‘UnREAL’ Recap: Brace for Impact

Photos: Lifetime

Warning: This recap for the “Infiltration” episode of UnREAL contains spoilers.

Knock Quinn down and she’ll just get right back up — and punch even harder.

It seems as if Quinn is down for the count on UnREAL. Her father just died; her ex, Chet, stole a baby; her show was taken away from her; and her protegé stabbed her in the back. But every hit she takes just seems to make Quinn stronger. She comes roaring back into form by seducing the new network owner, John Booth, and then engineering major drama between Darius and Ruby.

Meanwhile, Rachel is flying high thanks to her budding relationship with Coleman. But when it comes down to it, she still can’t totally disengage from Quinn. These two women are inextricably linked, and no man can alter that.

Here’s a rundown of this week’s episode:

Make Some Noise
Rachel and Coleman arrive on set together in his flashy sports car, for which Jeremy bitterly mocks her. Rachel gives right back after seeing Yael, with mussed hair, emerging from the truck. Not only that, “Hot Rachel” has a photo of the real Rachel with holes in it. Yeah, Jeremy’s clearly over her.

Quinn is trying on evening gowns for the Impact Awards when Chet enters. He was bawled out by Jeremy and tells Quinn that everything he said the previous night was true — she’s the love of his life. “You’re embarrassing yourself,” Quinn huffs, and throws him out. Meanwhile, Coleman asks Rachel to be his date to the Impact Awards. Everyone in television will be there, and it’ll be a great opportunity for her to mingle, make connections, and be a force in the industry.

Everlasting is filming an overnight date, in which viewers get to vote for two women to vie for the honor. It’s all a sham, of course, and Quinn sets it up so that Yael and Dominique are the finalists. Also, what’s with the overnight date this early in the season? “I felt the show needed a little more spice,” Quinn says, before demanding that Madison find the Impact Award tickets. Rachel then rather nastily informs Quinn that she and Coleman are going to the Impact Awards because he’s the showrunner.

The overnight date selection is getting underway, and Rachel whispers to Dominique to do something big to grab Darius’s attention. When filming begins, Dominique spills the beans about Yael sleeping with a crew member, to Quinn’s consternation. Darius decides not to choose either woman and instead asks Ruby to spend the night. Jay is delighted, since Ruby is his girl.

Quinn blows her top and wants to chew out Rachel, but Coleman shuts her down. Rachel has outgrown her, he says, and Quinn isn’t making noise anymore, having done the same thing for 14 years. “Oh, I can make some noise,” Quinn schemes, before calling for Ruby’s psych profile.

Darius and Ruby go to the overnight suite. He disables the camera, but Quinn has had four other cameras installed on the sly. Jay sees the footage and is shocked — this is against the rules. Well, Quinn made those rules and she can break them. Jay wants to tattle on her, but Quinn asks him if he really wants to undo all the great work he’s done in producing this story. Jay shuts up.

Own It
At the Impact Awards, Coleman and Rachel introduce themselves to John Booth, a media mogul who has bought a bunch of networks. He proclaims that he’s a huge fan of Everlasting (he wants to know if Beth Ann will get to the end). But just as the two are insinuating themselves into his good graces, Quinn shows up and steals the spotlight. John is immediately taken with her. “In a room full of legends,” he purrs, “you’re a legend.”

As Quinn flirts with John, Madison calls to let her know that “the eagle has landed.” With a gleam in her eye, Quinn invites John back to the set to watch some fireworks go off.

Meanwhile, off in the woods, Chet and Jeremy are having some kind of manly therapy camp. Chet confesses to stealing his baby and says he still loves Quinn. Chet complains about getting fired, and Chet slaps him. He has to own his failings, not blame someone else. Jeremy finally admits that he loves Rachel.

Meanwhile, in the overnight suite, Darius and Ruby are talking and sharing confidences. He feels burdened by responsibility to his friends and family, and she assures him that she’d still like him if he didn’t play football anymore. They start to make out. In the control room, Jay cannot contain his glee and calls Rachel. “It’s like the black Notebook,” he crows.

But Rachel is alarmed that Quinn has put additional cameras in the room. Quinn is up to no good, and she and Coleman race back to the set. They get there just as Ruby’s father, Dr. Carter, arrives. He busts into the overnight suite and finds his daughter having sex with Darius.

At first, Rachel prevents the cameramen from filming. But Quinn pokes at her — does Rachel want to make a boring show or does she want to follow the story? Rachel wavers … and then takes the cameras in and starts producing.

Ruby’s father expresses his disappointment that she’s on the show and that she’s wasting her potential. He wants to take Ruby home, but she refuses. She is falling in love with Darius. “I am so ashamed of you,” her father whispers before leaving. Ruby collapses into tears in Darius’s arms.

In the control room, John congratulates Quinn on that epic scene. He thought the show was scripted. “Oh, we don’t make it up; we make it happen,” she replies with a big grin — and a big “TOLDJA” smile at Coleman.

As Quinn orders everyone to get ready for the elimination ceremony, Rachel confronts her about the Ruby situation. “You think Coleman is your ticket out of here?” she asks. “He’s your Chet. He’s going to steal all of your ideas and take the credit.”

Rachel shakes her head. No, she and Coleman are partners. In three years, she’ll have her own show and a man who loves her. Quinn isn’t buying it — and it’s hard to know if Rachel is, either.

Deep Impact
Before the ceremony, Darius and Ruby talk. She apologizes for her father’s behavior, and he acknowledges that Dad was right about some things. Ruby passionately argues that Darius could do more for the black community and that he could be more than just a football player.

At the ceremony, Yael grovels to be forgiven for her mistakes, and Darius keeps her. Instead, he cuts Dominique, who storms off angrily. And then, in a surprise twist, he eliminates Ruby. “I don’t feel like I’m enough, for you or your dad,” he tells the tearful Ruby. He’s not yet the man that she wants him to be, and he can’t handle disappointing her every day.

Quinn and John walk to his car, and he asks her to go home with him. But she has a grim task to complete: buying her father’s coffin for the funeral the next day. John notes that Costco sells coffins and offers to take her there. Chet spies all of this from around the corner.

Rachel and Coleman walk to his car, and he — disappointed that Rachel followed Quinn’s lead again — decides to go home alone. A drunk Jeremy spies all of this from the truck. And when Rachel goes to wardrobe to return her evening gown, he follows her there. He calls her selfish and manipulative, and blames her for his demotion. When she tries to flee, Jeremy grabs her — and then he hits her and knocks her down.

An unlikely white knight appears: Chet. He pushes Jeremy away and tells him he’s fired. “That’s not what a man does,” he yells. He asks if Rachel is OK.

Her mouth says yes but her eyes say no. And Jeremy’s transition to full-fledged villain is complete. Post your thoughts on this week’s episode below, and be sure to check out UnREAL’s Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer playing a spirited game of “Know Your Co-Star” in the video below.

UnREAL airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.