Get him, girl! A contestant on Netflix‘s latest reality competition The Trust: A Game of Greed rightfully called out her peer’s racial microagressions in the second episode of the series.
Over eight episodes, the show follows 11 strangers who have been given the opportunity to evenly split a quarter of a million dollars. During the competition, players are given the opportunity to vote someone out of “the trust,” or to steal money from the group’s collective funds.
In between voting sessions, the group plays simple games designed to reveal secrets and pit them against one another.
Episode 2 — called “Why Is Everyone Being So Frickin’ Emotional?” — features the contestants being asked to line in order of intelligence and leadership, and 27-year-old military contractor Jake places himself at the front of both lines.
In return, Jake is asked to line the players in order of trustworthiness and, as observed by a majority of the women in the competition, he prioritizes his male friends.
Then, Jake is told to pick two people to go into The Vault, a secluded location that gives players the opportunity to accept or reject a self-deserving prize at the expense of the group.
Jake selects two men, stating that one of them was “canceled out” during the previous episode, which saw players Bryce and Tolú losing their voting rights. Immediately, Tolú, a 26-year-old marketing manager, calls out Jake in a talking head interview for not selecting her for the same reason.
“For you to sit up there, on your high horse, and talk about how you feel so bad that Bryce had his power taken away and not even acknowledge that I, too, had my power taken away just really shows me who the fuck you are,” Tolú says.
Later in the episode, Tolú chats with the other women in the competition. 70-year-old retiree Jay says that Jake’s decisions were rooted in misogyny, to which Tolú agrees, “it was such a boy’s club!” The marketing professional takes the conversation a step farther when Jay points out that Jake keeps mentioning her African descent.
“You’re such a strong African queen, I got my African sista over here, my chocolate sista,” Tolú says while mimicking Jake. “Why must everything around me be surrounded by the fact that I’m Black and I’m African… I never said I’m from Africa, never once. I am from Nigeria!”
In an interview segment, Tolú continues, “Every single time he refers to me, it’s as the African girl. ‘Oh you look so African today, you look like an African warrior princess.’ It’s making me not enjoy this experience and I’m here to enjoy myself.”
The episode concludes without Tolú and Jake debriefing over the high tensions, but Episode 3 shows them making amends. Taking Jake aside, Tolú tells him, “I am more than just my culture. I am so much more than just the way I dress.”
Jake responds, “I don’t want to sit here and try to explain my reasoning because I feel like that’s deflecting from what you’re feeling. First of all, I want to validate you and I am so sorry that I said those things.. and for how short-sighted and callous I may have been… I never want to hurt you. I am so sorry that I did that.”
He goes on to say that he realizes his mistake in choosing Bryce to go to the Vault without giving her the same opportunity. Tolú explains that his decision made her feel like she didn’t “exist.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jake says again. “I want you to feel assured and affirmed of that, okay? I care about you. Thank you for hearing me and I’m so honored I get to hear you.”
Reflecting on their conversation later, Tolú says, “That meant a lot.. He’s accepting where he exhibited ignorance. It really made me feel like people can change.”
Obviously, Tolú was placed in a situation, early in the competition, that she should’ve never had to deal with but it was refreshing to see two adults handle a conflict in a mature and understanding manner. It seems that Jake and Tolú have squashed their beef for now, but will they both make it to the end? Time will tell.
The Trust: A Game of Greed is currently streaming on Netflix.