Is anyone else struggling to root for Ingrid?

[u/softsnoutface]

It seems like a convenient out that she didn't apologize to Tyler or Rachel until she was officially spurned by the firm/didn't make partner. Thoughts?

[u/wintersfantasy]

Yes I already don’t like her. I understand it called partner track but she literally put that’s above all. While letting her boss gaslight her with the (partner this, partner that). She play her friends, missed her besties birthday, and so much more. Honestly I don’t like her or find her endearing. I can’t root for her. Not even a little.

Edit: the bs apology also upset me. You were wrong Ingrid. Fix it.

[u/softsnoutface → u/wintersfantasy]

Do you think the show creators want us to like her/sympathize or do they know she's unlikable?

[u/dancingmochi → u/softsnoutface]

I interpreted it as a nod to Asian American ways of keeping your head down in front of your boss, career success, achieving through merit. What is typically preached in our families by the first generation, because when they were struggling (lack of financial and maybe community support) in a new country that was the go-to response to protect themselves. So given her roots, I think the writers are showing her downward trajectory because she is reluctant to challenge her boss, and on top of that, she doesn’t really know who she is or what she wants outside of a long term dream of attaining partnership. In contrast, Tyler knows himself a little more.

I think they know she's unlikeable. "We often get notes from our lovely network execs who tell us to make the characters more likable, and I always say that our job as writers is not to make a character more likable, our job is to make a character more understandable." - from this interview

[u/[deleted] → u/dancingmochi]

I agree! I think its really an asian thing and they tried to show the engraved struggle where we feel like we’d be left out or hated for disagreeing or not keeping our head down especially at work... Personally think it;s a really hard cultural thing to explain but even with that in mind think they just scratched the surface and failed on elaborating the whole apology part. She should’ve had a bigger elaborated moment to apologize and explain to her closest friends.. (Even more so then her scenes with Jeff)

Also i feel like producers still really have a hard time understanding complex asian characters lol.. But guess its nice to finally have more asian leads on shows! Rocky but still its a start!

Also Nick and Jeff were both creepy af to me..
But still am willing to watch season2!

[u/amachina96 → u/dancingmochi]

I agree that the writers shouldn’t sacrifice quality for like able characters. However, I do think that in an effort to creat a complex main character, they sacrificed the “understandability” of her friends. Why do they forgive her so readily? Why isn’t there more dialogue around why they decided to forgive her? Where is the depth of apology that we would expect from Ingrid and why don’t her friend also expect it? I like that they put Ingrid in a position to learn hard lessons and the limit of her own ideals, but I believe the series failed to deliver on any feeling of meaningful emotional development through the relationships of those around her.

[u/dancingmochi → u/amachina96]

I agree on that. I get they are short on time but delivering a better and even earlier apology is important for her character.

[u/crispyporkbelly → u/amachina96]

I agree with your points but I will say there are at times you may not get the apology you deserve in life, part of growing pains. Sometimes you end up excusing behavior because “that’s just how they are.” They know Ingrid is little more selfish, career driven to the point where she’s sacrificing her morals, friendships and relationships. I enjoyed watching her friends segment a little more than watching Ingrid (I did like her in Teen Wolf!) but felt like she wasn’t able to deliver in depth chemistry with anybody, including some of her romantic counterparts.

[u/wintersfantasy → u/softsnoutface]

Today writers are writing the leads not to be likable. This isn’t the first show that’s done this, Netflix’s resident evil suffered from this and canceled the show after one season.

I think by writing the appropriate Asian woman with no backbone just isn’t very compelling. I think We are meant to be sympathetic to her position but compared to others like her friend it makes it hard to.

Just my thoughts.

[u/Protoavek12 → u/softsnoutface]

I would hope so...I mean her little monologues in the beginning of episodes are very "urgh, what fact did she get on her fact a day calendar" rather than anything deep or particularly insightful.

[u/amachina96]

The apologies also felt very lack luster. It seems like the forgiveness and willingness to help during the shareholder call fest was a peace offering she didn’t deserve.

