7 fascinating and memorable moments from "I Am Cait" episode 3
The third episode of the eight-part docuseries "I Am Cait" aired Sunday night on E!, and it's clear that Caitlyn Jenner considers her journey and her series to be about a lot more than just herself.
Like Caitlyn's speech at the ESPY Awards earlier this year, the 65-year-old Olympic gold medalist is looking to use her public platform to share a message of acceptance and raise awareness.
But that doesn't mean she doesn't understand how to have some fun. In this episode the road trip that began last week -- with Caitlyn, her two assistants/friends, and a group of trans activists and community members -- came to a close with some real moments of fun, poignancy, and honest emotional growth.
Here's a look at seven of the most enjoyable, fascinating moments from the third episode of "I Am Cait."
1. All the girls go roller skating and motorcycle riding.
After a long trip filled with deep, emotional conversations and tense, revealing discussions, it's wonderful to see the normal, happy side of people who could have just as easily been shown as hardened or as women who take themselves too seriously. Showing both aspects of the girls' personalities really brings home the fact that people are people. Whether they are having fun skating in a roller rink or pushing the boundaries of their comfort zones, it was truly great to watch the girls come together as friends.
2. Caitlyn seems worried at how comfortable she is in her new life.
After settling in at their road trip spot in Sonoma, Caitlyn opened up with Candis Cayne and Chandi Moore about how she's been way more comfortable as Caitlyn than she ever expected.
"Ive been comfortable by myself my entire life," Caitlyn explained. "But on this trip, I've been not in my house, I've been out feeling extraordinarily comfortable being myself. And to be honest with you, it's scary. Because I'm already thinking, 'I don't want to go back [home]."
3. Los Angeles is a hard place to live for Caitlyn.
This trip has been a wonderful excursion for Caitlyn, but it seems that it's also provided her a chance to escape from the spotlight and the scrutiny of life as a celeb.
"I am really enjoying the peace and quiet up here," Caitlyn explained. "It is so nice to be free. In L.A. I have the media coming after me, and there is no privacy."
"And, you know, I get it. I'm doing this very publicly, so I can understand that." Caitlyn admitted. "But it also can drive you crazy."
4. Caitlyn gets over her discomfort about being in bathing suit.
In the last episode, Caitlyn couldn't bring herself to join the girls in a hot tub during a stop on their road trip. However, it seems that being around so many supportive trans women has instilled her with a self-confidence that she didn't necessarily have before.
"Putting on that bathing suit represents a lot to me," Caitlyn explained. "It's kind of scary because, you know, you're really exposing yourself."
So, pushing aside her fears, Caitlyn joined the ladies in the pool, wearing a form-fitting white one-piece - and was welcomed by cheers from her new friends.
5. Cailyn may be in the "pink cloud."
One of the main through-lines of the episode is the growing alienation Caitlyn's long-time friend Ronda Kamihara has felt since Caitlyn's journey has become so public. According to Ronda, the two used to spend time together and go to the movies together, and now she feels more like a simple assistant than a confidante.
After one of Caitlyn's new friends, LGBT activist Jenny Boylan, spoke with Ronda about her increasing distance from Caitlyn, Jenny speaks with Cait and explains that she might be in something she calls the "pink cloud."
"[It's] this place of euphoria and happiness," Jenny explains. "And that's good. But it also means that you can be a little blind to things over than yourself... I'm just afraid that you're kind of in the midst of this whirlwind, and you're forgetting some of the people that you love."
Toward the end of the episode, Caitlyn and Ronda finally sat down and confronted the issues Ronda has. Caitlyn apologized, and it seemed that she finally began to understand that there was more to her emotional journey than the journey itself.
6. Caitlyn discusses her sexual preferences.
During dinner, the group discusses their sexual preferences and experiences dating as members of the trans community in America. The topic of whether or not Caitlyn is attracted -- or has been attracted -- to men becomes a focus of the conversation.
While Caitlyn admits that she "can appreciate the male form," she adds that she doesn't know where he journey or sexual interests are going, and she joked, "I've got bigger things than an orgasm to worry about."
7. Caitlyn realizes that her voice isn't as big a deal as she imagined before.
Of the things Caitlyn said she was most uncomfortable about in her new life is her voice, which she finds to still be quite masculine. During last week's episode it seems to be a major source of discomfort, but she explained at the end of the episode, after the road trip was done, that the time she spent with her new friends opened her eyes to what was important and what wasn't.
"I really love these girls, and we're going to be friends forever, and I learned so much from them. I have realized that my voice is like the last thing to worry about. It's about the words that come out, and the importance of those words -- not about the pitch."
Caitlyn used her words and the lessons she learned from these strong, assertive women to form her speech at the ESPY Awards in July, which called for love, peace, understanding and acceptance. Check out Caitlyn's emotional address in the video here.