S08.E13: Dominic's Story

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Dominic's life is falling apart due to his food addiction. At over 600 lbs., living in a van with his brother, Dominic decides to leave California for Texas, where only Dr. Now can help him learn to face life's challenges without using food to cope.

Dominic started the episode here:

Then he asked himself an important question: 

This is the regular episode thread.  It will be open after the US East Coast showing.  

Original air date 2020.03.25

[ams1001]

Well this was dull and I wasn't all here, anyway. Hope y'all had fun in chat.... Good night. Stay well.

 

(I accidentally posted this in the wrong tab and chat locked before I realized it.)

[edie3]

Part of the blame should go to Dr Now for taking him as a patient with his life so unsettled. How can you eat healthy living in a van?

[Ivylady]

Watching this on demand because I missed the original viewing. What a sad sack. You can tell he really is a mess emotionally. 

Also, really love how the brother is talking about Dominic dying from food when he's just as big. 🙄

How trifling are they that they couldn't work enough during the year or get enough assistance payments to pay the taxes? You know they have some income coming in with that McDonald's order he made. Maybe, just maybe, he should have eaten less food and paid the taxes. 

"I want a family"? Please, whatever deities are listening, don't let that happen. No one deserves to be saddled with his inertia. 

[Twopper]

7 minutes ago, edie3 said:

Part of the blame should go to Dr Now for taking him as a patient with his life so unsettled. How can you eat healthy living in a van?

I wonder if he thought it would be easier to get him into sec 8 like we saw someone else do earlier this season.   He had to know they were living in a van.

This was dull.  I missed the first 20 minutes as I was scarfing some sweet and sour chicken (or was it shrimp?);  I don't think I will bother to watch the beginning. 

[Ivylady]

Imagine opting to sleep in the van so you can eat more. This dude is a lost cause. 

[Ivylady]

17 minutes ago, Twopper said:

I wonder if he thought it would be easier to get him into sec 8 like we saw someone else do earlier this season.   He had to know they were living in a van.

This was dull.  I missed the first 20 minutes as I was scarfing some sweet and sour chicken (or was it shrimp?);  I don't think I will bother to watch the beginning. 

He did. He referred them to a homeless shelter and talked about subsidized housing. They just don't seem to have done anything about it until the end. 

[Ivylady]

They can't get groceries because they're homeless, but they can splurge out on a restaurant meal? I get not having a fridge and stove, but they could get a cooler and ice and keep things like boiled eggs, grilled chicken,  and salad for a couple days. Most fresh fruit doesn't require refrigeration. I know fruit isn't big on the list, but it's a damn sight better than eating a crispy chicken sandwich and downing a gigantic soda. It's also cheaper. 

How lazy can you be that you only tried to get housing twice then gave up? Why did he even bother? 

[ethalfrida]

Ginger chicken is not an ideal healthy meal. The participants, trying to do it on their, without consulting Dr. Now’s paper plan, fail because they know nothing about healthy food. 

[auntjess]

What did we see, 6 months?
I was thinking they could rent Nicole the Jugaloo's house, or maybe the garage.
The hat let me tell the brothers apart.
And James was unable to drive at this time, so I wondered if he'd had a job that entailed driving, but lost his license and then his job.
I wonder what the lead time is on this, and whether the quarantine overtook the show.
 

Edited March 26, 2020 by auntjess
"unable, not able." (Still adjusting to laptop keyboard.)

[cynicat]

I kept dozing off and waking up thinking I had only closed my eyes for a few seconds because the story was an infinite loop.  This was a really sad story with no hope.  At least he had Dr. Now's diet handouts and read them, as opposed to losing them 4 or 5 times.

 

[JJ1]

I usually have zero patience with the 600-pounders and their ridiculously enabling families, but this episode was different for me. From the beginning, Dominic and James seemed like lost souls who just can’t figure out how to do life. All they have is each other and a van and they don’t seem to have the skills or motivation to attempt a change.
 

It just all seemed sad. Very sad. 

