"It kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?" It's a question that Caitlyn Jenner posed to herself while going on her journey through California, and it not only reflected her and her transition, but the plight of her community as a whole. The third episode of the E! mini-series picked up with Jenner on her road trip, particularly at her fateful visit to the Human Rights Campaign action center in San Francisco. Jenner, along with I Am Cait viewers, learned the horrors that befall many trans women, from violence to high poverty rates. Jenner was particularly touched by a trans woman and HRC volunteer named Blossom Brown, who, despite her ambition and educational background, could not find work as a nurse. (Jenner vowed to take Brown's story to Ellen DeGeneres, whom she is a huge fan of.)
It was, as Oprah would declare, an "aha" moment for Jenner, who realized that having lived most of her life as a white man, life has not been as difficult as it is for so many others. "I've lived a great life, but I realize in this transition my privilege status." Seriously, how rare to hear an E! reality star put their privilege in check? How rare is it that someone from the Jenner / Kardashian family realizes that their biggest worry is "the stupid paparazzi"?
I Am Cait continues to find the right balance of happiness and soundbites and group hugs, but also rooting Jenner back in the reality and depth of the situation. For every motocross or roller skating sequence, there were honest discussions about how to date in the trans community, (Jenner admits that she has never been with a man, but is open to any and all possibilities) to coming down from the "pink cloud" of euphoria to remember the people around you.
In just the span of one hour, Jenner tackled her fear of wearing a bathing suit for the first time; coming to terms with the issues she has with her voice (as she wonderfully put it, "My voice is the last thing to worry about: it's the words that come out"); and lastly, realizing that she couldn't run away from her regular life back home and that this glorious trip would have to end sometime. And while Jenner will have to return to la la land, she's taking so much goodness back with her, thanks to the incredible women she's surrounded herself with and learned from. Seriously, can E! give spin-offs to all of Jenner's new friends? They are inspirational, smart and funny, and everything a reality TV star should be.
Jenner seems honest when she says she wants to use her fame and status for the greater good. I believe it because she is flawed and is making mistakes, but doesn't run away from the fear or the obstacles ahead of her. This particular episode was filmed five weeks before her now-iconic speech at the ESPYs, and here Jenner talks about her nervousness of "exposing yourself to the world" and how emotional it would be to do this in front of her family. "I want them to be proud of their daddy," Jenner said through tears at one point. As we all know now, Jenner not only knocked that speech out of the park, but she clearly took all the lessons she learned from this journey with her.
Towards the end of the episode, Jenner declared that she and the other powerful, influential trans women around her should "climb Everest," but in a way, they already have. By sharing their stories and becoming an outlet for a dialogue that is desperately needed on television. Jenner's newfound friend and mentor Jenny Boylan said she couldn't wait to see what Jenner does next, and we couldn't agree more, both on the show, and far beyond.
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