S01.E05: Friends Without Benefits

[Tara Ariano]

Zac is called into court; Barbra abandons a friendship with Tami; and Jeff becomes a target after several mistakes.

[farmgal4]

I can't stand it when someone is continually playing the victim card. I'm looking at you, Tami.

[Madding crowd]

I'm starting to wonder what exactly this project is trying to prove. Everything the faux inmates are doing is wrong according to the talking head Sheriff, but if they have never been in jail before, how do they know any better? What is a person supposed to do if the pod boss starts punching in stuff on your commissary account? I sure wouldn't know how to handle it. I agree Tami is playing the victim, but Barbra seems like a total bitch to me and I am waiting for her friendships to backfire.

 

Robert is playing for the camera, but I would rather be in solitary than out among the criminals myself. He can read, go to the bathroom when he wants, and order stuff from commissary. The one guy practically begging to use a bathroom made me sure I would never volunteer for something like this. Zac and Isaac seem Ok, everyone else is annoying. I'm way tired of Maryum talking about being Ali's daughter every two minutes. No one is going to recognize you.

[lasandi]

When Maryum was making those faces while the news was talking about her dad, I was hollering at the tv damn girl someone is going to ask u what's up?

Tami needs to calm down. She is a police officer. Shouldn't she be able to have some kind of self control? Barbara was right to deflect to the tv, lol, don't be dragging her into that "didn't need to go down mess". You wanna be a tough guy with no backup, no gun and no badge, do it alone.

I feel sorry for Jeff. Gave away his whole lunch tray. I hope he doesn't get physically hurt.

Robert seems mentally challenged and maybe shouldn't be in that program at all. Is he really a teacher?

[Jordan61]

When Maryum was making those faces while the news was talking about her dad, I was hollering at the tv damn girl someone is going to ask u what's up?

That was ridiculous. Plus she was killing me with the whole, "if I say I am a Muslim they are totes going to know I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter!!" WTH?

Edited April 1, 2016 by Jordan61

[Maharincess]

If they were panicking so much over Zac going before a judge and blowing the program, what do they do when somebody decides to leave? How do they explain to everybody how all of a sudden this person is going home?

Myram (?) needs to shut the hell up about her dad. I agree with Jordan61, what the hell did she mean that saying she's Muslim would make them know who her dad is? What a dumb ass.

This show makes my claustrophobia rage like crazy. My stomach jumps just thinking of being locked in a small room like Robert is. I could handle being alone and the other apects of it but the locked door would do me in.

Not only is he locked in but even when the door opens there are so many other locked doors and hallways before you get to the outside. Just the thought makes me sick to my stomach. I keep thinking of fire or earthquakes which we have in my neck of the woods.

Yeah, I could never survive in jail.

[ZoloftBlob]

I'm starting to wonder what exactly this project is trying to prove. Everything the faux inmates are doing is wrong according to the talking head Sheriff, but if they have never been in jail before, how do they know any better?

 

The talking head sheriff isn't impressing me with his competence. I mean really, he has a special project running and there's no plan for what if an inmate is called to court other than "well, fuck".

 

Robert probably wasn't having as grand of a time as he was making out but I do buy that he wasn't finding the situation difficult. He's got books and pens/pencils, commissary, no one is threatening him.... Not to disparage the posters here who have discussed their incarceration but part of the problem of jail and prison is that you rarely get there by making smart, mature decisions. Someone who doesn't have a lot of education, who is used to an active physical lifestyle, is going to be bored out of their mind in solitary. Bored and frustrated. Robert might be a creepy asshole, but he seems to be an introvert. I'm also pretty tired of Sheriff Idiot whining how Robert just isn't taking this seriously... I mean really, Robert was a complete fucking tool in the class before jail and Sheriff Idiot put him thru.

 

Also - if you don't want Robert chowing on commissary, then I'm pretty sure you can take it away

 

Myrum is weird about her dad but she does look like him in the face so while I think she's badly overreacting, I think she's also not giving the cameras much to work with.

 

Tami needs some serious therapy. It's like, on the one hand I don't want to disparage her sad tale of foster care, on the other hand I was dying at the lack of self awareness when she was whining how Barbra was becoming an inmate... because if anyone here has fallen down into inmate patterns, its Tami. Barbra is a dumbass who will likely get her butt beat but really, she's actually making an effort to fit in. Tami wants to be the pod boss and doesn't understand that she's incredibly abrasive and kind of an asshole. It's going unstated so I say it - I also wonder if Tami being kind of butch and aggressive might be part of the problem.

 

*sidenote - the restroom situation in the men's pod feels like a potential lawsuit - I know its an overcrowding issue but it really is something Sheriff Idiot should look at.

[rck]

Has Maryum done anything other than eat popcorn and talk about being Muhammad Ali's daughter? I find it really hard to believe that someone would recognize her, and if it were such a risk then why was she selected for the program in the first place?

