S01.E04: Wife

[pasdetrois]

The Chet character is uncannily life-like. The formerly handsome, charming, successful producer, with his big blue eyes and blond good looks, is now a bloated, drug-addled creep still trying to get by on breezy charm and manipulation. The actor personifies the type.

[sleekandchic]

Is Adam supposed to be Prince Harry?

Adam is good-looking (in his way), mega wealthy, from good, generations-old, stock, and rudderless (though he wants to get from under dad's shadow).

I think Adam (like Harry) is basically a good guy. But because of inherited wealth and status, and too much time on his hands, he is easy prey for debauchery and moral turpitude.

I remember when Harry vacationed in Las Vegas a couple of years ago. Oy.

I love Rachel because she's human. Although she is Machiavelli Jr to Quinn's Machiavelli Sr, Rachel still has a conscience and a soul. She's still capable of being hurt.

I didnt mind the sex-for-cash scene this episode, but the two-man audience watching it live and front-row center was yuck. However, from what I've read, lots worse happens in LA-LA land. For example,I think there's a special place in hell for Disney execs (and the colluding stage parents) who cast preteens for the shows on the Disney Channel.

Anybody watch the reality show, Married at First Sight? When Adam planted that "soulful," made-for-tv kiss on Mary, it was exactly what Sean did to his bride, Davina, on their wedding day on MAFS. The phoniness just permeates reality shows, imo. UnREAL is astute in its sotto-voce lambasting.

[DeLurker]

Eric Roberts creeps me out.  His characters always seem to have this evil, sinister vibe that gives me the spooks.  Chet is definitely a pervy douchebag, but I think his character is meant to be laughed at and skeeved out by, more than be afraid of.  The crew is pressured into following his lead because he holds all the cards and all the money, but Roberts seems much more intimidating to me. The show would seem very different to me if Roberts was playing Chet. 

Eric Roberts always comes off to me as the guy who is supposed to be sinister and intimidating, but just doesn't quite get there.  Pervy douchebag is a perfect description and he defines that role for me.  I think Craig Bieko doesn't have that edge to make me believe he is smart enough/manipulative enough/devious enough to get where Chet is.

[okerry]

He was having sex with Chet's buddy's wife while the buddy and Chet were watching. Blech.

gaaaaah, I didn't realize that's who the female was! I figured it was one of the contestants. So, I guess that's how Wifey gets everything she wants - there is a price. Blech, indeed!

[topanga]

I love Rachel because she's human. Although she is Machiavelli Jr to Quinn's Machiavelli Sr, Rachel still has a conscience and a soul. She's still capable of being hurt.

In this episode, someone asked Quinn (I forget who), "You're having problems with mini-me?"  And in the pilot, even though Quinn was her usual bitchy self with Rachel, I saw some hints of genuine concern  I thought that maybe they were sisters or that Quinn had a crush on Rachel.

 

It seems that Rachel represents who Quinn used to be, and Quinn sold her soul some time ago for a chance at success. Is that why she slept with Chet in the first place? If so, I have know idea why is she so emotionally affected by that guy. He's not kind, and he's not smart or funny. He hasn't even done much for Quinn's career that she couldn't have done on her own eventually. He must be a beast in bed.  Blech.

[lucindabelle]

IMO, Quinn didn't sleep with Chet for gain> She loves him. She's not just his office wife, she knows as much or more about him than a real wife-- his family's medical history, what pills he takes. She even made a half-hearted attempt to get pregnant that last time.

 

Love is a mystery to people outside, but it's clear to me that she loves him (or did. she seems to be more mad than in love right now).

[topanga]

IMO, Quinn didn't sleep with Chet for gain> She loves him. She's not just his office wife, she knows as much or more about him than a real wife-- his family's medical history, what pills he takes. She even made a half-hearted attempt to get pregnant that last time.

 

Love is a mystery to people outside, but it's clear to me that she loves him (or did. she seems to be more mad than in love right now).

