S01.E07: Savior

[KateeBar]

I did not expect the rebound to happen so quickly, but I also admit I don't ponder too deeply on these things.

I can't believe how much I loathe Rachel and Quinn, yet also greatly enjoy watching them and really want them to both find some happiness in their lives. It's an interesting mix of feelings. They are both so damaged, and yet so damaging to others, it's fascinating. Props to both actresses for being able to evoke that.

I was completely blown away by Chet ending the ep saying he'd left his wife. I wonder if that will stick though. Once they start talking divorce money, I could see him deciding it's not worth it.

[A Boston Gal]

 

There's nothing in the evidence to would suggest that this wasn't a suicide, because it was a suicide.  So why would the cops care if the show forged a note from Mary if it's obvious that she wasn't murdered or a victim of manslaughter?  PR stunts aren't illegal.  They're tacky and tasteless, but they're not under the jurisdiction of the police.  

 

 

(Sorry, the Quoting Gods are against me today....) 

 

Actually, this is a very fair point. Unless there was cause to think Mary was pushed, I can see the cops not wanting to press the matter. Although, I'm sure one or two detectives thought, "hey, why didn't they call us when they found the note?" And, I can also fanwank/handwave that their boss said, "Drop it."

Edited July 15, 2015 by A Boston Gal

[NutmegsDad]

But she didn't have access to that footage anymore.  The lawyers started seizing all of their hard drives when they figured out what they were doing. And Rachel wouldn't magically be free if the show tanked.  She owes the show a lot of money for the damages and still has pending legal charges against her hanging over her head.  That's not just going to disappear if the show was cancelled. That was the point of Rachel pointing out that her Plan B was taken away from her after her breakdown.  She's indebted to either the production company and/or the network.  That's why she's living in a damn truck.  Her debt to the show is so high (I'm guessing it's at least $20k given that's the amount Rachel asked her mother for), she's making poverty level wages after they take their cut.  We saw her pay stub in either episode 2 or episode 3. It was below $200.  

 

I'm not saying Rachel's circumstances excuse her actions, but she has reasons to stay other than liking it. 

 

Any other show/series, and this would have been Rachel's Redeeming Moment, the moment where, since  she saved ALL their bacon, she could get a clear slate and get out of the indentured servitude that Quinn/Chet//the Network have her under.

 

I'm wondering if the spinoff show is Rachel's redemption as well as a launching point for a second season.

 

For the sister to go along with the ruse, this was a no-brainer when it came to the ex with the custody of LilyBelle as an issue.

 

Oh well. This show is moving along quite well, pleasantly surprised. I though the coverup was going to drive the rest of the season. Shia wasn't as Machiavellian as I thought.

Edited July 15, 2015 by NutmegsDad

[topanga]

 

Any other show/series, and this would have been Rachel's Redeeming Moment, the moment where, since  she saved ALL their bacon, she could get a clear slate and get out of the indentured servitude that the Show/the Network have her under.

Great point. And yet she never pushed this issue with Quinn. I think Rachel is to the point where she doesn't believe she's worthy of anything better than her current situation. Adam calling her a monster did hurt her, but she ultimately agreed with him that she is a monster. Yes, she talked to Quinn about needing more money in her paycheck, but Quinn was all, "Tough. We're still paying for your damages." Even though the show was going to give Rick $400K in a heartbeat. Rachel seemed outraged by that fact, but only because the show was rewarding a wife beater. Not because the Savior of the Show only got paid $189 and was living in a box on the set.

[portfino]

Even if the show isn't to be taken that seriously, I still can't believe the police wouldn't be all over the suicide note, especially because it seemed to be found suspiciously later, rather than sooner when they were on the scene.

I can speak to personal experience of the police ending an investigation into a suicide before the victim was even dead.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

UnREAL Shows Why It Might Be Okay To Let A Damaged Person Do Damage Control / In the aftermath of a crisis, Rachel learns that her very particular set of skills can come in handy, whether she feels good about that or not.

