In the earlier episodes of “Welcome to Chippendales,” we witnessed that, apart from being an extremely insecure person, Steve was the kind of man who needed constant validation. He had come from a very humble background, and he wanted to prove to the world that he could create a fortune for himself and become a rich man. More than anything else, he wanted to show the people back in India that he was not a failure. Steve had to struggle a lot when he came to the United States of America, and that is why he was very possessive of what he had created. He was always scared that somebody would rob him of his possessions, and he would have to go back to being a petrol pump attendant. The thought of the people judging him and considering him a failure gave him nightmares. So, let’s see what challenges Steve Banerjee had to face in the sixth episode of “Welcome to Chippendales” and whether he is able to overcome them.
Spoilers Ahead
Nick Comes Up With The Idea Of The Chippendales Tour
Steve Banerjee had given in to his insecurities and had decided that he needed to take some action and stop feeling so vulnerable all the time. Steve had started visiting New York frequently so that people knew who he was. He used to barge in after a show and talk to influential people, indirectly informing them that, contrary to their perception, it was not Nick De Noia who was Mr. Chippendale. Steve wanted his crown back, and he was ready to play the petty game and dirty his hands, if it came to that. At the beginning of the sixth episode of ‘Welcome to Chippendales’, we see that he very slyly informs Mr. Calvin Richard Klien that he owns the place. Nick and Steve didn’t realize it, but they did embarrass themselves when they started passing sarcastic comments on each other. Nick had had enough, and he just couldn’t take it anymore. Steve only came two or three times a month, but those visits made Nick miserable and caused a great deal of frustration. Nick had realized that he had become a brand and didn’t need the Chippendales tag to attract crowds. He pitched in the idea of opening his own male strip club and so that he could get rid of the constant nagging by Steve Banerjee. Bradford and Denise strongly opposed it and told Nick that it was not a rational thing to do. Bradford said that there was one more way through which Nick could be a part of the Chippendales and yet have minimal interference from Steve’s end. He said that they could open a Chippendales touring company and perform in different cities throughout the world. Chippendales was only in two places, and people came from all over the United States of America to watch the shows, but there was still a huge demand for male strip clubs in other cities too. This demand was being filled by local players who were copying the original concept. Nick knew at that moment that it was a commercially viable idea, and it also solved his problem and allowed him to stay away from Steve Banerjee.
Nick met Steve and told him about what he had been thinking. Generally, Steve would dismiss all of Nick’s suggestions without even considering them. Steve knew that there was always a catch and Nick, most of the time, made sure that he got a better deal. But this time, what caught his attention was the fact that with zero investment, he was going to get 50 percent of the profits. Steve couldn’t understand how it was possible, but Nick assured him that it would be exactly as he had told him. Nick wanted a contract to be signed, but Steve didn’t want to involve his lawyer, Cheryl. So, he asked Nick to write down the contract on a napkin, and they both signed it. Steve had no clue what he had done and what could be the implications of his one signature on the napkin.
‘Welcome to Chippendales’ Episode 6: Ending, Explained: Did Steve Declare Chippendales Bankrupt? What Made Him Doubt Nick?
Steve had missed his deposition, and Irene was angry at him for being so irresponsible and naive. There were 13 people who were blaming Chippendales for racial discrimination, and Irene knew that if the charges were proven to be true, they would have to pay a huge amount as compensation. Irene was scared that they would go bankrupt, and she was under a lot of stress. Steve, on the other hand, still didn’t think that the lawsuit had the potential to destroy his business. He was still taking things lightly, and that’s why Irene was even more mad at him. Steve was making all sorts of irrational expenses, and he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. Irene had gone through the accounting books, and according to her speculations, if they lost the case, they wouldn’t be left with sufficient working capital to maintain the operations. When Steve realized that there was a possibility that he actually might lose his club, he got paranoid. In order to amp up the revenue, he increased the print run of the Chippendales calendar. According to his calculation, it was supposed to boost their growth by approximately 66 percent. He also told Irene about the deal he had struck with Nick. She was skeptical about the whole Chippendales Tour company until the first cheque came from Nick’s end. As he had promised, he sent 50 percent of the proceeds, and Steve and Irene were shocked to see how much he was making. They couldn’t believe that Nick could make such money, but apparently, the Chippendales tour company was a big hit throughout the United States of America.
The court finally gave its decision, and charges of racial discrimination against Chippendales were proven to be true. Steve wanted to appeal the ruling, but Cheryl advised him to go under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code so that Chippendales got protection from the creditors and Steve got some time to reorganize, to keep his business alive. He told Cheryl that he was not going to declare Chippendales bankrupt. Steve convinced Irene to give him some more time. He was hopeful that the sale of the Chippendale calendar would solve his problems.
The Chippendales calendar finally got printed, and Steve was relieved to see the consignment arrived just on time. He was hopeful that the sale would solve half his problems and that he would be able to come out of the mess he was in. The dancers were eager to see how they looked in it, and while going through it, one of them noticed something absurd in the calendar. Every month had 31 days in it, and Steve’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately went outside to check the other calendars and found out that each one of them was misprinted. Steve became numb, and he didn’t know what he would do next. Irene tried to console him and told him that they would get past it. But Steve was really scared this time, as he knew that his whole life was at stake. Still, Steve mustered all his courage, put on a smile, and told his employees that Chippendales was not going to shut down no matter what the circumstances were.
Every month Steve got a cheque from Nick’s end, and he saw that the revenue was increasing at a pace he hadn’t imagined. Cheryl had told Steve that the contract that they had signed on the napkin was legally binding. Steve really felt embarrassed due to his reckless attitude. He didn’t have a lot of trust in Nick, so he sent Ray Colon to snoop around and give him a ground report. From the very beginning, we saw that Ray had always misguided Steve and made him even more insecure by either inciting him or creating doubt inside him. Ray, without any sort of evidence, told Steve that Nick was making much more than what he was actually revealing. Ray always told Steve what he wanted to hear. Though Irene told him that Nick could never embezzle funds or cheat him, Steve had already made up his mind. Towards the end of the sixth episode of “Welcome to Chippendales,” we saw that Steve agreed to plead bankruptcy as Cheryl and Irene had advised him to. Steve had realized that he had no other option and had to do some damage control now. Steve got a call from his mother who had read an article in the newspaper about Chippendales. A male strip club was not exactly the kind of business that an Indian parent would be proud of. Moreover, the newspaper article had called Chippendales a fraudulent organization. Steve’s mother called him a failure and she told him that he had brought shame to the family. Steve was shattered and his castle of dreams was falling apart in front of his own eyes. In the upcoming episodes we would get to witness what Steve does to curb the damage and if he confronts Nick or acts on his false assumptions.
