S01.E12: After the Altar: Two Years Later / S01.E13: Married, Single, and It's Complicated / S01.14: Celebrations and Confrontations

[Racj82]

I enjoyed the special. 

It's crazy that Mark of all people created the most drama out of everyone even though he wasn't there.

Plenty of great Lauren and Cameron moments. 

The Barnett union still makes me ill. They just feel so try hard to me.

The bi sexual guy is still a big old drama queen. I'm not saying that because he's bi.

Stay tuned for the credits of the last episode. Probably the funniest part.

Giannana and Damien still never belonged together. Those two just love drama. Neither is ready for a functional relationship.

[DearEvette]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I think After the Altar dropped yesterday. Here's a review. I don't think I'll watch since the only people I'm interested in are Lauren and Cameron.

That review is terrible and, imo, not at all indicative of what went on.  The reviewer dislikes the show so her entire review reeks of her disdain.  She ascribes motivations and reactions to the people that simply are not there. Like saying the 'most honest moment is when Diamond's date leaves the party" while completely ignoring that Cameron stood up there so chocked up with love for his wife he could barely get a sentence out cuz he was trying not cry.  She says that Diamond 'churlishly' jilted Carlton (...which... no ...just no) and then claimed Carlton was too scarred to be on the show and play ball, completely ignoring the fact that a)he was in the first ep and b)he was an entire asshole to Lauren.  He brings it on himself.

She seems to believe Rory was actually the show  therapist, that Lauren and Cam are "over it"  (did she miss the part where Lauren and Cam basically entered the party like  Beyonce and a faithful Jay-Z?)  and found Francesca -- someone who it was so obvious  a plant by Netflix to stir up drama -- to be sympathethic. 

I don't disagree some of it was unnecessary drama -- basically all of the Gigi/Damian crap which I 100% believe was completely manufactured and took up way too much screen time.  And parts felt stilted and scripted.  But there was some good stuff.

- Jessica got a great redemption arc and I have theories...

-Either Mark must have pissed someone off in production or the stories out there swirling about him couldn't be ignored because he doesn't come off well at all.

-Diamond and LC get a lot of face time and they are quite fun together

- Amber and Barnett do not come off well at all.  She is controlling and he is whipped.

-Lauren and Cameron are funny and cute

-Not enough Kenny, but he is still a snack.

Edited July 29, 2021 by DearEvette

[Starlight925]

7 hours ago, DearEvette said:

- Jessica got a great redemption arc and I have theories...

What are your theories?  Do tell!  

[DearEvette]

25 minutes ago, Starlight925 said:

What are your theories?  Do tell!  

Well, I think first and foremost Jessica really has moved on. She tried to apologize at the reunion and Amber wasn't having it.  Fresh off the show, people were firmly on Amber's side.  Which,  understandable.   But it has been two years now.  Also Jess brought gifts to both Amber/Barnett and Lauren/Cameron (Tiffany wine glasses) for the party.  Looks like she was the only one to bring an anniversary gift.  So that was pretty classy.

But beyond that, during the show, I never believed -- despite what they said -- that you could back out before the altar.  It was clear to everybody an their mother that she was not happy with Mark well before the wedding.   I also read that the producers encouraged her to seek out Barnett for convos -- because that triangle was a storyline they pushed.  So she was the big show villain.  And Mark was the poor dejected jilted guy in love.

But after the show aired, stories started coming out almost right after it aired that Mark wasn't really that nice of a guy and that he got a generous edit. And he was seeing someone.  So the truth had come out and then of course they got hold of the LC and Mark stuff which seemed to validate that he was a cheater.  So they really couldn't sell the 'oh poor Mark' story convincingly any longer.  So I think they decided to swing the pendulum and make the story 'he was a jerk all along.' and 'Jessica has grown.' 

This is where Amber inadvertently helped that story along not bu producer manipulation, but because I think she still believes every woman was still firmly on her side.  But  she miscalculated because time has worked against her.  The show isn't fresh anymore and people have moved on.  By refusing the accept Jess' gracious gift and by Barnett saying things like 'I am not allowed to talk to Jessica' it elevated the 'Jess has evolved and moved past it all" story but also made her and Barnett look immature and petty for holding onto what feels like a stale grudge.  So Jessica got an extra 'good edit' push there.

It worked too.  At least per twitter.  Overwhelmingly, Mark and Amber are being dragged while Jess has gotten a lot of sympathy.

[Fallacy]

I still like Amber and Barnett. I think they’re hilarious and authentic.  I also think Amber is 100% correct that Jessica was just virtue signaling with that gift attempt. If Jessica took one ounce of responsibility for her actions and words, then I might have had some sympathy for her and her crocodile tears at this reunion. Instead she was like “what did I do besides date your man once” as if she didn’t attempt to break up Amber and Barnett after they were engaged. 
I still don’t get Damien and Gianna at all. They are both a total mess, who clearly need a whole lot of professional help. I can’t imagine why Damien thought it would be perfectly fine to bring another woman to this reunion party when he’s still with Gianna. Then he acted all shocked and offended that his actions bothered her. He’s a passive aggressive jerk. I’d say she could do better, but she so clearly has her own issues. 
I also did not need to hear about how Mark “cheated” on LC with another woman, who is now pregnant with his child, and gave them both COVID. Again, I think Amber was right. I don’t think Mark was ever exclusive with LC and while it’s sucks that she ended up with COVID, that was a risk for everyone who was out there dating during this pandemic. It makes total sense though why Diamond was upset, having only heard LC’s version of events. And I don’t think either Amber or Diamond communicated effectively or appropriately during that conversation, but at least Amber acknowledged that she understood why Diamond was upset. Diamond was clearly not interested in hearing Mark’s version as presented by Amber. 
Finally, Carlton once again proved that he is incapable of having a conversation with someone who doesn’t 100% agree with his point of view. Poor Lauren only said that Diamond was upset that he didn’t tell her that he was bisexual in the pods. Carlton is not wrong that there is homophobia and biphobia in the black community, but he’s still not willing to concede that he should have told the truth from the start. A person’s sexuality is a huge part of his or her identity, so not disclosing that critical information is just wrong. Instead, he continues to blame Diamond for being a bigot. And I don’t think he’s even wrong about that. Diamond would have rejected him for being bisexual no matter when he told her the truth, but because he waited until after they were engaged to tell her, everyone blames him for the break up. However, none of that is Lauren’s fault, so his rudeness towards her was just wrong too. 

 

[Refresh]

After 2 years, the Pod Squad gets ready and reunites for couples’ anniversaries sharing personal updates — and dissecting drama— along the way. 
 

Air date: July 28, 2021

[Adgirl]

Poor Diamond.

I'm mad at myself for being shocked that Carlton is still a jerk.

I don't understand why they spent so much time on Gigi and Damien. They could have been made in a reality tv factory--answered my own question I guess.
I really, really can't stand Amber and Barnett. I didn't realize how shitty Amber was. Why would you sell a house to pay off student loan debt when Amber could just get a job? If he made enough money to buy a house on his own at that age, Amber could get a job and her salary could be solely devoted to the loans.  Not my money but it seems weird.

What the hell is even going on with Gigi and Damien?

Edited July 30, 2021 by Adgirl

[JH Lipton]

Love the Hamiltons [Swoosh!] and the Bennets [BANG!] -- they're both cute in their own way.

Loved seeing almost everyone turn a cold shoulder to still-a-clueless-bitch Jessica.  Good for Diamond for not giving still-a-clueless-bitch Carlton (buy a clue -- people don't hate you because your bi; people hate you because you're still-a-clueless-bitch.

Fun to see everyone -- even ones we only saw for a millisecond on the show,

[snarts]

So Barnett sold his home to pay off Amber's student loans and they then moved into her apartment with a roommate?  Two years later, they're still there?  Bet he doesn't regret that decision much, what with the insane housing market right now. Oh, and why isn't she working? Although, just about the time I feel a bit bad for him, we see his family and I think, they're made for each other. 

Carlton should've stayed away.  That was no redemption arc.

Jessica trying to play the victim.  My memory might be hazy, but I remember what you did & said, sweetie. 

Is the car wash bar really the happening hot spot in Atlanta?  Diamond shouldn't have parked so far away, those shoes looked painful to walk in and her non-tailored leather pants were dragging on the ground. 

Gigi is gorgeous and Damian is a troll. Someday she will look back and cringe. 

[MMLEsq]

Amber seems to have two sets of standards:

(1)  LC should just get over everything with Mark because he's moved on and it was months ago that everything happened, so get over it LC; and

(2)  Amber herself is allowed to hold onto a grudge for years against Jessica.

Whatever the previous history, Jessica looked like the bigger person and Amber looked ridiculous -- just take the high road, accept the gift with a smile and "thanks," and move on with your evening.  Holding onto the grudge just makes Amber seem like she's still in middle school.  And Barnett looked utterly ridiculous as well -- clearly in a panic about Amber seeing him talking within the same group of people as Jessica.

Does Amber have a job?  I thought I heard her mention having to go to work the next day near the end of the party, but everything else shown was her sleeping in and day-drinking with her mother-in-law.  

I would feel sorrier for Giannana (spelling?) if she hadn't put up with Damian's crap for two years.  At a certain point, you have to say to yourself, "What's going on with me that I stay with a person who treats me poorly?"  I'm not blaming the victim -- I stayed with someone for seven years who treated me horribly, but when I look back on that time of my life, I can see that there were things within myself that made me stay/keep taking him back.  It doesn't help that her mother seems to be overly invested calling Damian her "son" and all that.

I always thought Kelly and Kenny were well matched and they were the one couple who surprised me when they split.  

Finally, back to LC and Mark.  If you express COVID concerns to someone and they assure you that they're not seeing other people and it turns out to be a big lie, well, in my opinion, you have every right to be super pissed!!  Especially if they then (presumably) give you COVID!!!  Amber's repeated "but I'm married," made zero sense to me.  I think in a lot of situations you should be able to trust that you're getting the truth from someone even if you're not married to them.  And, whoever said it on the show was right:  if the roles had been reversed, Amber would have flown off the handle in that situation. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by MMLEsq

[DearEvette]

My final takeaways after watching these eps:

- Gigi and Damian are scripted as hell.  From her 'spontaneous' call with her mother where Milady asks her (to remind us) how long has she and Damian been together again?   I would be surprised if they were still together before this.  So convenient for Damian to hook up with this Francesca chick, invite her to a party that she had literally no stake in and instigiate a 'he's my man' stand off. Damian is just not that cute, with his Frankenstein looking ass.

