Episode Recap
Nick worries that people, including Steve, will hate what they discover: Dr. Hunkenstein's Munster. As the production continues, Nick remains unhappily behind the scenes - until he hears the audience cheering.
Steve surprises her with congratulations. Of course, Nick brings up the fact that Steve once did the same production. Steve tries to deny it and congratulates her again with noticeably less enthusiasm. The two walk outside in the snow that Steve has never seen before.
Nick teaches Steve how to make a snowball, prompting a snowball fight between them. Soon Steve urges Nick to stop. But when he doesn't stop hitting her, Steve pushes him against the wall. Calling Nick a bully, he walks away.
Later, a pregnant Irene welcomes Steve to her home. Steve shares the good news that everything about the New York club is bigger and better than the one in LA – although it doesn't sound like good news to him.
Turns out Steve has worse things to worry about. His club is being sued for racial discrimination. A man (rightly) claims they're keeping minorities out with fake VIP cards, so Steve tells his doorman that they should pretend the VIP cards don't exist.
However, it's a relief for Nick to be invited on Phil Donahue's talk show. In LA, Steve and the entire staff at his club turn on the TV to watch the New York Chippendales men dance on Donahue's show.
Irene keeps Steve from getting angry by letting him see everything that is good for them. Irene then goes looking for aspirin and discovers the VIP cards that Steve has hidden. He throws them in her face and yells at her that their club can't operate with exclusionary applications.
Ray then arrives to tell Steve that Nick is at Mike Douglas and is on loan for the Chippendales again. Steve calls Nick, who says he never told anyone to call him Mr. Chippendales. When Steve yells at him, Nick threatens to take out more credit.
Talk shows where he began introducing Nick not only as a choreographer but also as the founder of the Chippendales. So Ray encourages Steve to go to some shows.
But Steve doesn't have the stage presence that Nick does. Steve soon realizes during his first interview that everyone around him is not interested in what he has to say and he almost completely shuts down.
On the way back from a failed interview, Steve sees another club called The Electric Tomato boasting "Male Strip Mondays". He confronts the owner about stealing it, but doesn't even believe that Steve is the real owner of the Chippendales.
When he and Ray return to the Chippendales, Steve tells Ray to burn that bat and tear it down. Steve then turns to Channel 5 to see the Electric Tomato go up in flames.
Episode Review
The opening scene of this episode shows a part of Somen "Steve" Banerjee - a proud man with his suit sleeves rolled up high enough to show off his gold Rolex. But there is another side to him, which can be seen in the childlike joy that he can hardly contain when he first sees the snow. In the end, it's a joy that he won't allow himself to experience fully, too conscious of judgmental gazes and bullying.
The Hulu series has long highlighted the bad energy between Steve and Nick, but this episode illustrates it best by making clear how the men treat their existence as a battlefield. Both know what it's like to live on the fringes of society and are constantly aware of the ways others can exploit them.
Steve, especially. His concern about perception drives him to be successful, but in the process he also pushes others (especially minorities) to step up. Otis lived through it and now Ray lived through it.
Welcome to the Chippendales has painted a grim picture of the club's establishment so far - ultimately, I believe, being indicted for this corrupt use of power.
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