Not over, but definitely on pause.

With this Amy and Daniel situation, they could put more emotion into it. Daniel looking like a sad puppy dog isn’t good enough. I need him to be more verbal, more hurt. He can still be a sucker but at least have us feel bad for him. It’s like Amy is cheating on a cardboard cutout.

Not to say Amy is all that. While you see there is some attempt at making her a femme fatale, again, it is all in looks and lacks emotional depth or complexity. But, at the very least, she seems better crafted than Faaha. She still hasn’t escaped her mean girl persona and her pettiness isn’t funny or exciting.

This Is Not a Game of Hazel, Nina, Harry. The gangsters want their money and they are truly tired of waiting for it. To the point, even though it would make it so much harder to get the money, they are threatening to break Nina’s bones. So, knowing what he does about Hazel’s dad, he plans to seduce her and take what he needs. That way, he makes the money he owes and then some.

Which may lead you to think, “But what about Harry?” Well, Harry couldn’t get the job done and it seems Nina thinks a little heartbreak won’t be terrible for the boy. Hence why Harry probably freaks out about what to wear and say with Omar over Nina. A moment that probably enabled Nina to take advantage of the fact Hazel had been eyeing Nina all night and, after Harry vomits on her, it gives him the opportunity to meet her in the bathroom. Which leads to their house, and him putting it down to the point she goes to sleep.

When Jack confronts Hazel for strip teasing and playing spin the bottle at a house party Harry throws, she fires back that HIV is not “a disease of the poor” and it could just as easily happen to him. She notes that Joseph liked to date rich girls, just like Jack.

Since Harry failed to get the documents to blackmail Alice, Nina takes matters into his own hands. He makes a move on Hazel, and she’s into it. He suggests they head to her place for some alone time, and she agrees.

Before they’re about to hook up, she asks whether he thinks she’s “the typical rich girl who’s had nothing bad happen to her.” He says yes. She reluctantly responds, (“There’s something you should know.”). But ultimately, not wanting to scare him off, she doesn’t tell him and sleeps with him anyway.

As it turns out, since she’s medicated, she can’t infect anyone, which she later reveals to Nina after he finds out about her status from Harry.

The day after the party, Harry apologizes for getting drunk and accidentally throwing up on Hazel. Unaware of what happened between her and Nina, Harry assumes that’s why she’s avoiding him. Hazel does like Harry but doesn’t quite know what to make of her feelings.

Her instinct is to keep him at a distance. Taking his hand, she tells him she’s HIV-positive, knowing he probably won’t react well. Harry is shell-shocked. All he can say is (“I don’t know what to say”), and he then let’s go of her hand. However, by the time he gets home, he’s feeling incredibly guilty and tells Nina what happened.

Nina confronts Hazel, but to her surprise, he’s not mad she didn’t tell him. He’s mad that she told Harry to drive him away. Nina insists that it won’t work, and Harry will only care about her more.

Hazel confessing to Harry she is HIV+ and him telling Nina because he felt he didn’t react properly to the news. Lastly, Nina confronts Hazel about it and she says, with the drugs she takes, she is undetectable and thus wouldn’t have spread the disease.

When she had unprotected s*x with Nina, she figured that is why she died. He learned he had HIV, only one he had s*x with recently was her, he put it together and then killed her. But, alas, what we get out of the investigation is a back and forth between Harry saw Nina around Hazel last and then Nina thinking Harry was so jealous he killed Hazel. Possibly because she never rejected him and upon learning she was pregnant, with Nina’s baby, he snapped! Well, at least that’s one theory. Considering how little we are given to really care about the investigation, I could see them making Faaha the killer, just to setup a cliffhanger.