RW Homecoming: New Orleans (2022)

[noluvnoluck]

I could kiss the editors for the music choices for the intros of each castmate. How they edited Lit's My Own Worst Enemy to fit Jamie calling Kelley a bitch and cut to "....I didn't mean to call you that!" was perfect.

Edited April 23, 2022 by noluvnoluck

[Faceplant]

It sounds like Julie may not be around for the whole reunion:

 

https://www.etonline.com/julie-stoffer-talks-real-world-new-orleans-reunion-drama-and-leaving-the-mormon-church-exclusive

 

 

When it comes to the letters, “It happened 20 years ago,” Stoffer says, adding that “it’s something that’s been blown way out of proportion.” In fact, she thinks the argument of the letters is covering up “some actual beef that is not wanting to be admitted to.” 

In the end, “I don’t know what we are to each other. I really wish I knew,” Stoffer says. “I thought I was going down there to have a high school reunion or something where you catch up and see where they are and have fun together. But these people didn’t come down there to have fun. That wasn’t their motivation.” 

She adds later, “Then some stuff happened that I didn’t even get to see the end of. So, I’m gonna be tuning in with you to see how that all finished. So, it’s gonna be a wild ride.” Whether or not that means Stoffer left the reunion early is unclear. “I don’t know if I can speak to that. But what I can say is that it’s suspenseful, and I have questions,” she teases. 

 

[choclatechip45]

1 hour ago, Faceplant said:

It sounds like Julie may not be around for the whole reunion:

 

https://www.etonline.com/julie-stoffer-talks-real-world-new-orleans-reunion-drama-and-leaving-the-mormon-church-exclusive

 

 

When it comes to the letters, “It happened 20 years ago,” Stoffer says, adding that “it’s something that’s been blown way out of proportion.” In fact, she thinks the argument of the letters is covering up “some actual beef that is not wanting to be admitted to.” 

In the end, “I don’t know what we are to each other. I really wish I knew,” Stoffer says. “I thought I was going down there to have a high school reunion or something where you catch up and see where they are and have fun together. But these people didn’t come down there to have fun. That wasn’t their motivation.” 

She adds later, “Then some stuff happened that I didn’t even get to see the end of. So, I’m gonna be tuning in with you to see how that all finished. So, it’s gonna be a wild ride.” Whether or not that means Stoffer left the reunion early is unclear. “I don’t know if I can speak to that. But what I can say is that it’s suspenseful, and I have questions,” she teases. 

 

Interesting it's been rumored they get paid per episode and her husband is an eye doctor so they might not need the money as badly as others. 

[racked]

I think Julie is truly a sociopath. But I do like her long bob haircut and in her confessionals she looks a bit like AnnaBeth Gish. Only nice things I can say about her. How on earth does a woman in her 40s still act like this? 

Matt always annoyed me and he continues to. He’s so impressed with himself. I felt like he was playing preacher, talking about a path towards healing. 

All the comments here make me want to watch the NY reunion which was always my favorite cast. 

[mandymax]

I am LOVING these homecomings!  One of my most prized possessions is my collection of RW seasons #1 New York-#?? Key West (minus Boston, which I have never, ever seen) on VHS.  Now I'm feeling the urge to rewatch New Orleans, to sort of compare.

The challenges were never my thing, so I never saw any involving Julie to get a sense of her behavior after RW ended.  I did "hear" about something with her mother angling to get her the best/most speaking gigs at the expenses of the other castmates and the hard feelings that resulted, but I'd never known such a thing happened with Danny, and via Julie herself.  That's disappointing.  And watching the preview clips of the rest of the season shines such a bad light on Julie that I'm inclined to believe she really WASN'T the sweet kid I admit I believed her to be.  That's a shame.

Otherwise, I kind of appreciate when cast members like Jamie come in and basically do nothing.  The original season was the time for youthful drama; homecoming quietness means maturity and grown-up-edness.  I like that.

I'd love to see San Francisco, Seattle, Hawaii, and Chicago, but I have a feeling we're not going to get them all.

[starri]

2 hours ago, mandymax said:

I'd love to see San Francisco, Seattle, Hawaii, and Chicago, but I have a feeling we're not going to get them all.

They will not do the shows without at least 7 roommates (for the ones that had more).  Seattle and Hawaii have already passed on the opportunity (as has Boston), Tonya being banned from MTV eliminates Chicago (Flora is also banned, which eliminates Miami), and I damned well hope they'd leave San Francisco alone out of respect for Pedro.

LA only happened because they had two spare roommates, and NO is only happening because Danny changed his mind and Kelley supported him.

