S30.E02: Love And Other Drugs

[Tara Ariano]

Madison reveals a dark secret from her past; jealousy threatens Bruno and Sylvia's relationship.

[Cosmic Muffin]

Ok, I will admit, Madison did have a very dark secret. And I liked Violetta saying,"Madison isn't dumb, she's faking being happy."

 

I did not understand the train home controversy, or exactly what went on with Sylvia. Nor do I care. Still liking Nicole.

[Wouldofshouldof]

I've put my finger on what bugs me about Madison.  She never has one moment where she comes across as sincere.  Every second with her she's putting on an act.  I can only imagine what her family life is like. 

[mjgchick]

I'm assuming Madison just doesn't want to show the real her. Something tells me her dark secret is not just what she told the roommates.

Mean while I like Bruno but dang he has a Captain save a damsel in distress syndrome going on.

I like that Nicole gets along with both the guys and the ladies. I thought she was going to be one of those "I'm a cool girl who wears chucks, read comic books and plays video games." but she seems pretty cool so far. Jason and her I like the most but seeing Bruno talking with his mom gave him some cool points which he lost when he had that temper. lol

[Lantern7]

Just a big ole mess this week. Here's my question: if the roommates know that people who they don't like are coming, then what's stopping them from rebelling? One sheep gets scared, and now the whole herd is spooked. The only thing missing is seeing Production guys giggling to themselves, as the "Skeletons" countdown clock ticks down.

 

Does the entire house smoke? That has to be annoying if any non-smokers arrive at the house.

 

ETA: What's up with the turntable phone set-up? And what kind of name is "Briah"?

[MrsSmartyPants]

Pillow Talk!!!! And then BOOM!

This show would be so much more entertaining without the drinking and hooking up.

Last week getting lost on the way to the supermarket; that ended up being 3 blocks away lol.

[laschifosavita]

I'm so tired of the guy in the house that acts like one of the girls are being ridiculous when they started it.  Bruno latched onto the first girl he saw after pouting that Sylvia was talking to one of her roommates.  He's the one that got jealous first.

 

I think what bothers me most about Madison is that she comes accross really self-centered.  Instead of listening to Sylvia, she was too busy drawing attention to herself by dropping cryptic hints abour her past.  She always seems to either focus on how she was a victim or how she overcame her addiction when she's talking about her past.  There doesn't seem to be much acknowledgement of what she did to other people.  She always phrases things to make it sound like she wasn't an active participant.  I hope she's different now that it seems like at least most of the cast knows.

[Watermelon]

I'm so tired of the guy in the house that acts like one of the girls are being ridiculous when they started it.  Bruno latched onto the first girl he saw after pouting that Sylvia was talking to one of her roommates.  He's the one that got jealous first.

 

I think what bothers me most about Madison is that she comes accross really self-centered.  Instead of listening to Sylvia, she was too busy drawing attention to herself by dropping cryptic hints abour her past.  She always seems to either focus on how she was a victim or how she overcame her addiction when she's talking about her past.  There doesn't seem to be much acknowledgement of what she did to other people.  She always phrases things to make it sound like she wasn't an active participant.  I hope she's different now that it seems like at least most of the cast knows.

Just like Jason said, her stories never have details. "I was in a bad relationship and we did bad things together and then bad things happen" isn't actually a specific story.

 

I could easily say that, but I was never on Heroin and nobody ever put a gun to my head.  She's glancing over all the real details, that would actually paint her in a bad light.

 

Ok, I will admit, Madison did have a very dark secret. And I liked Violetta saying,"Madison isn't dumb, she's faking being happy."

 

I did not understand the train home controversy, or exactly what went on with Sylvia. Nor do I care. Still liking Nicole.

Madison got snippy and said she didn't need help home because she knows how to get home.  Sylvia then asked her what's the train they transfer to, after they get on Red, and Madison can't answer.  But instead of admitting she didn't know she brushed Syl off.  

Sylvia is super dramatic when drunk, but she's the kind of person when they say, "Leave me alone" listen. Trying to reason with stubborn people when they're already angry is a terrible decision.

[Primetimer]

As the first skeleton's arrival draws nigh, the roommates deal with twerking and true confessions.

