lazylou

This show is such fun to analyze...so many sloppy little plot contrivances. Inviting your sister on your honeymoon? Who would do that? And having your parents show up at a house-showing when your wife definitely does not appreciate their input. Really? A college grad thinking it is OK to discontinue birth control pills for a few days? Finding a job at a fitness center when you made clear earlier that fitness is not your bag? And how much money will that job pay? Minimum wage? Flirting with girls "secretly" with cameramen following you around? Practically loosing your wedding ring on camera, so everyone will believe you did actually lose the ring? And now the green eyed monster rears it's head...but I do believe Maria would be jealous when she sees the boys, including Christian and her brother, eyeing the girls at the beach. And just to make sure we get it, the waitress flirts outrageously with Christian in front of everyone. Next, Josh will be jealous of one of the fit fellows at Meghan's new job. Parallels....Nice. But ... Only the Millers have original plots that are really interesting, partially because of their culture, partially because they are all so young. Am I the only one, though, that does want to tune in to see what is so shocking to the docs about Ragini? Maybe she has the ovaries of a fifty year old?

What else is new? Seems as though all groups do this... The part of this show I like is learning about Romani culture. I was in Eastern Europe last summer and find myself very interested in this terribly mistreated group of people. Much of what the Millers have told us about their culture seems accurate...I have been doing a little bit of research on the internet. The issue of underage brides is a big problem in some parts of the EU, but at the same time, blonde Romani children have been taken from their parents on the basis that they were clearly stolen, because they were blonde. But DNA tests revealed the children were Romani. This is very recent. I notice that the Millers and their friends seem to be careful that both bride and groom are of legal age, unlike Romani people in Romania, so the controversy in the Balkans does not apply. I remember as a young woman that a group of Romani were sent packing from my hometown in Montana. Supposedly "the King of the Gypsies" was hospitalized there and dozens of Romani showed up in town, camping along the river, building fires in the park, and all, allegedly, driving big Cadillacs. I wonder how much of that was true! In Europe I have often been warned about "Gypsies" and told to watch for pickpockets. Pickpockets are a big problem in any area where there is a good deal of poverty...say, Argentina. I think it is about time that someone presented a look at Romani people in the US.

I think they are going to Nashville for the remainder of his training...it was announced at the end of the first season.

The brother-sister hugs...I really wonder if Christian is gay. Veeral and Ragini need something new to happen. Whoever is preparing their script is stuck in a rut, for sure!

Oh, such a good point about the hard copy resumes! And, a camera crew accompanies Meghan on a job interview? She may have had to be honest about length of stay in Indy when she warned the interviewer about the crew. Maybe the whole interview was a set-up. Likely, I think. Also...Josh asked Meghan to come and get him at the bar. He is too drunk to walk home? I thought their car had been left in South Carolina? So, if she has a car, why does the stuff need to be delivered? There may well have been a delivery charge, too, on top of everything else. And if she has a car, why couldn't she try shopping at Target? When I was a young wife, my husband pulled the going-out-to-drink-after-work-without-calling thing with me too often for me not to feel sympathy for Meghan, with her carefully prepared dinner awaiting the no-show hubby. When my husband failed to call, there were no cell phones, which makes Josh's rudeness even worse. And consider how Josh demeaned Meghan to his new colleagues by suggesting she was spending the day watching Harry Potter. I don't like him. Marrying Meghan was his choice. Christian was truly "arranged," so if he does not like his bride, the situation is not his fault. (And vice versa. She does not like him, either.) This script, if there is one, must be that both husband and wife do something bad and something good. Maria slaps Christian, Christian buys things for himself but refuses Maria money; Ragini skips the family party, Veeral arranges for his parents to show up at the open house. Meghan buys expensive and unnecessary items, Josh goes out drinking and stands Meghan up.

I have watched this episode a couple of times. The weird expressions on Christian's face as he hands first the $20, then the $95 to Maria are well...weird. He clearly still wants to hang on to every last dime for his own use. I don't think Nina's "tip" of how to handle Christian is going to work...maybe she actually had more useful suggestions for Maria off camera. It seems as though if Maria were a little more manipulative, she could coach Christian into discovering Peter's flirtation himself. But clearly the producers are setting up an explosion in which Maria is going to be blamed somehow for what Peter is doing. At the golf course, Christian seems to be standing within earshot of Peter and Maria as she harrasses Peter about texting. Maybe he really is hard of hearing, as Maria suggested in an earlier episode when he could not hear Siri giving driving directions, but this scene screams "script!" to me.

Yet the disputes shown are all real issues in real marriages and probably have been forever...money, inlaws, fertility and infertility, social life. And most people think they end up being the one on the losing side!

Both C and M are immature, socially inept, and have nothing to talk about because they have no common friends. No wonder M could not have a conversation with C. Initially, Maria is homesick, lonesome, and miserable, and Christian has no sympathy for her at all. As time passes, Maria becomes less whiney and more assertive, making her more likable in the more recent episodes. Christian meanwhile is unable to admit he is wrong about anything and even more determined to prove himself the boss...though as she becomes more assertive, he does not become any more agreeable, at least on camera. As their lives and interests mingle, they will begin to have common interests. Maybe. And maybe M will figure out how to become the boss while making C believe he is in charge. In some ways, C is right, It is silly to hoard makeup. it is a good idea to save money so they can move out.

It does seem to me that Maria has matured vastly from the previous episodes...and I too wonder about Christian's sexuality. Unlike most responders, I like Christian, though I abhor his treatment of Maria. He seems fine with everyone else---little kids, his brothers, etc. Also...be fair...Christian seems to be doing what Michael keeps telling him to do! Save MONEY! Honor Tradition! Don't get in trouble with the ELDERS! I find myself intrigued, maybe even obsessed, with the question of the scripting. First of all, the series clearly is somewhat scripted. First season, everyone throws a party (and who paid for the Millers'?) Every couple had an episode---or more---devoted to the question of getting pregnant, which led to Megan's ridiculous fertility calendar, one devoted to the actual ceremonies, etc. There was also a counseling episode on each. These elements are probably just producer-driven, and many of the problems may have been fomented by producers. BUT I do not think the last two Miller segments can possibly be spontaneous. They may be re-enactments, which does explain the slap, the odd sequence of events...for instance, after being taught how to hide money, Maria asks Christian for money anyway? And aren't there just as many flowers in their containers when they leave the bar as when they go in? It almost looks as though they have more flowers at the end. By the way, I seem to remember Nina telling Maria the first time she took her out selling flowers that the reason for her to do so was to have a little money for herself, so I doubt this little "HO" lesson would occur so late into Maria's flower selling career. And Maria begs for a curling iron, but does not know the price (try $100...or less.) Maybe Maria and Christian concocted the script themselves, which would account for some of the inattention to detail. I like this idea, by the way. It suggests they can actually work as a team on something. I find this look into an American Roma community very interesting, and I think others seem to, too. No marriage license? Home schooling by parents who (I'm sorry) don't seem very well schooled themselves? Teenage marriages? And yet everyone seems affluent. Where does the money come from? Consider the lavish parties and the new cars and expensive clothes. Really? And the avoidance of all contact between couples? Christian and Maria are clearly careful about the cameras in the first episodes...the wedding scene on the "re-arranged" episode, Christian's demand that the camera be stopped during his fight with his mother, his refusal to discuss the wedding night with Veeral and Josh. All of this makes me think that much of the Maria-Christian saga has been scripted or re-enacted, or both. But, I don't care! I am tuning in next week to find out about Peter's non-Gypsy flirtation and what Maria's rules will be!

I missed the smile, but I too have it on DVR and will re-check. I am sure this show is scripted, but, actually, I do not mind. Lots of little things do not really add up. For instance, how handy that everyone leaves the house while Maria packs and then leaves. The script has sent Peter out with Christian, but why did Michael and Nina leave? Where is Jimmy? And, where is the dog? Why is this little yorkie never barking, never underfoot, never seen? Does he exist? I would guess yes, but has been put in a separate room for the filming.

I do not usually watch reality tv, but this show caught my attention for some unknown reason last summer. My reaction to the show Oct 20: the scripting has improved significantly, as has the acting. A former high school teacher who has spent far too much time around teenagers, I find myself fascinated with Christian and Maria. Even though he is selfish, I find myself liking Christian. Even though he is really a misogynist, he seems to think he is being true to the "Gypsy" tradition w/o realizing, apparently, how he demeans women and thereby suggests the "Gypsy culture" also is misogynistic. And Maria is a terrible actress, but her unhappiness did not need to be feigned. She actually seemed much happier last program than at any time except the reunion show last year, and she certainly spoke much more forcefully and w/o a whining tone. I like Maria, too, and find her all too believable. I wonder if he really bought the clothes the day after refusing to give Maria $20, or was that a bit of editing? And the irony of his voice-over describing his need to look good as he is shown wearing old shorts on the streets of Queens did not escape me. Maria probably asks for all that makeup as proof that Christian really does care for her...but really, all that lipstick? That was all lipstick in the drawer, right? And since when does a curling iron cost $200? Does Michael have a day job? Does Christian? If the Millers are trying to eradicate unfortunate stereotypes about the Romany people, roofing is an unfortunate choice of jobs. Nothing against legitimate roofers, which it appears Christian's cousin is, but those of us who live in areas of the country where hail storms are common are all too familiar with the roofer as con artist. I think the reason there was glass all over the car seats was that someone had broken in to the car. Surely they had locked it with their things inside. I do wonder, though, along with the earlier comment, what has happened to the car Megan and Josh were using in the first episodes. How easy is it to live in Indianapolis w/o a car? To get back to last season: how corny was that fertility calendar in the hands of a graduate student? Are we to imagine they are trusting their future to condoms? Really?