Nick worries that people, including Steve, will love what they’re opening with: Dr. Hunkenstein’s Manster. While the production goes on, Nick eagerly remains behind-the-scenes–until he hears the cheers coming from the audience.
Steve surprises him with congratulations. Of course, Nick brings up the fact that Steve once nixed that same production. Steve tries to deny it and only congratulates him again, with notedly less exuberance. The two walk outside in the snow, which Steve has never seen before.
Nick teaches Steve how to make a snowball, sparking a snowball fight between them. Soon enough, Steve calls for Nick to stop. But when he doesn’t stop pelting him, Steve pushes him into the wall. Labeling Nick a bully, he walks away. ..
After returning from his trip to Los Angeles, Steve tells Irene that the club there was much bigger and better than the one in New York. Though he doesn’t feel great about it, he is glad that everything went well. ..
Steve’s club is being sued for discriminatory practices. One man is claiming that they keep out minorities with fake VIP cards, so Steve tells his doorman they must act like VIP cards don’t exist.
It’s smooth sailing for Nick as he gets an invite to go on Phil Donahue’s talk show. In LA, Steve and all the employees at his club turn on the TV to watch the New York men of Chippendales dance on Donahue’s show. Donahue then introduces NIck to the show as “Mr. Chippendales himself,” causing Steve to seethe as he watches. Ray, angry himself, takes note.
Irene manages to defuse a potential argument with Steve by pointing out all the good things happening in their relationship. Steve then confesses that he had been hiding VIP cards from her, and Irene is furious that their club would operate this way. ..
Steve then comes in to inform Ray that Nick was on Mike Douglas, and that he again took credit for Chippendales. Steve calls Nick, who says he never told anyone to call him Mr. Chippendales. When Steve yells at him, NIck threatens to take even more credit.
On the talk show Ray and Steve introduce Nick as the choreographer and founder of Chippendales. Steve encourages Ray to go on some shows himself.
Steve doesn’t have the stage presence that Nick has. Steve soon notices during his first interview that everyone around him is uninterested in what he has to say, and he almost completely shuts down.
Steve noticed another club called The Electric Tomato advertising “Male-Stripping Mondays.” He confronted the owner about ripping him off, but he didn’t believe that Steve was the real owner of Chippendales. ..
When Steve and Ray return to Chippendales, Steve tells Ray to burn that club to the ground. Later, Steve tunes into Channel 5 to see The Electric Tomato going up in flames.
The Episode Review
Banerjee is a man with a sense of humor and joy that he won’t let himself fully experience. He’s aware of the eyes watching and bullying him, but he can’t help but be happy at the sight of snow.
In “The Good Fight,” the Hulu series’ latest episode, the tension between Steve and Nick is on full display. The two men have a long history of bad energy, but this episode portrays it best by clarifying how the men perceive their existence as a battleground. Both know what it is to live in the margins of society, and are so constantly aware of the ways others might exploit them. ..
Steve Jobs, especially. His concern for the way he is perceived drives him to be successful–but to also step on others (minorities especially) in the process. Otis experienced this–and now Ray has too. ..
The club’s founding story is one of graft, betrayal, and cover-ups. It began with a group of businessmen who took advantage of the city’s then-new football stadium to make a quick buck. They used the money to buy influence in city government, and then used that power to enrich themselves and their friends. Eventually, they became so corrupt that they were able to buy the loyalty of city officials by promising them lucrative contracts. This was a recipe for disaster, as corruption corroded the fabric of city government and undermined its ability to provide services for its citizens.
