RHOMelbourne Season 2 Episode 5

They tried to make us think at the end of last episode that the Janet and Gamble thing was over… Who else is calling “BS”?...

At the beginning of this episode, Pettifleur takes her son Nathan out shopping for a suit. She says the two of them have a great relationship because he listens to everything she says. For his sake, I hope that is false. I am imagining Nathan flipping his inner bitch, and I would imagine that would be confusing for a straight guy… We know how Pettifleur treats sales associates, so I was not shocked when she asked the salesman to give them the tie he was wearing. He of course obliges, but it was a beautiful tie, so I assume he did so under mental duress.

Gina brings Gamble to a fashion event. Gamble says to the cameras that she’s in love, but Gina does not seem to share that sentiment. Gina calls Gamble “a fan”. I must admit I almost choked with laughter at the juxtaposition of these two statements… During the event, Gina presents a dress that she is donating for auction. Gamble puts a bid in for it, but as soon as the price starts to climb, she stops bidding. For once Gamble is not taking advantage of an opportunity to show out for the cameras. Could it be a money issue? It is only now occurring to me considering what comes up later in the episode… The final bid for the dress is made by a gay couple. I wonder what they’re going to do with that dress… Gamble takes the chance to thank Gina for her help with Janet. During her interview, Gina says she is disappointed that Chyka is yet again fence sitting, which Gina claims she did last season as well.

Jackie brings Janet to something called “Cougar Speed Dating”… I guess “The Living Dead Speed Dating” was all booked up… Janet meets some real gems including one who wants to be a “kept man”. The whole time Jackie is standing in the corner telling some poor bystander about her psychic vibes she’s getting from the guys sitting with Janet. Even after meeting all of the guys and claiming that they were all wonderful, Janet decides she doesn’t need a man to complete her.

Later, Pettifleur and Jackie meet for drinks. Jackie gives her a brief recap of what’s going on between Janet and Gamble. Chyka walks in and Pettifleur asks for her input. Pettifleur also claims she has heard that Gamble has been talking badly about her. Jackie and Chyka seem not to know what she is talking about. But eventually they do say that Gamble has called her “nouveau riche”, which they, nor I, think is exactly an insult.

Jackie and Ben are looking for a model to be the face for the La Mascara brand. Jackie says she wants to give someone a shot who might not normally get one. She wants someone with a great personality. As they look at model photos, Jackie can feel their personalities and energies through the photos, which helps the elimination process go quicker. She comes across a male model whom she adores, but Ben refuses to allow a male model to have the job. Jackie says she has the final word, and when she meets the right person, she will instantly feel it.

At Chyka’s chef’s dinner Lydia shows up with a friend, not her husband… Didn’t Gina say during the first episode of the season that there was some rumor that Lydia and her husband were having problems? Curious… The first thing that Janet passive-aggressively says to Gamble is that she’s not flirting with Rick, as she had been accused of before. Chyka’s chef seems to know what he is doing. He is using very showy and modern cooking techniques. He uses liquid nitrogen to freeze meringue and he puts soup in test tubes. It looked interesting. I would eat at his restaurant.

During dinner Lydia begins sharing a sappy moment about her son and his marriage. She started to get emotional about it. Jackie catches Gamble snickering and smirking while Lydia is practically crying, and she calls her out. Gina jumps to her defense and says Gamble was sharing a private moment with her man. In her interview, Gamble admits that she’s physically scared of Jackie… Lydia also shares that she views her son in an extra special way since she lost a child at birth when she was 21. I’m 27, and I can’t imagine going through that at my age, much less at 21. My heart broke for Lydia in that moment… But then I realized my cold heart couldn’t handle that, so I moved on…

Jackie asks Gina how she likes her new living quarters. Gina says she feels it’s a bit haunted. Jackie tells her to sage the place and usher out the bad energy. Gina says if she were haunting a house, she would laugh at someone using sage. She simply doesn’t believe in that kind of stuff. But on a side note, if Gina were a ghost, I hope she would haunt Andrea’s house and constantly leave the bathroom a mess complete with makeup stained towels everywhere…

Gamble apparently has Barbie nicknames for the ladies, and Lydia asks what hers is. Gamble tells her it is “S&M Barbie”. Lydia pretends not to know what that means… Yeah right, Lydia. Yeah right… Pettifleur also asks what hers is, and she is told  “Nouveau Riche Barbie”. Pettifleur starts asking about Gamble’s money and where it came from. Gamble says that “nouveau riche” is not meant as a derogatory term, and that everyone in Sydney, where she is from, is nouveau riche. Then she says that she is from old money. Her father was apparently a successful artist… Hold on… First of all, if everyone in Sydney is nouveau riche, then how is her family “old money”? Also, I would hardly consider money from one prior generation to be “old money”. It seems that she doesn’t want to be labeled “nouveau riche” even though it is “not an insult”… Gamble then says that she has heard that Pettifleur didn’t like her handbag and was talking crap about it. So that’s the only reason she called her “nouveau riche”? To get back at her? She wanted to give a dig for her handbag’s sake… Also, why is Gamble getting so annoyed at Pettifleur for supposedly talking behind her back? Didn’t she ask Janet to do that rather than insult her to her face?... I was highly confused about this whole conversation. Gamble is making absolutely no sense. Gamble also said she heard that Pettifleur was calling her “stupid”. Pettifleur asks her, “Are you?” Gamble responds saying that she has “moments of stupidity”. And Pettifleur retorts with, “Well I don’t…” Another moment of choking laughter. I have to remember not to drink wine while watching this…

After Gamble gets it from Pettifleur, she returns to her seat, and Janet starts in on her. Janet asks Gamble if she really thought she was flirting with Rick. Gamble didn’t really answer the question but opts instead to jump back into the fight that they had buried. Gamble starts getting worked up, but Janet remains calm. Janet claims the reason Gamble was getting upset was because Rick was present, and Gamble had probably told him an exaggerated version of the truth. Janet tries to tell her side of the story, and Gamble keeps butting in getting more and more upset. Rick goes into grandfather fiancé mode and starts chastising her. Gamble says she wants to go home, but Chyka and Rick talk her into staying…

Later Janet meets with Pettifleur to talk about the dinner. Janet says she wonders if Gamble told Rick the real story. Janet also starts talking about Gamble’s money saying that she has none, while she’s pretending to be old money. Pettifleur says she doesn’t know why Gina and Gamble are friends. Janet says that Gina has a reason; everything is very planned when it comes to Gina. So Janet is suggesting that Gina is using Gamble strategically. I hope that is the case; I can’t stand Gamble, and I don’t see how Gina can put up with her idiocy… Janet says if Gina sees a way to “smash” her, she’ll take it.