- Bias alert: I admit I was never an Amber fan.  So yeah, it would be real hard to make me an Amber fan.  And quite frankly this made me a bigger anti-Amber.  She tells Barnett's mother with a straight face that Barnett is 'still figuring out how to do grown up things.'  I mean... he was a homeowner, graduated college and had an entire ass career.  Meanwhile Amber's 'I don't live to work, I work to live" ass was couch surfing and contributing to lowering her 320 credit score by ignoring her bills.  Also He doesn't want to have kids yet because a) he sold his house to help pay your student loans and b) you guys are living in an apartment with a roommate.  But he's not the adult?   Also I loved how she told LC that she needs to be an adult and move on, not acknowledging that Mark was in the wrong for letting LC think they were exclusive while he was also with some other girl and that it was ok because they were not married is hypocrisy at its highest level, imo.  She can't move on from Jessica for basically doing something much less than that.  Meantime, she has DoorMatt over there whipped as hell.  Fine, dislike Jess all you want, but damn the sight of DoorMatt running away from Jessica as if she is breathing Covid cooties all over him was just sad. Y'all could've accepted those Tiffany champagne glass and returned them for a refund to pay a months rent or somethin'

- Bias alert: I admit I am a big Cameron and Lauren fan.  They are cute and unproblematic.  Lauren's sound bites were funny.  Also Cam wanting to spend 200 years with Cyborg Lauren 2.0 is cute.

- I was never a Jessica hater in the original show.  I thought she was pathetic and clearly wanted out with Mark.  In this, I thought she came off as 1 part trying to rehab her image (girl, no you were NOT in love with Mark and stop acting like you don't remember how thirsty you were for Barnett) and 2 parts sincere.  There is no reason for Amber to believe she is still pining for Barnett.  He is not a catch, imo.  Never was.  Honestly I think she came out of this better than Amber/Barnett did overall.  I liked that Kenny and even that troll Damian were supportive and gave her a hug after DoorMatt ran away like his pants were on fire and wouldn't take a damn anniversary gift.

- Diamond was working the lewks!  Go head girl.  I liked Diamond and LC in this.  I thought they brought some fun energy and out of everyone seemed the most authentic.  And after those reddit amas came out and people were outing Mark as kinda a jerk, I was all for the Mark tea in this.  Drag him, LOL.

- Not enough Kenny.  They could have easily cut 10 minutes of stupid Damian/Francesca drama and given us some Kenny.

- Carlton.  Sigh.  I don't know how people can still defend him.  He went from 0 to 100 on Lauren.  All she did was a) ask him to acknowledge that maybe Diamond's feelings of him not being upfront were valid and b) to not care too much what people thought about him.  He went ballistic and on the offensive.  Just like he did with Diamond.  The dude has anger management issues.  I loved Lauren's incredulous response 'Is that what you reduce me to?" after he claimed he was the only one out there defending her for marrying a white guy.  Uh, Spoiler Alert Carlton, nobody was mad that Lauren was marrying a white guy.  They are the most popular couple from the show.

- Kelly has a banging body, but damn girlfriend needed a salon visit.

Edited July 31, 2021 by DearEvette

[Pepper Mostly]

7 hours ago, snarts said:

So Barnett sold his home to pay off Amber's student loans and they then moved into her apartment with a roommate?  Two years later, they're still there?  Bet he doesn't regret that decision much, what with the insane housing market right now. Oh, and why isn't she working? Although, just about the time I feel a bit bad for him, we see his family and I think, they're made for each other. 

 

I wish I could have seen my face when Barnett dropped that little tidbit. In what world does this move make sense? Amber's debt was not unmanageable, either. Didn't she say it was 20K? She could sign up with a credit counseling service and have it paid off in two years. Barnett sold his HOUSE? Jesus Christ. And the roommate could have at least moved out. Who does that? 

Damian is a spectacular, gaping asshole. I cannot believe he brought his little Twinkie to this party and thought it would be just dandy. and what what that folderol he was spewing? That he brought her to show that he was secure enough to bring his "friend" to a party that Gigi was at because he believed in himself? Then he got mad a Gigi for being mad? "You love this shit!" Dude. You're the one that brought your vapid gal pal along to wave in Gigi's face. GIGI didn't cause that drama. And he's not handsome enough to act like he's such a prize. "I use moisturizer!" It would take more than moisturizer to improve his gorilla-face. 

Barnett's jacket. That is all I have to say about that.

 

[ElsbethTascioni]

Amber wanting to have a baby when she's living in an apartment with roommates...I would kick her ass out. But I also don't blame her for not wanting anything to do with Jessica.

I'm not surprised that Mark is a jerk. He was playing up his victim card really really hard, and was so creepy on the show. While he's not OK for lying to LC, I also think that there's blame to go around, because if I had asthma, I wouldn't be trusting anyone and risking getting COVID.

I think Diamond came off desperate, but Rumeal was definitely only there to get some screen time for himself, and when that didn't happen he ran off.

Kelly needs a deep conditioning treatment for that hair.

I hope that the Gianina and Damien relationship is fake, because he's an emotionally constipated, maturity challenged, wall punching vibes giving, asshole.

[Starlight925]

Re:  Amber's debt.  I think the $20K was just her student loan debt from, as she says, schooling she didn't finish.  I believe the total debt was much, much higher, hence Matt selling the home, taking the equity to pay the debt, and splitting rent with her roommate.  

I suspect the total debt was substantial, which is why, 2 years later, they are still splitting rent.

I can't believe he did that for her.  I can barely get a guy to take me to dinner, and I'm a nice person who can see things from someone else's point of view, unlike Amber, who can't have any sort of empathy for LC's situation vis a vis Mark.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Starlight925

[Pepper Mostly]

2 hours ago, Starlight925 said:

Re:  Amber's debt.  I think the $20K was just her student loan debt from, as she says, schooling she didn't finish.  I believe the total debt was much, much higher, hence Matt selling the home, taking the equity to pay the debt, and splitting rent with her roommate.  