[funnygirl]

Never mind. Google answered my question.

Edited April 24, 2022 by funnygirl

[choclatechip45]

4 hours ago, starri said:

They will not do the shows without at least 7 roommates (for the ones that had more).  Seattle and Hawaii have already passed on the opportunity (as has Boston), Tonya being banned from MTV eliminates Chicago (Flora is also banned, which eliminates Miami), and I damned well hope they'd leave San Francisco alone out of respect for Pedro.

LA only happened because they had two spare roommates, and NO is only happening because Danny changed his mind and Kelley supported him.

They were willing to do Hawaii without Matt though it was scrapped once Colin and Kaia dropped out (Amaya confirmed this). 

Also I don't think Flora is banned since Melissa is the hold out for Miami and the reason they haven't done a Miami one. 

[Faceplant]

51 minutes ago, choclatechip45 said:

Also I don't think Flora is banned since Melissa is the hold out for Miami and the reason they haven't done a Miami one. 

Flora confirmed on a recent podcast that she had been approached by MTV, but it was very preliminary. She also said that she was the one who initiated rallying other cast members for more money at the ten year reunion (I think that was the rumored reason she was banned). Basically she said she'd do a reunion for no money because she is retired and financially set. 

[Black Knight]

I don't think it would be disrespectful to have a San Francisco homecoming. Pedro would be a big part of it even absent and I think it would be a good way to honor him, actually, as he was so loved by Pam, Judd, Cory etc. We don't stop having reunions and gatherings once one of the family has passed away, so I'm not sure why the SF season should be held to such a standard. But I do think Puck would need to be banned from a SF homecoming, for a number of reasons.

[choclatechip45]

27 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

I don't think it would be disrespectful to have a San Francisco homecoming. Pedro would be a big part of it even absent and I think it would be a good way to honor him, actually, as he was so loved by Pam, Judd, Cory etc. We don't stop having reunions and gatherings once one of the family has passed away, so I'm not sure why the SF season should be held to such a standard. But I do think Puck would need to be banned from a SF homecoming, for a number of reasons.

Someone asked Mark Long if Puck would be considered for a Challenge All Star season and said BMP would never put Puck on one of their shows at the moment for a number of reasons. 

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, Faceplant said:

Flora confirmed on a recent podcast that she had been approached by MTV, but it was very preliminary. She also said that she was the one who initiated rallying other cast members for more money at the ten year reunion (I think that was the rumored reason she was banned). Basically she said she'd do a reunion for no money because she is retired and financially set. 

Retired already good for her.

[PixieDust]

Such a bummer we might not get some of the other seasons. I hope some people may have a change of heart, especially if New Orleans becomes really popular. I would love to watch anyways even if a few cast members were missing from each. Maybe they could do a shorter version on those ones.  It just would be nice to see and catch up with people from the other seasons. The 90's child in me is living for this mtv nostalgia! 

[Tatum]

14 hours ago, starri said:

They will not do the shows without at least 7 roommates (for the ones that had more).  Seattle and Hawaii have already passed on the opportunity (as has Boston), Tonya being banned from MTV eliminates Chicago (Flora is also banned, which eliminates Miami), and I damned well hope they'd leave San Francisco alone out of respect for Pedro.

LA only happened because they had two spare roommates, and NO is only happening because Danny changed his mind and Kelley supported him.

Even if Tonya wasn't banned, I can't imagine Keri and Kyle would ever do a reunion. Kyle is embarrassed by his association with reality TV and Keri seems like she also wanted to distance herself from the show. Chris and Cara would probably be hard sells as well.

 

A little surprised Boston said no- obviously Sean would, but who needs him? I think they could still do a show with 5-6 people.

 

If they are strict on 7 people, I can't imagine we will see much of the earlier casts. That would be really hard to get 7 people (who presumably have real jobs and families) to coordinate 1-2 weeks. Especially in casts where there were a lot of hard feelings or embarrassing behavior.

[seltzer3]

2 hours ago, PixieDust said:

Such a bummer we might not get some of the other seasons. I hope some people may have a change of heart, especially if New Orleans becomes really popular. I would love to watch anyways even if a few cast members were missing from each. Maybe they could do a shorter version on those ones.  It just would be nice to see and catch up with people from the other seasons. The 90's child in me is living for this mtv nostalgia! 

In all honesty its kind of not surprising.  I feel that there is going to be at least one person afraid of being portrayed as the "Becky" or Julie this season.  And if you are in your late 30s to 50s, that isn't really something you want to risk, especially in the time of social media.  I know that for Seattle, Janet was one of the hold outs (and she is a pretty famous local news anchor).  I don't think Janet would have anything to be embarrass, but I can see her reservation.