But did she love him from the get-go? I'll give Chet the benefit of the doubt that he hasn't always been so bloated and scruffy, but what about his personality would have attracted Quinn? Yes, he is a high-powered TV exec, but he doesn't seem passionate about television--or anything, really. Whereas Quinn, seems very passionate about her job and is concerned about the product she presents to the world.

[Pepper Mostly]

IMO, Quinn didn't sleep with Chet for gain> She loves him. She's not just his office wife, she knows as much or more about him than a real wife-- his family's medical history, what pills he takes. She even made a half-hearted attempt to get pregnant that last time.

 

Love is a mystery to people outside, but it's clear to me that she loves him (or did. she seems to be more mad than in love right now).

I knew she genuinely loved him when she crawled into his lap and curled up like a little girl a couple of episodes ago. She was looking for comfort and that's where she went. Who knows the history? But she loves him. That's the only way he'd have the power to hurt her so much.

[dubbel zout]

he is a high-powered TV exec, but he doesn't seem passionate about television

 

I wonder if Chet isn't so passionate about TV anymore because he's made his fortune. The show chugs along without him, for the most part, and he can sit back and cash the checks. His interests are now elsewhere, seemingly at what the money can buy him.

[Alison]

Why do Adam and Rachel have such good chemistry?! He's such a douche but I can't help but root for them--they really do light up the screen every time they have a scene together. I found myself rewinding that near-kiss quite a few times. I hope that they can stop sabotaging themselves and each other because they can make a good team (see: Adam being able to explain away the magazine article).

 

Also, I love Faith: "Are we supposed to be seeing this?" LOL

They're both ambitious, opportunistic and manipulative...a match made in heaven :)

[Alison]

I disagree, only because Chet did the nose gesture a couple of times during the episode.  The gesture is typically an indication of 'don't say anything about what you saw' or 'strictly between you and me'.  It generally signifies this goes no farther.

I gotta get my mind out of the gutter, because I assumed he was asking her to score him some coke.

 

Have you seen Mike Fleiss? He looks, dresses and talks exactly like that Chet guy. It's uncanny. I gasped when I first saw him.

I just Googled him and recoiled in horror from my computer screen. Ugh. Gross. He makes Chet look like a cuddly, sweet puppy.

[lucindabelle]

But did she love him from the get-go? I'll give Chet the benefit of the doubt that he hasn't always been so bloated and scruffy, but what about his personality would have attracted Quinn? Yes, he is a high-powered TV exec, but he doesn't seem passionate about television--or anything, really. Whereas Quinn, seems very passionate about her job and is concerned about the product she presents to the world.

 

Fat people have people who love them too. He's funny. He was probably nice to her. And smart. Love is a mystery, what one person finds bloated and scruffy another inds cute and "could lose a few pounds." He has a handsome enough face. And not everyone would be attracted to her looks or brand of acerbicness either.

 

There's zero indication that she was in it for any other reason than love or lust. I personally find it MORE convincing that it's love because he's less attractive than if he were gorgeous.

[divaTy]

The actress playing Athena (fake Nene) is really bad at hiding her British accent. It's really distracting.

[Zuleikha]

He's funny. He was probably nice to her. And smart.

 

He's sort of funny and he's shown no signs of being smart and he definitely wasn't nice to her. He stole her idea and got rich (richer?) from it without sharing any of that wealth with her. That's a huge betrayal. We haven't seen anything to show us why Quinn would not only not care about him doing that to her and Bill, but actively hide the evidence from Bill. Why wouldn't Quinn want to sue and capture some of the wealth into her own control? 

[lucindabelle]

Stop asking why, really. Love is not logical. I buy the chemistry between them. It's not about whether you think she should love him. The actors are bringing ti and I buy it.

The notion that people only love who it makes sense for them to love I just has no relationship to life, above the age of maybe seven. Maybe not even then.

