The Bra Whisperer
Episode 2 of Little America season 2 starts with us introduced to Ines, who gets dressed for the day ahead. She’s known as the Bra Whisperer, a nickname given to her by the New York Times in an article, which happens to be a full-page spread about how great she is at her job. It turns out Ines works in a bridal wedding shop, but really all the customers are there for the lingerie, as Ines specializes in beautiful bras for women of all shapes and sizes. “You deserve to feel amazing,” Ines tells a plus-size customer, reminding her that it’s the bra that’s causing her back pain and she just needs to get one that works perfectly. Flashbacks through this episode help to flesh out exactly what Ines’s inspiration has been, coming from a woman called Hannah whom she babysat for in the past. It turns out she ran a business very similar to Ines’s, working as a family-run affair and giving every person a personal touch. It’s partly the reason the company has worked so well, clearly, and Ines pays tribute to her in the newspaper article. Back in the present, Ines’ daughter, Priscilla, has been trying to get her mum a space to call her own, including a sign and, more specifically, something to keep her out of Hannah’s shadow. Ines is shown a new shop space by Priscilla, who suggests this could be just the break she needs. Change is tough and scary, but sometimes you need to take a leap of faith. The thing is, Hannah has never really taken Ines seriously and that much is especially true through those aforementioned flashbacks. One in particular sees Hannah hire a full time employee called Leba, completely undermining the work Ines has done. She can’t tell Hannah though, but does hand in her two weeks notice as a result of this. Back in the present, Ines decides to give a cheque to Hannah to help her out while her business is suffering. But of course, Ines’ business is not. It’s the last straw for Priscilla who confronts her mother outside, telling her she needs to build something for herself and take that aforementioned leap of faith. So did Ines do it? Is she a hotshot now? You betcha! As the episode closes out we learn that Ines actually hired three full-time employees. She also designs her own line of bras, while she and Hannah have kept in touch through all of this, continuing their Passover tradition.
The Episode Review
So Little America comes to a close with a heartwarming conclusion and a lovely lesson about taking a leap of faith and facing the unknown. It’s never easy to do but taking that step to confront our demons or even just doing what needs to be done but has been put off for so long, is exemplified beautifully in this episode. The editing in this chapter is great too, with back and forth flashbacks between the past and present working to show off more of the story while simultaneously exuding exposition in a way that feels natural and not forced. So far this second season has been a lovely surprise, with a lot more thematic resonance than the first. Fingers crossed that continues through the rest of the show!
