‘Minx’ Star Jake Johnson Breaks Down Doug’s Finale Decision
[This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike authorization.]
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Minx Season 2, Episode 8, “Woman of the Hour.”]
Minx‘s second season has come to a close, and with it, the open dynamic between publisher Doug and the rest of the magazine’s team as he flocked to Constance’s (Elizabeth Perkins) side by the end of the pivotal installment, “Woman of the Hour.”
While he went into the episode believing he’d be fired, Constance informed him about the leadership role she wanted him to serve alongside her at the same time Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond) was worrying about the direction of the publication and its expanded reach as the brand went global. Realizing the limitations Constance was putting on the content Joyce and her team create, they made a bold choice to run a Richie’s (Oscar Montoya) bathhouse shoot, knowing they’d all likely be fired for their actions.
(Credit: Starz)
But Doug went in an entirely different direction by figuratively (and literally) getting in bed with the boss. “I think there’s a big moment in the season, and that’s when Doug has his Minx dancers. And the show’s excellent. The crowd loves it, and he presents it to Joyce and Constance and basically says, ‘You asked me to do something great. I have, and it’s clear that they have, and it’s clear that it would financially work,’” Johnson said, recalling the season’s fourth installment.
It was during this event that Johnson noted Doug’s change of approach. “It’s not Joyce’s taste. And so simply because it’s not her taste, that project dies. And so I think from that moment on, Doug has to make a move because he will not survive working for somebody else because his taste is not gonna fit her taste.”
(Credit: Starz)
Doug started the season with 49 percent of the Minx stakes, and according to Johnson, “I think [he] does what he has to do to find a way to get back to having 51 percent of his business. And I think he thinks the best way to do that is to get in bed with the boss.”
As for whether the actor believes Doug is making a mistake? “What I’ve realized in this show is everybody thinks Doug is wrong and making mistakes,” he noted with a laugh. “Except for me. I think what Doug is doing here is if you don’t have any power where you’re at and the boss says hop in bed over here, I would say maybe climb in that bed, Doug, and see what happens.”
Series creator and finale director Ellen Rapoport doesn’t see Doug as the bad guy either. Rather, “I think we should be rooting for Doug to find some humanity in himself and realize that his striving for success and money is harmful to him and preventing him from having the life that he actually wants.”
Along with potentially losing his professional partnership with Joyce, he’s compromised his romantic relationship with Tina (Idara Victor). “Tina is tired,” Victor told us. “I think that Doug is all she’s known her whole adult life… and she finally got to recognize it for herself.” In other words, it’s good that she jumped ship before Doug did. “That empowered her to make sure that she spoke up for herself in a way that she never had and demanded what she deserved. I think that’s gonna fare very well,” Victor added.
As for whether or not hope is lost for Doug, Rapoport noted, “I think that there’s hope for everyone.” We’ll bet our bottom dollar on that.
Minx, Seasons 1-2, Streaming now, Starz
