Elle Season 1 Episode 4 titled “I’m Not Afraid Of A Challenge,” throws Elle into a whirlwind of school politics, family tension, and a romantic decision that’s going to blow up in her face. Between organizing a pep rally from scratch and getting caught up in feelings she shouldn’t be having, this episode packs in a lot of drama before landing on one of the most devastating final scenes of the season so far.
Elle’s Cosmo Internship News Sparks A Family Moment
The episode opens with Elle and Eva heading home after a manicure date. It’s here that Elle finally tells her mother about the Cosmo internship, explaining that she was chosen based on her written assignment. The next hurdle is a video submission, and if she nails it, she could be heading back to Los Angeles for the following semester.
Eva’s reaction is immediate excitement. She asks if she can act as Elle’s chaperone and come back with her, and the two get swept up in imagining the possibility together. Eva commits to helping with the video. Meanwhile, Wyatt is caught off guard when he learns about the program and that Elle is actually going through with it.
Homecoming Drama And A New Pep Rally Plan
When Elle brings up the internship with Maddison, she’s reminded of something painful: she’ll miss homecoming at her old school. Upset by this, Elle starts wondering if there’s a way to bring a version of homecoming to Seattle instead.
The next day, she pitches the idea to the cheer team. Kimberly immediately pushes back, pointing out that the school doesn’t even have a basketball team to build an event around. Shannon, on the other hand, is fully on board, and Kimberly eventually caves and agrees to help with a pep rally. Elle still has questions, though, mainly how Kimberly intends to pull this off without any actual funding.
That’s when Shannon drops her own bombshell: she and Miles have broken up. Elle is stunned. Shannon also brings up Elle’s falling-out with Dustin, offering some sympathy. Elsewhere at lunch, Dustin apologizes to Liz, though Liz isn’t convinced it’s sincere, and she asks Elle point-blank whether she pressured him into it.
A Confession To Eva And Dustin’s Risky Reveal
Back home, Elle is digging through her closet for something to wear to the rally when she opens up to Eva about liking someone she really shouldn’t. She asks her mom how she could stay close to this person without betraying her friend. Eva’s advice is to do right by the people around her while still honoring her own feelings, a nice sentiment, though we all know it’s easier said than done.
At school, Dustin pulls Elle aside and shows her the school’s expense reports, insisting they prove Principal Anderson has been falsifying accounts. Elle isn’t interested in getting involved, arguing that exposing him would still hurt Liz in the process. She shuts the conversation down and heads off to focus on the pep rally instead.
Then comes another blow: Elle learns Miles is volunteering at the animal shelter and might not even make it to the event.
Kimberly’s Sabotage And Elle Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands
Eva tags along with a camera to document Elle’s prep for the Cosmo video, but it isn’t long before Elle realizes something’s off, Kimberly never actually organized anything. She sabotaged the whole thing on purpose. Shannon is furious with Kimberly, and the rest of the group walks away from the mess.
Rather than let Elle spiral, Shannon takes her out for coffee at a nearby park and convinces her not to throw in the towel. With Shannon, Liz, and Donna rallying behind her, Elle decides to run the pep rally herself. Ms. Burke steps in to teach the cheer squad a routine, Wyatt mans the first aid tent, and when Elle asks Eva to help, she finds her mother too wrapped up in editing the Cosmo footage to pitch in.
The Pep Rally Finally Happens
Right before the event kicks off, Elle admits to the videographer that she’s nervous. Once it starts, though, the cheer team nails a tight, well-rehearsed routine, and Elle gets a nice surprise when Miles shows up to compete in the race after all. She cheers him on as he crosses the finish line first.
Elsewhere at the rally, Kimberly tries to smooth things over with Liz, who flat-out ignores her. Elle, meanwhile, is polite and composed while chatting with Principal Anderson and his wife, which visibly irritates Dustin. Liz clocks Dustin’s obvious feelings for Elle and can’t resist teasing him about it.
At the same time, Wyatt questions whether Elle should even go back to Los Angeles now that she seems to have found her footing in Seattle. Eva brushes off his concerns entirely. She then meets with Dean, who offers her a spot on his team, she turns it down without hesitation, saying she’s committed to going back to LA with Elle.
That night, Shannon tells Elle the rally brought in enough money to fund a winter formal, and Elle thanks her for everything she did to make it happen. Dustin tries to get a moment alone with Elle, but Miles beats him to it and pulls her away first.
The Kiss That Changes Everything
While taking down signs together, Miles offers Elle his jacket and asks about her relationship with Dustin. She admits the truth: she lied because she actually has feelings for someone else. The two lean in for a kiss, and that’s exactly when Eva shows up with the videographer, camera rolling, capturing the moment for the Cosmo submission.
Elle is furious. She lashes out at her mother, accusing her of invading her privacy and caring more about the ticket back to LA than about how Elle’s feelings toward Seattle have actually shifted. She storms off to Miles’ house and kisses him there instead. When she gets home, she goes looking for Eva to tell her about her first kiss, but finds Wyatt instead. He listens, but he’s got nothing for her when it comes to the guilt eating at her over betraying Shannon.
That night, Elle can’t stop replaying the kiss in her head, hoping Shannon will somehow be able to forgive her. The next day at school, she goes looking for Shannon, and that’s when Liz delivers the episode’s final gut-punch: Shannon’s mother died in a car accident the night before.
The Episode Review: A Kiss With Terrible Timing
The second Shannon revealed her breakup with Miles, I had a feeling Elle’s crush was about to cause problems, I just didn’t expect the fallout to land this hard, this fast. Kissing your friend’s very recent ex is messy on its own, but doing it the same week her mom dies? That’s the kind of timing that turns a small mistake into something that could genuinely wreck a friendship.
I also can’t stop thinking about why Shannon actually ended things with Miles. She chalks it up to him being distant, but I have to wonder if she’d already picked up on the fact that he was interested in someone else. If that’s the case, this breakup might be a lot messier than it looks on the surface, and Elle could end up carrying more guilt than she even realizes.
Eva’s behavior this episode also rubbed me the wrong way, and I don’t think that’s an accident. She’s clearly using the Cosmo video for her own agenda, getting back to Los Angeles, and showing up with a camera at the exact moment Elle and Miles are about to kiss says a lot about her priorities. A little more awareness from her would’ve gone a long way, and Elle’s anger felt completely justified.
As for Dustin, it’s obvious he has feelings for Elle, but I’m still not convinced they make sense as a couple. Their values and outlooks are just too different, and I think the show is setting up their connection to be more about tension than romance. On a lighter note, I’m intrigued by the hints dropped around Kimberly. It really does seem like she has feelings for Liz, and I’m curious whether the show will let her explore that side of herself as the season moves forward.