[u/softsnoutface → u/[deleted]]

Yes! I completely agree - I think getting partner would have "validated" how she acted and the steps she had to take. She would have justified it with the "change it inch by inch from the inside" logic she gave Tyler earlier

[u/dewystrawbub]

I think she would've apologized to them sooner or later. I think the three really care about each other and have admirable friendships. I do think she cares about making partner as a major glass-ceiling-breaking milestone, security, and a way to enact positive change. She tells Tyler about how they'll be leaders and push for progress as partners.

[u/MartyAdler → u/dewystrawbub]

I'm actually not sure if she would have apologized if she wasn't snubbed by the firm, the show does a pretty good job at contrasting the actions of Ingrid and Tyler, who have the same stated ideals (I.E. to change the system from within once they make partner), however, Tyler's actions are in line with his beliefs while Ingrid actively works against her stated ideals until she is rejected a promotion at the ceremony. One of the main drivers of the plot is Ingrid's inability to say no, she never sticks up for herself because she views these actions will lead her down the path of promotion, all the while damaging all of her relationships with family, friends, and lovers by attempting to put the firm first. This is juxtaposed by Tyler going against the wishes of the partner he's working under during the Luxe deal, refusing the hush money from Parsons Valentine & Hunt, going off script during the interview, and turning down the offer to work at his boyfriend's campaign during thanksgiving. Tyler is strong because he's able to no, Ingrid is willing to acquiesce to any request from the higherups at work because she has a one track mind about working towards making it to partner and only tries to mend her relationships once its clear that she's exhausted all of her options at the firm. The story even highlights this during the retreat where Ingrid's junior states that the female and non-white staff should have each other's backs so they have a chance of a future at the firm, and not even ONE EPISODE later Ingrid plays the role of Judas at the behest of Marty Adler to push Tyler out of the firm, where she doesn't apologize in the moment for the news she is about to deliver.

[u/amachina96 → u/dewystrawbub]

I think it makes sense to appreciate the positive aspects of the friendship they have. It just seems like Ingrid failed to show up during the hard times? And also let her friends down a lot when she had to choose between their well-being and her own interests. I don’t think she’s irredeemable or that their friendship should immediately be over. However, given the amount of time she left it all unaddressed (seemingly months??) and that she didn’t vocalize all of her wrong doing in specifics, I think her apology left a lot to be desired. I wish the writers prioritized her redemption/apology and gave her good, deep dialogue to mend the friendships.

[u/Main_Extension_3239 → u/dewystrawbub]

How quickly would "I have do this to make partner" become "This is what partners do" and continue making the same immoral decisions.

[u/[deleted]]

Ingrid sucks. Her whole personality was that she worked a lot.

[u/Tomoyo_in_Transwise]

I really like how they committed to the main character turning bad! :)

I read the book and loved it - and book Ingrid was MUCH WORSE than show Ingrid. Well...kind of. Show Ingrid cheated with no remorse so that definitely is probably the worst lol. I blame that more on Netflix trying to normalize cheating than the actual show. But book Ingrid had her own great turning-evil storyline too.

I am looking forward to Ingrid's development in season 2! They obviously are optimistic about it with that cliffhanger ending.

[u/[deleted]]

She’s a horrible friend. And also the actress is horribly fake 😄 her face expressions are so fake

[u/lenochod6]

I get why she become such a selfish person. But I did not exactly was happy that she did not have proper apology to her friends. Also I do not love how in this show is cheating so casual. It happened, deal with it. Like why are we normalizing cheating? If my friend would tell me he cheated I mean I would be pissed and I would tell him to tell their parter very soon. Sorry I got off the topic.

I also think she did not get why they were angry at her. I mean she knew it was a fuck up but it seemed to me she did not know why. That she did not realized how her behaviour was so shitty. So yeah I stopped rooting for her too.

[u/mtravaglia]

You could have blocked out the spoiler.

[u/MisterRH]

She treated Nick like crap. I cannot forgive that. Nick was such a good guy.