Chyka and Gamble bring their dogs out to a park. Gamble’s dog starts awkwardly humping Chyka’s dog… Gamble says that Chyka’s dogs are spoiled and that they aren’t show dogs. Am I living in a parallel universe? Neither is Gamble’s!... Didn’t we just see Gamble with a dog trainer? Her dog would do nothing it was told, and we found out that she treats it like a human child! I have to borrow a line from Sarah Winchester… “Is this the world we live in?”… The two ladies talk about the dinner party. Gamble feels no one gets her, so she wants to invite them all to Sydney to see her family… What could possibly go wrong?

RHOMelbourne Season 2 Episode 4

As the last episode concluded, Gina said she would talk to Janet for Gamble. So at the beginning of this episode, we see Janet walking into the restaurant to meet Gina. She seems to think this is going to be a friendly meeting, but she has no idea… During their conversation, Janet insists that Chyka started everything, and that Chyka was talking about the same sexual rumors that Janet brought up. Gina warns Janet that Gamble might take legal action, and she says she doesn’t like how Janet is treating her new friend. Janet says in her interview that she doesn’t believe that Gina truly cares about Gamble. Naïve Janet seems to have had enough, and she walks out mumbling about a deck of cards, clearly making fun of what Gina cleverly told Andrea last season…

After three and a half episodes, my long wait is over. I was wondering when I would see Chyka’s gorgeous husband Bruce, and finally he appears. Chyka and Bruce are planning a racing carnival, but that’s all I recall… The conversation that was taking place was rather boring, and I was too busy looking at Bruce…

Janet and Jackie go shopping for an appropriate golfing outfit. Apparently, there are many rules concerning the attire on the golf course, and Jackie is not happy about it. No denim? Come on… Jackie asks who is coming to the golf course, and Janet tells her about having coffee with Gina. Then the strangest thing starts to happen… Janet pretends to cry… I assume she is pretending because I don’t think Janet’s body, at its age, is capable of producing moisture anymore… Janet says that Gina told her she should have lied about the rumors she had heard about Gamble… Excuse me? I don’t remember Gina saying any such thing… Janet says she intends to put the Gamble issue to bed.

Gina has a photoshoot for some publicity shots, the products of which we have been seeing on Twitter recently. I recognize the fabulous red dress. The photographer apparently works for Playboy, which becomes evident as he flirts shamelessly with Gina. But I don’t blame him. Gina looked hot, but the whole part of her posing on the car was a bit uncomfortable…

Jackie and Ben have dinner with Chyka and Bruce at one of their pop-up restaurants. Jackie says she has to talk to Chyka about Janet; it seems she wants to hear Chyka’s side of the story. Chyka still insists that she was only talking about what was said in the papers, but that Janet brought it to another level with the sexual rumors. They also seem to think that Janet wouldn’t flirt with Gamble’s husband Rick because Janet prefers younger men, but would that necessarily put Rick out of the running? He’s not “young”, but he’s probably younger than Janet.

The day of the golf game has arrived, and Gamble says she doesn’t want to feel beaten, so she decides to join them in golfing. I have a feeling she was pressured into going, however… Chyka and Gamble are the first to arrive at the golf course, and Chyka apologizes for starting the conversation about the rumors. She says she didn’t know that Janet was going to take it that far. I think Chyka knew more than she is letting on, but she’s being smart and strategic about it. I can’t blame her; I would do the same… Gina shows up at the golf course in pumps and a dress… I’m having tennis flashbacks from last season… She says she has a TV appearance after the golf game is over. Janet says it will be hilarious to watch Gina try to golf in a dress… So this time Janet is fine with the attire, but last season she found it to be ridiculous… On the other hand, Janet says Gamble was pushing the dress code with her short shorts. I don’t know what the big deal was. I’ve seen shorter shorts. At least it wasn’t Pettifleur who we know likes to go commando…

I must take a moment to bring up Gina walking in flat shoes… She walked on her toes like a ballerina, as if she were still wearing heels. It’s as if her feet are permanently locked into that position. What does she wear around her house? I assume pumps… Gamble can’t seem to figure out the golf cart… I cannot begin to tell you how shocked that made me… They begin to “golf”… I put that word in quotation marks because I don’t think many people would or could call what these women are doing “golf”. They were better at driving the golf carts, and that’s saying a lot. Maybe they should stick to the gossiping. They’re better suited to that sport.

After what seemed to be a fun day of poor golfing, you know there was going to be some fighting… Jackie, the peacemaker, says that neither she nor Gina were present for the actual lunch where all of the drama started, and, therefore, they should stay out of it. She suggests that the three (Gamble, Janet, and Chyka) should talk about it. Once again, in her interview, Janet claims that Chyka is to blame, yet somehow Chyka has “slithered” out of responsibility…

Toward the end of the argument, we hear something that I have never heard on reality tv before. Gamble says that if one ever hears anything about her, talk about it behind her back; don’t say it to her face… Of course, this is logically how the world works, but no one ever says that. Housewives tend to say the opposite, even though they don’t really mean it. They are always yapping about how they want everything to be said to their Botox-ridden faces; however, even if that happens fighting and drama ensues. It’s a lose-lose situation for the housewives, but it’s a win-win situation for us as viewers…

Gamble and Janet eventually hug it out, and Gamble says that she hasn’t acted that way since kindergarten… But I have a feeling things won’t stay this way for long.

Chyka then invites the ladies to a dinner, and she is somewhat secretive of the details. She says she is confident the ladies will be fine, but at the same time she is only cautiously optimistic. Chyka’s a smart lady…

RHOMelbourne Season 2 Episodes 2&3

I know this is super late. I apologize! But this week I have been busy catching up on RHOMelbourne. So today I am posting my recap for episodes 2 and 3, and Thursday I will be posting my recap of episode 4. Enjoy!

Episode 2

In the last episode, we were introduced to two new housewives, Gina and a few of the other ladies tried to reconcile, and Janet turned another year older.

This episode starts with Pettifleur shopping for a Bentley for her 50^th birthday present. The one she wants is $450K… Most Americans’ homes are worth half that…  She says she wants mirrors on the floor of the car so she can check out her pink parts while she’s driving. If she spends that much money on a car, surely she spends a good chunk of change on the upkeep of her lady bits, so why not get a good look at what you’ve paid for?