I'm pretty sure Aaron from Los Angeles backed out for that reason (and I think he's pretty conservative).

[Hiyo]

Quote

I feel that there is going to be at least one person afraid of being portrayed as the "Becky" or Julie this season. 

If they are worried about being portrayed that way, then maybe they shouldn't act that way.

[noluvnoluck]

18 hours ago, mandymax said:

I am LOVING these homecomings!  One of my most prized possessions is my collection of RW seasons #1 New York-#?? Key West (minus Boston, which I have never, ever seen) on VHS.  Now I'm feeling the urge to rewatch New Orleans, to sort of compare.

The challenges were never my thing, so I never saw any involving Julie to get a sense of her behavior after RW ended.  I did "hear" about something with her mother angling to get her the best/most speaking gigs at the expenses of the other castmates and the hard feelings that resulted, but I'd never known such a thing happened with Danny, and via Julie herself.  That's disappointing.  And watching the preview clips of the rest of the season shines such a bad light on Julie that I'm inclined to believe she really WASN'T the sweet kid I admit I believed her to be.  That's a shame.

Otherwise, I kind of appreciate when cast members like Jamie come in and basically do nothing.  The original season was the time for youthful drama; homecoming quietness means maturity and grown-up-edness.  I like that.

I'd love to see San Francisco, Seattle, Hawaii, and Chicago, but I have a feeling we're not going to get them all.

I also used to think Julie was super sweet and genuine during her season. I did see her behavior on the challenge and just thought how competition sometimes brought out different sides to people and how she was young.

However, THIS Julie is a surprise. The manic behavior.  The way she spoke to Melissa, the cussing, and the upcoming excessive drinking. She seems totally totally off to put it mildly. 

[mandymax]

10 hours ago, Black Knight said:

I don't think it would be disrespectful to have a San Francisco homecoming. Pedro would be a big part of it even absent and I think it would be a good way to honor him, actually, as he was so loved by Pam, Judd, Cory etc. We don't stop having reunions and gatherings once one of the family has passed away, so I'm not sure why the SF season should be held to such a standard. But I do think Puck would need to be banned from a SF homecoming, for a number of reasons.

I agree - San Francisco was such an impactful season precisely because of Pedro, and he had such a profound impact on the other roommates, let alone on the world.  Of ALL seasons, this one would be the most poignant.  And I'd be interested to hear Puck's take on the season and his updates - but only via video monitor from another room in another city in another state.

16 hours ago, starri said:

Tonya being banned from MTV eliminates Chicago

Tonya's banned?? Why?

[starri]

45 minutes ago, seltzer3 said:

I'm pretty sure Aaron from Los Angeles backed out for that reason (and I think he's pretty conservative).

He hasn’t wanted to have anything to do with the show since it ended. I’d be surprised if he even gave a conditional okay. 

5 minutes ago, mandymax said:

Tonya's banned?? Why?

She made a bunch of sexual assault allegations during one season of The Challenge. MTV settled with her, although Bunim-Murray claims to have investigated and found the accusations baseless. 
 

She also fought with Veronica on the final season she appeared on, and got disqualified. 

[Tatum]

21 minutes ago, mandymax said:

 

Tonya's banned?? Why?

Banned is probably the wrong word, but I am sure she will never be invited back. Tonya accused two cast members on the Challenge of raping her during filming, and sued the production company and Viacom. The lawsuit was settled and the terms sealed.

 

ETA: the above is an extremely condensed version of the whole incident. You can google Tonya Cooley sues viacom and get the whole story. It's pretty disturbing.

 

ETA again: While MTV/Viacom/Bunim Murray has yet to comment on this directly, the accused perpetrators are banned for life as well.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Tatum

[atomic]

1 hour ago, Tatum said:

Even if Tonya wasn't banned, I can't imagine Keri and Kyle would ever do a reunion. Kyle is embarrassed by his association with reality TV

Kyle said in an interview last year that he would probably do it, and his reasoning was actually that he feels strongly about RW being a chapter of his life that he owns and embraces. The interview can be found here, and there's even a timestamp provided for that particular question.

[Tatum]

5 minutes ago, atomic said:

Kyle said in an interview last year that he would probably do it, and his reasoning was actually that he feels strongly about RW being a chapter of his life that he owns and embraces. The interview can be found here, and there's even a timestamp provided for that particular question.

Oh. Well I stand corrected then. 

