S01.E07: Week Three in Utopia – B

[Tara Ariano]

A look at developments in the group's third week.

[Turtle]

Bella is not stable, right?  Sure, Red and Josh and Hex and others have issues, but Bella really seems just on the cusp of becoming really unhinged.  Much like Dave was.  I don't say it with malice, but it was noticeable from the start and has only escalated.  She has some serious persecution issues, and seems completely unable to read social cues or to interact in a healthy way.  She seems almost childlike, stunted in her emotional growth. 

 

Speaking of Hex, she definitely goes a little too far with the binge drinking and by her own admission has trouble with it, but she also seems like a genuinely nice person, and a relatively intelligent one.  It was interesting to me that even though Hex was the one who "took" Bella's garden away, Hex was also the one who was nicest to Bella and who went to get her out of the chicken yard.  And that Bella didn't seem angry in those few moments. 

 

These people are weird.​

[green]

Well I wasn't going to post in the TV section again here but had to come back and stick it to FOX.  Two reality shows on Friday.  (Well maybe more but the two I know of).  One reply in this episode's thread other than me right now.  Meanwhile almost 80 on The Amazing Race thread.  Heh heh.  Take the hint, FOX, and kill this slop.

[Primetimer]

Welcome Back to the Utopia State of Freedom.

Read the story

[nottopbravo]

Forum posting:

 

Series premere: 116 replies

Last night's episode: 3 replies

 

I can't stop laughing.  Ring the bell.  This show is D E A D.

[hincandenza]

Worse than that; one of the posts is the thread starter, one is a link to the recap, and three (including mine) are just here to mock the staggering lack of replies.

 

Literally Turtle is the only person actually posting about the episode.  So your numbers are really closer to:

Series Premier Episode: 116 replies

Latest Episode: 1 reply

[PaperTree]

" because I would have just taken a nap under the sink and then watched Bella claim to be able to tell the difference." LOL

She won't be able to tell when the cartridge is spent either, if she lasts that long.

Does a new loser come in to replace the evicted one?

[North of Eden]

It's a terrible idea to let America have ANYTHING to do with decideding who goes...even if it is suggesting a third nominee. One only has to look at BIG BROTHER season 1 where America had direct control of who went out and their first order of business was voting out anyone who was interesting or brought drama to the house (the stripper and Will Mega) which left an entire summer of boring dullards sitting around the house Kumbaya style. Its a  miricle BB got a second season and it was quickly revamped.

 

America might put up Bella or Red...and withouth those two main characters-the already challenge show could get a whole lot more boring. Chris is a good example of that...he brings nothing to the show...not one damn thing...he's even barely seen with Bri anymore.

[ProfCrash]

Actually, on this show, it would be best if America decided who was nominated and who went. It would send a message to the idiots on this show that they are being watched and their actions are being noticed. By this point in time in the show, live feed viewers had called in Animal Welfare and PETA due to Bri's treatment of the animals, noted Aaron and Kristen's theft, observed Mike embezzling money and identified the rampant bullying/death threats to Bella. Yeah, I am more comfortable with the live feed viewers targeting the people who need to leave then the people in Utopia.

 

These folks are not playing a game for money so there is nothing like that on the line. Honestly, I preferred Big Brother when the viewers did the voting. It would totally change the game and would allow people to vote out the racists, homophobes, misogynists, and bullies (I am thinking Aaryn, Evil Dick, Andy, Frankie, Gina Marie and the others who joke about raping women, make racist statements, and are just vile human beings)

[Andromeda]

Red is in love with the idea of secession. He's living out his southerner's dream, trying to win the Civil War.

 

If pregnant lady wanted a democratic republic, why didn't she ask the others to elect the other two members of her ruling council? (I give her appointment a pass since it's her "turn.") Oligarchy is a better term for it.

 

I gather from comments from those who watch the feeds that Bri is neglecting or mistreating the animals. Someone call the Humane Society, which approves use of animals in movie productions -- let's get Utopia shut down. Whoever is in charge of milking the cows needs to get up at the crack of dawn.

 

By this point in time in the show, live feed viewers had called in Animal Welfare and PETA due to Bri's treatment of the animals

 

Whoops, I missed this. Yes! Shameful that the other cast members aren't kicking her off animal duty. Where are all the bleeding hearts? Bella cared more about the dead deer than the live animals.

 

I don't get the idea that some people will leave -- I thought when this started they were expected to stay a year. At this rate, they'll all be changed out long before a year is out, except one or two. Is it true that they "knew" this in advance? Why the envelope reveal, then?

Edited September 30, 2014 by Andromeda

[APSimpson]

Some thoughts on this episode, which I meant to post earlier:

 

Hex seems to have a mean-streak in her at times. She seems to like to kick Bella around in front of the group. Not defending Bella necessarily as she has got her issues, but like I've said before, I find Bella to be a harmless and sensitive person who is a bit of a control freak but not a threat to anyone. She's set in her ways, but isn't a bully or lacking empathy like, say, Aaron and Mike. But back to Hex: I don't like her political views, but she seems like a caring person at times, but lately she's been bugging me. She always seems to have to speak up about everything, be the center of social attention like she's everyone's big sister, then says presumptuous things at times, as if she's the moral high ground. She comes across as self-righteous, gets into it with Bella, throws Bella under the bus by outing her age (it's a no-no for a woman to reveal another woman's age, not that we don't know, but still) and then go out and try to make up to Bella when her conscience kicks in.

 

Also, when Bella asked for help with the hose, I don't understand why Taylor or anyone couldn't help her. Hoses can be hard to twist off if they've been tightly attached. It just didn't seem like such an unreasonable thing that she needed help but these jerks can't even help her? Bella's mistake was asking Taylor, who seems passive aggressive to me, for help. And then he walks away and acts like a baby.

 

Nikki acting like a little girl when the bee-keeper guy came over was embarrassing. She was bobbing up and down and giggling. They had to tell him she likes him, like this is 6th grade or something. Yeah, it was innocuous, but also indicative of a sense of entitlement, in my opinion. I guess the bee-keeper was supposed to get on his knees and propose to the goddess Nikki and be grateful for the attention from such a super model. Hex telling her "if you want something, take it" was eye-rolling stuff.

 

Bri hardly got any camera time in this. I guess they're editing out some of her questionable behavior. Aaron also seems to be getting a free pass, and I am always creeped out how Aaaron has to take someone aside and "let them in on" what's going down in Utopia. His chat with Ernesto was testament in my opinion about how manipulative Aaron is. To his credit, Ernesto seems like a pretty sharp guy mentally and a decent person.

[DeLurker]

Watched this finally to get the list of advertisers together to tweet (see my post in the Animal thread).  A few random thoughts:

 

1 - Mike has hair that is a cross between Bieber and James Spader via the John Hughes years.  How is his hair always poofy and styled looking when everyone else is looking pretty ragged.  Come to think of it, Bri's hair seems to look fairly clean and good every time I've seen her.  I call shenanigans.

2 - Flies are constantly buzzing around the Topes - ick!

3 - What the hell was Bella wearing (or not wearing) during Amanda's leadership meeting? They kept blurring her crotch/bottom.

4 - Ernesto - you listened straight faced while Bella was explaining about the sacrificial plants that allow themselves to be eaten by the bugs so all the other plants can live.  You're a good man.