Next we see Lydia and her mother trying to bring Figaro for a walk. They dress him in a myriad of outfits, but Figaro is having none of it. They eventually get him out of the house, and while walking they talk about Janet’s party. Lydia says she is getting along with Gina, but I feel everything is still extremely superficial and anger still lurks under the surface. Lydia makes a slight crack at Janet’s age, and her mother takes offense since she’s older than Janet…but I’m only guessing by a few years…

Apparently, treating your dog like a child is en vogue. I personally don’t get it (probably because I’m a heartless bitch…), but Gamble seems to take it very seriously. She calls her dog “Baby”. Who ever could imagine that treating your dog like a spoiled child would have bad results? Certainly not Gamble. She seems surprised at her dog’s behavior and now wants him trained. The trainer is a bit too nice to say it, so I will… TOO LITTLE TOO LATE! Later we see Gamble and her grandfather boyfriend/partner Rick and his son sitting down to a fancy dinner of mussels. I’m totally not buying this. This is a Bree Van de Kamp scene right out of Desperate Housewives. I simply do not believe that this is a normal night at their house. Gamble is so desperate to be a stereotypical housewife and she’s putting on a show for the cameras. And are we to believe that Gamble cooked those mussels? At least other housewives that force these family dinner scenes are real enough to show a little chaos and a chef that has prepared the meal… *cough* Heather Dubrow *cough*… Gamble tells Rick that she would like to have a murder mystery party with the other girls, probably as a way to get to know them a bit better. If I HAVE to say something positive about Gamble, it would be that this murder mystery party is a good and original idea, at least in the Real Housewives franchise.

Since the murder mystery party is themed, the other ladies have to go shopping for costumes. Pettifleur, Janet, and Jackie go shopping together, and Pettifleur starts ordering around the store associate. I don’t mean she was being difficult and just asking for a lot of assistance. I mean she was treating this poor girl like a servant. I’ve worked retail before. That young lady was not getting paid enough to put up with that… At one point, Pettifleur starts dancing and twerking around the dressing area while in her costume. Jackie thought it was good fun, but Janet looked horrified. I’m not sure if Janet was truly offended by the dancing or if she was just jealous because osteoporosis will not allow her to move like that anymore, but I’m willing to bet it is the latter…

Next we see Janet, Jackie, Chyka, and Gamble having lunch. Janet obviously can’t stand Pettifleur, and she is overjoyed to hear that she had previous plans with Lydia. Their lunch conversation turns to Pettifleur, and Janet immediately says she doesn’t like her, but then she immediately tries to save face and says that she hates to admit that… Gamble says she doesn’t like Pettifleur’s fashion sense. Pettifleur is called “nouveau riche”, which to these women means if you don’t have enough money, Pettifleur doesn’t want to know you… Chyka, being the rational one, disagrees and doesn’t like the use of that term to describe Pettifleur. Janet says she knows no one in Melbourne who has ever heard of Pettifleur, so “Who the f**k is Pettifleur?” she asks. I know Janet was there at the founding of Melbourne, but it’s a large city. I doubt she knows everyone…

Pettifleur is at lunch with Lydia, and the two of them start to gossip. Pettifleur doesn’t like Gamble’s style, and she finds her too skinny and stupid. She tells Lydia, to her face, that she found her pretentious. Lydia does not take kindly to that very true and well-founded statement by calling Pettifleur a “mongrel” of a woman during her interview… Am I the only one who thinks Lydia might be labeled a racist for that one?

Pettifleur has not yet been alone with Gina, and she invites Gina over to her house. While the two are chatting, Gina brings up that Gamble warned her of some mean things that were said about her at Janet’s party, but Pettifleur says she never heard those mean things. Even though Gamble was telling the truth, you can almost see the light bulbs go off in the two ladies’ heads. They both seem to have this moment of realization that Gamble could be a liar or pot stirrer. Pettifleur then starts giving Gina a soliloquy about her book. She says she is using “bitch” in a powerful positive way as a method of “reclaiming” the word, of which many feminists are a proponent. However, others, like Gina, don’t agree with that. They find it to be an aggressive and loaded word… I am actually in the process of trying to publish a paper on this very topic, so I’ll leave it there, and won’t give you my boring commentary on this linguistic issue.

Gamble and Rick go out for a romantic dinner together. Rick starts getting very sentimental, and he says that they’ve passed all of life’s tests and obstacles. He shares a memory of the couple, and then out of nowhere, he asks Gamble to marry him. Gamble tries her hardest to be surprised and act as if she didn’t know this was coming… But I have a feeling this was another show for the cameras, and they planned the whole thing in advance… Or perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps Gamble was a bit irritated that Rick proposed so nonchalantly with no grandiose gesture or plan, and Gamble didn’t want to look ungrateful or superficial for the cameras. Either way, it rang fake to me.

Janet, Chyka, and Lydia ride to the murder mystery party together. During the ride, Janet lets us know she has heard some juicy gossip about Gamble by subtly saying that if the stories she has heard about Gamble are true, then they should have fun at the party… Later we find out what exactly she meant by that…

Rick and Gamble went above and beyond to create the right environment for this murder mystery party. Their costumes, decorations, and food were perfect… More evidence of them trying too hard… You didn’t actually think I was going to be nice, did you?...

At the party, Janet seems to be flirting with Rick, which makes sense considering they are much closer to the same age and probably have things to talk about, like dentures and fiber intake. The scene of the actual dinner and mystery part made it seem like the women had no clue what was going on, but considering Pettifleur practically guessed the murder correctly, I’ll just assume that was some crafty editing.

After the mystery was solved, Pettifleur takes the opportunity to plug her book again. No one understands a word she is saying, and they all seem to collectively tune her out… Gamble very subtly announces her engagement to Rick. Janet says she fears that if the stories she has heard come out, they will affect the engagement… So what does she do? She brings them out into the open…

In a clearly premeditated move, Janet invites Gamble to have lunch and brings along Chyka to be her unaware accomplice. Chyka brings up that she has heard some stories about Gamble, but Gamble seems to think she knows what Chyka is about to say. Apparently, Gamble split from an ex and kept a car over which they went to court. However, Janet jumps in the conversation to say what she has heard. Janet says Gamble has been called a stripper and call girl, and that there are stories of sex parties that Gamble has thrown… Perhaps that is what Janet was referring to when she said they should have fun at the dinner party if what she heard were true?... Gamble asks Janet who is saying this stuff, and Janet says she has heard it from a variety of people who are in different social circles (as if that fact makes these stories and claims reliable). Gamble is upset with Janet for bringing it up and feels she was ambushed. Was Janet expecting a “thank you” for calling Gamble a stripper and a sex worker?

Episode 3

At the beginning of this episode, Chyka and Lydia meet to have drinks. Lydia tells Chyka that her 24 year-old son is getting married. Chyka spills to Lydia the details of the lunch with Gamble and Janet, including the gossip that Janet had heard about Gamble. Lydia is shocked that Chyka is sharing gossip, and I must admit I was as well. I wonder if producers suggested to Chyka that she share the sordid information to keep the storyline going. Chyka said that she was shocked at the stuff that Janet said. She was blindsided, but in the moment she seemed like an accomplice.