I suspect the total debt was substantial, which is why, 2 years later, they are still splitting rent.

Even if it was a lot more, selling Matt's home to pay it off seems extreme. Many years ago I got in some deep shit with credit card debt. It was over 30K. I signed up with Consumer Credit Counseling, they negotiated my interest rates down, I paid them $732 a month, and it was gone in five years. Why couldn't Amber get a job and pay her debt off? They don't have a house but they have ATV's? They're in such deep shit they, a married couple, have to share an apartment with a roommate?? The whole story is bonkers. And now they're talking about having babies? Amber. Honey. You think a Sephora charge is expensive? Try having a kid. I cannot with either of them. 

 

[thejuicer]

6 hours ago, MMLEsq said:

Whatever the previous history, Jessica looked like the bigger person and Amber looked ridiculous -- just take the high road, accept the gift with a smile and "thanks," and move on with your evening.  Holding onto the grudge just makes Amber seem like she's still in middle school.  And Barnett looked utterly ridiculous as well -- clearly in a panic about Amber seeing him talking within the same group of people as Jessica.

Totally agree. I think I wasn't even that petty in middle school. Take the damn champagne glasses and run! I don't see how these two are gonna last. They've had their fun having hot rage sex over Jessica for the past two years but at some point that's gonna fizzle out (I'm surprised it hasn't already). Amber looked like a huge asshole and Matt (I can't with him going by "Barnett") looked like a stupid fool.

[legxleg]

I nearly did a spit take when Barnett said he SOLD HIS HOUSE to pay off Amber's student loans. Amber won the freaking lottery with this show. He must love her, I cannot think of another reason to do something so boneheaded. And yet she's still going to complain she wants a baby right away, when they are living in an apartment with a roommate?? Girl, this kind of poor planning is what got you in serious debt for a college degree you never finished. Please listen to Barnett on this one. 

[Ynicknan]

I loved the show but ugh, I fast forwarded through most of the episodes. The same story, same drama. Pass.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Ynicknan

[Starlight925]

2 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Even if it was a lot more, selling Matt's home to pay it off seems extreme. Many years ago I got in some deep shit with credit card debt. It was over 30K. I signed up with Consumer Credit Counseling, they negotiated my interest rates down, I paid them $732 a month, and it was gone in five years. Why couldn't Amber get a job and pay her debt off? They don't have a house but they have ATV's? They're in such deep shit they, a married couple, have to share an apartment with a roommate?? The whole story is bonkers. And now they're talking about having babies? Amber. Honey. You think a Sephora charge is expensive? Try having a kid. I cannot with either of them. 

 

Oh, I agree completely.  What a ludicrous move for Matt to have done.  And look at what's happened with real estate in the past two years, how much $ he left on the table.  Yes of course, consumer credit counseling + a job (or two) from Amber, but no, that's all too hard.  SMH.

There's some sort of codependency going on there, both from Amber for Matt and vice versa.  Can't believe it's lasted this long.

[Zuleikha]

That was oddly sweet. Both the married couples seem very real and in love.

I think Amber is a horrible person, but she and Barnett are a good fit for each other. I still couldn't get over her defense of Mark, and her attitude that LC should have just expected the possibility of being lied to and cheated on. When one person lies to, cheats on, and makes another person ill, there aren't two sides. There is one person being a horrible scumbag. 

Diamond came off well in these episodes. She seems like a wonderful friend. But she didn't treat Rumeal very well. She put him in an awkward situation for a first date, and if she was serious about trying a relationship, she should have picked a different event for a real first date. 

GiGi and Damien are so strange. I'll be curious what the tabloids have to say about whether they're still together or not. I don't know what Damien was thinking. What he did seemed so rude to Francesca that it's like, "did the producers bribe you into this?" It was a level beyond rude to GiGi, so shockingly cold. And he knew he was being filmed! Did he want to turn into the new show villain? It's hard to imagine what he brings to the table that GiGi's stayed with him for so long.

My heart still breaks for Carlton. He can claim that he loves and accepts himself, but he clearly does not. Unfortunately, he's a living embodiment of hurt people hurt people. Until he can love himself, he is going to push away everyone who offers him love and compassion.

Lauren and Cameron are so wonderful to watch. It's beautiful to see happiness on a show like this.

[Irlandesa]

These three episodes felt like the pilot for a LIB spinoff reality series.  The vibe was so different.  The first eleven episodes were Bacheloresque.  These three episodes were like something out of the Real Housewives franchise. 

While I'm sure there was producer manipulation in the first eleven episodes, they were filming a wild experiment and I have no doubt that much of the drama we saw came out of reality.  Even if it was exaggerated or "encouraged" as Jessica pointed out today, overall a lot of it was real.  As such, it was really easy to get involved with it all.

But I believe almost none of what happened in these episodes.  It even ended on a cliffhanger. 

[Pepper Mostly]

What I don't understand is the source of Matt's appeal! He had three women positively panting for him! WHY

[Starlight925]

3 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

What I don't understand is the source of Matt's appeal! He had three women positively panting for him! WHY

Right???  That's what I don't get.

The only theory I can come up with is, because they were locked into those pods, he was the best of all the connections each one had.  He does seem like he's a funny guy, and I bet he can be a good conversationalist, so it's sort of like a Stockholm syndrome, where they were drawn into him vs. other guys.  So when the pods opened, and they saw that he was not a bad looking guy, they each went for him.

It's like The Bachelorette syndrome.  25 guys are all "madly in love" with the same woman, until they pick one guy, and as we always see, it lasts about 6 weeks.  Because they are locked in a bubble.

