Ep 2. Battle Royale

Erica is back in action for season two of Being Erica with “Battle Royale,” the second episode of the season. This episode picks up where the first season left off, with Erica feeling even more lost and disenchanted with her life. But Erica’s problems are just beginning when she starts to feel the pressure to compete with other women in the workplace, but is forced to make a difficult choice.

Erica struggles with the idea of competing against her fellow employees for a coveted promotion. Her boss, Julianne, assigns her to a group project where she must work with her colleagues, including Brent, who is snarky, sarcastic, and definitely not Erica’s favorite person. Brent seems to be determined to undermine her at every turn, making it difficult for her to get anything done. But Erica is determined to succeed and prove herself to be a valuable employee.

To make matters worse, Erica’s alcoholic mother, Barb, comes to town unexpectedly. Erica hasn’t seen her mother in years, and the visit brings up a lot of painful memories. Barb is in town for a job interview, but Erica is skeptical of her mother’s ability to hold down a job. As the week progresses, Erica must navigate her complicated feelings towards her mother while dealing with the stresses of work.

As she tries to juggle her job and her mother, Erica thinks back to her high school days when she was on the debate team. She remembers how she would obsess over every little detail and relished in the competition. Erica realizes that her past behavior isn’t serving her well in her current job, and she needs to learn how to work with others and let go of her need to be the best.

Things come to a head when Brent and Erica butt heads during a brainstorming session. Brent belittles Erica and her ideas, causing her to lash out. But instead of losing her cool, Erica takes a deep breath and listens to Brent’s ideas. She realizes that he has some great insight, and together they come up with a plan that impresses Julianne.

Meanwhile, Barb’s job interview doesn’t go as planned, and Erica must confront her mother’s drinking problem head-on. She realizes that she can’t fix her mother and offers her a place to stay for the night. Barb accepts and starts to open up about the past. Erica listens to her mother’s stories and begins to understand why her mother turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.

In the end, Erica realizes that she doesn’t need to compete against her co-workers to succeed. Instead, she needs to work with them and support each other. She also learns that it’s okay to ask for help and lean on others when she needs it.

“Battle Royale” is a powerful episode that delves deep into Erica’s struggles with competition, family, and addiction. The episode is a reminder that we don’t have to face our problems alone, and that sometimes, asking for help is the bravest thing we can do.