[FormeryHeavyJ]

Just a sad episode.  The two brothers seemed to be cut from the same cloth mentally as Sean.  Don't know what to do, don't know how to do anything.  It doesn't take a CPA to realize that if you are part of a household there are recurring bills that have to get paid, especially property taxes.  Get off your backside, earn what you can, and pay the taxes to keep the house.  I just do not understand how two adults could make it this far being so very clueless.

This was one of those episodes that could not end soon enough for me.

Only 11 pages of snark comments from last night so you know it was a bad episode.  I turned my laptop off around 915pm.  Anyone else check out early?

[ams1001]

27 minutes ago, FormeryHeavyJ said:

Only 11 pages of snark comments from last night so you know it was a bad episode.  I turned my laptop off around 915pm.  Anyone else check out early?

I didn't turn it off early but I was only half paying attention and didn't comment much in the chat.

[Emkat]

This is just too depressing and sad. I can't. 

[Minivanessa]

I caught a few minutes of the first hour on my phone, then arrived home just as the second hour started. I looked into the live chat and tried to catch up, but Lord what a sad inert guy, and his sad inert brother who was obviously very obese too.

They seem to be just drifting along in life. Are they really just not bright enough to manage adult life? Or is it not so much a matter of intelligence as some kink in their psychological makeup?  

Anyway I don't have it in me to watch this episode in full. 

[Tabbygirl521]

I missed first hour. Dominic told Dr Paradise that James has or had a drinking problem. Was that ever mentioned otherwise? I’d be curious to know how much that affected their lives, too.

Usually I’m so annoyed by the people who cannot or won’t succeed but I just feel sad for Dominic. He wasn’t defiant or rude like so many. I wanted to cry when he had gained weight; Dr Now asked what happened and Dominic said, “I don’t know.” It seemed so honest. And I’m thinking, How can you not KNOW? But I believed him. I hope he got into housing and can stick with therapy, by phone if need be. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

It took Dominic six months to even look into applying for income based housing?     He really has no desire to do anything for himself.      If anything happens to the brother, then Dominic will be in such trouble.    This was such a sad episode, but I doubt Dominic will ever do anything to change his life.   I'm guessing that the brother (James?) didn't have a drivers license because of something related to his drinking.  

Dr. Now said in the first appointment that they needed to look into a stable housing situation, and they waited at least six months to even apply for income based housing.    

Edited March 26, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[mmecorday]

The future of both brothers looks very bleak. I feel that had someone intervened earlier, they might have a chance, but I think they're both just too far gone. Their biggest problem seems to be a lack of overall problem solving. They are so defeated by life that they can't cope. So they're just ... there. Fast food provides their only happiness so they're not giving that up. They're like so many of Dr. Now's patients. They think just by visiting him, he will cure them of their obesity, like his office is some strip mall version of the Grotto of Lourdes.

This was such a sad episode to watch, but it reminded me how very fortunate I am at this time.

[88Keys]

4 hours ago, FormeryHeavyJ said:

 I just do not understand how two adults could make it this far being so very clueless.

 

Only 11 pages of snark comments from last night so you know it was a bad episode.  I turned my laptop off around 915pm.  Anyone else check out early?

I wonder if mom coddled them a lot, and when she passed, they couldn't cope.  They just seem to have zero life-coping or problem-solving skills.

And yes, I checked out around the same time.  Tuned back in at the very end for the "inspiring" walk on the beach.

And for anyone in the live chat who thought I was making fun of Dominic for wanting to teach kids how to read, I wasn't.  I think it's sweet.  But I immediately thought of the "Derek Zoolander Institute For Kids Who Can't Read Good."  🙂  My husband and I both burst out laughing when he said it.

[sempervivum]

Their mother may have been a wonderful person, since they obviously loved and missed her, but she failed at her most important job as a parent: preparing your child for independence. 

It would take a live-in 24/7 mentoring team years to get these 2 up to speed as responsible citizens. 

I'd like to see Dr. Now come up with a 'dieting on fast food' plan that would direct these lazy morons to appropriate menu choices. So many folks don't know how to cook any more, and especially men like these, who have been taken care of like children their entire lives. 