Jackie and Ben have a La Mascara video shoot. Ben keeps harping on the fact that Jackie can’t pronounce the name correctly, more specifically, she puts the wrong emPHAsis on the wrong sylLABle… Janet shows up and surprises Jackie. Janet claims that Chyka brought up the gossip about Gamble at lunch; however, if you recall, Chyka only brought up the information that had been published in the newspaper and that Gamble had confirmed. It was Janet that brought out the more salacious and damaging rumors.

Next we see Pettifleur having tea with her friend, Charlotte, who is the co-author of the book she has been prattling on about ad nauseum. Charlotte says she is writing about how to find and keep a strong love life, but Pettifleur is writing about “switching the bitch”, taking control of your inner personality and bitch. These two topics obviously do not mesh well for one book. Pettifleur suggests that they both write separate books, as if it were that easy. Book deals are not just handed out. Since Pettifleur is on a reality show, she will have no problem getting her book published. Charlotte, on the other hand, may write an entire book but never get the opportunity to publish it. I just don’t find that to be fair… Pettifleur says she wants her book translated into Chinese because, “There are a lot of crazy Chinese bitches out there”… I’m not sure where that came from or why she said it, but the producers and editors obviously felt it was an important point to keep in the show…

Some of the ladies attend a fashion show, and at the pre-show party Gamble starts in on Janet immediately. She thinks Janet made up the rumors. Poor Jackie is standing there in the middle of the chaos as both Janet and Gamble are trying to tell her what happened. Gamble says, “She called me a pole dancer…” To which Janet replies, “I said stripper…” Is one necessarily worse than the other? Personally I wish I could be a pole dancer or stripper without making people vomit and want to gouge their eyes out…

The back and forth continues as Gamble explains that what Janet called a “sex party” was actually a group of her girlfriends coming to swim in her pool. It is clear that Gamble is getting fed up, and she fires back at Janet claiming that she heard that Janet sold her body for heroin. She then admits in her interview that she made that up to make Janet mad... Umm, not ok… Gina walks into the party and is confused by the chaos she is witnessing. Gamble tries to catch Gina up on the drama, and Gina thinks Gamble is probably mad because Janet was flirting with her fiancé at the murder mystery party. Gamble says she expected Janet to do that, but being called a whore is not acceptable.

I naively assumed that the fighting was over, but after the fashion show, they get into it again… Gina confronts Janet saying that Gamble claimed Janet was talking badly about her at the party. Of course, Janet denies it. She says she doesn’t need both Gamble and Gina yelling at her… Gamble says Janet never apologized for talking about those rumors, but Janet claims she apologized immediately after the fact at lunch, via text, and via phone call during which Gamble hung up on her. Janet sees the conversation is going nowhere, and she leaves. Gina tells us that because she knows Janet well, she’s more willing to believe Gamble… Yikes. I thought Janet and Gina are supposed to be friends.

Now that we’ve witnessed all that drama, the mood is lightened by Lydia learning to play poker for a charity event. The instructors keep using poker terms, and Lydia seems extremely lost. I’ll admit, I know the poker terms because I’ve played many times before, but they are definitely not intuitive or self-explanatory. Lydia starts flirting with one of the instructors as they talk about bluffing and poker face. She says she can’t do a poker face, implying that her face is too expressive. However, I beg to differ. With all that Botox, Lydia’s face is practically immovable.

Gamble sits down with Rick to talk about the drama at the fashion show. She says she is extremely upset, and Rick acts like the grandfather calming her down and giving her advice. He tells her not to blow up and not to let it hurt her. While she seems comforted by his trite and cliché advice, she still expresses concern about golfing with the ladies. I have a feeling the producers will sternly recommend that she go anyway…

Chyka decides she needs to clean out her closet… I have to begin by saying that Chyka’s closet looks bigger than my apartment, and I know that would disgust many people, but I am exceptionally jealous… Chyka says the closet is actually her son’s old bedroom that she converted when he moved out. She admits to us that she doesn’t tell Bruce how much she spends on shopping, and she hides bags from him. Well I’m guessing that’s no longer a secret now… Chyka also admits to putting a lock on her closet so her stuff won’t be “borrowed” without her permission. Good idea, Chyka, but you are not the first housewife to do that. Mary Amons from the RHODC beat you to that one.

Later, Janet meets a friend for lunch who apparently knows everyone in Melbourne. We find out that this friend is the one who introduced her to Pettifleur. However, if you recall, Janet said she knew no one in Melbourne who had ever heard of Pettifleur… Hmm… Curious… Janet says now that she knows more about Pettifleur, she’s realizing she’s just a strong woman, and she is starting to understand her personality. Janet starts talking about the drama and rumors surrounding Gamble, and her friend says she had also heard similar rumors about Gamble.

Gamble asks Gina to have dinner with her. She hopes Gina can give her some clarity in the Janet situation. She tells Gina the whole story of what transpired at the infamous lunch with Chyka and Janet. Gina tells Gamble that no matter how angry or hurt she gets, she should not tell rumors about Janet because they’re unfounded and it’s mud slinging. Gina doesn’t understand why Janet would bring this stuff up knowing that it could hurt Gamble’s engagement. Gina asks Gamble if she would like her to talk to Janet on her behalf. Gamble seems to think it would be a good idea; however, I think they’re both insane. Nothing good can come from someone else butting into other people’s problems… I speak from experience.

I will take this opportunity to give my opinion on the Janet-Gamble situation. I really don’t care for Gamble… From what I’ve written about her, I don’t think I’ve hidden that fact… But I really can’t stand Janet. So I reluctantly am taking Gamble’s side on this one. Janet is trying to put the blame on Chyka, and she claims she meant no malice toward bringing up the rumors, but I don’t believe that at all. The manner in which she brought the rumors to Gamble was accusatory and attacking. Furthermore, she knew that Gamble had just gotten engaged, yet Janet chooses this time to bring up the rumors. The timing and delivery do not coincide with how she is trying to paint the picture of her intentions. If Janet were smart, like Chyka, she could have pulled it off and appeared more innocent. She is obviously not cut out to play the gossipy housewife game.

Real Housewives of Melbourne Season 2 Episode 1

I’m so excited that Bravo has decided to air the new season of Real Housewives of Melbourne. They are airing it a few weeks behind the airing in Australia, which has been the normal practice in other countries when airing the US versions of the show. It’s about time Bravo got their act together. They should have aired Real Housewives of Vancouver the same way. It may have gotten renewed if they had… Can you tell I’m bitter about it?

