Actress Shiri Appleby is set to make her directorial debut on this week's episode of "UnREAL" Season 2, which airs Monday, July 11 at 10:00 p.m. on Lifetime. The episode, entitled "Casualty," is also a big moment for the actress' character, Rachel, following her encounter with ex-boyfriend Jeremy (Josh Kelly).
Viewers may recall that a drunk Jeremy struck Rachel, unleashing the pain and anger he suffered with his unstable ex-girlfriend, who cheated on him in "UnREAL" Season 1. Rachel's boss, Chet (Craig Bierko), witnessed this and fired Jeremy from the set, but Rachel will continue to be affected by what happened.
'UnREAL' Season 2: Rachel Spirals Down
Speaking with TV Line, Shiri Appleby said that the attack last episode will "affect her whole being." Working on the dating reality TV show "Everlasting" -- the show within a show in "UnREAL" -- has made Rachel morally corrupt and the incident with Jeremy will only make her wonder what more she can allow to happen.
However, as she told TV Line, things will continue to happen to Rachel that will further send her on a tailspin. "The second half of this season is really asking the question, 'How much can a person take? And how do you get control over your life?'" she said.
See my first episode of @UnRealLifetime as both actor and director, Monday at 10/9c on @lifetimetv! #UnREALtv https://t.co/f8cTzkQgXN
— Shiri Appleby (@ShiriAppleby) July 10, 2016
'UnREAL' Season 2: Rachel Has To Trust
"Everlasting" has become Rachel's whole life in "UnREAL" that the people she works with are her family. But it's not exactly a healthy environment to be in. For one thing, the job has made her do questionable things for the sake of ratings. For another thing, the people she treats as family, like her mentor and other boss, Quinn (Constance Zimmer), is part of the reason of her mental anguish and instability.
In an interview with JTA, Shiri Appleby said that Rachel is a character who isn't a happy person. "I hope that she learns to trust, quite honestly," said the actress.
"UnREAL" Season 2 Episode 6 will feature Rachel's biggest moment in the series, which Shiri Appleby directed. It will also have a sex scene, which the actress said she had to direct four times as it was challenging to do. Watch the unnerving upcoming episode's teaser in the video below:
