Previously on The Real World: Arissa didn't think she could ever change if she stayed with her long-time boyfriend, Dario. There may have been more to that segment, but despite the fact that I started my recording at 9:58 PM, it was cut off slightly. What is up with that, MTV? It's so annoying.
Arissa talks to Dario on the phone. He tells her that she's the biggest problem in his life right now, and that she's fake as hell, and that she sucks. And for some unknown reason, she doesn't just hang up the phone. I don't know why she's sitting there listening to that crap. Dario says that Arissa needs to tell him if she still cares. In an interview, Arissa says that Dario still wants her to need him. Oh, so he tries to tear down her self-esteem so that she'll think she can't do any better than him. That's cool. And borderline abusive. Dario tells Arissa that she's weak. She just continues to sit there and listen and cry and look pissed off, but doesn't hang up the phone. Hang up! Arissa finally speaks and says that this conversation has made her realize that she made the right decision by breaking up with him. She starts screaming at him, and Dario repeats that she sucks. In an interview, Frank says that Arissa is a nice person, and that it's too bad Dario causes her so much grief. And that's all we will see of Frank this week. Hello and goodbye! In an interview, Steven says that Arissa is pissed, and she should be. Arissa yells that she's not going to let Dario talk to her that way. And yet, she doesn't hang up. So clearly, there's a part of her that likes the drama. In an interview, Brynn says that Dario knows what buttons to push with Arissa. Arissa screams some more at Dario about how she won't talk to him until he realizes "what the fuck [he] just said to [her]." She finally hangs up the phone. I still say that, on some level, she enjoyed that whole conversation.
Trishelle comforts Arissa and tells her that she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. Arissa sobs. Trishelle advises Arissa not to take Dario's phone calls anymore, because she's too nice and lets him say his piece. Crisis averted, the two women decide to go to Ghost Bar. Because there's no sorrow that can't be drowned in a drink or twelve.
The roommates go to Ghost Bar, which is the one on the roof. In an interview, Arissa says she didn't see any handsome guys until she spotted Alex. We get our first glimpse of Alex and let me just say...yuck. He's wearing a hat with one side of the brim flipped up, and then you can see this greasy product-filled hair sticking out the back. And then he's wearing a loose white see-through button-down shirt and jeans. Arissa thinks he's gorgeous. They dance together. Arissa takes his hat off and steals it. Alex smiles and, on top of it all, his teeth are all jacked up. In an interview, Irulan thinks it's healthy for Arissa to have fun away from Dario. In an interview, Arissa explains that she spent four hours talking to Alex. He said that he was scared because he likes her, but she lives in Massachusetts and he lives in California. First of all, in their first conversation ever, he's already worried about the future of their relationship? And second of all, let's not pretend like it's unheard of for a former Real Worlder to move to L.A. It's rarer if they don't at this point.
Arissa takes the elevator upstairs, still wearing Alex's shitty hat. Hey, I just realized that Alex is like the male version of Mojo from Joe Millionaire. Arissa tells Irulan all about her new man, who is a Scorpio. Irulan is sitting there wrapped in a sheet, like, did she just do it with Alton or what? And also, ew. Arissa runs down why Alex is so perfect, and Irulan says that she's smitten. Arissa checks out the hat and realizes that it's Gucci. That would be an even bigger turn-off to me, but I'm not Arissa. In an interview, Arissa says that she feels like she's sixteen again.
Brynn sits down by the pool. Suddenly, she's up in the suite talking to Trishelle, complaining that she feels out of it. In an interview, Brynn says that a panic attack is overwhelming, and she describes how her heart races and her mind races and she gets sweaty. The editor keeps flipping the picture to emphasize...something. It's just annoying is what it is. Brynn says she called her mom, because her mom has had panic attacks, too. Steven asks if it's hormonal. Brynn says it's a chemical imbalance, and that it's genetic. Brynn says that when she looked it up on the internet, she though she must be schizophrenic, which freaked her out even more. Hypochondriacs and other paranoid people should not have access to the internet. Not that I doubt Brynn's symptoms. I just think she's going to talk herself into further mental problems by reading about them. Trishelle says that Brynn should see someone about it. Brynn says that her mom will help her through it. She adds that her mom got addicted to Xanax and had to go to rehab.