Anyway, the very first thing we see is an extremely brief “recap” of last season. However, it was just a few clips, and if you didn’t watch last season, you would have no idea what happened. Considering the facts that Andrea was in the middle of most of the drama last season and she was only shown once in the recap without saying a single word, I’m going to assume the producers were throwing some shade by purposely leaving her out as much as possible. It may not be true, but that’s the world I prefer to live in…

The season opens with Lydia, Jackie, and Chyka meeting for what I am assuming is a drink considering Lydia orders a “wet pussy”…? Of course the waiter retorts perfectly, just as I would have, “I’ve never seen one of those…” Jackie keeps going on about how great Lydia looks and how she has lost so much weight. If it’s true, that’s great for Lydia; however, I can’t tell a difference. And that is not my way of throwing shade. I simply don’t think she looked overweight last year.

Janet calls while the three women are together and says she is going to see Carlos, who Chyka contends is Janet’s new boy toy. Janet asks if they are coming to her birthday party, and she says she wants to invite Gina. Janet says she wants to move forward with Gina and that their ups and downs are indicative of a “real relationship.” Later Lydia says she wants to pick up Gina so they can ride to Janet’s party together. Lydia wants to have a chat with Gina and also move forward with their relationship… I can’t help but point out something. Gina has been embraced by viewers as one of the standouts and favorites on the show. It seems to me that the only reason Janet and Lydia are trying to make things right with Gina is to gain favor in the eyes of viewers. It’s a smart move, but I think many people will see through it. Furthermore, I doubt it will last long. We shall see…

Janet goes to see Carlos who has offered to have her party at “his venue”; however, he says there were some construction issues and it won’t be ready in time. I’m inclined also not to believe this. Something tells me the venue was ready, but it just wasn’t camera ready. Why would you want to show something on international television that isn’t perfect?... Janet claims that she is “freaking out”, but by the amount of Botox in her face, who can tell? She always looks somewhat surprised… The conversation turns to Janet’s love life (so clearly she wasn’t too upset about the news of the party). Janet says she doesn’t want a man in his 70s, what she alludes to be age-appropriate for her, because most of them are unwell… Did she just slip up and reveal her approximate age? Or is she saying she wants an older man so she can feel like a kept woman and trophy wife? Either way it tells us a lot about Janet…

Janet then goes to see Patrick, her gay gossip buddy who must get his hair from the same tragic distributor as Nene Leakes. Janet decides to call Gina to invite her to the birthday party. Janet leaves a voicemail because Gina did not answer. (Whether this was intentional or happenstance on Gina’s side, it was a good thing. Upon calling back, Gina had the power to direct the conversation and the knowledge of what the call was about.) While Janet and Patrick discuss her cheap-looking, tacky dress options, Gina does call back and accepts the invitation.

The first time Gina is shown on camera, she is walking down the street on her way to have lunch with a friend. The camera pans out to a wide shot from across the street. I can only imagine this was done on purpose since above her we see a sign that says “the bitch is back”. This is one of the best reality TV shots I’ve ever seen. It was captured and tweeted by many people, and if you missed it, go to the RHOMelbourne hashtag, and you’re bound to see one… While at lunch, Gina and her friend talk about Gina’s partner who still lives in the US. Last season the two of them split, but here Gina says they have gotten back together again. She plans on moving to the US with him. I wonder what that means for her future on the show. I definitely do not want to see her go, but if that’s what makes her happy, I will not begrudge her that.

Earlier we heard Janet say that Carlos was taking care of everything for the party: the location, the food, and the alcohol. But apparently when he backed out of hosting it at the last minute, he also backed out of the other duties? This is the only reason I can think of for Janet to show up to a bakery begging for a birthday cake the day of her party. Of course the baker/cake designer is absolutely insane and starts giving Janet a therapy session in his bakery. Janet invites the cake designer to her party. It’s the least she can do.

As said earlier, Lydia wants to ride with Gina to the birthday party in hopes of chatting. And as I suspected, Lydia is all talk and no action. They spend a good bit of time in an awkward silence, what I would call one of the most awkward car rides ever… The silence is finally broken, and Gina says she heard from many sources that Lydia and her husband had separated… And the car ride just got more awkward. Lydia appears caught of guard by this, almost as if she were stunned that people knew the truth? But she claims it’s BS.

Next we are introduced to one of the new housewives, and judging by how much I loathe her already, I’m guessing she is Andrea’s replacement who will bear the brunt of my bitchy comments this season… introducing Gamble. First of all, that voice… I thought Scheana from Vanderpump Rules had the most annoying voice, but I have been proven wrong. As Gamble is first introduced to us, we see her brushing her dog while lying on the floor wearing Louboutins… I almost called 911 because my throat was closing up; I’m allergic to fakeness… She’s married to an ophthalmologist who appears to be 80 years old. She says her name comes from a Shakespearian play and means “to frolic”; however, I think her parents may have been referencing how they gambled and lost in having a kid… She doesn’t eat breakfast, and she thinks frozen peas are a suitable dinner. So overall, I’d say the bitch is stupid.

At the party we get some pearls of wisdom from Gamble as she meets the ladies for the first time. If you found nothing wrong with what she said, it must be because you don’t speak Bitch… Luckily, I speak Bitch fluently, so allow me to help you out… When she first met Chyka, Gamble says, “Chyka’s got a beautiful face…” Translation: “Chyka’s body needs some serious work…” (Let it be known that I think Chyka is beautiful in every way. She is an intelligent, sexy, strong business woman with a gorgeous husband. Who could ask for more?) Gamble also says about Jackie, “I don’t believe in psychics…” Translation: “Oh shit! This bitch is gonna see through all of my fake behavior…”

If you recall, last year Janet talked about her son being in an accident that severely burned a large portion of his body. He made his first public appearance since the accident at Janet’s birthday party. For the horrific and traumatic event that this man has gone through, he looked happy and amazing. Seeing that moment gave me some hope and made me smile.

Gina arrives to the birthday party, and Janet immediately calls her a drag queen behind her back. (I know of many fabulous and beautiful drag queens, but the intent behind the statement was to be rude, so you have to take it as an insult.) Gina, on the other hand, says that Janet looks fabulous. So just like Lydia, Janet said she wanted to repair things with Gina, but actions speak louder than words… At least we can see that Janet is trying. She says she was going to tell Gamble the myriad of “terrible things” that Gina did, but she stops herself.

The other new housewife is Pettifleur. She is from Sri Lanka and is a property developer who moved to Australia as a teenager. She says, “It’s not a woman if there’s no bitch in her.” So she’s basically saying that all women are bitches; however, I am living proof that not all bitches are women… Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Pettifleur, in my opinion, is that she has no allegiances with any of the women; she doesn’t know any of the other women. Her choices in whom to trust will be interesting to watch.