I also do believe that he led each of the 3 women into thinking that they were his choice.  Insecure women eat that stuff up.  Look at all the women who get scammed by fake online profiles.

Hate to say this, but I do believe that of the 3 women, Amber is his best match.  He willingly sold his house to pay off her debts, he puts up with her craziness, even laughs about it.  When they were with his family, I got it, as she has this familiar style that he grew up with.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Starlight925

[Kiss my mutt]

Well, Matt and Amber share the same taste in tacky clothes at least. Sounds like they’ll have a baby sooner than later since he said they’re not trying to do anything to prevent it. Their poor roommate. 
Amber is ratchet telling LC that “as a grown woman” she should expect that a guy is with other women even if it’s understood that they’re only dating each other and couldn’t understand how COVID makes this even more of a concern.  Maybe in her world. 
I think she is too selfish to be a good mother. They think things are tight now? I bet even after they paid off her debt, they’ve acquired more since they’ve been married. 
Damien is one of the ugliest dudes I’ve ever seen. Like skin crawling gross. When he said he’d grown a lot as a person and then said, he now gets facials and has a skin routine, I had to roll my eyes because I was expecting some internal personal growth. Figures. I don’t know what they’re deal is but I think it’s fake. 
 

Cameron has a banging body. I wasn’t expecting that. 
 

[RoxiP]

Why the heck does Damian think he is all that?  If he hadn’t hooked up with Giannina he wouldn’t have gotten a second look. 

[NeenerNeener]

I did a bunch of googling after the final episode to see if Damian is in a relationship with either of the two ladies. It seems none of these people follow each other on Instagram, which according to the internet means that he isn't dating either of them. I had forgotten about watching Too Hot To Handle last year; as long as cast members didn't have sex with each other they got a nice cash prize. Francesca and Howie were the horndogs that supposedly couldn't keep their hands off each other and reduced the payout to the cast accordingly. Francesca and Howie are no longer together either. Such is the life of a professional reality show horndog.

 

And yes, I watch too much tv.

Edited July 31, 2021 by NeenerNeener

[Jane Tuesday]

RE: the Barnetts' finances, he never said he sold the house to pay HER debt, just "student loan debt". From interviews they did after the original run of LIB, he sold it to pay his debt, which they discussed but was left out in the editing of the show. Besides, it's highly possible he didn't have any real equity in the house yet. Everybody acts like selling his house must have netted some huge sum, but I didn't get the impression he had lived there long. Take out closing costs, and he might have basically gotten his down payment back.

Amber made a big deal on Instagram when SHE paid off her student loans a few months after the show aired. I assumed she used influencer money, but she does work. She tends bar at various nightclubs and posts about getting home from work in the middle of the night (which is why she's in bed when he leaves for work, not because she's a drunken bum like the show implied).

The impression I get is that at some point, he thought he'd do "the adult thing", and buy a house, but he wasn't really in that stage of life. So when he married Amber, they decided they'd rather live downtown and have that kind of life for now. They've moved since the show into a new apartment at the Battery, and it's not cheap. I think they still have the same roommate (at least, he was in their videos during lockdown) and they seem like good friends.

I imagine if they got pregnant they would move - you do get nine months to get ready - but millions of children live in apartments. You don't have to have an attached garage and your own patch of grass to raise a happy, healthy child. 

 

I have a lot of problems with how Amber behaved during the reunion and this anniversary party, but I had to defend her on the money issue. 

[snarts]

32 minutes ago, Jane Tuesday said:

Besides, it's highly possible he didn't have any real equity in the house yet. Everybody acts like selling his house must have netted some huge sum, but I didn't get the impression he had lived there long. Take out closing costs, and he might have basically gotten his down payment back.

If that's true, it makes even less financial sense that he sold it when he did only to turn around and pay big time rent on an apartment with a roommate. He certainly would've gained some equity over the last two years of this very hot housing market. 

Also, from an interview earlier this year, Matt says: "She works at a restaurant and a bar. She works a few days a week so ya, she works,"  Yep, part-time....until the baby comes. 

[RoxiP]

I too thought I read an interview with HIM that said SHE paid off her debt in a short amount of time after they got married, not WE.  

[DearEvette]

She was in the middle of a legal thing that she couldn't talk about so maybe she got money out of that?  Or it could be damage control in the aftermath of the show coming out because her financial revelation was a big thing and outside of Jessica that was their whole storyline. And apparently that was the one thing they wanted to address the most.

Love is Blind didn't air until Feb 2020.  They got married in November of 2018.  So there would have been no influencer money coming in for over a year, at least March or April of last year.  There was a Harper's interview that came out right after the original airing where she flat out said right after they got married they were really struggling to adjust to each other, they were almost broke, and Barnett was stressed by her not working until she finally got a job as a cocktail waitress.

Whatever the case, it does seem a weird financial decision to sell a house that probably does have very little equity to specifically pay just his student loan debt and move to an apartment closer to the city that is probably more expensive if there are already money stressors in the marriage.

I don't think living in an apartment is terrible or anything, some people don't want to deal with the hassle of home ownership that includes home maintenance and repairs etc. etc.  But I can see Barnett's point about having a child in an apartment you share with a roommate is not ideal especially from a roommate's point of view.  Also the reason they gave for moving to the apartment is because they wanted to be able do all sorts of fun things in the city as young marrieds. Living in his house didn't match the lifestyle they wanted to have.  A kid would also change that dynamic as well.

[karenbrady]

On 7/29/2021 at 11:07 AM, Racj82 said:

I enjoyed the special. 

It's crazy that Mark of all people created the most drama out of everyone even though he wasn't there.