I do like the way he's finally saying some of the things we've been saying here: the surgery isn't magic, you've got to do the hard part yourself, no excuses, everybody has stress in their life, etc.  I do wonder if he's about ready to throw in the towel, though. I doubt he really needs the money or publicity, and he seems to be getting bored or fed up with the lather/rinse/repeat of 90% of the people the show brings him. 

 

[KateHearts]

13 hours ago, Ivylady said:

They can't get groceries because they're homeless, but they can splurge out on a restaurant meal? I get not having a fridge and stove, but they could get a cooler and ice and keep things like boiled eggs, grilled chicken,  and salad for a couple days. Most fresh fruit doesn't require refrigeration. I know fruit isn't big on the list, but it's a damn sight better than eating a crispy chicken sandwich and downing a gigantic soda. It's also cheaper. 

How lazy can you be that you only tried to get housing twice then gave up? Why did he even bother? 

I think it's hard for most of us to understand; i.e., why don't they get basic groceries and store in a cooler? Why do they not pay taxes and opt to buy mountains of food instead? How could they think that a crispy fried chicken sandwich and fries is "healthy"? 

It's important to remember- and was really driven home for me in this episode- that they do not think like "we" do. Their view of the world (from their tiny microcosm) is skewed. They have limited education, few social skills, traumatic histories, and possibly learning disabilities/mental illness playing against them.

For these reasons, it's so hard to snark about these episodes because it's unfair to. Sadly, they reach out to desperately try and get someone to work magic for them because all they hear is "there's a doctor in Houston who helps really fat people get skinny." They have no clue what that might entail. Asking them to read a diet plan- and understand it- is like getting the earth to spin in the other direction for them. 

It's easy to mock people like Steven Assanti, who for the most part is acting for self-gratification and youtube watches and "fame." These guys are a mess and the show seems to have hit rock bottom.

[AZChristian]

Statistics on the McDonald's breakfast:

6 bacon, egg & cheese biscuits:  $19.14

6 hash browns:  $6.54

2 triple griddles:  $6.58

3 big breakfasts:  $11.07

1 large chocolate shake:  $2.99

Total cost for breakfast for two people:  $46.22

Not to mention, the calorie count is approximately 11,000.  So this should be enough food for the both of them for four and 1/2 days.  And it's only ONE of the "four, five, or six" meals that Dominic admits to every day.

Just breakfast would almost get them a room at the Motel 6 in Fresno.  Showers every day!  Clean sheets!  Buy a little fridge and a microwave if the room doesn't already have one.

Sometimes it's understandable if one person on their own is making all of these ridiculous choices, but for the two of them to continue living like this is beyond belief.  There are resources - but people have to seek them out and follow recommendations for sensible living.

I'm not finishing this one.  

 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, KateHearts said:

It's important to remember- and was really driven home for me in this episode- that they do not think like "we" do. Their view of the world (from their tiny microcosm) is skewed. They have limited education, few social skills, traumatic histories, and possibly learning disabilities/mental illness playing against them.

For these reasons, it's so hard to snark about these episodes because it's unfair to. Sadly, they reach out to desperately try and get someone to work magic for them because all they hear is "there's a doctor in Houston who helps really fat people get skinny." They have no clue what that might entail. Asking them to read a diet plan- and understand it- is like getting the earth to spin in the other direction for them.

Yes, thank you. That the producers of this show thought that exploiting obese homeless people was a good plan was an absolute new low for this shit show. And basically, Dr Now was all, "What am I supposed to do for you until you get your life together?" Why didn't he put his foot down the second this case was presented to him? It's not like Dominic called and scheduled an appointment over the phone and happened to wander in with his own camera crew. They all knew they were homeless, had scant education, and zero coping skills in life. There was no way for this to go OTHER than badly.

This episode should have never aired. I'm ashamed to have watched it. 

[FormeryHeavyJ]

7 minutes ago, Giant Misfit said:

Yes, thank you. That the producers of this show thought that exploiting obese homeless people was a good plan was an absolute new low for this shit show. And basically, Dr Now was all, "What am I supposed to do for you until you get your life together?" Why didn't he put his foot down the second this case was presented to him? It's not like Dominic called and scheduled an appointment over the phone and happened to wander in with his own camera crew. They all knew they were homeless, had scant education, and zero coping skills in life. There was no way for this to go OTHER than badly.

This episode should have never aired. I'm ashamed to have watched it. 

So right Misfit.  Never should have been aired.  Hey TLC....you mean to say you can't find another 600+ pounder with a "somewhat" (and I'm being generous here) stable living situation who may appreciate this life-saving opportunity?  Someone who can put their shoes on the correct feet and possibly fend for themselves?  What did the producers expect when they took on a homeless guy living in a van.  Did they expect him to hit the gym like a maniac and start to resemble The Rock?  This one is on them.

[StitchPunk]

17 minutes ago, Giant Misfit said:

Yes, thank you. That the producers of this show thought that exploiting obese homeless people was a good plan was an absolute new low for this shit show. And basically, Dr Now was all, "What am I supposed to do for you until you get your life together?" Why didn't he put his foot down the second this case was presented to him? It's not like Dominic called and scheduled an appointment over the phone and happened to wander in with his own camera crew. They all knew they were homeless, had scant education, and zero coping skills in life. There was no way for this to go OTHER than badly.

This episode should have never aired. I'm ashamed to have watched it. 

They had to have applied for the show. It's not like the producers just go up to people and force them to be on camera. Maybe someone thought that the show could help them have easier access to help. It's not like the producers can just magically know how everything will turn out ahead of time. Producers aren't these heartless monsters like people keep accusing them of for no reason, they're people doing a job. For all anyone knows, it could have been the networks decision if it seems so "immoral" to let adults decide to be on a tv show. The producers still have bosses.

[sempervivum]

5 minutes ago, StitchPunk said:

They had to have applied for the show. It's not like the producers just go up to people and force them to be on camera.

Exactly. And Dominic, at least (not sure about his brother) has a high school diploma. He didn't sound mentally slow to me, in fact I thought he had a nice vocabulary. I would bet cash money that they've watched the show, probably more than once. I also bet that they're perfectly capable of googling calorie info on the fast food websites, and of looking up how to apply for housing. Their problem is that they have no real desire to be adults. 

I have to say that one good thing about them being homeless is that they didn't drag any pets or internet-acquired 'fiancees' into their sad quagmire.

[fonfereksglen]

That housing application must have been filmed either before or after hours. I have never seen any social services office so empty.

I don't have an opinion as to the filming or airing.  Exploitation or not, it is an offer of help very few people receive and so many simply toss away.

What has always fascinated me with reality shows like old Intervention, the two Hoarders, and this one is the family dynamics and how low people are willing to sink to simply exist on the fringe of society.  I always wonder.  Why? That is the reason I watch.

[jacksgirl]

I figure its kind of a crap shoot. People apply to be on the show, they get interviewed, you have to figure that the homeless angle is new, so let's film them. Sometimes you get Kandi and Brandi who were great tv, sometimes you get Dominic and James.

[Sparger Springs]

The show needs to pay the participants better. I read they pay $1500 for appearing on the sow and 2500 moving fee if they move to Houston. They only receive the funds after the episodes have aired. TLC is making money hand over fist of these people.  They should give them a housing allowance and a monthly income and therapy the entire time they are on the show.

[Colleenna]

17 hours ago, Ivylady said:

Imagine opting to sleep in the van so you can eat more. This dude is a lost cause. 

That's  addiction for you.  The only thing that matters is  acquiring the  addicting substance.  

 

[babyhouseman]

6 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I missed first hour. Dominic told Dr Paradise that James has or had a drinking problem. Was that ever mentioned otherwise? I’d be curious to know how much that affected their lives, too.

No, it wasn't. I too wondered if that limited James with getting jobs and being on his own I think I saw an alcohol bottle at the hotel. They said the mother had food issues so the whole family could have addiction issues. 

2 hours ago, StitchPunk said:

Maybe someone thought that the show could help them have easier access to help.

I got the impression the cousin might've started this. 

55 minutes ago, Sparger Springs said:

The show needs to pay the participants better.

Yes, reality shows are cheaper to make than scripted shows because there are no unions or rules. They try to get by as cheaply as possible.

[ClareWalks]

Dominic was the most infuriating MESS I have seen on this show in a while. If I had a dollar for every time this guy claimed to be "trying," I'd be a millionaire. He either had no idea how to try, or he knew and didn't care. He didn't try AT ANYTHING. Any facet of his life. They finally went to the social worker so many months after moving to Houston. Dr. Now had told them to go *at the first appointment.* The "eating at restaurants because it's healthier" was so damn ignorant. He would have been better off nutritionally and financially if he had continued going to McDonalds three meals a day but just ordered ONE egg McMuffin, McDouble, or McChicken per meal. They must have easily spent $200/day on fast food based on their breakfast order and his claim that they eat "5-6 meals a day." That's $6000 a month. There was NO reason for them to be homeless. Yes, the backstory is horrible, but this was a case of willful ignorance, and I just can't deal with willful ignorance in our current circumstances.

[AZChristian]

7 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

He would have been better off nutritionally and financially if he had continued going to McDonalds three meals a day but just ordered ONE egg McMuffin, McDouble, or McChicken per meal. 

Jared used to do Subway commercials, having lost weight going there twice a day.

Where there's a will, there's a way.  Too many 600 pounders obviously have no will to do anything but eat.  And they always find a way to do that.

[auntjess]

5 hours ago, StitchPunk said:

They had to have applied for the show. It's not like the producers just go up to people and force them to be on camera. Maybe someone thought that the show could help them have easier access to help. It's not like the producers can just magically know how everything will turn out ahead of time. Producers aren't these heartless monsters like people keep accusing them of for no reason, they're people doing a job.

When they camera crews arrived, and they saw the situation, the show could have said that it wasn't  a viable situation, and pulled out.
You know they must have described what was what, with their bosses.
 

[toodles]

These two are Sean 2.0.  Unhealthy family relationships and all.  No thanks.

[Suzywriter]

23 hours ago, Ivylady said:

Watching this on demand because I missed the original viewing. What a sad sack. You can tell he really is a mess emotionally. 

Also, really love how the brother is talking about Dominic dying from food when he's just as big. 🙄

How trifling are they that they couldn't work enough during the year or get enough assistance payments to pay the taxes? You know they have some income coming in with that McDonald's order he made. Maybe, just maybe, he should have eaten less food and paid the taxes. 

"I want a family"? Please, whatever deities are listening, don't let that happen. No one deserves to be saddled with his inertia. 

IvyLady, you are gifted with words. 
"No one deserves to be saddled with his inertia." That is brilliantly stated!

[Suzywriter]

23 hours ago, edie3 said:

Part of the blame should go to Dr Now for taking him as a patient with his life so unsettled. How can you eat healthy living in a van?

Dr. Now threw him a lifeline, and a reason to get his life together. He told them where to go to seek housing. They came to him. Dr. Now knew that if he did not give them some hope, they would disappear and keep eating until one of them was found dead. 

I had to wonder if the van was registered or insured. 

[Hellga]

2 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Their mother may have been a wonderful person, since they obviously loved and missed her, but she failed at her most important job as a parent: preparing your child for independence. 

Yep...  they reminded me of Sean, though they are not quite as bad.  It's so sad when parents don't prepare kids for adulthood...

[Suzywriter]

3 hours ago, auntjess said:

When they camera crews arrived, and they saw the situation, the show could have said that it wasn't  a viable situation, and pulled out.
You know they must have described what was what, with their bosses.
 

The money was already invested, the crew was hired, rooms were booked, deadines were in place. I think as viewers we forget that this is not a social service show. It's a voyeristic view into the world of people over 600lbs who go to Dr. Now's clinic for help. TLC pays people to give up their privacy to be on the show. They don't always choose the best candidates. They choose candidates that will get viewers and raise ratings because ratings dictate what they can charge for the advertising slots for princess toast and 'ita night. 