Toward the end of the episode, Gina and Gamble have lunch. Gamble says she likes intelligent people, which is why she is drawn to Gina… But if she likes intelligent people, does that mean she doesn’t like herself?...  Gamble is clearly kissing Gina’s ass by giving her gifts and telling her about how some of the other women were insulting her at Janet’s party. However, Gina never disappoints me. She says she’s always weary with new people (as she should be).

In the last scene, Janet goes to see Carlos…and his pig… We’re teased at the end of the episode with the fact that there’s gossip circulating about Gamble, but of course we are not told what that juicy tidbit is. We have to wait for the new episode.

The season is off to a great start. Let me know what you think of the new housewives and your predictions for what the new season has in store. I hope to be back next week with a recap of episode 2. 

The Real Housewives Empire

I’m back people! After a few months of juggling school and choirs and a conference and a social life, things are slowing down…but only slightly. So since I have a little bit of time, I thought I would make a blog post. This is not the typical recap, and if it’s boring I apologize, bit I wanted to put some things out there. I just wanted to give my thoughts and opinions on what is going on with the beloved Real Housewives empire.

It’s no secret that I love the Real Housewives. I own probably 20 seasons of Real Housewives DVDs as well as two books. I even try to plan things around my TV schedule. I have gotten many other people hooked on it…even a few straight males, although they would never admit it…

Domestically, we have 5 “thriving” series, one cancelled series, and one series on life support…

Real Housewives of Orange County:

This is the original series in the franchise. Nine seasons have completed airing. In my opinion, this is the gold standard for the Real Housewives franchise. It is consistently entertaining and dramatic. I foresee this series continuing for quite a while if the producers continue on the current path.

Real Housewives of New York City:

Season 3 was by far the best of this series. I’m not saying that Bethenny made the show, but rather I think it was the chemistry amongst the collective group. Season 4 turned from dramatic and entertaining to dark and unpleasant. I distinctly remember getting heartburn while I was watching the reunion. Bravo then had a mass firing, and I was optimistic for the new women on season 5. I genuinely liked the three new housewives, Heather, Carole, and (to a lesser extent) Aviva, but the show was just boring. Then there was a two year break between seasons, and season 6 was even worse. The producers need to figure something out, or I feel the show will continue to lose viewers.

Real Housewives of Atlanta:

Atlanta has become the most popular in the franchise. Their seasons are always a great combination of drama and comedy. These housewives are skilled “readers”, so a lot of times the drama and comedy are intertwined. I am concerned about the current season, however. I know we’re only two episodes in, but I have a feeling this season will be darker. With our resident Greek chorus, Phaedra Parks, dealing with Apollo going to jail and the dissolving of their marriage, her storyline will not lend itself to light hearted bitchiness and one-liners. But we shall see…

Real Housewives of New Jersey:

This series is in limbo, in my opinion. The season that just ended was horrific, and it was cut short for some unknown reason. Rumor has it they are cramming in another season of filming before Teresa “goes away” for a little while. I think this is a terrible idea. With the deplorable season we just witnessed, the producers need to take a step back and re-evaluate the show. If you recall, they did the same thing between seasons 3 and 4. As soon as season 3 finished, season 4 started filming. And as a result of rushed production and forced storylines and the dragging out of Teresa and Joe’s sibling rivalry, we got a lackluster season. You would think the producers would have learned their lesson. One more bad season, and I may just stop watching… Ok I’m full of shit… I’ll keep watching as long as they’re on the air, but I’ll complain loudly about it…

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills:

Beverly Hills is another popular series of the franchise. The cast was rather stagnant for a couple of years, but last season they added two new housewives, Carlton and Joyce, whom they fired as soon as the season wrapped. In general, I have thought the seasons have been very entertaining. But I’m dubious about the new season, which is set to premier tonight. The two new housewives are both actresses, and soap-opera actresses at that. This raises major red flags to me. Soap-opera style acting is forced and over the top; in no way is it realistic. I am afraid these two ladies, no matter how fabulous they are, may fall into the trap of forcing drama and overreacting, as exhibited by the clip of Lisa Rinna throwing a glass. Also, this season has been hyped to be a great season. I have learned from experience that this typically means Bravo is concerned with the quality, so they oversell in order to get people to watch. This always backfires. With high praise and expectations, the viewers are expecting something amazing, and very rarely do they deliver, whereas the seasons that have not been over-advertised have been the best ones.

Real Housewives of Miami:

What can I say about this show? I am one of the few loyal fans who actually found this series to be entertaining. Season 1 was a trial, and it was a little boring, but they revamped the show, and I thought season 2 was great. Even season 3 was more entertaining than the last season of RHONJ. But ratings and viewership never increased. So now the show is on life-support, and no one wants to put money or effort into a sinking ship. As much as it pains me to say, I think Bravo needs to officially announce that they are pulling the plug on this series. They’re prolonging my suffering…

Real Housewives of DC:

This is a controversial topic. From what I have read, viewers either loved or hated this series. I personally loved it. Washington DC, in theory, should be a perfect place for high class and powerful women who partake in clandestine scandalous behavior to be filmed for reality TV, all with an international and political backdrop. I understand that the crashing of the Presidential State Dinner usurped the show, but the simple solution would have been to fire the crazy one and recast for the next season. It has worked before. I don’t think I will ever understand the decision to cancel the show.

Internationally, there are three confirmed shows that share the franchise title as well as two shows that, as far as I know, are still rumored.

Real Housewives of Vancouver:

This was the first non-US version of the show. I absolutely adored this series. Both seasons were great. Right now, the show is listed as “on hiatus”, but it has been that way for quite a while. At this point I doubt it will come back, as sad as that is for me to say… I also never understood why Bravo never aired it on the American channel. Surely they have the rights to the name of the franchise, so they technically own the show, so why not let the American fans of the franchise see it? I’m almost positive it would have been a hit here, and I think one of the production companies that works with one of the other series could have rescued the show and made it a series for Bravo for its third season. This is still not outside of the realm of possibility, but that window is closing fast…

Real Housewives of Melbourne is about to premier season 2 in Australia. Bravo aired season 1 on Sundays this late summer/early fall, and from what I have read, it was met with very good ratings, especially considering it was on mid-day on Sundays. I hope Bravo decides to air season 2 at some point.

Real Housewives of Cheshire is in production and set to premier some time in 2015. Also, there are rumors floating around for a Real Housewives of Johannesburg and maybe even a second series elsewhere in Australia. As a few of the American series are hitting rough times and are on the verge of sinking, the international versions are really taking off. Let’s hope our American ladies can get back on the right track and restore the franchise to its glory.

