#actually writing this before release coz i'm dying with this whole episode

[somuchbetterthanthat]

Something about Gwendolyn Bouchard that hits me in the wake of Ep7 is that while she says what she wants is recognition and respect, I feel there's an underlying issue of wanting to... belong. And to belong, she must be recognized and respected, and to do so, she goes at great length - like, I don't know, blackmailing her boss who she's seen on video try (and admitedly fail) to kill a man.

It's the way she says "I want in." that makes me think.

Because, and okay it's only been seven episodes but, so far it's other people who have talked about her family and their wealth, but she doesn't seem to be close to them in any way (she's annoyed at the nepotism accusation of Alice, she tells Alice they have the same salary later on, clearly her wealthy family is not helping much their Gwen with her low-level service governmental job).

She also seem a bit removed from her rich friends as a result: she doesn't have anything to show off as success, therefore she feels othered in her group of peers. And she doesn't even get to have true camaderie with the others people of the job because she's so persuaded that working well and diligently is the way to success and respect that she can't abide to Alice's seeming mockery of it all or care about the other people that come and go in the office.

Anyway, I predict she is going to suffer a LOT in the future because she wanted in, but you know what, I'm hoping that, in doing so, she finds people to belong with, at least for a little while. I hope she and Sam hug at least once, actually. I think Gwen could use a Sam Hug (I bet they're real nice).