[Sparger Springs]

Do we even know that the suicide note was handwritten?  Rachel's super smart, so unless she's a pretty decent forger and had access to several handwriting samples, I doubt she'd take a risk of showing a handwritten note to her sister. That's a big risk to take.   I know we get one look at the note, but even paused I couldn't tell if it was handwritten or done in a handwriting font.  

 

 

Well if it was written on a computer and printed out that's even worse for them. Where was Mary's printer and most computers show when something was created date and time. I'm guessing suicide note printed 12 hours after a suicide won't  fly. Of course this will never be an issue on this show.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Sparger Springs

[itainttippithebird]

 

...when they got back to the set and she tried to talk to him, and he said something about secrets not making people closer. "But we're good," he added. Good what? Good work acquatinences who just covered up a homicide but who won't speak about it ever again?

 

I agree with y'all that Jay was following orders/being ruthless, but in my opinion, Shia was kind of a dick for wanting to confess to him - sure, it's kinda cold he wanted deniability, but if they are such good friends, she shouldn't have wanted to legally implicate him in her own terrrrrrrrrible choice just to be able to say the words aloud. Friends don't force friends into a choice between perjury and being made an accessory, especially when it need not be said! This irked me in the moment.

Edited July 15, 2015 by actnormalbitch

[xqueenfrostine]

Well if it was written on a computer and printed out that's even worse for them. Where was Mary's printer and most computers show when something was created date and time. I'm guessing suicide note printed 12 hours after a suicide won't fly. Of course this will never be an issue on this show.

The note would only matter if there's a civil trial, and I don't think it's a given that there would ever be one. Abusers are bullies, and like bullies are frequently cowards. I think it's unlikely that Kirk (OR his lawyers) would actually want to take this case to trial given his own record. I think his show with the lawyer was him angling for an out of court settlement, but if that's off, his lawsuit might be too. This happens all the time in real life. Most lawsuits never make it to trial, and as you suggested earlier, there's a fair chance that a judge would throw his case out because he may not have grounds to sue, particularly if he's not the custodial guardian for their daughter.

Ultimately, this letter was never really for Kirk or the courts, it was for the network and the general public. The network was willing to pay off Kirk not because his case was a slam dunk, but because the threat of the lawsuit itself threatened the network's credibility. If the suicide not succeeded in making the public narrative about Kirk's abuse rather than the show's negligence, then it did everything they needed it to do.

Edited July 15, 2015 by xqueenfrostine

[joanne3482]

IMO, Craig Bierko is an actually attractive actor but they didn't want an attractive actor so he gained weight and was made unkept to fit the role.

 

I didn't even recognize him. I thought the actor playing Chet was the guy from Burn Notice - the friend not the lead character, Bruce Campbell. Craig Bierko is super hot and I remember him from one of my guilty pleasure movies The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. 

 

This episode has made this show for me. It's so interesting. I can ignore the plot holes because I'm just so invested in Rachel and her weird situation. 

[Knuckles]

Evidence that this show has messed with me is catching 20 minutes of NY Housewives while channel flipping...I kept thinking that Quinn and Rachel could really ramp this up.  I mean you have a clutch of presumably rich, middle-aged women doing the high school thing, with slut shaming and back biting ad nauseum. Quinn would have them snap to with Rachel working her damaging magic. Tell Andy Cohen he needs to hire the Everlasting team stat. And bring Shia along...the housewives may not eat much, but they drink like fish...think of all the possibilities for our girl Shia. 

One last thought...that chick Bethenny does a lot of on screen sessions with her therapist...who's very dull...hire Rachel's mom...she'd be great.

[Madding crowd]

I think I would like the show better if they made it more like The Bachelor, such as showing more about the group and individual dates, showing the relationships between the girls etc. They are making the focus much more on the production staff which is one kind of show, but I would prefer more about the girls living in the mansion.