[choclatechip45]

2 hours ago, seltzer3 said:

In all honesty its kind of not surprising.  I feel that there is going to be at least one person afraid of being portrayed as the "Becky" or Julie this season.  And if you are in your late 30s to 50s, that isn't really something you want to risk, especially in the time of social media.  I know that for Seattle, Janet was one of the hold outs (and she is a pretty famous local news anchor).  I don't think Janet would have anything to be embarrass, but I can see her reservation.

I'm pretty sure Aaron from Los Angeles backed out for that reason (and I think he's pretty conservative).

I don’t think Janet is a news anchor anymore. She was working for Deblasio for awhile and then the REFORm alliance (criminal Justice organization).

[Faceplant]

2 hours ago, Hiyo said:

If they are worried about being portrayed that way, then maybe they shouldn't act that way.

So simple and yet . . . 

 

[choclatechip45]

3 hours ago, Tatum said:

Even if Tonya wasn't banned, I can't imagine Keri and Kyle would ever do a reunion. Kyle is embarrassed by his association with reality TV and Keri seems like she also wanted to distance herself from the show. Chris and Cara would probably be hard sells as well.

 

A little surprised Boston said no- obviously Sean would, but who needs him? I think they could still do a show with 5-6 people.

 

If they are strict on 7 people, I can't imagine we will see much of the earlier casts. That would be really hard to get 7 people (who presumably have real jobs and families) to coordinate 1-2 weeks. Especially in casts where there were a lot of hard feelings or embarrassing behavior.

Genesis said only Sean said no for a Boston Homecoming, but they won't do it without Sean...

[1011101010001]

3 hours ago, Tatum said:

Banned is probably the wrong word, but I am sure she will never be invited back. Tonya accused two cast members on the Challenge of raping her during filming, and sued the production company and Viacom. The lawsuit was settled and the terms sealed.

 

ETA: the above is an extremely condensed version of the whole incident. You can google Tonya Cooley sues viacom and get the whole story. It's pretty disturbing.

 

ETA again: While MTV/Viacom/Bunim Murray has yet to comment on this directly, the accused perpetrators are banned for life as well.

My recollection was that Kenny and Evan penetrated her with a toothbrush while she was sleeping and that is why they were banned from further seasons of The Challenge.  And because Tonya sued over the matter MTV is no longer interested in working with her.  You have to wonder if this happened now whether they would support the victim more.  It obviously happened or they wouldn’t have banned Kenny and Evan.

[DrivingSideways]

Love this reunion and I love the engagement here!

I'm kind of disappointed that there again seems to be an 'odd one out' on this homecoming like Becky and David on prior homecomings.  Not that it is not deserved, but I felt like New Orleans was a fairly un-toxic cast with relatable issues so it's a bummer there will be this friction.  Tokyo could be challenging to connect with but it seemed more to be his own issues preventing him from opening up.  And the 180 he has done is amazing - I love this guy!

My take was that Julie was annoying and could be a bit disingenuous at times on the original series (really?  You want to know whether you can say the N word?  Even in 2000 that was a dumbass question) but she really was sheltered, and meeting her family was enlightening as to how she could end up that way.  And I rooted for her as she was rebelling against that lifestyle.  The allegations after the show were a bummer but seemed to be universally accepted as true that Julie was behind them.  So Julie's reaction this time around - crying, wanting to be forgiven while taking zero responsibility - are terrible.  I just want to shake her and say, ADMIT YOU DID IT, OWN IT, AND MAYBE THEN DANNY AND MELISSA WILL ENGAGE YOU.  The fact that she hasn't bothered to reach out in 20 years is probably a dealbreaker for those 2 but maybe she'd have a shot.

I hope Julie doesn't suck all of the air out of the room this go round.  People like Jamie and Kelley were slightly boring their season but seemed to be good people.  I want to hear more about them.  Matt, whatever, at least he's aged well?

A Seattle homecoming would be amazing.  That was a DARK ASS SEASON.  I would also love to see Chicago - in my mind, that was the last season where it felt 'real' before it was all hot tubs and nymphomaniacs.  I know we all have a different goalpost for that.

I just binged the original series and there were so many great times.  Matt and Kelley ad-libbing David's fashion show had me rolling, and of course Melissa's many funny lines.  I remember she had a comedy show with Chelsea Handler after the show ended, I think?  She's very talented but was so in her head the original season.  She was so beautiful then and had no clue.  She looks even better now.  They all look great, actually.  A nice change from the dumpster fire that the LA Homecoming was.

[DearEvette]

Oh man, I remember really loving Melissa in the original show and am loving her again.  I could literally quote everything she says (and how she says it) in her talking heads.   Calling Kelley a 'whole ass celebrity's wife' and when Julie first comes in "I'm not trying to mess with that lady." Also how she kept referring to Julie as 'that lady.' and once as a 'Lulu Lemon lady" ha!

