Previously on The Real World: Ruthie gets kicked out of a bar for fighting, Annoying and Colin say she has a problem, Tetanus Girl and Wonder Bread want to help, Teck and Justin are nowhere to be seen. So, this week's episode is going to be about Ruthie's drinking problem. Whee!
On the beach, Ruthie, Colin and Wonder Bread play football while Annoying suns herself. Ruthie bends over to hike the ball and Wonder Bread nearly kills himself trying to look down her bikini top. He is so overwhelmed that, while going out for a pass, he takes a big digger into the sand. You can bet I rewound that one a few times! Ruthie says she's glad to be in Hawaii, and writes, "I love Jess!" in the sand. Wonder Bread takes a picture of her to the words, while thinking to himself, "I'm not sure of the exact pronunciation..." (Seinfeld reference: email me if you don't get it).
The roommates prepare to go out somewhere. WB offers Amaya a "rum drink," explaining that it's a daiquiri without the daiquiri mix. Mmm, I can't believe she turned that one down. I'm no bartender, but wouldn't that be basically straight rum? Regardless, WB pulls Annoying aside and explains that he "just wanted to mention it AWAAAAAAAY from the person I don't necessarily want to have a drink." Because, you know, avoiding drinking around someone immediately cures their drinking problem. Then, he says, "I don't want to be an encourager-er." But obviously he does want to be an idiot.
Justin asks Ruthie when they're leaving because "we better start drinking." While I'm still puzzling that one out, Colin pulls Wonder Bread aside and complains that Justin is encouraging Ruthie to get bombed. Colin even does a little voice which I assume is supposed to be Justin, but sounds nothing like Justin and everything like Regan in The Exorcist. So I'm scared, and Wonder Bread agrees that it's irresponsible. Colin can't believe that Justin wants Ruthie to get drunk before they go out since she'll have ten more drinks once they are at the club and Wonder Bread says Justin's an idiot. Then they go and talk to Justin about his behavior and why they disagree with it, instead of sniping behind his back like a couple of old biddies. OK, actually that doesn't happen. Instead, Teck makes his one appearance of the episode by saying that it's time to go. Colin shows how he encourages responsible drinking by downing his mug full of rum. Teck says, "Hi de ho, find a ho, let's go!" I swear I didn't make that up. I have captioning, people. Good to know that, after meeting Andrea, Teck is changing his ways.
At the club, Teck dances, Ruthie drinks, Colin and Annoying start making out, Ruthie drinks (wouldn't you?), Colin and Annoying decide to make out some more in the parking lot, Ruthie starts drinking with Richard Grieco (apparently), and then Colin and Annoying ask Ruthie if she needs a ride. Knowing that those two have no qualms about rocking the bunk bed, would you get in a car with them? God only knows what they do in that van.
At home, Colin talks to Justin about being more aware of Ruthie's alcohol issues. Justin says he's tried the "hyper-sensitive" thing before, and it doesn't work. Colin suggest that maybe it just didn't work that time, but it could work this time. In a confessional, Colin basically reiterates the conversation WE JUST SAW by saying that Justin is disillusioned so he doesn't see the need to be hyper-sensitive around Ruthie. In case you didn't get that. I just wish someone would get the roommates some solid information, because as we shall see, none of them really have a clue as to how to deal with this issue.
Back at the club, Wonder Bread hovers around Ruthie and her table of friends and finally yells out, "We're leaving soon" and says he will pay for a cab for Ruthie (while very pointedly looking at Richard Grieco as if to say, "You can take your motorcycle, greaser boy"). Richard Grieco says that he can't drive because he's drunk and asks Ruthie if she knows how to drive fast. She says she does, and he says she can drive his car. I would like to point out that Wonder Bread witnesses this whole exchange and does NOTHING to stop any of it. Some girl pops up and says something about "high as a kite" and Richard Grieco drops his keys on the table and says he can't drive drunk because he doesn't want to go to jail tonight. Apparently, on other nights, jail is just fine. Wonder Bread proves that he doesn't really want to help Ruthie unless it's a one-on-one situation (because that could accidentally turn into sex), as he hightails it out of the club and into a cab alone.
Ruthie and friends get into a car and pull out, and Ruthie whoops. Suddenly, the fourth wall is broken! We see the production van scrambling to follow Ruthie. Lilla (a director) talks to Matt (a producer) on a cellular phone. Lilla says she asked Ruthie who was driving and Ruthie said, "Someone. Lilla, don't do this to me." Then Lilla said, "Use your head, Ruthie" and Ruthie said "Whatever," and walked away. As they follow, we see Ruthie swerving all over the road. Lilla tells Matt they know where the car is headed, but she just hopes they get there in one piece. Let me just state for the record that I hate people who drive drunk and I hate people who let other people drive drunk, and if Ruthie had gotten in an accident here, I think Wonder Bread would be just as much to blame, because he knew she was drunk, knew she was going to drive, and didn't stop her. And...I'm off the soapbox.