[xqueenfrostine]

He's sort of funny and he's shown no signs of being smart and he definitely wasn't nice to her. He stole her idea and got rich (richer?) from it without sharing any of that wealth with her. That's a huge betrayal. We haven't seen anything to show us why Quinn would not only not care about him doing that to her and Bill, but actively hide the evidence from Bill. Why wouldn't Quinn want to sue and capture some of the wealth into her own control? 

 

Do we know how far into their relationship they might have been when Everlasting started though?  I assumed that Quinn was already in love with him when he stole her show idea, and that that's why he had gotten away with it so long.  She sat on the evidence for a long time, lying to her ex about not knowing where her original proposal was. I don't think you do that for someone you just want for money or to use to further your career. 

 

And I think

tonight's episode definitely proved she was in love with him.  You don't save a cast they signed like it's a love letter if it's not meaningful to you.

Edited June 30, 2015 by stacey
Spoiler tagged info from episode 5

[topanga]

I can't figure out Lifetime's decency standards. In this episode, you had Quinn saying "clit," and later (or maybe in another episode ), she talked about Jay trying to put his entire head up Chet's asshole.

 

Contrast this to the pilot, where Shia called Rachel an asshole. They kept the "ass" but silenced the "hole." And they silenced Quinn saying "pussy," which we already discussed.

[Bort]

Contrast this to the pilot, where Shia called Rachel an asshole. They kept the "ass" but silenced the "hole." And they silenced Quinn saying "pussy," which we already discussed.

That's interesting, because I watched the pilot OnDemand and I heard Quinn say "pussy" loud and clear.

[ketose]

I can't figure out Lifetime's decency standards. In this episode, you had Quinn saying "clit," and later (or maybe in another episode ), she talked about Jay trying to put his entire head up Chet's asshole.

 

Contrast this to the pilot, where Shia called Rachel an asshole. They kept the "ass" but silenced the "hole." And they silenced Quinn saying "pussy," which we already discussed.

Maybe it's a matter of quantity. I watched the pilot where Rachel said my favorite line of the series "This show is Satan's asshole." Maybe it's edited for TV after the first airing or something.

[topanga]

 

I watched the pilot where Rachel said my favorite line of the series "This show is Satan's asshole."

I'd forgotten about that. That line was one of the reasons I knew I'd like this show

[basically]

^ I died laughing at that line! I really loved this first episode. Great pilot.

[Milburn Stone]

As a black woman, I find the black producer, Jay very interesting; a black man who is willing to sell his "sisters" for a shot at his own reality show.  He told Athena and Shamiqua to act like "angry black women" because a black woman never makes it to the final four.  Athena takes the bait and then gets kicked off the show.  When she's yelling at the camera, Jay and Rachel laugh that she'll "play the race card" and "she might even get a talk show out of it."  They're so far gone that they can't even see these women as human beings.

 

I thought that was Jay and Rachel quite accurately assessing the move Athena made, and admiring her for it. She knowingly and shrewdly was playing the race card, she probably will get a talk show out of it, and Jay and Rachel were essentially saying, "Well played, Athena."

 

I agree with you that no one on the crew sees the contestants as human beings, with rare exceptions. And this moment was one of those exceptions. It caused Jay and Rachel to say, basically, "Wow, hat's off, Athena. You're just as cynically grasping for show business success as one of us."

Edited August 4, 2015 by Milburn Stone

[Miles]

Well this doesn't endear Rachel to me, that she is shaming a guy for being coerced into sex and calling him a whore. No matter how much she likes him and is jellous now. Maybe it has gotten new meaning, in the current me-too context, but yikes that is basically exactly what a lot of actresses have been complaining about.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Miles

[IDreamofJoaquin]

Ewww this episode made me squirm at the end.  Adam having sex with the woman I can understand. But why did Chet and the other guy need to sit there and watch?  That's what made it icky.  They wanted to see his hard, slimy dick going in and out of someone?