I’m hoping on Thursday to start recapping. Let me know if you have any preferences of which show you would like me to write about. 

RHONJ Season 6-- WTF is going on?!

Today I wanted to break down some of the things going on this season on the Real Housewives of New Jersey. I’m not sure what is going on with this show, but there must be some turmoil going on behind the scenes, and if production doesn’t think we can detect that, they must take us all for idiots.

This season of the Real Housewives of New Jersey started off with a bang. Within the first few episodes there were rumors and gossip going around and even a physical altercation that broke out between the twins and Amber. The ladies started to work out their issues when Victoria Gotti drops the bomb to Amber and Teresa G. that Rino cheated on his wife with his mother-in-law. Prior to the Florida trip, Teresa G. shared the rumor with Dina for reasons I’m still not exactly clear on. Dina was torn between two paths of action. Does she tell Nicole and Teresa that there is a horrific rumor going around about their family, or does she not entertain the drama and pretend that she never heard anything? In my opinion, she’s screwed either way.

The altercation during the Florida trip was supposed to rival the season three Scary Island trip of the Real Housewives of New York City where Kelly has a mental breakdown, or “breakthrough” as she calls it (perhaps she was breaking through her façade of sanity?). The Scary Island trip left me mortified yet entertained, like a train wreck you can’t stop watching. However, the Florida trip left me confused and irritated. I could make no sense of the flow of events. All I know for sure is that at one point Bobby locked himself in the bathroom like a teenage girl and Amber smoked a cigarette. Amber later apologized “to everyone” on Watch What Happens Live for smoking said cigarette… Um… I don’t really give a shit what Amber sticks in her mouth, be it in the bedroom or in public. It’s a free country…

It’s clear to me that Jim wants to solidify himself as the villain on the show. He has gone after almost every person affiliated with the show and has caused more drama than his wife. Is this a strategic move to keep Amber looking nice and innocent, or does Jim just think his wife is not entertaining and inept at keeping a job like this?  

Teresa G. is being blamed for the spreading of the rumor, but she didn’t actually spread the rumor; she only told Dina, her closest friend right now. If she wanted to hurt the twins, she could have easily spread it like wildfire to anyone who would listen. I still question Teresa G.’s intentions behind telling Dina, but it’s obvious it was not done with malicious intent. In a preview of the upcoming season finale, one of the twins, I’m still not sure how exactly to tell them apart, is shown saying “Karma’s a bitch… Clink, clink…” as she imitates a pair of handcuffed wrists. First of all, that’s a pretty horrible thing to say. Second of all, I think Teresa G. going to prison is her karma for breaking the law…but then again what do I know…

Also, Kathy and Jacqueline were not cast members this season, yet we saw them over and over again, and often times they had their own scenes. The producers decide to include these boring scenes with non-Housewives, yet they cut some of the dramatic scenes (as I will discuss below). Something just doesn’t smell right…

This brings me to the most confusing part. How is the season finale next week? The trailers for the season showed and teased many things that were not in the season. Amber calls someone “a two-bit whore”, the ladies take a trip to Atlantic City…all of this has been removed. The reunion was filmed very recently, and typically they film reunions for these shows about a month to a month and a half before they air. So this tells me that the choice to cut the season short was made very recently. What happened? Is production trying to hide something? I think we deserve an explanation. This season is abruptly ending, and the viewers are left with nothing but questions and speculation. I know it has been rumored that they are already filming next season, but they have done that before without tampering with the flow of the show. If you recall, they filmed season 4 while season 3 was airing. The Real Housewives of New Jersey was one of the most popular series of the franchise, but I think they may have screwed that up with this season. I don’t know if a great reunion and even a “lost footage” episode can make up for this confusing whirlwind of mess we have been subjected to for the past 14 weeks. I will say that some of the cast members are trying their hardest to keep us interested as they feud on Twitter, but how much will that be able to do? I guess we’ll see what happens…

Please give me your opinions on any of the matters I discussed and include your theories or rumors of why the season is being cut short so suddenly.

The Singles Project Episode 1.08

This week was the season finale of The Singles Project. After a season of highs and lows for the singles, it all comes down to this. Who has found love, or at least the potential for love, and who has fallen flat? Let’s jump in…

Joey

This episode starts with Joey and Jack going on their second date. Since it’s fall they go out to an apple orchard to pick apples. Almost immediately, Jack raises his dislike of the interaction between Joey and Ryan at the end of last week’s episode. Jack didn’t like them kissing and holding hands right after they had had a great date. I’ve brought this up in the past several episode recaps, but it’s worth repeating. Yet again, we see the problem of living your love life while simultaneously having it broadcast for everyone to see, but I’ll leave it at that. I’ve beaten that dead horse past recognition… Joey says he’s serious about Jack, and Jack says he wants Joey to prove that. They have a romantic date, and at one point, Joey calls Jack “crazy”. The word “crazy” has a negative connotation, and to me it seemed Jack looked a little offended. So Joey immediately tried to rectify his mistake by saying he is a fun and good type of crazy… Joey expresses his desire to kiss Jack. Joey even says in his interview that Jack may be “the one”. At the end of the date, Joey looks like he wants to kiss Jack again, but Jack says he doesn’t want to kiss yet; he wants to wait until it feels right.

Later in the episode, Joey is at Tabasum’s birthday party, and Jack shows up with a pie he made with the apples they had picked on their date… This is kinda strange, but it’s adorable. By the end of the episode, I think it’s safe to say that Joey and Jack are now dating. Joey had a rough go of it on the show. It was looking like he was going to strike out, but at the last minute, he made a connection with Jack. I like Joey, but I feel he was playing up his personality for the cameras. Hopefully, he and Jack get to know each other genuinely; I think they have a shot at making it last.