Plenty of great Lauren and Cameron moments. 

The Barnett union still makes me ill. They just feel so try hard to me.

The bi sexual guy is still a big old drama queen. I'm not saying that because he's bi.

Stay tuned for the credits of the last episode. Probably the funniest part.

Giannana and Damien still never belonged together. Those two just love drama. Neither is ready for a functional relationship.

You are SPOT ON!!!!!

[dbell1]

This was a nice Saturday night surprise. 
Cam and Lauren have a nice YouTube thing going, I think? They both kept wearing clothes advertising it. Guess this was an opportunity for them to remind us all that they’re still cute and in love.

Amber and her walking John Deere Tractor man are still in lust. Sorry to hear about here health issues. His mom had me rolling my eyes over the “bible says the man is the ruler” thing. 

Gigi needs to change her number and put Damien in her past. Unless they really are scripted and fake? Leaning towards fake since I can’t see any woman thinking he’s worth fighting over. Who the hell brings a date to this? I could have done without that drama and gotten more updates from the other pod people.

Kelly needs to condition that rat’s nest on her head. Way too much Diamond. Carlton continues to be an ass.

And, finally, our girl Messica. I hope she never comes back for any reunion again. She needs to live a fabulous life outside this shitshow. Mark was scum. They actually had an agreement to not say yes at the altar, so he was totally aware of how it would look. And when she wanted to quit, they waved a contract at her.  
 

[LakeGal]

Jessica still looks much older than she stated her age at.  She really does seem a generation older than the other females.  

[JLaw]

On 7/31/2021 at 2:03 PM, NeenerNeener said:

I did a bunch of googling after the final episode to see if Damian is in a relationship with either of the two ladies. It seems none of these people follow each other on Instagram, which according to the internet means that he isn't dating either of them. I had forgotten about watching Too Hot To Handle last year; as long as cast members didn't have sex with each other they got a nice cash prize. Francesca and Howie were the horndogs that supposedly couldn't keep their hands off each other and reduced the payout to the cast accordingly. Francesca and Howie are no longer together either. Such is the life of a professional reality show horndog.

 

And yes, I watch too much tv.

thank you for doing the Lord's work!

[Je7]

I agree with the review in "The Guardian."  "Love in Blind" was difficult to watch but I did because I was curious.  Damian turned out to be a shallow jerk, (bringing another girl to the party).  I think he really wanted G. to say she wanted to marry him so he could reject her all over again.  He must make a lot of $ because that guy, even with his car, fillers, and Botox would definitely not have two girls fighting over him.  The Barnett couple seem to want a show of their own (don't do it--they are gross).  She laughs all the time and he sits arounds like a puppy lapping up her adoration of him.   Lauren and Cam are cute and it looks like they'll make it.  I hope Diamond finds someone.  Jessie is her own worst enemy.  I don't believe she'll have a meaningful relationship unless she has a lot of counseling.  However, she dodged a bullet with Mark.  He even fooled me.  Diamond should get another chance on the show (with someone who is straight, not bisexual).  

[Miss Slay]

Amber seems like one of those women who makes her husband her moon and her stars. And not in the romantic way. In a cautionary tale way. It seems like right now she's a stay at home wife -- is that a thing? I worry for women like her when relationships go south, not just the emotional toll but also women like that are usually aren't left with anything because they are used to someone taking care of them. 

 

As for Damien and Francesca - that had to be fake. The Too Hot to Handle cast seems to be popping up on different Netflix shows ... Francesca did not look like she was interested in Damien, she just wanted the camera time. Who wears a bikini top to an engagement party? 

[DearEvette]

On 7/31/2021 at 10:56 PM, dbell1 said:

And, finally, our girl Messica. I hope she never comes back for any reunion again. She needs to live a fabulous life outside this shitshow.

 

1 hour ago, Je7 said:

Jessie is her own worst enemy.  I don't believe she'll have a meaningful relationship unless she has a lot of counseling.  However, she dodged a bullet with Mark. 

After the OG show last year, I did a lot of post show article reading and twitter/insta reading mostly of Lauren and Cameron.  But sometime last summer that trickled off and the LIB folks fell off my radar.

But after this I decided to look up Jessica.  And you know what, her life seems pretty cool.  She has a job in LA, a house on or near the beach that from what I can see of some of the interior shots is very nice (she has great taste in decor), she's neighbors with Vince Vaughn, has a girlfriend posse that looks cool and fun and they hang quite a bit, seems to keep in touch affectionately with several of the women from the pod, has invested in a sparkling water company and has a very nice looking boyfriend who apparently is a doctor(?) and it looks like they have been dating for a little over a year.

There was literally no reason for her to come back because by all appearances her life looks full.  But I can understand why she did it because it can't feel good to have the world think of you as some desperate stage five clinger on the one hand and a heartless bitch on the other when neither one of those is 100% true.  It could have backfired, but in her case the risk paid off handsomely and a lot of people have a more favorable opinion of her.  She tried to make her apologies and peace with Amber and Barnett who have made it clear they want nothing from her so that should be the end of that chapter as well.  If I were her I'd leave LIB in the rear window and enjoy the high note of her exit.

I have to mention, I really liked that she posted a very understated but, imo, perfectly attuned response to all the BLM protests from last year.  She simply said "I hear you and I am listening."  That was it. Sometimes that is literally all you want or need from white allies.

[pigs-in-space]

Was it just me or was the camera work blurry at times?

Who is this Francesca person and why should I care? And why was she wearing a skinned teddy bear all night? Gigi can do a million times better than the Trump-lover Damian.

