Aahana Swrup
The Netflix sitcom ‘Unstable,’ follows the tumultuous professional lives of the employees at the Biotechnology company Dragon under the leadership of their offbeat billionaire boss. Although Ellis Dragon has always had a penchant for eccentricity, the death of his wife multiplies the same, resulting in concerns about his ability to lead the company. For the same reason, his son, Jackson, finds himself joining his father at his workplace despite their differences to rescue the latter from plummeting to his own unfortunate downfall.
As Ellis and his CFO, Anna, traverse the backstabbing corporate landscape, Jean, an old friend, remains one of the few friendly faces among a sea of opportunist board members. Therefore, as the company contemplates a change of management again in season 2, viewers are bound to notice Jean’s absence. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Jean’s Unforeseen Betrayal
In ‘Unstable’ season 1, Jean’s introduction into the narrative establishes her as one of the few trustworthy allies in Dragon’s corporate world. In the aftermath of his wife’s death, Ellis finds himself off-kilter and unable to return to his old ways. As a result, his emotional instability hinders his ability to contribute to his biotechnology company productively. Even though he still has the genius required to produce the world-changing technology that Dragon creates, his process no longer adheres to the timeline that the board expects of him. For the same reason, board members consider replacing him as CEO, citing his occasional erratic behavior.
In this corporate coupe, the twins, Chaz and TJ, seem to emerge as the most vocal supporters of Ellis’ removal. On the other hand, Jean—who has been a longtime friend to the Dragon family, appears to be the only board member who still believes in Ellis and wants to see him succeed. For the same reason, she often makes appearances at the office to help out and even starts spending quality time with Jackson once he permanently moves to Los Angeles. However, as it would turn out, the latter move is a ploy to gain incriminating intelligence about Jackson’s father.
Despite her history with the Dragon family, Jean actually turns out to be the one pulling the strings to ensure Ellis’ undoing. She is much more interested in the monetary profit that a shift in Dragon’s boardroom power dynamics can bring her. Therefore, she plays the long game—earning Ellis, Anna, and Jackson’s trust—until she can turn against them. Eventually, she manages to coax out some information from Jackson during the musical sessions, which she can use against his father.
Even though Jean’s plan fails, Ellis holds her in contempt for exploiting his son for her own personal gain. Consequently, he sets her car on fire for revenge and fires her from the company once he affirms his own position as Dragon’s CEO. Therefore, since Jean is no longer a part of the Dragon company, she doesn’t appear in season 2, confined solely to a few references instead. Even so, her character has an influence over the plot, as Ellis’ decision to commit arson against her tarnishes his public image, compelling him to start thinking about successors.
Christina Chang’s Departure From Unstable
Given the nature of ‘Unstable,’ as a workplace comedy, nothing is set in stone when it comes to the fates of influential characters. Although Jean served no purpose in season 2, leading to Actress Christina Chang’s absence from the show, there will always be a possibility for her return in potential future installments. Since Jean’s character is still alive and well in the universe, the narrative may decide to utilize her somewhere along the line. Furthermore, Chang has previously spoken about her experience with the project, instilling a sense of fulfillment.
“I love that it’s [‘Unstable’ is] intergenerational,” Chang said in an interview with Popternative. “It was a little surreal to be like, oh hey, I get to play the friend and fellow co-worker of someone [Rob Lowe] who used to be like on a poster in my room.” As such, it would be fair to assume that the actress would be open to returning to Jean’s role in the future in whatever capacity. Still, as for now, Chang’s departure from ‘Unstable’ persists. Nonetheless, fans can catch her on various other projects, including ‘The Good Doctor,’ where she helmed her role as Dr. Audrey Lim for a final season.
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