It's the morning. The phone rings and Ruthie answers while wearing a tank top and that ubiquitous black underwear. On the other end is Matt, the producer from last night, and he requests a meeting. Ruthie tells us it must be serious because normally the production staff doesn't get involved. I have to wonder if she even remembered driving, or realized how bad an idea that was. Hey, after the show ends, maybe Ruthie can get an endorsement deal with Bad Idea Jeans!
At the meeting, Matt says that normally the production staff doesn't get involved, but they do if a cast member's health or safety are an issue, and that is the case here since Ruthie drove drunk, even after Lilla told her not to. A director, Russ, chimes in with, "Drunk driving is something we cannot tolerate. It harms you and other people. You're a good person and I know you didn't mean any harm, but how would you feel if today we were talking about someone hurt or killed?" Good point, that. Matt lays down the law, and says that if Ruthie wants to stay with "the project," she has to go to a counsellor and abide by the counsellor's recommendations. Russ says that they want Ruthie to stay but she needs to get some help. I have to say that either these guys are great actors, or they were truly concerned about Ruthie's well-being, particularly Russ. Ruthie is upset by what they've told her and leaves without giving an indication of what she plans to do. In a voice-over, she says, "They're not my parents. They're supposed to document my life, not run it." Let's see, they find her a great house to live in, pay her rent, pay some of her expenses, find her a job and pay for her counselling. That's actually MORE than most parents would do. I'm having a hard time sympathizing with her on this one.
Ruthie talks to Annoying, and tells her about the counsellor. Ruthie is scared, because she's not good at confiding in people. In a confessional, Annoying tells us that Ruthie blames herself for the bad things that happened in her childhood. Annoying tells Ruthie that counselling will hurt, but you will heal and ultimately become stronger. Annoying wasn't so annoying there. Except she still sounds like she needs to blow her nose.
Inside, the roomies are sitting around a table (except for Annoying and Teck). Ruthie vaguely describes what's going on. In a confessional, Colin says the producers gave her an ultimatum that needed to happen. At the table, Tetanus Girl says the producers see a pattern that limits Ruthie's potential and that Ruthie should do the therapy and take the help she can. Wow, within two minutes I just agreed with Annoying AND Tetanus Girl. Somebody call Ripley, because I don't believe it! Wonder Bread says that they are here to help unless it involves standing up to Richard Grieco in a bar. And also that, if Ruthie lapses, no one will judge her. She hasn't even admitted that she has a problem and he's already got her relapsing? He is of so little help here. At least he didn't wear that damn green shirt this episode. Ruthie says she wants support but she doesn't want to be "baby-sitted [sic]."
In a confessional, Tet Girl says that she wants to be supportive of Ruthie and that she will sacrifice their friendship if that's what it takes. I don't really get that, but whatever. Back at the table, Colin asks if it would help if they didn't drink around the house, which I thought was a valid question. Everyone jumps all over him and says they need things to be "normal." Because obviously that was working really well up until this point. Then Wonder Bread says, "Don't answer this if you don't want to. They obviously think there's a problem. Do you think there's a problem?" and Ruthie says, "I don't want to talk about it." Dude, it's the first step -- admitting you have a problem.
Wonder Bread and Ruthie go out to lunch. Just brace yourselves here, because Wonder Bread goes so far out of his way to try and stay in Ruthie's good graces that he basically undoes any good the intervention of the producers could have. Ruthie says her behavior has been misinterpreted. Apparently there's more than one way to interpret blackouts, vomiting and violent behavior due to alcohol. Wonder Bread says that he knows Ruthie can have fun responsibly. This is mistake number one; basically he's telling Ruthie that she's not an alcoholic, and that she has control over her drinking. In a confessional, he says (and not for the first time), "She's a strong woman and if she figures out that she has a problem, she can beat it." Because apparently alcoholics are just weak people. Silly me, all this time I thought it was a hereditary disease that you can control but never really beat. Me and Bill W. have been wrong all along. Wonder Bread has all the answers.
He tells Ruthie that "they need to treat you like an adult and say 'You need to be more responsible because at times you get out of hand. I don't want you driving drunk anymore.'" I'm unclear on how that statement is so different from what was actually said. Both are basically ordering Ruthie to behave a certain way, except in the producers' method she is getting some sorely needed counselling as well. In a confessional, he says they need to let her make her own decisions, again, because that's been working so well up until now.