Kerry

This week Kerry and Tripp take a trip (Haha…sorry, I had to do it…) to South Carolina. When they drive up to the house, Tripp’s mother opens the door to greet them. I loved this woman. She is a boisterous and overly-friendly typical Southern woman, at least on the outside. I add that last part because southern women are notorious for being fake. Tripp’s mother could have been dreading meeting Kerry, but southern hospitality requires you to put a smile on your face and never let the other person know what you’re really feeling. I should know…my mother and family do the same thing…it’s normal to us… So on the outside, Tripp’s mother seems to like Kerry, and she says that she likes seeing them together and that they seem to compliment ach other. Then comes the uncomfortable question… Tripp’s mother asks Kerry if her mother likes Tripp any better. You knew it was coming… How can a mother not be curious about why her son is unjustly disliked? So far, this entire meeting has made Kerry very nervous and uncomfortable. She says her mother hasn’t gotten to know Tripp, and then she says something about “projecting” and “displacing” that I didn’t quite understand. She was just dropping psychology terms either in hopes of confusing Tripp’s mom or sounding smart or both…

Later, while Kerry and Tripp are alone, Tripp says he’s happy with where their relationship is going. Kerry says she really likes him, and she didn’t expect things to be moving so fast. She says this feels like it could be a happy ending. I don’t know if there’s much chance for a happy ending considering they are sleeping in separate bedrooms. Tripp’s mother made sure of that… Tripp tells Kerry he wants her to open up, trust him, and let him in. However, Kerry is a bit reserved. She has been hurt before, so she thinks twice before letting just anyone in. While sitting on the dock by the lake, Tripp talks about having kids and how he hopes to one day bring them to this lake where he has childhood memories. They decide to be impulsive and jump in the lake. Of course, Kerry, who doesn’t seem to be shy when discussing bathroom topics like giving anal birth to a watermelon, announces that she has to pee and proceeds to do so in the lake. Tripp says that he is swimming in warm water and then yells “I’m swimming in your piss!!” Perhaps that counts as a happy ending?...

Later we see Kerry and her mother walking together. They meet to talk about Kerry’s trip to South Carolina. Kerry’s mom takes the opportunity to throw some shade saying Tripp didn’t have to miss work while they were gone… She’s obviously worried about Tripp’s art profession. Kerry springs it on her mom that Tripp is waiting at a coffee shop for them, and they walk to meet him. The chat among the three starts out awkwardly. Kerry’s mom breaks down and asks them if they are “boyfriend and girlfriend”. They respond, “yes” almost in unison. Tripp obviously wants to impress Kerry’s mother and make her happy. Kerry’s mother admits she was engaged to her father after only a few weeks of knowing each other. She gives her blessing for their relationship and says she wants Kerry to be happy, but I have a feeling the want to not seem hypocritical is a big factor as well. The season has been an overall positive one for Kerry. She found love rather quickly, and I think Kerry and Tripp make a fun and interesting couple. I wish them the best. I will admit, I didn’t like Kerry at the beginning of the show, but as she got to know Tripp and let her guard down, I grew to like her.

Lee & Ericka

We see Lee out with his friends having a few drinks and a good time. He says his “girlfriend” is coming to join them, and his friends heckle him for using “the word”. Ericka gets to the restaurant, and the guys are already drunk. She says she felt like she was walking into a frat house… They get on the topic of love, and Lee says whenever you’re not looking for love is when you find it… Exactly how drunk is Lee? Does he not realize he is making no sense? He is currently on a TV show all about dating and looking for love… Lee’s friends start asking Ericka about her feelings and intentions toward Lee, but she gets uncomfortable. She and Lee haven’t really talked about this one-on-one yet. She feels ambushed, and she wants to be able to have a conversation like that in private. Ericka gets visibly angry and upset, and she decides to leave. Lee follows her… Ericka feels Lee’s brother is always interrogating their relationship, but it’s only been 8 weeks… Lee knows he’s drunk and he doesn’t want to say anything he might regret, so he puts her in a cab to go home. At the last minute he tells her she needs to communicate and think about if she want this to work. Ericka replies, “So do you, honey…”

Two days after the disastrous meeting, Ericka and Lee still haven’t spoken. Ericka has lunch with her mother, and she tells her mother that she feels Lee has bullied her into the position she is in. She clarifies that she is not afraid of love, but she has doubts. Her mother gives her some sound advice saying that you can’t over think things when it comes to matters of the heart; let him in and see where it takes you. It seems to me we’ve heard this before…last week…in the pool…from Lee himself. I guess Ericka has to hear it from her mother before she believes it. Mother knows best, after all.

Later at Tabasum’s birthday party, Lee says he has tried to contact Ericka, but she has ignored him. He later approaches her and apologizes. Ericka says she enjoys spending time with him, but she feels it’s moving too fast. Lee says he’s willing to jump off a cliff for her and that he has already fallen for her. Lee and Ericka started the season on friendly terms giving each other dating advice, but you could see and almost feel the chemistry between the two of them through the TV. I think the aspect of being on TV might have been a little much and tested their willingness to be together, but ultimately they are ending the season as a couple. I wonder how it will work out. I predict that now they are on their own, not on TV, things might be less volatile.

Tabasum

Tabasum says she’s done dating younger men. She wants to date more mature men her age. She goes on a date with Vincent, a 40-something British guy who now lives in New York. He brings her chocolate, and they take a carriage ride eating Cadbury chocolate while getting to know each other. Tabasum says she feels like she’s in a rom-com. I agree, but I would add the qualifier “cheesy” in front of “rom-com”. Really… Who takes carriage rides anymore?... The subject of accents comes up, and Vincent tries to do a “Louisiana accent”, per Tabasum’s request. Now I am from Louisiana, and I can say that the idiots on Tru Blood do a better job, and that’s really saying something because they are TERRIBLE!... Vincent says he wants to have kids and a family. Tabasum says she really wants that special someone to spend time with, share her life with, and come home to everyday. They end up cuddling in the back of the carriage.

This week is Tabasum’s birthday, and she has a birthday party. She invited Vincent, and is hopeful he will come. Vincent does show up, and he brings her a birthday present: as horseshoe necklace to commemorate their carriage ride. Nice move Vincent! Jewelry is always a good gift idea for a woman, but normally on a second date, I would say it’s creepy and over the top. However, this was a small, obviously inexpensive, and meaningful gift, making it a sweet gesture… Tabasum says to her friend that she doesn’t feel fireworks when she’s with Vincent. Her friend tells her to see where it goes; things happen in time. Tabasum agrees to give Vincent a chance. Tabasum has by far been my favorite on the show. She has proven herself to be a strong woman with a strong character who respects herself. I wish her the utmost success in every aspect of life. Who knows, maybe she and Vincent can make this work.

Brian

Brian was barely in this episode at all. Being that this was the last episode, and he had no prospects on the horizon, the producers sorta gave up on him. Brian admits that he’s difficult, and he believes he has the right to be difficult. He goes through the list of his failed dates naming the aspects of each of them that he wants in a woman. If he’s looking for the perfect woman, he will live a lonely life. I’m afraid it’s just impossible. Some things you have to concede to, as long as they aren’t deal-breakers for you. I’m starting to learn that lesson myself. Brian may have crashed and burned on the show, but he hasn’t given up. His search continues.

Overall, I think this show was great. It was a new social experiment giving us a look in on the modern technological world of dating while at the same time allowing us to help clueless singles improve their chances of finding love. I hope the show comes back for a new season with new singles and in a new city. With two-thirds of the singles finding possible matches in the span of about two months, I would gauge the show as a success. Let’s see if we can help out another group of people.