 

I have always liked Shiri and still do, but I find Rachel and Quinn to just be disgusting people. The idea of doing anything for a 10 week TV show is just kind of awful. I could see some times of manipulation and creative editing, but they are going way beyond that here. Not even The Bachelor would tamper with someone's meds, bring back a violent ex-spouse or write fake suicide letters. This is just a little too much IMO.

[rubyred]

Is Grace one of Jay's girls? We're down to four and Anna and Faith are Rachel's and Shamiqua is Jay's....unless there's a fourth producer we haven't seen Rachel is the odds-on "winner"  -- and isn't there a financial bonus to the producer whose girl wins the season?

 

And FWIW; I agree that Quinn and Rachel are reprehensible people, but I do not believe they would have messed with Mary's meds. They find other ways to push buttons (bringing in the ex, sparking catfights, etc.) The fake suicide note was kind of beyond the pale but damn if it didn't right the ship really quick, I didn't know how they were going to move forward with shooting the show after Mary's suicide.

[ketose]

This episode pretty clearly shows us that Sarah Shapiro is only basing a little of UnReal on her experiences. Obviously, no one took a header off the balcony on The Bachelor. I think the Breaking Bad analogies some of the cast made are accurate. Walter White wasn't shown teaching for very long. Rachel has been shown editing maybe twice and messing with contestants a handful of times. Actually, one of Rachel's best scenes with a contestant was taken directly from Sequin Raze.

[xqueenfrostine]

Is Grace one of Jay's girls? We're down to four and Anna and Faith are Rachel's and Shamiqua is Jay's....unless there's a fourth producer we haven't seen Rachel is the odds-on "winner"  -- and isn't there a financial bonus to the producer whose girl wins the season?

 

Grace is Rachel's for sure.  Rachel said so in either the 2nd or 3rd episode when she confronted Grace about blowing Adam.  Grace accused Rachel of trying to sabotage her relationship with Adam out of jealousy, and Rachel told her that wasn't the case at all and that since Grace was one of "her" girl's, it was in Rachel's best interest to make sure Grace stayed on the show.  And yes, there is definitely a financial bonus for the producer attached to the winner. I'd there's literally no chance Rachel won't be walking away with that bonus, as there's been no relationship building between Shamiqua and Adam at all.

[Dirtybubble]

 

Is Grace one of Jay's girls? We're down to four and Anna and Faith are Rachel's and Shamiqua is Jay's....unless there's a fourth producer we haven't seen Rachel is the odds-on "winner"  -- and isn't there a financial bonus to the producer whose girl wins the season?

 

This is one thing that bugs me about this show; I'm having great difficulty keeping up with who is and isn't still a contestant on Ever Lasting.  It could be that I am just more invested in the behind-the-scenes people so when the contestants are on I kinda blank out, except for Faith but honestly that's because she has been given a storyline. 

 

I never thought I would type this sentence but Quinn & Chet are becoming my favorite characters!  The way they go to bat for each other is nice in such a hopeless situation.  Chet is an off-the-charts scuzbag and it scares me to death there are people in Hollywood who are actually like this but I take comfort in knowing these are fictional characters.  At least Rachel appears to have some sort of remorse.  I actually felt for her with her monster comment.  Why do I feel like I need to take a shower every time I watch this show?

 

 

Edited July 16, 2015 by Dirtybubble

[Canada]

I'm not too surprised that we're not getting to know most of the contestants on Everlasting.  Unreal is primarily about the people behind the scenes of these types of shows; it's not about the contestants.  Any focus on the contestants has been done mainly to showcase how those behind the scene act and react to them.  That's what I'm guessing, anyway.

[Neurochick]

Yes, and that was my point. The women are all just labels to the show: the mom, the southern rodeo queen, the lawyer whose dad died, the hot Brazilian model, the one who got drunk at the pool party and had the solo date with Adam, and the black girl. So maybe Jay was right. The only way for a black contestant to be known for anything besides her race is to be NeNe Leaks or Omarosa and uphold racial stereotypes. I'm actually surprised Shamiqua is still on the show. Maybe they just forgot to eliminate her. I haven't seen Adam even speak to Shamiqua since the pilot, when she climbed out of the limo playing her violin. And even then, Quinn said that they can't have a black contestant be the first person Adam meets.

