In addition to just being a god-awful episode that rushes through what could have been a decent if predictable season arc in one episode, this episode pulled the good old rape as backstory. But not just that, gang rape of a teenager. There's nothing wrong with dealing with those tough issues in media, but this show does NOT have the tact and respect necessary for these issues, and it comes across as anything from pandering and misguided, to being unsure how to deal with female characters, to oddly, uncomfortable and almost certainly unintentionally voyeuristic. There's one moment, in a flashback, that shows one of the main characters as a teenager (no exactly defined age, but implied to be around 16) just after being raped, with her breast hanging out of her bra and shown on camera.
This may just be the single most tasteless moment I have ever seen on TV. This is a teenager (in this case portrayed by a 23yo actress, but that doesn't change the text) after being sexually violated by a group of men in what the episode sets up to be her lowest moment...and you feel the need to show us her breasts? WHY? What is the point of that? That was a completely unnecessary shot and there is no justification for it anywhere else in the episode - which is prone to gratuitous nudity in an unusual departure from the rest of the season - either. Just disgusting. The entire way this was framed was disgusting and in poor taste. And while this may not come through clearly in this comment, it will be absolutely clear to you when watching. Just let me reiterate: the problem is NOT the subject matter. No subject matter is off-limits for art. The problem is the framing of it.