The phone rings, and it's Brynn's mom. Brynn talks about her anxiety and her mom tries to calm her down. The editors intercut shots of Brynn eating, walking around, washing her face, and walking around some more. I guess that's supposed to mean she's crazy? I don't know. Brynn's mom says that all of Brynn's symptoms are part of the panic disorder, and that it's not schizophrenia. Brynn seems a little relieved, but not entirely convinced.
Alex calls, and whomever answers tells Arissa that her boyfriend is on the phone. Alex totally hears it, and he and Arissa laugh about it. Alex is calling to say that he's downstairs. Arissa goes down to meet him, and they go to Ghost Bar. They hold hands. They talk about past relationships. Alex thinks that it's weird that Arissa was in a relationship for six years and didn't get engaged. Dude, she's barely into her twenties. In an interview, Arissa says that dating other people will let her know if she should be with Dario or not. Arissa and Alex talk about how much they like talking to each other. Wow, what an interesting conversation.
Arissa returns to the suite. Irulan and Alton are sitting in the Smokers' Lounge. Arissa says that she just had the greatest conversation. Alton asks if she gave the hat back. Arissa says she did, but Alex is going to buy her another one and bring it to her the weekend. Is he independently wealthy? He's buying her designer clothing and flying out to Vegas every weekend? Well, I guess he could be driving. Still. Arissa says she's really happy, and Alex tells her that she's beautiful. In an interview, Irulan says that Alex seems perfect, and Arissa doesn't know him that well, but she needs "something positive from a man." Irulan tells Arissa to be careful about Alex. Arissa goes to bed. I'm so glad they included the footage of Arissa going to bed. Otherwise I would have thought she just stayed up all night or something. I am so baffled by what footage they do and don't include on this show.
Brynn wakes up and sits around the house looking upset. In a confessional, Brynn says she's been feeling anxious all day and sick to her stomach. Brynn goes back to bed. Brynn gets up and walks around. Brynn lies down on the couch. Anxiously.
Brynn talks to Steven in a bar. Brynn thinks that Steven will think she's "some lunatic" if she has to take drugs to get through life. Steven denies that vehemently. In an interview, Brynn says she was explaining her anxiety attacks to Steven and he started talking about brain chemistry and told her she should be on an antidepressant. Well, she probably should. Brynn says that the stereotype of people who take Paxil or Prozac is that they're crazy. It is? I would agree that those medications are often overprescribed, but that doesn't mean that there aren't people out there who legitimately need and benefit from them. Hell, I have a friend who's on Lithium and I don't think she's crazy. And she describes herself as crazy. Steven says that his mom and his aunt and his sister are all crazy, then. Brynn says her mom and sisters are on it, too. Steven says he thinks it just has to do with chemical imbalances, and there's no reason to be so unhappy. In an interview, Steven says that Brynn's mental issues magnify her problems. Brynn thinks she should be a strong enough person to get through it. Man, that has nothing to do with it. It's about taking medicine so that you can rebalance your chemistry, which allows you to break out of the thought patterns that cause depression or anxiety. Wait, why am I agreeing with Steven? I hate when that happens. In an interview, Brynn says that she needs someone who understands what she's going through and right now she feels like her mom is the only person who does.
Brynn calls her mom and the phone just rings and rings and rings. Brynn wonders why her mom isn't home.
The day (?), Brynn lies on her bed crying. Trishelle runs in and asks if she's okay. Brynn says that her mom is back in rehab. In a confessional, Brynn says she got a card from her mother. Her mom wrote her a card to say she was going into rehab? Does anyone else think that's kind of weird? I mean, maybe she didn't want to have that conversation recorded but it seems like they could have worked something out. Brynn reads the card to Trishelle. Oh, it says at the bottom, "I didn't want to embarrass you so that's why I didn't call before I left. Hope you can understand and love you." So I guess her mom wanted Brynn to have the option of whether or not to let this become a storyline on the show, which is actually kind of considerate. In an interview, Trishelle says she hates to see Brynn upset. Brynn asks if she's overreacting and Trishelle says she's not. In an interview, Trishelle says she's never been as depressed as Brynn, but that she can still relate. Brynn continues to cry and says she wants to go home.