It's a relatively small thing, and it doesn't stop me from enjoying the show. But it does make a statement about race in America. And as a black woman, I can't help but notice these things.

 

 

I notice those things too.  America isn't too progressive when it comes to race relations and interracial dating.

 

I think the episode was an interesting morality play.  Was Rachel wrong for forging the note?  Was the sister wrong for accepting it?  Had the ex-husband sued the show, proved that Mary's meds were messed with, he would have won some money and could have gotten custody of the daughter.  The sister didn't want that.  The sister's main motivation was that the ex didn't get custody.  Now since he's been tagged as abusive by the show, via the letter, if he tries the say the letter was fake, he'd look like a total asswipe.  So I guess it was about the lesser of the two evils, which was why Shia got off.  

[FormerMod-a1]

I'm not too surprised that we're not getting to know most of the contestants on Everlasting.  Unreal is primarily about the people behind the scenes of these types of shows; it's not about the contestants.  Any focus on the contestants has been done mainly to showcase how those behind the scene act and react to them.  That's what I'm guessing, anyway.

 

That, and to go multiple seasons, it wouldn't work as well to focus on the "contestants" which would change with each show.  The real audience (us) getting invested in a bunch of characters that won't appear next season could hurt ratings.  Whereas if we get invested in the "crew", that could be fairly consistent season after season, will keep us interested.  

[topanga]

That, and to go multiple seasons, it wouldn't work as well to focus on the "contestants" which would change with each show.  The real audience (us) getting invested in a bunch of characters that won't appear next season could hurt ratings.  Whereas if we get invested in the "crew", that could be fairly consistent season after season, will keep us interested.

I agree, but I'll miss Adam if he's not on the show next season, seeing as he's my 2nd favorite character after Rachel. And Chet is growing on me, too, surprisingly. I like what he told Quinn about realizing what's important right before he told her he'd left his wife. I wonder if he'll stick with that decision.

[HunterHunted]

I have always liked Shiri and still do, but I find Rachel and Quinn to just be disgusting people. The idea of doing anything for a 10 week TV show is just kind of awful. I could see some times of manipulation and creative editing, but they are going way beyond that here. Not even The Bachelor would tamper with someone's meds, bring back a violent ex-spouse or write fake suicide letters. This is just a little too much IMO.

I can think of other shows where these have been issues. Medication: there was allegation that Face Off withheld contestants medication. A violent ex: the 29th season of The Real World paired castmates with their exes. Some of the altercations did become physical. I've never seen a fake suicide note, but there are tons of stories about producers of the real housewives shows giving wives misinformation about when to meet or when events start to guarantee a fight about being late. And on Project Runway the producers let Keith Michael cheat, but bounced him when he left set without their permission and claimed his ouster was for cheating. Some of contestants came forward about how their was an argument about Keith cheating early in the season that filmed that never made it to air. I think UnReal is just taking what is already happening in reality TV production and heightening the melodrama.

[aradia22]

Thank God Shia confessed almost immediately so we could get that out of the way. Even just having other people know it was her fault made me feel better.

 

Quinn coming at Rachel with the so-and-so number of people work on this show, etc. was a great scene. 

 

The lawyers were weirdly on the attack. I know they work for production but still. Even though Quinn had no intention of telling the truth they weren't the kind of people I could see her confiding in. And isn't that the point of your legal defense, telling them the truth so they can protect you from it? 

 

Oh my God, Jeremy's also the worst. How can you like Jeremy after that? You go to check on Rachel and initiate a kiss in a few minutes? Not the time, dude.

 

I've got my eye on the intern. You don't get screen time for no reason. Is she still doing Rachel's community service?

 

I think Shia got off easy but I liked Jay babysitting her. There was a ruthlessness there. The Chet stuff is stupid but I feel like there's a good character in there. He was still nice, chill Jay but there was no chance she was getting out of that room. 

