‘The City’: Jay comes undone, puts Whitney on love lockdown

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Tonight’s episode of ‘The City’ begins with the planning for yet another big event at Diane von Furstenberg. Olivia tells Whitney that it’s going to be a big to-do, a mix between editors, socials.... Wait, Whitney says, what is a social? A socialite? Olivia beams. A question! Why, yes, dear Whitney, socials are abbreviations. Enter the boss lady, DVF herself, who’s in a rush. She gives the thumbs up to the mannequins Whitney has styled and pauses to chit chat. Is Whitney enjoying herself? Is she learning anything? “Yeah! And Diane, you look so pretty!” DVF looks like something between amused and ambivalent. “No, I don’t,” she says, before making a fast getaway. I don’t understand why DVF subjected herself to this. Kelly Cutrone I get, but DVF?

Olivia is jealous of the exchange. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you.” She then looks away silently, miffed. Girl takes her cues well.

At the party planning meeting, Whitney gets tasked with setting up the window displays. Olivia is tasked with being Whitney’s whipping girl. Another miffed but pretty moment. It must help to always know where the camera is.

Meanwhile, at Casa Erin, long-distance boyfriend Duncan has decided that he should move to New York. “I’ll need a couch to crash on while I look for a place. And by couch, I mean your bed.” Whoa, not so fast, bucko. Erin did say she loves you and all, but she doesn’t, like, want you in the same country! “I’m 24,” she begins to explain. “I think I want to have things to look forward to in the future.” Did you know that when you rearrange the letters in “things to look forward to in the future” they spell “rejection”?

That night at the DVF party, guests with little dogs on leashes are being let into the event. Whitney’s friend Samantha arrives and asks how things are with Jay. Jay won’t commit, blah blah blah. Uh oh! A DVF staffer needs Whitney stat. Becki Newton spilled something on her dress; she needs something else for her to wear. I for one am glad to hear that Becki Newton still has that kind of pull. Long live “Ugly Betty”! Whitney is introduced to Chris from the finance department. He looks bored but interested in Whitney all at the same time.

Finally, Nevan shows up. “I was just in Florida for five days. Excellent!” Holy mother, did he just reference what I think he referenced?

Olivia gets a text and giggles. “Hee, that was my cleaning lady.” Har!

Chris is also making his exit from the party, but first asks Whitney out to lunch in front of her girl posse. “That was very bold!” she says. Doesn’t take much.

The next day, Jay calls Whitney at work and Olivia picks up. Do they share a phone? I’m pretty sure in Episode 1 they had separate desks. Hmmmm. Whitney’s out to lunch with Chris. Oh, that’s why Jay had to call and why Olivia had to answer. I’m getting too good at this. Chris seems chill but has no chance. His hair is very short, he barely talks. Basically, he’s a zombie.

Olivia only orders Japanese, and only from Nobu. Or Matsu. Matsugen? I couldn’t quite hear. So there.

Duncan heads back to Toronto, crushed. Erin walks him to his cab but doesn’t bother kissing him goodbye. Dang, Erin drops ‘em like hot potatoes.

Whitney has dinner with Jay and tells him she went on a date with a man friend. In a surprise move, Jay loses his cool. “Are you trying to make me jealous, Whitney?” Whitney smirks. Victory is in the air. Jay tries to take his concern back. “You can do whatever you want. It’s your life.” Too late buddy, you’ve shown your hand.

Erin and Whitney whine about boys. Erin says she’s never had a relationship that wasn’t long distance and then agrees with Whitney that Jay needs to “man up” and commit. I would never take dating advice from Erin.

Jay’s come undone and tells model friend Adam that he’s going to make the plunge. Notice that model friend Adam is cleaning up a bar. He’s a bartender-model, and that makes a lot more sense because he’s really not that attractive. “I can either keep playing this game ... and have other guys hit on her, and her not knowing where we stand. Or I put that on lockdown. It’s got to go somewhere or nowhere.” He decides she is a keeper.

That night he brings some wine over to Whitney’s to mark the occasion. “I just think that maybe we could now take things to the next level. You could become my girlfriend.” He’s 24 and Whitney’s his third girlfriend ever, so you know he means business. Whitney says Jay makes her third boyfriend ever too.

“See? Good things come in threes,” he says. Like ... three strikes, you’re out?

Help me out and list some good things that come in three below. Winner gets bragging rights and a shout-out next week.

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete coverage of ‘The City’