Gina is understandably traumatized from how Bojack abused and strangled her, and she is justified in her discomfort around stunts etc.
However I noticed on my latest rewatch some possible B Plot / subtext on her journey - when she’s finally the star, she’s standoffish and rude to those around her (separate from trigger moments - while she’s in safe spaces), and she reminds everyone she gets to do that because she’s first on the call sheet. She’s the star and that’s her privilege as such.
I get the impression that Gina has internalized all the abuse she’s endured throughout the industry generally as her ‘rite of passage’, and now that she’s a star, she feels she is entitled to berate and bully those around her as she was herself throughout her own career. Which sucks.
I don’t recall her interacting with anyone in an aggressive manner outside of situations where she was triggered. We as viewers have context the entire time we see Gina post Filbert. Her aggressive responses are reactions to triggers of her trauma. She pulls rank with the director because she doesn’t want to do any stunts which weren’t pre approved as it was a stunt which led to her being choked on set. Then during the actual stunt, the other actor takes liberty with the choreography which leaves Gina feeling helpless and lacking control. Both instances left Gina feeling like she had no control over what was happening around her. For most trauma victims, control is safety. So Gina was in a position to have some control and exercised that authority to the best of her ability. I’m not saying her actions are justified in a grand scheme, but we as viewers are supposed to understand why she is acting in such a manner.
Yep, this is the part that spawned the thought. i wasn’t paying close enough attention that it was specific to the change in stunts.
/u/vuxlort makes a good point. the “diva” persona can be her mechanism to defend herself without have to justify her true feelings - feelings which maybe impossible given that she had to downplay and ignore being strangled