 

I really wasn't sure until the sister started reading the letter whether or not Rachel had written it. DAMN. She knew Mary well enough to add the touches that would make it seem like her letter. But she also absolved the show of blame to the point where you would have to be an idiot to believe it, making everyone who heard that letter willfully complicit in its fiction. That moment with Louisa after was great too. I love this show. 

 

Loved all the fakeness between Quinn/Chet/the network guy/Jay at the end. It's a different kind of behind the scenes but almost as fun as the rest of it.

 

Chet leaving his wife wasn't much but we'll see how it plays out.

 

Rachel climbing into bed with Adam was one of those weird things that the show really should be above. You're better than this, UnReal.

[aradia22]

 

"BJ girl" is Grace. She's still there. Maya, the one ShiaIsTheWorst convinced to get drunk and cozy up to the Adam's friend (and then had something happen to her in the pool house) is the one who left.

I'm glad Shia is the worst is catching on. I really want a shirt with that on it but unfortunately I think people would assume it was referring to Shia LeBeouf. But the UnReal fans would know.

 

And Jeremy, what a jerk. I know that Rachel is a consenting adult and wasn't intoxicated when he came on to her, but she was clearly distraught and needed a friend, not a f*** ('Everyone wants me for a friend or a f***, and I'm only a Junior). And when he said "I know you better than you think I do," I wanted to throw something at the TV. He 'knew' she needed sex at that moment, not someone to listen to her and simply be there for her so that maybe she could stop pacing around with crazy eyes? He 'knew' how depressed she was last season, before, during, and after her on-camera outburst?  No, he did not.

This. I don't think anyone is trying to take away Rachel's agency and I know for the sake of the show the scene is going to be condensed and things are going to happen quickly. But just interpreting what happened on screen, he saw her go into her temporary apartment, followed her, talked to her a bit and then jumped into initiating a kiss and then sex. That doesn't really make it seem like his main motive was comforting and his self-righteousness is really wearying. 

Edited July 16, 2015 by aradia22

[aradia22]

 

I noticed that too.  She began the scene lecturing them on getting away with murder and then asked to go back to work.

I hate defending Shia but it made sense in the scene. Shia was having trouble coping with her guilt and Quinn said that she deals with her feelings by working. That's why Shia asked about getting back to work. 

 

I totally thought Mary's sister was going to expose the letter as fake, live on TV and things would spiral.

I thought so too and I'm glad they didn't do that. That's the kind of thing Empire would do thinking short term but it would end up getting too messy as a plot line. I like that UnReal is all about keeping the machine of Everlasting churning. 

 

The show cut away right after he made the comment so I'm not sure what they were going for.  I thought they were going to show him being dismissive of the death of a black woman because he didn't think the audience would care so much but then show him getting more worried once he realized it was the white mother.

It could have gone there but I think it was more about the casual and callous way they think about the contestants. He could have just as easily said "the bitch" or any of the other stereotypes. It went nicely with the end as he was going to the car and talking about how emotional the scene with the sister was but in the context of the show. Did he actually say he got goosebumps? Gross. 

 

Seeing as the show is now two contestants down from where they thought they would be at this point in the season (Mary + Maya, wow this show isn't great to people who's name starts with M), I'm guessing the producers are going to throw a lot of money at Britney - the original planned Villain of the season of Everlasting - to make a surprise return to the show.

This would probably be better for the speculation thread but I doubt it. It might have worked for The Bachelor but after Everlasting has faced so much tragedy and with the hard push they're making at a real fairytale, I don't see them bringing Britney back. It would do more to invalidate the fiction of Adam looking for true love than it would help anyone.

 

And why would this work? I swear your hand writing changes dramatically when you are stressed and the court believes me, why? If this were the real world and is not, losers get custody of their kids all the time. OJ got his kids.  A couple of sessions with a psychiatrist and supervised visits and Lilly moves in with daddy.  Stupid sister needs to sue for wrongful death. In the real world if sorry bid dad wants custody he will get it.