It’s been ages since I watched the show but I don’t recall liking Diamond this much the first time around. She’s great and I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

Edited August 4, 2021 by pigs-in-space

[Racj82]

1 hour ago, pigs-in-space said:

Was it just me or was the camera work blurry at times?

Who is this Francesca person and why should I care? And why was she wearing a skinned teddy bear all night? Gigi can do a million times better than the Trump-lover Damian.

It’s been ages since I watched the show but I don’t recall liking Diamond this much the first time around. She’s great and I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

Francesca is from the other breakout dating show from Netflix Too Hot to Handle. 

[LuvMyShows]

I agree with so much of what everyone has already said, so I'll just add some random observations:

• I've been curious about how it was going for these folks ever since the reunion show, so I was really glad to watch these episodes, even if some of it veered too much into Real Housewives territory for me [coughAmbercough]
• I am unable to look at Cameron without obsessively focusing on the awfulness that is that dark blob of hair on top of his head.  It simultaneously looks like a toupee and a combover, but it would take so little to make it actually look good.
• UO, but I'm a little sick of how Cameron and Lauren as a couple are supposed to be such an ideal.  They seem like perfectly nice people, but they are being held up as such a paragon of perfection, and it seems like they have bought into it.
• Why was Damien wearing a cardigan while lifting weights at the gym?
• If the whole thing with Damien, Francesca, and Gigi was real, and if Gigi watches the scene of Damien and Francesca at lunch and doesn't immediately decide to end it with him, then she deserves whatever relationship hell she has with him.
• That dinner scene at Cameron and Lauren's house, where the two of them were in-depth discussing all those other people that none of their guests knew, was hella awkward.

[Blakeston]

I just found out these episodes exist, and binged them. My thoughts:

Jessica: She came across reasonably well, but I didn't like that she pretended that all she did was "breathe at" Matt. Just own what a mess you were, instead of downplaying it.

Jessica was annoying as hell throughout the original season, and her attempts at breaking up Matt and Amber weren't cool. But I never saw her as the "villain" of the show.

Carlton was always the villain, in my mind. He's a straight-up abusive person. Everything about how the way he treated Diamond was gross, and the way he treated Lauren in these follow-up episodes confirmed that he's bad news, period. I was so relieved that he wasn't able to come to the party.

I'll acknowledge that there was one small kernel of truth to his grievances. Saying "how do you know you don't want to be with another man?" to a bi guy is an unfortunate response, and understandably a lot of bi people are sick of getting that question. But not everyone has a perfect reaction to unexpected revelations, and nursing this huge grudge years later is absurd. Especially when she has far more reason to be mad at him than vice versa!

Mark: He's a sleaze. That was clear all along just from hearing what the other cast members said about him. I wonder if the producers resented him for manipulating his situation to appear sympathetic, and got the last laugh here.

Lauren and Cameron: Delightful as always. I have to admit, I hated what Lauren wore. I love the idea of someone wearing an over-the-top poofy purple dress with a huge train to an event like this - but it just wasn't flattering on her at all.

Amber: I'm fine with her still being angry, and refusing to speak to Jessica. Telling Matt that he isn't allowed to say a word to her is a bit much, though. I suspect that the argument with her and LC and Diamond was a producer-instigated contrivance (like Damian bringing Francesca to the party), but Amber chose to act in a really obnoxious way. She has no idea if Mark gave LC the impression that they were being monogamous.

And whether they were married has nothing to do with anything! I'd really like to see her reaction if she saw Matt implying that if you don't have a ring on your finger, you're free to do what you want. I guess Jessica moving in on her man was no big deal, then, because Amber wasn't married to him at the time?

Damian, Giannina and Francesca: None of this was remotely real, so I don't care. It says a lot about Damian, though, that he'd agree to come across this badly just for airtime.

I want a reality show that consists only of Lauren, Diamond and LC talking shit about people.

[Kiss my mutt]

@Blakeston YES to all of this. Great post

[HerkyJerky]

If Amber has health problems, maybe she should cut down on the drinking (day or otherwise). Just sayin’!

[nlkm9]

On 7/30/2021 at 12:57 AM, Adgirl said:

Poor Diamond.

I'm mad at myself for being shocked that Carlton is still a jerk.

I don't understand why they spent so much time on Gigi and Damien. They could have been made in a reality tv factory--answered my own question I guess.
I really, really can't stand Amber and Barnett. I didn't realize how shitty Amber was. Why would you sell a house to pay off student loan debt when Amber could just get a job? If he made enough money to buy a house on his own at that age, Amber could get a job and her salary could be solely devoted to the loans.  Not my money but it seems weird.

What the hell is even going on with Gigi and Damien?

I too was shocked that Bennet sold his house to pay her loans off and seriously, bsrnett never even shared a kiss with Jessica and is not allowed to talk to Jessica? Amber is a total bitch. Ugh.

1 minute ago, nlkm9 said:

I too was shocked that Bennet sold his house to pay her loans off and seriously, bsrnett never even shared a kiss with Jessica and is not allowed to talk to Jessica? Amber is a total bitch. Ugh.

Oh and Damian? Obviously the show has gone to his head. What a jerk. 

[nlkm9]

On 8/3/2021 at 12:00 AM, DearEvette said:

 

After the OG show last year, I did a lot of post show article reading and twitter/insta reading mostly of Lauren and Cameron.  But sometime last summer that trickled off and the LIB folks fell off my radar.

