Justine Jolie

Written by Charles Kline (based on the novel by Clara Darling) and directed by Jared West, this episode opens one night at Club Embryo, where we learn that despite breaking up two episodes ago, Edward and Elizabeth (Kaven Reece and Justine Joli) are back together again. And even though Melissa (Jayden Cole) hooked up with Edward in a taxi after that, she doesn’t seem to be bothered by this at all. Doug (James O’Shea) is clearly upset about it, though. But we quickly learn that all is not what it appears to be, as Edward sneaks into the backroom with Delilah (Kayden Kross) to have sex. She does question him about his relationship with Elizabeth, but it just says the reasoning for them getting back together was “strategic.”

The rest of the episode takes place the next day. New York is suffering from an intense heatwave. Samantha Ryan and Marcio Catalano return as Sue and Kent, characters last seen in the first episode of the season (which I’ll note was also written by Kline). Sue has a meeting with Avi (Daniel Messier) except this time we learn that instead of trying to hire her as a client, Avi’s actually paid her for secret information from the rival firm that she works at. Unbeknownst to Avi, they’re planning to double-cross him, as the report they’re giving him has fake information. When Peter (Steven Ross) finds out what Avi has done, he opposes it, saying this sort of thing is dishonest and bad business, but he and Regina (Brandin Rackley) both dismiss him as naive and insist that they need to do whatever it takes to get ahead.

As Sue leaves to meet Kent, who was waiting for her outside the building, he tells her that all the traffic lights have gone out and it’s bottled-up traffic, so it’s going to be a while before they can drive away, so they back in the building into a closet and have sex.

Back in the office we learn that all the power has gone in the building too. It’s a citywide blackout (hence the episode title). And this is made worse due to the aforementioned heatwave. Avi, Peter, Regina, and Tippi (Riley Steele) are stuck in the office sweating. Their only relief is a little battery-powered handheld fan that Tippi has. Because it’s so hot, all four them strip naked and stand around the fan.

Bella (Heather Vandeven) is in a class at college, with Rubin (Michael Johnson) sitting next to her. Everyone is so hot and sweating and trying to fan themselves with their papers, that the professor ends the class early. A bunch of the students go sit outside in the campus yard to cool off. Anthony Wemyss is Professor Gabriel, who was teaching the class. He, Bella, and Rubin sit together in the yard, drinking, And it comes up that Bella has slept with both of them, Rubin in episode 15 and the Professor in episode 16. This knowledge upsets both men who start asking questions about who was better, etc.

Back at Club Embryo, they weren’t planning to open since there’s no power. But Melissa notes that there’s a line outside, so since they’re stuck there they should at least make the best of it. They set up candles for light, get an acoustic guitar player to perform on stage for music, make the bar cash-only, and leave the front doors open for air. At one point Doug questions Elizabeth about getting back with Edward. She said it’s “convenient” for now, and that she knows he slept with Melissa. But when Doug accidentally lets it slip about Edward and Delilah, assuming she knew that, she gets mad and takes him into the bathroom to have sex.

The episode ends with the power coming back on in the city, and everyone going home. The Professor and Rubin both apologize to Bella for overreacting, and she assures them that they’re both great lovers. Edward sees Elizabeth and Doug leaving from the back and begins to suspect something happened between them, but then immediately dismisses it. And back at the office, Avi says Peter’s convinced him that using that secret info he paid for is wrong and that he doesn’t want to do business that way after all.

So this was a pretty dull episode, plot-wise. I’m not sure what the point of the blackout was. Maybe some of the relationship issues brought up here will be important in the coming episodes, but at the moment nothing seemed consequential. And the three sex scenes were good, with the highlight being the one with Kayden Kross, but not great. Chacebook rating: THREE STARS

Jason Majercik is selling Life on Top SEASON 1 & SEASON 2 (FULL SERIES: 26 Episodes) (7 DISCS) for $89.99. Email him at quinn_nash@hotmail.com for his softcore inventory list