If we're talking about the real world isn't anything about handwriting difficult to prove in court? It's a convenient device for mystery/crime books and some TV shows but my understanding is that the testimony of handwriting "experts" doesn't hold much weight. On the other hand, the glimpse I got at the letter was very neatly written, almost like it was typed. Bad job, prop department.

 

It was inside Lilly's teddy bear. Probably not something the cops even looked at. But Mary would know her daughter would eventually get the teddy bear back. It was the perfect place for Rachel to say she found the note.

Oh my God. I'm suddenly thinking of how much they emphasized the teddy bear, especially in the first episode. Should we have seen this coming? It scares me how far ahead they were thinking. In a good way.

[ketose]

I can certainly attest to not knowing who the hell the contestants are. It kinds of reminds me of the movie "Who Wants to Marry Ryan Banks?" which was renamed "The Reality of Love" for DVD. The contestants disappeared at an amazing clip, with only the two important actresses left for the last half hour.

[TiffanyNichelle]

 

I've got my eye on the intern. You don't get screen time for no reason. Is she still doing Rachel's community service?

I don't trust her either. She's always around and I think she's taking note of a lot more than she's letting on. If Shia doesn't write a tell-all I can see the intern blackmailing Quinn and Chet with what she knows.

[Zuleikha]

I was completely blown away by Chet ending the ep saying he'd left his wife. I wonder if that will stick though. Once they start talking divorce money, I could see him deciding it's not worth it.

 

I hope so. Now that the show finally showed Chet and Quinn working together, their relationship makes a lot of sense. I prefer Chet having some competency and usefulness to him just being a trust fund, washed-up druggie. The past episodes have made it sound like he has so much money and such a crap relationship with Cynthia that why not walk away and pursue something real with Quinn?

 

I also liked the way the show casually showed us the Old Boys Network that Quinn is up against in the way Chet and that network guy react to each other. That guy will never treat her as a peer or respect her the way he does Chet. It's nice to see the glass ceiling realistically portrayed but not be beaten over the head with it.

[Phei]

Anyone else really hate Rachel?

[Mabinogia]

I also liked the way the show casually showed us the Old Boys Network that Quinn is up against in the way Chet and that network guy react to each other. That guy will never treat her as a peer or respect her the way he does Chet. It's nice to see the glass ceiling realistically portrayed but not be beaten over the head with it.

 

That was a great scene, and the kind if stuff I prefer to see over the love triangle and extremely contrived and predictable "attraction" between Rachel and Adam which I called before the show even started. I'm far more interested in "the making of the show" stuff than the same romance stuff we see on every other show on earth because, for me, the characters are all so horrible as people that I don't care if they find love or not but I am interested in the way they do their job.

 

I'm not sure I'll make it through season two since the show is focused so much on the romance and typical drama and the whole "we're producing a show" is really just the setting for the same story we always see.

 

And Phei, I despise Rachel which is another reason I probably won't stick with the show, since she's the beloved by many main character and isn't going anywhere.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Mabinogia

[dubbel zout]

And isn't that the point of your legal defense, telling them the truth so they can protect you from it?

 

Sometimes it's better the lawyers don't know the truth, because as officers of the court they can't knowing suborn perjury.

 

The past episodes have made it sound like he has so much money and such a crap relationship with Cynthia that why not walk away and pursue something real with Quinn?

For one thing, California is a community property state, and depending on how long they've been married, Chet could have to pay her a lot of money.

[VartanFan]

I think that Jeremy is the guy who WANTS to be better than everyone else.  Hence the selection of the boring fiancee..but he's got some dark and dirty in him and so he and Rachel feed off of each other in a very explosive way.  It's unhealthy but they sort of can't help it.  He had a welcoming smile as Rachel started toward him before the fiancee interrupted.  So the whole thing still intrigues me - especially because it seemed like he was her first choice for comfort after that day.  Only after he went home with Boring did she get into bed with Adam.  