But after this I decided to look up Jessica.  And you know what, her life seems pretty cool.  She has a job in LA, a house on or near the beach that from what I can see of some of the interior shots is very nice (she has great taste in decor), she's neighbors with Vince Vaughn, has a girlfriend posse that looks cool and fun and they hang quite a bit, seems to keep in touch affectionately with several of the women from the pod, has invested in a sparkling water company and has a very nice looking boyfriend who apparently is a doctor(?) and it looks like they have been dating for a little over a year.

There was literally no reason for her to come back because by all appearances her life looks full.  But I can understand why she did it because it can't feel good to have the world think of you as some desperate stage five clinger on the one hand and a heartless bitch on the other when neither one of those is 100% true.  It could have backfired, but in her case the risk paid off handsomely and a lot of people have a more favorable opinion of her.  She tried to make her apologies and peace with Amber and Barnett who have made it clear they want nothing from her so that should be the end of that chapter as well.  If I were her I'd leave LIB in the rear window and enjoy the high note of her exit.

I have to mention, I really liked that she posted a very understated but, imo, perfectly attuned response to all the BLM protests from last year.  She simply said "I hear you and I am listening."  That was it. Sometimes that is literally all you want or need from white allies.

that was my thought as well. she completely redeeemed herself in my eyes (ok not completely lol) but wow amber is such a nasty bitch. LC made an interesting comment about well Amber "won"him. Amber needs to stop and think that he came very close to choosing 2 other women. Unless Barnett is a total jerk which I iddnt think so, I dont see that marriage lasting.

[Mrs. Button]

Damian is SO ugly, like remarkably ugly — however the only reason it is so glaringly apparent is because he's supposed to be desirable, with girls fighting over him?? Maybe that's why they showed his car, to show something attractive about him?

Amber always looks smelly to me, and doesn't really seem like the maternal type to say the least. Hopefully her doctor mentions that epilepsy medicine becomes less effective when you drink, and that drinking may even bring on seizures. The more you know! 

[Cheyanne11]

On 7/29/2021 at 9:51 AM, DearEvette said:

Amber and Barnett do not come off well at all.  She is controlling and he is whipped.

Just finished watching and, boy, these two?  I will be shocked if they make it to their fifth anniversary.  Amber screams psycho controlling wackjob whose sole goal in life was to find someone who would make enough money so she could sit on her ass all day drinking. 

And Barnett isn't "allowed" to even speak to Jessica at the reunion/party?  Jessica definitely came away from this looking better than either of these two losers.

 

[Ilovepie]

On 7/30/2021 at 10:20 AM, MMLEsq said:

Amber seems to have two sets of standards:

(1)  LC should just get over everything with Mark because he's moved on and it was months ago that everything happened, so get over it LC; and

(2)  Amber herself is allowed to hold onto a grudge for years against Jessica.

Boom! Truth! I loathed her the first time around and this did nothing to change my mind. Her superior attitude when talking over LC and Diamond just because she is married was ridiculous. What kind of logic is it that someone who is dating someone exclusively shouldn't expect fidelity? She is trashy, crass and a straight up bitch. I know a lot of this is semi-scripted, but I believe Jessica's hurt was real at her thoughtful gift being rejected. Jessica has apologized and apologized and seems very much over it all. It's just petty and childish to not let it go. The Barnetts are turds.

On 8/2/2021 at 7:48 PM, Miss Slay said:

Amber seems like one of those women who makes her husband her moon and her stars. And not in the romantic way. In a cautionary tale way.

Completely. Like, Lifetime movie crazy. The way Matt ran away from Jessica because he was afraid Amber would see him talking to her says it all. She is carrying his balls in her purse and he knows it. He better watch his back if he ever decides to leave her......

This show continued to treat Kenny and Kelly as afterthoughts once again, which was funny. Rory, Diamond and LC got more screen time than them. I think they're just too normal for this nonsense. I mean, Kenny shows up with a fiance and it's no big whoop. Meanwhile, we have Damien and Gigi and his "friend" Francesca - what kind of photo shoot did she come from? Was it an ad for an escort service? What was that "outfit"?!? This plot seemed completely manufactured by Netflix and it made all three of them look like asses. I think it's time for Gigi to move on - she's been embarrassed by this show enough. I mean, jilted at the altar, filmed sliding down a muddy hill on her ass running away, and now her man showing up to her show party with another girl. What producer did she piss off to get this treatment?

Personally, although this was very much on brand for this franchise,  I would rather they just do a spin-off just featuring Lauren and Cam. They might be my favorite reality tv couple of all time. What gems they are!

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm only just watching this for the first time now.

I'm episode 13.

I hate Amber, I hate Amber.  I might need help for how much I hate Amber.

This woman is in so much debt that Barnett had to sell his house to manage it.  Yet she got her nose done, her eyes done, and her breasts done (okay maybe her breasts were done before LiB).  But seriously, they look even crazier now.  There is a big cavernous valley where her natural cleavage should be.  She has gotten so much work that she is unrecognizable and Barnett obviously had to pay for it.

I can't deal with how much I hate her, seriously it's an issue.

The way she came over to talk to LC and tried to put her in her place about Mark was psychotic.  Oh my god.

Edited March 6, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 7/29/2021 at 8:51 PM, DearEvette said:

Well, I think first and foremost Jessica really has moved on. She tried to apologize at the reunion and Amber wasn't having it.  Fresh off the show, people were firmly on Amber's side.  Which,  understandable.   But it has been two years now.  Also Jess brought gifts to both Amber/Barnett and Lauren/Cameron (Tiffany wine glasses) for the party.  Looks like she was the only one to bring an anniversary gift.  So that was pretty classy.

Carlton did too!

But I agree, Jessica was classy.