Read the story

[Wouldofshouldof]

I think what bothers me most about Madison is that she comes accross really self-centered.  Instead of listening to Sylvia, she was too busy drawing attention to herself by dropping cryptic hints abour her past.  She always seems to either focus on how she was a victim or how she overcame her addiction when she's talking about her past.  There doesn't seem to be much acknowledgement of what she did to other people.  She always phrases things to make it sound like she wasn't an active participant.  I hope she's different now that it seems like at least most of the cast knows.

This coupled with the statement she made about shutting herself in a room for a week to get off drugs makes me think she never went to rehab and received counselling.  The first thing she would have learned is to stop blaming everyone else for your choices.

[liqidclark]

All the people in that house, make me cringe like -- *electronic dance beat*

 

I'll try watching again whenever the fireworks arrive and start going off. Why do they even have these build-up episodes? Let's not pretend these people are actually interesting.

[RealityCowgirl]

All the people in that house, make me cringe like -- *electronic dance beat*

 

I'll try watching again whenever the fireworks arrive and start going off. Why do they even have these build-up episodes? Let's not pretend these people are actually interesting.

Heh. I once thought the Miami season signaled the end of the franchise (and, possibly, the world).

Edited December 24, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[OnceSane]

God forbid Sylvia talk to her own damn roommate! Bruno is in the wrong, but can't even see it. Probably because he's a moron (from what I've seen).

I think Madison runs off to get attention. She want people to prove they care, and that she matters, by searching for her. Then she plays dumb when found. I also think she isn't telling anything close to the truth about her drug use.

Between Bruno' s unnecessary jealousy and Madison's obvious game-playing, I kinda do hope Sylvia and Tony hook up.

Bring on the skeletons because these people are mostly boring so far.

[Janet Snakehole]

So if Madison was a drug addict, why is she drinking? I may be completely wrong here, but I thought a lot of rehab programs discouraged any kind of substance abuse because of the potential of cross addictions. She is a pretty hard drinker too so far.

I was liking Bruno until the end of the episode. He was getting mad about Sylvia and Tony, and then acts like she is the only jealous one? Please. He reminds me of the guys from Jersey Shore, with all their weird double standards towards women.

[Trampolina]

In 20 years Madison is going to be one of those over the hill barflys trying to be cute but not pulling it off anymore. Her happy go lucky fakeness drives me nuts and I can't wait to hear what her sister has to say. None of the others really interest me but I'm hoping for some juicy skeletons.

[Nena]

It's been years since I tried watching a season in real time, and this build up to the skeletons is making it hard to stay interested.  I want to like Nicole, but I can't get past both her voice and her ignorance - she thinks Lake Michigan is an ocean, and doesn't understand what fresh water is?  When she's on, it's like Miyam Bialik had a stroke.  It's a shame, too, because she's clearly the only shot at there being a likable female roomie, at least among the original 7.

 

Madison is a train wreck, but I wonder about her addiction story.  Is she someone who actually self-detoxed in a locked room for a week, or is she a narcissist who did drugs once or twice, and refers to herself as a recovered addict to explain away choices she made of her own free will?

[Soobs]

I liked the meathead guy roommates convo about the girls being all kinds of messed up because of their various family dynamics. Nothing like a brief flash of emotional intelligence followed by Bruno getting jealous of the Nicole (?) having a totally regular conversation with Tony. 

 

I can also see Madison as a much less cute, scantily clad, 40 something baby voicing her way to free bottom shelf drinks at a truck stop. One thing I have learned in life is that once someone says they've done terrible things, often times they are trying to warn you away from them.

 

I hate that there are so many episodes until the surprise. I guess the roommates get lulled into relationships and then the bonds are tested/ broken. Speaking of the surprises, are all these people too drunk to realize that if one person hears a rumor that someone they hate is showing up, it's likely they are all getting the same treatment. But, of course none of them bothered to watch last season.

[jmonkey]

I think it's pretty irresponsible for Jonathan Murray to keep casting drug addicts on this show. Drug addicts on "The Real World" don't exactly have the best track record. Joey Kovar from the Hollywood season and Ryan Knight from the New Orleans 2 season were both drug addicts and are dead now. I know that they wanted to be on the show and that the producers thought that they had interesting stories to share, but the fame, even the pseudo-fame that comes from being on "The Real World," can't be good for a drug addict. I'm not certain there's a correlation there. Maybe Joey and Knight would've died anyway, but I'd think the producers would try to deviate from drug addicts and head cases given the history with casting those types. But now they seem to cast for dysfunctionality. If you come on this show with issues, I'd imagine they'd just be magnified after appearing on it.