Ruthie says she was pissed because she was told, instead of the producers' making a suggestion to her. In a confessional, she says, "People should mind their own business and just chill, man, because this is my life. I'm not hurting you guys, I'm just having fun and whatever." Apparently that "whatever" extends to crawling around on the floor of clubs, exposing herself in public and endangering the lives of her friends. Now, THAT is fun. And as far as her not hurting anyone, if she did die of alcohol poisoning or get in an accident of some sort, who would get blamed? The producers. So if she can't accept that they might want to help her out of human kindness, perhaps she could look at it as a dollars-and-cents issue. I'm sure they have.
Wonder Bread says that their orders make Ruthie feel like a child and Ruthie says they make her feel more rebellious. Then she says, "It's not like I had to negotiate a choice. It was like 'do or die' and what else am I going to say?" At this point, I need to lay to rest the fallacy that Ruthie was not given a choice. Her choice was "Get counselling OR leave the show". If she doesn't want counselling, she's free to leave at any time; if she did, none of those pesky roommates or producers would bug her anymore.
And here I am all defending the producers and then they go and piss me off again. Ruthie goes to her counselling appointment and the cameras FOLLOW HER IN! Gee, I bet she will be really honest and forthcoming when the cameras are right there recording her every word, and sneaking up behind the counsellor to try and see what is written on her notepad. Oh, in fact she would be the opposite of honest and forthcoming. Isn't that illegal? Whatever happened to confidentiality? If someone was Catholic, and went to confession, would they record that too? As with the vomiting incident, I don't understand where they draw the line. They don't film the castmates sleeping or shitting or having sex. But they will film vomiting and counselling sessions. That is so wrong.
So basically Ruthie avoids saying anything to the counsellor, who says counsellor-type things until Ruthie leaves.
Back at the ranch, Ruthie and Wonder Bread are playing pool. WB is still prying and Ruthie still doesn't want to talk about it and WB is still not getting the hint. In a confessional, he says, "Those who don't understand Ruthie can't help her. You have to know what kind of woman she is ,where she's been, where she hopes to go, before you can help and give advice." Funny, isn't that the role of, oh I don't know, A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLOR? And I just realized another thing that bugs me when WB talks about Ruthie -- he never calls her a person, he always calls her a woman. I think that's revealing. In a confessional, Ruthie tells us that she's not sure how much she wants the housemates to know.
Tetanus Girl and Justin are at Starbucks. Tet Girl says because of her past, she can't watch "someone killing themselves [sic]." Unlike everyone else, who just loves to sit by and watch people kill themselves. In a confessional, I didn't really hear what she had to say because she was wearing a bindi and her hair was really messy and I was trying to figure out what was up with that. But I think she said something about not wanting to be friends with Ruthie when she's drunk. Back at Starbucks, Tet Girl says she can only do so much. In a confessional, Justin makes a good point when he says that they have all started seeing Ruthie as only a drinking problem, instead of a person, and that treatment like that isolates her further. Is it me, or are there a ton of confessionals in this episode?
Justin and Ruthie talk and Ruthie opens up to him. She says that she's been forced to think a lot about things that she used to run away from, and they discuss her fear of failure. She says, "I wonder where everything stems from, and if it has to do with my past." You think?
They decide to go to Manoa Falls in the morning. The producers were really trying to stretch this out because they showed like five minutes of Justin and Ruthie going, "What time do you want to go?" They go to the falls (which are breathtakingly beautiful, by the way) and swim and stuff. In a confessional (again!), Justin says that he is enjoying his time with Ruthie and getting to know her better. He's glad she's here because she's a positive light in the household. Except when she's puking and calling people bitches. Well, he didn't say that last part, but he should have.
Ruthie talks about how everyone else needs to come out and see the rest of Hawaii, and that the day life is just as cool as the night life. Justin says it's cooler. In a voice-over, Ruthie says she's bored of clubs and is looking to do other things at night. We'll see how long that lasts!
week: Colin wants some space. I sincerely hope it was Hallowe'en, because Colin has red hair and Annoying is wearing Tet Girl's feather boa at one point. Annoying cries some more and tells her mom she's having heart trouble (I think she means physically, not emotionally, but I could be wrong).
Over the credits, they show a clip from the first day, I think. Ruthie is leafing through a gay guide to Hawaii and finds a listing for Gay and Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous and Wonder Bread says, "It's your place!" I bet now he feels dumb for saying that.