I don;t remember disliking Julie at all, and I never watched any of the RW/RR challenges etc.  So I have no context for any of the problems with her and the roommates.  But man, even without that, from her first appearance when she was so frenetic already pre-apologizing she just came off and very ... wrong.  And then when she tried to make Melissa the villain ('how can you forget about LA?') and tried to weaponize her tears and tried to make herself a victim ('Oh so now I am homophobic and a racist.') I went into immediate dislike overdrive.  She became a version of a white lady caricature like Becky did,  complete with the 'I am being attacked' narrative. It was fascinating to watch her cycle through the stereotypical reactions.  Meanwhile, I loved Melissa being so steadfast in calmness and Danny unpacking what she did and everybody just going about their business eating dinner.

Also, I hated her leggings.

I appreciate Matt trying to be a peacemaker, but it is NOT Melissa and Danny's responsibility to give her a path to healing.  Melissa seems 100% fine and at peace with maintaining a distant, polite boundary with Julie.  I feel this because I have just this sort of relationship with a colleague.  It really is ok.

On the one hand Tokyo's talk with her was great.  I like that he didn't let her snow him and he just reiterated what Melissa and Danny was trying to tell her.  But on the other hand I hate that there always needs to be a BIPOC who has to take the role of educator in these cases. 

[ljenkins782]

On 4/22/2022 at 11:14 PM, racked said:

I think Julie is truly a sociopath. But I do like her long bob haircut and in her confessionals she looks a bit like AnnaBeth Gish. Only nice things I can say about her. How on earth does a woman in her 40s still act like this? 

On a purely shallow level, Julie does look amazing. She looks very fit in her (overly showy, IMO) workout clothes and the interview footage with the straight bob and the diamond-shaped earrings looks good. But that is the last positive thing I have to say about her. 

I'm trying to understand what is startlingly different about Danny's face. Is it his nose or did he get veneers? But there's definitely something very sad behind his eyes, the cheeky smiles and twinkly eyes are gone.

Kelley looks very frozen around the edges, definitely hitting the botox and fillers. But personality-wise, she's laying low. I did love how she immediately launched into organizer mode when it came time to clean up, telling people who was doing it today and who would be responsible for it tomorrow. Same old Kelley, taking charge of the details. 

Quote

But what he basically said is, how can we all be friends now? like, Matt, are you deaf? Julie is flat out denying she did anything wrong, and is crazy deflecting (now you're calling me a racist??), and not being at all sincere in her non-apology, and you're asking Danny and Melissa how they can move forward and be friends with Julie? They don't have to be friends with Julie! They don't have to like her. They were perfectly willing to be civil to her and let the matter stay unresolved; Julie is the one squawking about Melissa not remembering that Julie lived in LA

This was the hands down weirdest part of the whole thing. She was definitely on the hot seat for the bad things she had done, but she suddenly flips on a dime and is outraged that Melissa doesn't remember her living in LA. She actually said "that was such a big deal in my life and she doesn't remember it?" as if she expected to be the star of everyone's memories. 

Danny was amazing, I want Danny to come talk to certain people in my life who are experts at manipulating the conversation to avoid culpability. I loved him just stopping the conversation with finality when she started to try to spin a tale and hide the real events. 

Tokyo was also great, his explanation about her hang up on needing proof of what happened or whatever was the roadblock. Frankly, I think it was wasted on Julie because she's a narcissist who can only see things from her point of view. And the dismissive "this woman" moniker she keeps using in place of Melissa's name seems indicative of her real feelings, which is just that she wants Melissa to let the shady behavior slide so Julie can keep her good girl facade up. 

Quote

I could kiss the editors for the music choices for the intros of each castmate. How they edited Lit's My Own Worst Enemy to fit Jamie calling Kelley a bitch and cut to "....I didn't mean to call you that!" was perfect.

The music was perfect, it was like a soundtrack to my college years. I'm definitely looking forward to unseen footage from the original show.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Also, I hated her leggings.

They were totally LuLaRoe leggings, which is just straight up hilarious lol. And I'm thinking that's what Melissa meant but she said Lululemon. I used to always get the 2 mixed up until I watched that LuLaRoe docuseries.

[MMLEsq]

On 4/23/2022 at 3:51 PM, mandymax said:

I am LOVING these homecomings!  One of my most prized possessions is my collection of RW seasons #1 New York-#?? Key West (minus Boston, which I have never, ever seen) on VHS.  Now I'm feeling the urge to rewatch New Orleans, to sort of compare.