 

I can't help it - I'm an unabashed sucker for 'shipping.  

[Vicky8675309]

I've heard rumors that Big Brother has messed with people's medications…..house guests have claimed their meds were messed with

[earlbny]

I've read that they are supposed to give out meds on reality shows like they are in camp. People come around daily to hand out meds. No contestant gets to keeps meds. I guess they could mess with them before they hand them out.
 

[A Boston Gal]

I've heard rumors that Big Brother has messed with people's medications…..house guests have claimed their meds were messed with

 

 

I've read that they are supposed to give out meds on reality shows like they are in camp. People come around daily to hand out meds. No contestant gets to keeps meds. I guess they could mess with them before they hand them out.

 

 

Seriously? I mean, I'm not trying to sound naive, but ....my God, I can't believe that! Ok, I can believe it, but...what if someone got really ill? And what's with CASTING  people that need all these mood meds, anyways?  Would they withhold, say, thyroid medicine or blood pressure medicine as well, or just meds that affect the state of mind?

 

I'm really stunned by this; wouldn't networks' legal departments put the kibosh on this practice, if only for liability reasons (not even expecting them to have ethics here)?

[Pepper Mostly]

I hope so. Now that the show finally showed Chet and Quinn working together, their relationship makes a lot of sense. I prefer Chet having some competency and usefulness to him just being a trust fund, washed-up druggie. The past episodes have made it sound like he has so much money and such a crap relationship with Cynthia that why not walk away and pursue something real with Quinn?

 

I also liked the way the show casually showed us the Old Boys Network that Quinn is up against in the way Chet and that network guy react to each other. That guy will never treat her as a peer or respect her the way he does Chet. It's nice to see the glass ceiling realistically portrayed but not be beaten over the head with it.

This was a great episode for Chet. You could really see him in action, see what makes him successful. And agreed on the scenes with the network guys--great exposition. So well done! All the hugging and good wishes, meanwhile everyone is seething.

 

And I think Chet, like a lot of married men who have affairs, likes to have a stable home life and a non-challenging spouse, who takes care of his home, gets his stuff to the cleaners, keeps him organized, attend social events and provide warm food and a warm body when needed. When Mary killed herself he had to confront the notion that he is actually in love with Quinn. Again, Chet is shown to be more than the slovenly, bearded, slightly ridiculous figure he seems to be. I LOVE that he's not a cartoon villain. I adore his character. "hey, home slice!" had me cracking up.

[fastiller]

I've heard rumors that Big Brother has messed with people's medications…..house guests have claimed their meds were messed with

 

 

Seriously? I mean, I'm not trying to sound naive, but ....my God, I can't believe that! Ok, I can believe it, but...what if someone got really ill? And what's with CASTING  people that need all these mood meds, anyways?  Would they withhold, say, thyroid medicine or blood pressure medicine as well, or just meds that affect the state of mind?

 

Yeah, I can't wrap my mind around any adult who is on maintenance meds (for any condition: bi-polar disorder, for hypertension, for diabetes) volunteering to hand over said meds to a non-medical person.  Even handing them over to a doctor on set is questionable to me.  Also - why are these shows -- if this is true -- not just allowing the cast to self dispense?

[earlbny]

I also read that they would not cast anyone who is bipolar.

 

Here's is the link where I read that info.

 

http://www.possessionista.com/?s=UnREAl

Edited July 20, 2015 by earlbny

[Vicky8675309]

Seriously? I mean, I'm not trying to sound naive, but ....my God, I can't believe that! Ok, I can believe it, but...what if someone got really ill? And what's with CASTING people that need all these mood meds, anyways? Would they withhold, say, thyroid medicine or blood pressure medicine as well, or just meds that affect the state of mind?

I'm really stunned by this; wouldn't networks' legal departments put the kibosh on this practice, if only for liability reasons (not even expecting them to have ethics here)?