And now it's time for the Most Awesome Thing I Saw on TV Last Week. The most awesome thing I saw on TV last week has already been written about by Sars, except where she thinks it was bad and yet she couldn't stop watching, I think it was awesome. Yes, I'm talking about the early seasons of . I recently saw what is, to me, the single most awesome scene of the entire series: the one where Dylan and Kelly told Brenda that not only were they together, but they had hooked up over the summer while Brenda was in Paris. And then Brenda's response was to just walk away. Which then led to the ridiculous (and yet awesome) episode where Brenda had a daydream in which she tried to kill Dylan and Kelly with an ax, and one where she cut all of Kelly's hair off. Which then led to Dylan's dad being "killed" by a car bomb, which then led to Dylan finding out that his dad was really a government informant, which then led to Dylan living with the Walshes for a while, which then led to Kelly deciding she needed to start taking diet pills. All of which led to me wondering what the hell kind of drugs the writers were doing. And I'm not even getting into David's shitty recording contract or Brandon's laughable gambling addiction or Donna's complete lack of storyline or the fact that Andrea is clearly about fifteen years older than anyone else on the show including Dylan "Receding Hairline" McKay and Steve "Could My Pants Be Any Tighter?" Sanders and Brenda "Check Out My Crow's Feet" Walsh. All of which is to say, every Saturday and Sunday you will find me on the couch watching a few hours of reruns, at least until Brenda leaves the show, because then it all goes downhill.
Brynn calls and talks to her stepfather, who says that Brynn's mom won't be home for nearly three weeks. Brynn asks whether her mom wanted to go into rehab or if her stepfather made her. Her stepfather says that he couldn't make her go, although he pushed for it, but ultimately Brynn's mom made the decision and he supported it. In an interview, Brynn says that she wants to go home and be there for her mom. Brynn says that she wants to come home for the weekend. Her stepfather says that her mother isn't allowed to see anyone. He says it's better this way. In an interview, Brynn says she's realizing that her family does care about her. She tells her stepfather that she misses and loves him and hangs up. Then she sits and cries.
In an interview, Brynn says that she's downplayed her mother's role in her life, and now she wants to be closer to her family. Trishelle says that when Brynn gets home, she will need to settle some things, but it will all turn out okay. Trishelle says that she has a lot of unfinished business at home too, and the first thing she's going to do when she gets home is go to her mom's grave. It seriously seems like eight years ago that we learned that Trishelle hasn't been to her mom's grave yet. Brynn says that once Trishelle goes, she'll feel better. Trishelle is worried she won't be able to handle it, but she has to do it. In an interview, Brynn says that having Trishelle relate to her problems is really helpful. In an interview, Trishelle says that she feels closer to Brynn now.
Brynn writes a card to her mom. In an interview, Brynn says she wants her mom to know that she loves her, and wants to thank her for everything she's done. Brynn addresses the envelope. In an interview, Brynn says that she wants to feel peace, and that she wants to be happy and healthy. Why do I feel like that's pretty much it in terms of Brynn's storylines this season?
Arissa tells someone that Alex is coming out this weekend. Trishelle asks how long he's staying, and Arissa says he can only stay for a day or two. In an interview, Arissa says she's nervous because she thinks Alex might be the perfect guy. Arissa tells Trishelle that she didn't think Alex would visit, but he said that he would. In an interview, Trishelle says that Arissa thinks that Alex will sweep her off her feet and be a reason for her not to see Dario anymore.
Arissa gets dressed up for Alex's arrival. In an interview, Arissa says that this visit will be the test to see what's going to happen between them. Arissa heads downstairs to wait for Alex outside. She gets down there at 9:03 PM. And waits. And waits. And waits some more. At 9:45 PM, she's still waiting. In an interview, Arissa says that Alex told her he was coming, but after forty-five minutes, she decided to go upstairs and check her messages. She does, and laughs as she listens to a message from Alex. He says that he got cold feet and couldn't get on the plane, and that he really likes her and didn't want to get his hopes up for nothing. Yeah, I would immediately think that meant that he got a better offer at home so he blew her off. Trishelle listens to the message and asks Arissa what she's thinking. Arissa considers it and says she doesn't know. In an interview, Trishelle says that Arissa is trying to act like she's not upset, but that she has to be. Trishelle thinks that Alex might just really like Arissa and not know what to do. Arissa doesn't buy it.
Arissa calls Dario. In an interview, Arissa says that people make mistakes, and you have to learn to accept them. Arissa tells Dario about Alex and how he didn't show up, and how she actually left him a message thanking him for not coming out. Arissa says she just thought about Dario the whole time, and she wonders if she should start fresh with him.
week: Even more Steven and Trishelle drama. Even more Alton and Irulan drama. Even more me not caring at all.