Now, I'm curious.  It seems like you've intentionally avoided watching the Boston season.  Why?

This (i.e., the first) NOLA season is the only one I have on DVD and I honestly can't remember why at the time I decided to buy it (maybe because there was bonus footage or something?).  It wasn't even my favorite season, although I liked it.  I think I watched the DVD once and I've never watched it again, but I might have to dig it out now...  

And, I'm with @DrivingSideways:  I preferred the seasons through Chicago and basically stopped watching (at the time) after that***.  After Chicago, it was the first RW season in Las Vegas, right?  That first Las Vegas season was the one where I kind of went, "What am I doing watching this crap?"  (YMMV!)   

*** I LOVE The Challenge and so I ended up in the last year or so going back and watching some of the RW seasons that fairly recent Challenge contestants were on:  San Diego #2, Key West, Brooklyn, NOLA #2, Skeletons (Chicago #2), Ex-plosion (San Francisco #2), etc.

[txhorns79]

When watching the Melissa/Julie/Danny drama, it reminded me a little of the 30 Rock Queen of Jordan episode where D'fwan and Randi have a never ending fight about what Randi supposedly said in Atlantic City that consists of Randi saying "I didn't say it," followed by D'fwan saying "You did!"  

Also, does David/Toyko have glass in his glasses?  It looks like he is wearing empty frames. 

[docmatt]

4 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

I'm trying to understand what is startlingly different about Danny's face. Is it his nose or did he get veneers? But there's definitely something very sad behind his eyes, the cheeky smiles and twinkly eyes are gone.

I thought there was some asymmetry when he talked, I wonder if he's had a stroke?

[funnygirl]

8 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

My recollection was that Kenny and Evan penetrated her with a toothbrush while she was sleeping and that is why they were banned from further seasons of The Challenge.  And because Tonya sued over the matter MTV is no longer interested in working with her.  You have to wonder if this happened now whether they would support the victim more.  It obviously happened or they wouldn’t have banned Kenny and Evan.

I don't blame Tonya for suing because clearly there weren't proper safety measures in place. Jemmye spoke on how lax production is on physicals just after the first Challenge All Stars, specifically pointing out how they don't or won't test women for pregnancy just in case. Then in All Stars 2, Casey takes a pregnancy test on her own accord when she realizes she's "late" and ultimately has to bow out of the competition because it's positive. I know one thing doesn't have to do with the other, but it gives the impression that production isn't as careful as they could be. Tonya being the victim shouldn't ban her from participating in future Real World events. JMO 

[peachmangosteen]

12 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Also, does David/Toyko have glass in his glasses?  It looks like he is wearing empty frames. 

Yea, it definitely looks like there are no lenses in there lol.

[ljenkins782]

13 hours ago, funnygirl said:

 Tonya being the victim shouldn't ban her from participating in future Real World events. JMO 

I agree, but also don't see any upside to Tonya participating in one of these reunions, she was an outcast the first time around, but at least she was in college and was kind of holding her shit together. Life since the show hasn't been all that kind to her and given that at least 3 out of the other 6 castmates were already born on 3rd base and seemingly continue to thrive (and in the case of Kyle Squarehead, seem to fail upward despite a lack of talent), I just can't see this type of situation being healthy for Tonya to step into.

Quote

Also, does David/Toyko have glass in his glasses?  It looks like he is wearing empty frames. 

Yes, they do indeed appear to be empty. Not at all surprising, considering the lengths he's always gone to to commit to whatever persona he's got going.

I've been catching up on the original episodes and there is some insight into David when they're in South Africa, he deliberately changed his image to be as opposite from his preacher dad as possible, including almost joining the Nation of Islam. So these wildly varying personas make some sense, it seems like he's still trying to figure out who he really is. 

[mandymax]

17 hours ago, MMLEsq said:

Now, I'm curious.  It seems like you've intentionally avoided watching the Boston season.  Why?

 

On the contrary - I've been scrambling for YEARS trying to find it!!  Can anyone point me in the right direction??

I went through an extremely financially lean time for several years and couldn't afford cable, so I missed several seasons, including Boston.  I was eventually able to catch up when all the other missing seasons reran, but for whatever reason, I was never able to catch Boston.  I hate that I'm missing that season from my collection!  And I've seen enough bits and pieces when they include snippets in other shows or reunions that it's driving me crazy that I may never see the whole thing in its entirety.

15 hours ago, docmatt said:

I thought there was some asymmetry when he talked, I wonder if he's had a stroke?

I honestly wouldn't have recognized Danny if I hadn't watched and seen him introduced.  I can't figure it out, either.  His face is much thinner, his voice sounds different, but there's something *else* that's intangible.

