Ep 9. Reject's Beach

Another Period is a satirical comedy TV series depicting the outrageous lives of the Bellacourt family, an aristocratic family living in Newport, Rhode Island during the turn of the 20th century. Season 1 episode 9 "Reject's Beach" follows the Bellacourt sisters' expedition to a beach where the less-privileged members of Newport society reside.

The episode begins with an unexpected visit from Frederick Douglass, a well-known American social reformer and abolitionist. The Bellacourts are initially taken aback by his appearance, but quickly decide to use him to curry favor with the politically correct crowd. In their attempt to impress Douglass, they invite him to join them on a picnic at Reject's Beach.

The Bellacourts' trip to Reject's Beach is met with adversity from the start. They discover that the beach is filled with an eclectic group of lower-class individuals, including the working class, immigrants, and people of color. The Bellacourts are horrified at the sight of so many people from "lower" social and economic classes enjoying themselves in a place that they deem to be "theirs."

As they try to settle in and indulge in their picnic, the Bellacourts are bombarded with various activities and amusements that they are not accustomed to, including but not limited to mud wrestling, tug of war, and burlesque performances. As the day progresses, the sisters begin to fray at the seams and reveal their true, snobbish personalities, which leads to conflict with the beach-goers.

The sisters' behavior begins to attract the attention of the rich and famous, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain, and Andrew Carnegie, who all join them on the beach. It quickly becomes apparent that the Bellacourts are making fools of themselves, and their attempt to gain approval from Douglass has backfired spectacularly.

As the day goes on, the sisters become more and more agitated until eventually, they snap. Each of them has a breakdown in their own unique way, from Chair's dramatic refusal to perform in a tug of war match to Hortense's confrontation with her birth mother. It is only through a group effort by the Reject's Beach-goers that the sisters are able to calm themselves down and leave the beach feeling more humble and accepting of others.

The episode concludes with Frederick Douglass leaving the Bellacourts with a parting shot, letting them know that they could use a bit more empathy and understanding for their fellow human beings. The episode as a whole serves as a commentary on the absurdity of the Bellacourts' privileged lives and the importance of acknowledging and accepting all members of society regardless of their social or economic standing.