What You Need To Remember Before Watching Betty Season 2
The HBO series "Betty" was one of the major triumphs of the cable channel in 2020. The show came from filmmaker Crystal Moselle and reunited her with the performers from her 2016 short film "That One Day" and her 2018 feature film "Skate Kitchen," which saw the actors co-starring alongside Jaden Smith. The show followed a group of female skaters in New York City as they faced issues both in the skating world and their personal lives, including sexism and harassment by the police.
Moselle directed all six episodes of the show's first season and is poised to do the same for the upcoming second season, with the notable exception of one episode, which she co-directed with Rachelle Vinberg, who plays Camille on the show. Along with Moselle and Vinberg, others returning for the show's second season include Dede Lovelace, who plays Janay, Kabrina Adams, who plays Honeybear, Ajani Russell, who plays Indigo, and Nina Moran, who plays Kirt. With the show's next batch of episodes arriving soon, here's what you need to remember before watching "Betty" Season 2.
The all-girl skate sesh was a success
The attempt at an all-girls skate session was something the women, especially Janay and Kirt, had been pushing ever since the series premiere, where it was a less than stellar success, although it brought Honeybear into the fold and inadvertently introduced the group to both Camille and Indigo. The first season ends, however, with another attempt at an all-girl skate sesh – this time with Camille's help – that is a major success.
The women trying to carve out a space in the male-dominated skating world is a key theme of the first season, and the all-girls skate session is the culmination of that. Rather than having isolated women skaters in groups of men (the way Camille was in Bambi's group), the all-girls skate sesh opens the potential for skater women to get to know each other and feel less alone.
The biggest potential for change, of course, is that the core group expands by a few members, depending on whether any of the women who showed up connect with anyone on a deeper level than just being fellow skaters. But even if this isn't the case, having the session is sure to alter the dynamic at skate parks going forward. In Season 2. None of the female skaters in New York City will feel alone, and they will know there are others out there. This will also hold true for budding skaters, like the one Camille and Kirt leave a skateboard for at the end of the first season.
Janay rebuffs Donald's attempts at reconciliation
One of the conflicts Janay faced through the first season was her friend Donald being accused of sexual assault. Janay refused to believe the claims at first, even going as far as confronting the woman who made them, leading to a fight that got her arrested. However, after a proper conversation, Janay did believe her, finding that her experience with Donald lined up with Janay's own. Janay deleted their YouTube channel and cut Donald out of her life.
Donald tracked Janay down in the season finale, admitting his fault in a roundabout way, but Janay refused his request to help him get better. This marked a major shift for Janay, as she walked away from a friendship she had been part of since childhood. But this is sure to have reverberations through Janay's life, as the loss of Donald will leave an empty space for her. What she uses to fill that space, or if it's a space she even feels the need to fill, is sure to play into the show's second season.
There is also a possibility that Janay gets unwittingly pulled into Donald's orbit again. Donald could turn on Janay as retaliation for turning her back on him, which she and the rest of the women would have to deal with. Janay may also be sought out by the other women Donald has abused if they decide to band together to bring legal action against him, something Janay might be conflicted about.
Honeybear has to contend with her parents
Honeybear's blossoming relationship with Ash hit a roadblock during the first season when a date was suddenly cut short by Honeybear spotting her father. She had yet to come out to her parents, and the frustration caused by that drove a wedge between her and Ash. Honeybear attempted to patch things up by sending an apology video, which Ash watched and acknowledged at the all-girl skate sesh, opening the door to reconciliation.
It's clear, however, that Ash is not going to accept the apology if it means things are going to go back to the way they were. This means Honeybear will have to do some soul-searching in Season 2 to determine how much of her authentic self she wants to reveal to her parents, starting with the fact that she's not straight. Ash is unlikely to remain with Honeybear unless she takes concrete steps towards this, but also runs the risk of pushing Honeybear too far out of her comfort zone too fast. Season 1 showed how thoroughly Honeybear changes her appearance once she leaves her house, seemingly becoming someone else entirely, so the process will not be an easy one for her.
Indigo and Camille are now living together
In the first season, Indigo forged her mother's signature on a check to pay for bail when members of the group got arrested. The discovery of the forgery led to Indigo's mother kicking her out in the season finale, leaving her housing situation precarious. So when a grateful Camille said she'd be willing to help Indigo in any way she needed, Indigo jumped at the opportunity to ask to stay with her.
The dynamic of Camille and Indigo living together promises to be a particularly interesting situation to explore in Season 2. It will be an adjustment for both women on a level to live with someone else, given that they are both used to having their own space. While Camille and Indigo are friends, the natural friction of suddenly having to navigate around another person could either build a deeper bond or create distance between them.
Another aspect to consider is that Camille and Indigo don't know each other that well beyond skating, something that is sure to change with the two of them living together. They might come into conflict over the fact that Indigo comes from a richer background than Camille, or they might help push each other to greater achievements than they would've been compelled to pursue on their own. One thing is for sure; there is bound to be a change in the relationship between the two as a result of this move.
Season 2 of "Betty" will premiere on June 11 on HBO and will consist of six episodes.