[choclatechip45]

I think Danny has lost the southern twang he had in his original season and the beard which is what threw me off.

He did a bunch of podcasts to mark the 20th anniversary of filming and he sounded the same to me. 

 

I just watched an interview with Tokyo and Matt. Matt must have said healing like 5 times in the 7 minute interview so I think that is his new word that he uses for everything which makes a lot more sense. 

[ljenkins782]

3 hours ago, mandymax said:

I honestly wouldn't have recognized Danny if I hadn't watched and seen him introduced.  I can't figure it out, either.  His face is much thinner, his voice sounds different, but there's something *else* that's intangible.

Quote

I think Danny has lost the southern twang he had in his original season and the beard which is what threw me off.

 

It is definitely partly the voice, he had a very lazy drawl back then that's mostly gone now but not entirely. 

Also, whatever highlighter or makeup they're using on him for his confessional scenes, plus the lighting, makes him look VERY yellow. Julie also looks a smidge yellow, but Danny has whole patches of his face that look extremely sallow, like hepatitis yellow. 

[Rebky]

I think the beard makes Danny look like he has a large underbite.

[Asp Burger]

I had a relative in to watch the Homecoming premiere over the weekend (this was his favorite season), and he commented about Julie and Danny that they've lost the baby fat in their faces. I think that's a big part of it re: Danny. Thinner face, plus the beard, plus his hair isn't as thick, plus the accent has faded...all of it together is a big change.

And overall, not just in his face, he's thin. I've seen people on other forums going right to his HIV status and speculating it's because of that, but people who are positive and taking medication are all over the weight spectrum. I'm thinking Danny was just one of the people who actually lost weight in the COVID years, while isolating up there in his cabin. I've seen pictures of him over the last ten years in which he's been heavier than he is now. Never "fat," but more filled out than during his season.

[ljenkins782]

18 minutes ago, Asp Burger said:

I had a relative in to watch the Homecoming premiere over the weekend (this was his favorite season), and he commented about Julie and Danny that they've lost the baby fat in their faces. I think that's a big part of it re: Danny. Thinner face, plus the beard, plus his hair isn't as thick, plus the accent has faded...all of it together is a big change.

And overall, not just in his face, he's thin. I've seen people on other forums going right to his HIV status and speculating it's because of that, but people who are positive and taking medication are all over the weight spectrum. I'm thinking Danny was just one of the people who actually lost weight in the COVID years, while isolating up there in his cabin. I've seen pictures of him over the last ten years in which he's been heavier than he is now. Never "fat," but more filled out than during his season.

Yeah, they did both have some chipmunk cheeks, though I'm noticing that Kelley often looked chipmunk-cheeked as well, maybe that's why she looked a bit different to me too. 

It's really fascinating from a cultural evolution standpoint that Danny being HIV+ is such a non-issue when Pedro's status was a death sentence back in the SF season. I'm really interested to hear about what happened with Paul, it's got to be so weird for him to have all that footage of the early days with the knowledge of whatever happened afterward.

Also looking forward to seeing how Kelley and Peter's relationship ended, though I suspect it's not that dramatic.

[choclatechip45]

1 hour ago, Asp Burger said:

I had a relative in to watch the Homecoming premiere over the weekend (this was his favorite season), and he commented about Julie and Danny that they've lost the baby fat in their faces. I think that's a big part of it re: Danny. Thinner face, plus the beard, plus his hair isn't as thick, plus the accent has faded...all of it together is a big change.

And overall, not just in his face, he's thin. I've seen people on other forums going right to his HIV status and speculating it's because of that, but people who are positive and taking medication are all over the weight spectrum. I'm thinking Danny was just one of the people who actually lost weight in the COVID years, while isolating up there in his cabin. I've seen pictures of him over the last ten years in which he's been heavier than he is now. Never "fat," but more filled out than during his season.

Speaking of COVID, I follow Danny on Instagram and I remember him posting about having COVID this past summer. Mostly because he was rumored to be in the running for All Stars 2 and he got put in the no category right around the time he had COVID. Also I remember seeing him on Watch What Happens Live which would have been after he was diagnosed, but before he went public with his diagnosis and I thought he looked fine. So I don't think it's his HIV status. 

47 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

Yeah, they did both have some chipmunk cheeks, though I'm noticing that Kelley often looked chipmunk-cheeked as well, maybe that's why she looked a bit different to me too. 

It's really fascinating from a cultural evolution standpoint that Danny being HIV+ is such a non-issue when Pedro's status was a death sentence back in the SF season. I'm really interested to hear about what happened with Paul, it's got to be so weird for him to have all that footage of the early days with the knowledge of whatever happened afterward.