TLC is in this to make money. I don't think they care if the poundticipants fall down a manhole after they wrap. Also, the producers do not have the power to change things; they are given an assignment and if they want to continue being employed, they need to bring back something that can be made into a show, get ratings and sell advertising. It's a lot colder and harder than viewers know.

I worked for a different show, just as a temp, for a summer. Nothing on the show was reality.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Suzywriter
clarification

[Ynicknan]

I usually watch for the snark value but I really wanted Dominic to succeed. I feel like if he could just build some momentum he’d be on the right track. Maybe it because he sounded more educated than your average participant? I hope we continue to follow his story.

[nokat]

19 hours ago, Giant Misfit said:

This episode should have never aired. I'm ashamed to have watched it.

After reading comments, I didn't watch it. Don't be ashamed though, we are usually looking for snark worthy shows, but they've just become sad. Especially now with the pandemic.
 

[TwirlyGirly]

21 hours ago, StitchPunk said:

They had to have applied for the show. It's not like the producers just go up to people and force them to be on camera. Maybe someone thought that the show could help them have easier access to help. <snip>

 

18 hours ago, babyhouseman said:

<snip> I got the impression the cousin might've started this. <snip>

I agree; I'll bet it was their cousin who got the ball rolling and either applied to the show for Dominic or talked to him about it, convinced him to apply, and then helped him complete the application. 

Since finding money to cover expenses relating to their travel from Fresno to Houston would be necessary for Dominic to participate, she probably offered to give them money at the time she presented the idea to apply.

[Stiggs]

I got about 30 minutes into it and had to check out. This dude needed Intervention first. Maybe Candy Finnegan could have helped. 

I can't believe that I was surprised that they were choosing living in a van to literally feed Dominic's addiction, but I was. The truth is, he just ran out of good enablers. (I can't even begin to approach the deal with the brother — like HELL I'd sleep in a van so my sister could eat 700 times a day.) And like the woman on Intervention who used airport toilet water to shoot up heroin, Dominic has no rock bottom. I do love to snark, but I am genuinely rooting for these folks and love the episodes where people make healthier steps. I watched this long enough to know that there aren't enough Lola letters in the world to write that would help Dominic cope with literally everything in life. 

I want to invite a producer or camera operator from this show to dinner (5 pizzas, 3 packages of hotdogs, biscuits and gravy, grapes, and fat-free jam) and just ask them to tell me stories. I can't imagine the Dominic episode involved any "good days at work" for the crew. 

Edited March 27, 2020 by Stiggs

[Toaster Strudel]

This episode was mind-numbingly boring.

The 2 hour format ruined this show. It's too slow and plodding now.

[auntjess]

22 hours ago, Suzywriter said:

I had to wonder if the van was registered or insured. 

It must have had tags, and The General is my guess.

[AZChristian]

3 minutes ago, auntjess said:

It must have had tags, and The General is my guess.

He may have gotten insurance to get his tags renewed, but that's no guarantee it's currently insured.  Once people get their insurance card (which is dated to make someone believe that it's good through a certain date), it is not uncommon for them to stop paying for insurance until that card expires.  Then they sign up for another 6-month or 1 year policy to get a new card.  Rinse, repeat.

[El maestro]

I feel sorry for them, it is impossible to liven a van in Houston in the summer.

[auntjess]

3 hours ago, AZChristian said:

He may have gotten insurance to get his tags renewed, but that's no guarantee it's currently insured.  Once people get their insurance card (which is dated to make someone believe that it's good through a certain date), it is not uncommon for them to stop paying for insurance until that card expires.  Then they sign up for another 6-month or 1 year policy to get a new card.  Rinse, repeat.

If people from the show ride with them, they might check, but I think all the filming was from mounted cameras or outside.
Maybe they could get one of those home and auto bundles, since they lived in the van.

 

[cynicat]

On 3/26/2020 at 9:51 PM, Suzywriter said:

I had to wonder if the van was registered or insured. 

Based on watching Live PD, apparently NO one has insurance, registration, or even a license these days.