This week's episode of Lipstick Jungle [1] really made me sad that things aren't looking good [2] for the show's future. It wasn't that the episode was so good on its own, necessarily — it just set into motion a lot of interesting stories, like Nico's maternal impulses and Wendy's faltering marriage, that I'm not sure we'll get to see through to the end. Ready to talk about it? Just .

• First of all — this started bugging me last week [3], but when did Shane become so evil? Did I, like Wendy, just like him better when he was the slightly subservient househusband? He's being such a jerk these days! I get that he thinks it's time to focus on his career for a change, and I understand why he'd be a little surprised at not getting support from Wendy considering she's the one who pushed him to work. But still, read your son a bedtime story, OK?
• Also, even though the writers don't seem to know what to do with characters in stable relationships, I think I liked it better when at least one marriage on the show was relatively happy.
• And really — going on tour for months on end with Natasha Bedingfield and your teenage-ish manager who's kind of in love with you, without asking your wife? Who does that? Though Maddie's reaction is pretty fantastic: "Oh my gosh, she opened for Justin Timberlake. Do I get to meet him?"
• Anyway, Nico's forging ahead with her motherhood plan, enlisting Wendy to help teach her how to give herself injections ("if you'd feel more comfortable, there's a cat hospital down the block") and feeling kind of miserable as the hormones make her hot and shaky. I was initially surprised Nico was going the baby route so quickly, but this story makes sense to me. She doesn't know what she wants, so she's just trying to keep her options open.



• Despite the fact that we've hardly seen her design clothing, Victory is apparently branching out into home furnishings and pitches an ad with a naked woman lounging in some sheets. Great — except the woman is supposed to be Victory. She freaks out a little, first taking the moral stance ("why would I objectify myself just to sell bed linens?") and then the "I just . . . don't like nudity" stance. I love her friends pointing out all her nudity hangups, including that she never showers at the gym and wears a bathing suit in the sauna.
• Maybe my favorite scene is Roy walking in on Victory as she's tentatively disrobing in the store and immediately babbling "I didn't see anything! Honestly!" He's adorable.
• But this whole experience makes Victory think she needs to be bolder, so she hires Kirby for the photo shoot, has a drink, fumbles around with a cigarette, and eventually discovers that nudity is liberating.
• So liberating that she shows up at Joe's place dressed like Audrey Hepburn! And makes martinis! And tells him she would have married him! And totally sleeps with him on his sheets made of clouds!
• Meanwhile, Nico passes out in the office and Griffin takes her home, where he's surprisingly, adorably sweet. For all his cutthroat nonsense, he can be a pretty understanding person, and he tells Nico not to make the mistakes he did and commit only to work.
• And Wendy tells Shane she'd like to see a marriage counselor, and he's all "yeah, sure" and then tells Josie he'll do the tour. Whatever, jerkface.

Do you think Victory will really propose to Joe? Can anyone help me see Shane's side of all this? And are Nico and Griffin getting all flirty? What did you think?

Photos courtesy of NBC [4]