Also looking forward to seeing how Kelley and Peter's relationship ended, though I suspect it's not that dramatic.

I was thinking this the other day about how great it is, I've heard him say this in interviews as well. 

[Asp Burger]

54 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

Also looking forward to seeing how Kelley and Peter's relationship ended, though I suspect it's not that dramatic.

Yes. She and Scott Wolf must have got together soon after the relationship with Dr. Peter ended. When she was on the Challenge with Danny, she was shown talking to Peter on the phone, sharing good news about how a competition had turned out. They were still very much a thing. That must have been filmed in later 2001, because it started airing in January 2002. Wolf has shared that he and Kelley were set up by a mutual friend on a blind date (as much as it can be "blind" when you've watched each other on television!) at some point in 2002.

[choclatechip45]

53 minutes ago, Asp Burger said:

Yes. She and Scott Wolf must have got together soon after the relationship with Dr. Peter ended. When she was on the Challenge with Danny, she was shown talking to Peter on the phone, sharing good news about how a competition had turned out. They were still very much a thing. That must have been filmed in later 2001, because it started airing in January 2002. Wolf has shared that he and Kelley were set up by a mutual friend on a blind date (as much as it can be "blind" when you've watched each other on television!) at some point in 2002.

They started filming the week after 9/11. Coral replaced Lori because Lori didn’t want to fly out that soon after 9/11. 
 

I wonder if they are even going to mention Peter. I hope they do since I’m super curious what happened there.

I would love an update on a Melissa’s ex college boyfriend who visited her on her bday and was in one of those garage bands that wasn’t going to go anywhere. Sort of funny looking back on it since Melissa is now married to a successful musician.

Also would love an update on Danny’s ex girlfriend from his casting tape that I read in the twop recap that never got mentioned again.
 

Did they really pull a Karamo with Danny? The viewers had no idea he was gay until the first episode?

Edited April 26, 2022 by choclatechip45

[Asp Burger]

2 minutes ago, choclatechip45 said:

Did they really pull a Karamo with Danny? The viewers had no idea he was gay until the first episode?

They tried, anyway. There's no hint in the casting special that he's gay. But there had been a lot of publicity and media coverage before the RWNO premiere (Real World had never been hotter, after all the Hawaii drama) so everyone who was a big fan of the show knew. We even knew he had a military boyfriend.

If you managed to avoid all that and watch the premiere "unspoiled," then his "I have a secret" routine with Melissa had more of a payoff. 

[choclatechip45]

14 minutes ago, Asp Burger said:

They tried, anyway. There's no hint in the casting special that he's gay. But there had been a lot of publicity and media coverage before the RWNO premiere (Real World had never been hotter, after all the Hawaii drama) so everyone who was a big fan of the show knew. We even knew he had a military boyfriend.

If you managed to avoid all that and watch the premiere "unspoiled," then his "I have a secret" routine with Melissa had more of a payoff. 

Oh wow. I don’t think I ever knew that people knew about his military boyfriend before the premiere! 

[docmatt]

6 hours ago, choclatechip45 said:

Sort of funny looking back on it since Melissa is now married to a successful musician

Who is she married to? I haven't followed any of the RW people in a couple of decades.

[choclatechip45]

3 hours ago, docmatt said:

Who is she married to? I haven't followed any of the RW people in a couple of decades.

Justin Beck from Glassjaw. After the show she had an online store that sold those paintings she made on the show and it was his company who ran the store.

Edited April 26, 2022 by choclatechip45

[ljenkins782]

9 hours ago, choclatechip45 said:

They started filming the week after 9/11. Coral replaced Lori because Lori didn’t want to fly out that soon after 9/11. 

I wonder if they are even going to mention Peter. I hope they do since I’m super curious what happened there.

I would love an update on a Melissa’s ex college boyfriend who visited her on her bday and was in one of those garage bands that wasn’t going to go anywhere. Sort of funny looking back on it since Melissa is now married to a successful musician.

Also would love an update on Danny’s ex girlfriend from his casting tape that I read in the twop recap that never got mentioned again.

Did they really pull a Karamo with Danny? The viewers had no idea he was gay until the first episode?

I forgot about Coral replacing Lori! Man, what a totally different season that would have been without the Coral/Miz storyline. And it still blows my mind that they got Kelley and Danny to do a challenge. I wouldn't have guessed this would be a season with 100% cast member participation in challenges, everyone's done at least one.

I don't remember anything about Danny's ex-girlfriend and I don't think I followed the news back then so I think the first episode reveal was a surprise to me.