 

I don't really like any of the cast members. They all seem pretty lame despite their dramatic stories. This is exactly why they need a gimmick like skeletons. Otherwise it's just petty drunken arguments the entire time. Do any of these kids have any kind of career aspirations or they just there to hook up and party? Nobody on this season seems very smart either, but they all have nice bodies and white teeth despite smoking like chimneys.

 

My favorite scene in this episode was Nicole thinking Lake Michigan was an ocean and Violetta explaining to her that it was "Michigan's Lake." LMFAO! Of course, these are some geographically challenged cats taking 45 minutes to get to a store that's 3 minutes away.

 

My cast rankings are:

 

1) Sylvia-pretty and rational with an interesting back story and a little baggage i.e. miscarriage and violent ex-boyfriend.

2) Nicole-don't like the accent and can't forgive the lack of geographical knowledge, but I appreciate how she plays the friend of everyone.

3) Jason-this token black guy seems insightful and cracked me up when he referred to Madison as "barbie," but I sense an inner hulk that will be revealed once his skeleton arrives.

4) Tony-meh; womanizer disguised as a gentleman who will be stupid enough to hook up with Madison.

5) Bruno-claims to be chivalrous and then wakes up a sleeping Sylvia from a nap just to cause drama; jealousy isn't a good look, bro.

 

6) Violetta-crazy.

7) Madison-even crazier; I knew she was a drug addict when I saw her because she looks like one of my co-workers who's a heroin junky; that voice and "aloofness" are grating my nerves.

Edited January 2, 2015 by jmonkey

[woodscommaelle]

I kind of want Nicole to take her ponytail out and her glasses off ... like Laney Boggs in She's All That :)

[OnceSane]

I kind of want Nicole to take her ponytail out and her glasses off ... like Laney Boggs in She's All That :)

She'll need a popular hot girl chasing her first. I vote Sylvia. Bruno would lose his damn mind.

[jumper sage]

No truer words were ever spoken on this show: "All these girls are damaged".  Paraphrase, can't remember the exact sentence but it is the gist.

[XtremeOne1]

I think it's pretty irresponsible for Jonathan Murray to keep casting drug addicts on this show. Drug addicts on "The Real World" don't exactly have the best track record. Joey Kovar from the Hollywood season and Ryan Knight from the New Orleans 2 season were both drug addicts and are dead now. I know that they wanted to be on the show and that the producers thought that they had interesting stories to share, but the fame, even the pseudo-fame that comes from being on "The Real World," can't be good for a drug addict. I'm not certain there's a correlation there. Maybe Joey and Knight would've died anyway, but I'd think the producers would try to deviate from drug addicts and head cases given the history with casting those types. But now they seem to cast for dysfunctionality. If you come on this show with issues, I'd imagine they'd just be magnified after appearing on it

 

 

This is a really good point but it seems Jonathan Murray is good of a scumbag.

[choclatechip45]

 

I think it's pretty irresponsible for Jonathan Murray to keep casting drug addicts on this show. Drug addicts on "The Real World" don't exactly have the best track record. Joey Kovar from the Hollywood season and Ryan Knight from the New Orleans 2 season were both drug addicts and are dead now. I know that they wanted to be on the show and that the producers thought that they had interesting stories to share, but the fame, even the pseudo-fame that comes from being on "The Real World," can't be good for a drug addict. I'm not certain there's a correlation there. Maybe Joey and Knight would've died anyway, but I'd think the producers would try to deviate from drug addicts and head cases given the history with casting those types. But now they seem to cast for dysfunctionality. If you come on this show with issues, I'd imagine they'd just be magnified after appearing on it;

 

I remember after RW NO Knight said that being away from the environment was the best thing for him.  I remember they showed a scene of Knight with his sponsor who pretty much told him not to do the show. This show has been on for 30 seasons if no one warned Madison that reality tv was bad for her and she didn't listen it's her own fault. I hope she is successful in her recovery. Also, this season filmed before Knight died.

Edited January 12, 2015 by choclatechip45