The power struggle between Gen Z and Gen X has finally reached the battlefield in the newest episode of The Z-Suite on Tubi. The first half of the season dealt with Monica Marks (Lauren Graham) cycling through the stages of grief in her exile from the advertising world, and Kriska Thompson (Madison Shamoun) adjusting to her new C-Suite role without the experience to guide her.
Things took a 180 in Episode 4 (“Fake It Till You Make It”), with Monica getting her new ad agency off the ground with poached clients and Kriska landing herself in hot water after fumbling a campaign for a major client. This week in Episode 5 (“Work Hard, War Hard”), the pair are back in the same office, fighting on the same turf.
Following the Olivia Rodrigo Boppin’ Burger debacle in Episode 4 and the fact that Atelier lost three clients, the Z-Suiters have “emotional hangovers.”
“Can you imagine anything worse?”
“My relationship with my father.”
Mandatory massages to fix the bad juju are interrupted by the dual cracks of Diet Coke cans opening: Monica and Doug are back. But wait, don’t call security, they have business here. Team Moug is moving into the empty office space just a stones throw and clear glass door away from Atelier to set up their new agency, Marks and Marks (Marks and Garcia was allegedly taken). Tonight is an open house party to welcome the clients they poached and to attract more now that Monica is back in the game, and she has her sights set on Boppin’ Burger.
Minnesota Matt doesn’t get fired from Atelier after it’s revealed to Kriska he caused clients to jump ship to Monica, but is demoted to Office Manager. He’s, unfortunately, the same as always, irking Clem and Elliot the rest of the episode for opportunities to pitch campaigns. It appears there’s no development in the cards for the millennial, and he’s doomed to stay stuck in the same shtick all season. We can see him somewhere down the line using his weirdness in some last-ditch effort to save a campaign, or something of the sort. If there’s a season two, hopefully the Minnesotan can embody a bit more. Though, in a hilarious moment, Matt reveals his age of 33 and how he’s been at Atelier for 10 years to Kriska, to a resounding double, “DAYUMN.”
Meanwhile, Kriska is purposefully set on a wild goose chase by Monica, trying to pursue First Poke Glucose Monitors as a client. The rambunctious owners drag Kriska to a sushi buffet, karaoke bar and dreadfully, Times Square. “No, no, no, no– I’m wearing open-toed shoes!”
With Marks and Marks setting up shop next door, the remaining zoomers take this as a declaration of war, and the sabotage begins. Clem and Elliot disrupt open house party preparations across the hallway by sending over male strippers dressed as construction workers, reporting the two for using crystal meth and putting up artwork of Monica as King Kong with…very large breasts for guests to see when they enter.
As actor Nico Santos himself mentioned to DECIDER, Doug continues to get extra ridiculous. Santos is an expert at making silly come off as endearing rather than overtly foolish, and this episode is a perfect example. Each disturbance comes with a scene-stealing moment from Doug. After seeing King Kong Monica, he shrieks, “Oh, nice rack!” shocking himself, then responding, “I’m so sorry. I turn straight in times of crisis.” The wingman thoroughly enjoys the distraction from the exotic dancers, “Not quarters Doug, that’s insulting,” and gets tased after mistaking the security guards for more sexy entertainment. Residual zaps plague him throughout the open house, leading him to crash into a table of “weenies and balls” hors d’oeuvres, (tiny sausages with two tomatoes attached) courtesy of the centennials watching nearby. Joyfully, Tiny Claus makes another cameo– even gets his own special Christmas suitcase to be unpacked in the new office. All in all, Santos is the star of the episode, and kind of the series, keeping the chuckles flowing and never taking himself too seriously.
At the open house for Marks and Marks, Mr. Boppin’ Burger shows up and is disillusioned with Kriska’s immaturity and inexperience, but also unnerved by Monica’s recent embarrassing behavior.
“You don’t need to worry about me George. I went to therapy one time and fixed myself.”
George reveals his decision to open up the Super Bowl campaign to other agencies, giving both Monica and Kriska an opportunity to pitch an idea and win the major opportunity for their respective companies. The two women end the episode with a face-off. Kriska voices her disappointment in Monica resorting to poaching clients when she should be inspiring younger generations of women. Monica’s definition of feminism is earning your place, not having clients handed to you.
A breakout star of the season so far worth mentioning is older Atelier employee Bill (Richard Waugh). Poor Bill has been in the background fretting about his job, and his ex-wife Tanya, getting bitten by llamas and going with the new Gen Z flow. It’s a small delight watching this impassive baby boomer character interact with some of the nonsensical antics of the Z-Suite regime. Episode 5 features Bill periodically pulling out a notebook where he’s written Gen Z slang to interject into conversation, and Elliot couldn’t be prouder of him. It’s sweet. “No cap…did I do it?”
With only three episodes to go, tensions are high for which generation will end up on top. Although, with the message of the show being that no generation has it all worked out, we know the direction we’re headed. What’s left to find out is how these multigenerational characters combine their mutual strengths and where each of them end up from here. However, sadly, it looks like an Olivia Rodrigo cameo is now completely out of the question.
New episodes of The Z-Suite debut every Thursday on Tubi.
Claire Waheed is a recently graduated freelance writer currently based in Texas. She loves all things pop culture and new adventures.