This is likely all just bullshit but on this year's Big Brother viewers are saying Vanessa is getting too much of her Adderall (Ritalin) but I suspect she is slightly manic due to the environment. I do believe posters who say they know former contestants who claim their meds were messed with. Maybe it is the contestant blaming their behavior on something else…who knows but I wouldn't be surprised if a show assistant gave an extra stimulant here and there. I doubt it is officially sanctioned and the show itself would want plausible deniability however put pressure on the employees and who knows what they could do…I'm just speculating and have no inside knowledge.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Vicky8675309

[SourWolf]

A violent ex: the 29th season of The Real World paired castmates with their exes. Some of the altercations did become physical.

 

I've seen both seasons of Challenge: Exes and I don't remember any of the former couples having a history of physical abuse against each other. With that said, The Challenge producers have definitely been known to invite back people who have attacked other competitors on the show. Years ago one of the cast members punched someone in the face and chased him around the house threatening to murder him. A couple seasons later both were paired together for the first "Rivals" season. They also keep inviting back Nia who attacked one of her female roommates on the Real World, tried to get one of her friends to beat up a male roommate, and sexually assaulted said male roommate on the last season of The Challenge. 

 

I don't watch The Bachelor so I don't know how similar it is to Unreal in terms of the behind the scenes stuff, but I feel like Unreal is a pretty realistic (and scary) representation of what occurs on The Challenge and Real World sets. There's two rape incidents that occurred during Challenge/Real World filming and in both cases the producers did not want to cooperate with the investigation. That's very eerily similar to Rachel and Quinn choosing not to be honest about the reason for Mary's suicide because they don't want to lose Everlasting. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Let's go ahead and take any further conversation about what happens (maybe? possibly?) on actual reality shows over to the Unreality vs. Reality topic - including discussion on if shows may or may not control meds. Thanks!

[wayne67]

Anyone else really hate Rachel?

 

I loathe Rachel. I find her tedious. She seems to want to claim the high moral ground while manipulating people and she has no enthusiasm for it.

 

I prefer Quinn she's amoral and she's fine with it. Rachel comes across as one of those people who say they hate something or someone and yet they keep engaging in the same behaviour over and over again so they can continue to whine about it. It's pathetic.

 

I just want Rachel to pick a position, any position and stick with it. Does she want Jeremy or Adam? Does she care about her 'girls' or does she only care about the show?

 

I'm not a fan of fickled characters, they drive me nuts. Pick something and roll with it already.

 

That said I was waiting for someone to figure out the note was faked as soon as it was introduced, then it dragged out for so long that I started to wonder that I might have been wrong and then the sister confirmed it and I was like "finally someone has a brain."

 

But after the sister saying she knew it all went downhill for me. The sister knew they fabricated a suicide note and she didn't even try and get them to use the 400 k they were going to give the wifebeater on a trust fund for that child. If nothing else it would have been good PR for the show and studio to do something positive to offset the suicide on set of a contestant.

 

Then Adam is standing right there as was a whole camera crew. Adam's response to that was " Hey crazy lady who just rocked up in my room and invited herself into my bed you're not a monster for forging a suicide note to cover your ass... "

 

Frankly I find it creepy that Rachel feels like she can help herself to whatever Adam has, a shower, a bed as if it's her right. Honestly can't she just set up in one of the vacated rooms of one of the eliminated contestants. It's a mansion, there should be an extra room she can use to shower and sleep. It's so stupid.

 

UGH. Adam you're a tool and Rachel is far too emo.

 

Also why isn't Rachel concerned about the cameras catching her constant inappropriate visits to Adam's room ? Does she think she's invisible or something ? Boggles the mind.

[Milburn Stone]

Only part of the episode I had a problem with was this: The execs and network counsel were all like, "Oh no, the husband wants a half million dollars! We're f*cked!!" In real life, it would have been, "Let me get this straight. You're telling me we can make this go away for a half million dollars? DONE! Next!"

Edited October 6, 2015 by Milburn Stone