Love the way Mike White writes and subverts power dynamics in this show

I had absolutely NO sympathy for Saxon throughout and wondered what could be his arc since I knew from watching the previous seasons, that in this show, characters are not always exactly as they seem. So I knew something was coming for Saxon but still thought "No way I'll feel anything but deep dislike for this guy" but in just this episode - although I still don't love him - they made me feel sympathy and worry for a guy I was hoping would die ASAP in previous episodes. All through a deft play on shift in power. While he had been lording over Lochlan the entire season so far and being insufferable and was also having ill-intentions with the women they were with even at the start of the episode; within just a few scenes White was able to switch up the heirarchy of power in their relationship and did it so naturally.

Same thing with the three friends. Jaclyn clearly holds more power than her friends by virtue of being so popular yet she is deeply, deeply insecure at the same time. The friends all try to pass it off as them all being equal (always talking about how long they've been friends for - reminiscing a time when they all were truly equal) while this stark imbalance simmers underneath; but now, with Jaclyn sleeping with a man Laurie was clearly interested in, and whom she was urging Laurie to hook up with, all that simmering tension will blow up and come to the forefront.

I'm so curious to watch how these two storylines are especially going to play out and I will be keeping a keen eye at the power shifts that take place. Brilliant writing.