In the earlier episodes of “Welcome to Chippendales,” we saw that Nick De Noia had coerced Steve into supporting him in opening the New York branch of Chippendales. The investors had rejected Nick’s idea, but Bradford Barton came on board and tipped the scales in Nick’s favor. Otis had decided to quit his job and leave Chippendales for good. He was not included in the calendar, and no matter how much he tried to get over the fact, he still harbored bitter feelings of resentment towards Steve. In “Welcome to Chippendales” Episode 5, titled “Leeches”, we see that the rift between Steve and Nick widens even more. They reached a stage where it did not matter to them if they destroyed themselves in the process, as long as they were able to hurt the other person.
Spoilers Ahead
Steve Calls Nick A Bully
In the fifth episode of “Welcome to Chippendales,” Steve Banerjee went to New York to see for himself what Nick was up to. Steve was quite fascinated to find out that a lot of famous people came to the Chippendales Club in New York. He told Denise that though he didn’t know who those celebrities were, he would want to be included in their elite circle as he loved meeting famous and influential people. That line defined Steve and the kind of aspirations he had in his life. He saw himself becoming a huge businessman who not only had loads of money but was extremely famous too. In the very first episode of “Welcome to Chippendales”, Steve told Paul and Dorothy that he wanted to become like Hugh Hefner one day. Sitting in that posh New York club and realizing that he had created it all from scratch made Steve feel that he was a bit closer to that dream. He sat with Denise and enjoyed the whole show. He felt elated and satisfied when he was given the kind of importance he wanted. He was made to sit in the VIP lounge, and Denise made sure that she was there to entertain him at all times. Steve was the kind of person who became very insecure if he didn’t get attention or if he saw that somebody was given undue credit for something that he had done. He was not the kind of person who would just do or say something to attract the eyeballs toward him. So, most of the time, when he didn’t get the attention he craved, he sat in a secluded corner and sulked until his anger overtook him, after which he just erupted like a volcano. Steve thoroughly enjoyed the show and then went backstage to meet Nick and congratulate him.
Nick was extremely nervous about what kind of response he would get from the audience in New York and hearing their voices; he took a sigh of relief. Nick was quick to remind Steve that it was the same show, based on the Hunkenstein concept, which Steve had brutally scrapped in Los Angeles. Steve, in that moment of joy, didn’t want to talk about such stuff, but Nick was trying really hard to make him feel apologetic. They both went outside, and Steve saw snow for the first time in his life. Nick threw a snowball at him, and they both started playing like children. Nick became a little aggressive, and even after Steve asked him to stop throwing snow at him, he kept on going. Nick didn’t intend to harass Steve, and he was just being playful (at least, that’s what we perceived). Steve called Nick a bully and felt quite displeased. Seeing Steve behave in that manner, you realize that he might have been bullied a lot in the past, and that is why when Nick didn’t stop, it triggered some deep-rooted emotions inside him and made him reminisce about that traumatic experience. Nick, on the other hand, didn’t understand what he had done wrong. He was the kind of person who never scrutinized his actions and always felt that everything was Steve’s fault. He just needed to have a little bit of empathy, and things wouldn’t have gone haywire. It cannot be denied that a lot of times, Steve did things just to undermine Nick’s authority, but at other times, Nick behaved in a very childish manner, and he was not really concerned about the consequences his actions would have.
‘Welcome To Chippendales’ Episode 5: Ending Explained – Why Was Chippendales Being Sued? Why Did Steve Have A Problem With Nick’s TV Appearances?
Steve was given a notice which stated that Chippendales was being sued for racially discriminatory practices. It said that the VIP membership card was only there so that entry of black men could be restricted in the club. Steve was not a racist himself, but he understood how hypocritical society was. He did it to appease the majority, and for him, it was simply business. But it all backfired, and it felt like the whole world was conspiring against him. He lied to Irene and told her that he didn’t have any such VIP card. Irene eventually found out about it, and more than being angry, she was disheartened due to the fact that he had lied to her and concealed the facts, presuming that she would never find out about them.
In the fifth episode of “Welcome to Chippendales,” we saw that Nick and Barton bought a new office space for themselves as they felt a need to upgrade after the recent success of their shows. They were showing the place to Denise when they got a call from the team of The Phil Donahue Show, and they were offered to come on television and talk about Chippendales. It was a huge deal for the Chippendales team and especially for Steve, who still remembered very clearly the kind of struggle he had to do to open a club. Steve and Irene saw the show with the entire LA team of Chippendales. Nick was referred to as “Mr. Chippendale,” a title that Steve felt belonged solely to him. Not even once did Nick take Steve’s name, and Steve felt like he was an outsider in his own club.
Nick visited almost every talk show in the United States of America, and people started considering him the face of Chippendales. Ray Colon incited Steve even more by telling him how unfair it was for him. Nick decided to go on a chat show himself, but his plan to garner fame severely backfired. He wasn’t a showman like Nick. He was a simple man who knew how to run a profitable business, but he lacked the wit and charm that attracted audiences in general. Steve was so angry that on his way back, he entered into an argument with a person named Merv Griffin, who had opened a club based on a similar concept as that of Chippendales, named Electric Tomato. Moreover, Merv mocked Steve when he called himself the owner of the club. He said that he had seen a million interviews, and he knew that Nick was the owner of the place. Steve had reached his tipping point. He told Ray to burn down Merv’s place. Ray thought that Steve might be just joking, but he realized that Steve actually meant it. Ray Colon did the needful, and the next day the news came that the club had been reduced to ashes. Steve opened a bottle of alcohol and watched the news as if he had registered a great win.
Irene kept telling Steve time and again not to get jealous of Nick as his actions were making them rich too. But Steve was in an altogether different state of mind. All his life, he’d been a very subdued man. He had lived a very unromantic life that was devoid of any thrill or enthusiasm. Now, when finally, his time had come, somebody else had stolen his thunder, and he just sat on the sidelines, seeing him achieve greater heights with every passing day. Steve was in a kind of mood where he just wanted to destroy Nick, even if it meant that it would drown his boat too. Victory had made Nick arrogant, and he failed to realize that there was no harm in giving Steve his due credit. Nick had never seen himself just as an employee, and he always believed that he was the reason behind Chippendales success. The fire has already been lit, and in the upcoming episodes, we will witness how it burns everything to the ground.