 

To be fair to her, I think it's entirely possible that she didn't talk about her father as much as it seems and that's just the only drama the editors had of her.

 

I didn't like Tami's "us and them" language when talking about the inmates vs. her and Barbra. Barbra actually seems to be doing a much better job of relating to the inmates.

 

I do feel bad for Tami, though, as annoyed as I was at her this episode. It seems like she came in really wanting to get into the whole experience, and she quickly got in over her head. I do get the impression that she might have some mental health issues.

[Maharincess]

Zoloftbob, the men's restroom situation is weird isn't it? It seems like it's set up to create conflict. I don't care where a person is, nobody should have to ask permission to go to the bathroom.

[Irritable]

The

head sheriff isn't impressing me with his competence. I mean really, he has a special project running and there's no plan for what if an inmate is called to court other than "well, fuck".

 

 

HaHa!  Well said.  I was frustrated by everyone going into freakout mode because Zac going to court would BLOW THE WHOLE PROJECT OMG.  First of all, saying Zac might panic in court was dumb, because he's the driest, least panicky-seeming person in the entire building. Second, all he would have to do if he even made it in front of the judge would be to keep his mouth shut tight, and when the time came that he was forced to speak just say he has not met with an attorney and has no representation.  The judge would then, assuming it ever got that far since it was clearly a paperwork mistake of some kind, call for a reschedule once he has had an opportunity to meet with a lawyer.  I will admit it's a pretty crazy coincidence that there are two Zac Hollands in the same facility at the same time.  Unless the whole thing was just a bunch of made up bullshit to create drama, and if so, then that would really disappoint me.

 

Still confused over here about what exactly Tami's problem is with Boston.  She claims Boston has been trying to push her past her limit since Day 1, but if that were true then wouldn't we have been shown some footage of that?  The woman who took Tami's shower shoes on the first day was someone else entirely, and it seemed like Tami just got butthurt because Boston has a swarm of women in the pod who enjoy hanging out with her and don't mind that she bosses them around a little.  She was shocked that no one came over to thank her and tell her they respect that she started a stupid yelling fight with Boston over nothing?  Learn how to read a room, Tami.  Boston has some kind of charm and charisma that works for her in that particular environment, and none of it seemed to be directed toward making Tami's life miserable, until Tami started shit out of nowhere. I don't like Barbara, AT ALL, but I completely understand why she wants to distance herself from Tami.    Yes, Tami, Boston and her entourage are loud and obnoxious.  That is how they were before you arrived, and has nothing to do with you.

 

Yaz has quite an unrealistic perception of her own "fame".

 

I find Robert as unbearable to watch as Donald Trump.  He makes my skin crawl.  I know he's way overdoing it with the "This solitary confinement thing is paradise!  Best time I've had in my whole life!" schtick because he doesn't want to admit that he was shaking in his little boots in the pod, but at the same time he's taking it so far that I'm starting to really believe there is something seriously wrong with him psychologically.  It's one thing to be a weird asshole, it's another to be a lunatic who teaches children.

 

Isiah was a new man after he got a nice shower with some real soap!  Isn't it amazing how quickly our spirits can be broken in just a few days by something as simple as not being able to feel clean.  He should definitely not go on Survivor.

 

I feel bad for the guy who just started giving away all of his worldly possessions in exchange for small scraps of kindness.  This is not the program for him.  And I'm not criticizing, because it's not the program for, me, either, but there's no way I would ever consider being a part of it.  I did have a giggle when no one would let him use the showers, and somebody said they aren't going to let anyone "disrespect my bathroom".  BWAH! (Not laughing that he was humiliated and prevented from using the bathroom, only that there is apparently some kind of inmate code about disrespecting bathrooms, which I did not even know was possible).

 

The woman who jumped from the second floor?  That was truly horrifying.  And now it makes me wonder why the design of the pod doesn't prevent that - should the railings be higher?  Should it be more cage-like on the upper level?  Shouldn't someone have seen that she needed to be in one of the suicide watch cells?  These are the kinds of things that need to be learned from and addressed, and all based on something that happened in a pod where none of the moles are stationed.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Irritable

[placate]

That was ridiculous. Plus she was killing me with the whole, "if I say I am a Muslim they are totes going to know I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter!!" WTH?

Ya, I don't get why she can't be Muslim.  They have different food for Muslims for a reason.  If she keeps eating the regular food, despite not eating the meat there's still a chance that the other things could have pork fat/gelatin/byproducts. It's not like her dad is the only Muslim in the state. Hell, she could pretend to be Jewish if she didn't want to be found out.

 

I think Barbra was wise not to get involved in Tami's drama.  Tami started it and she should be happy that all they're doing is ignoring her instead of beating the attitude out of her. 

 

Jeff is such a doormat.  He shouldn't have given away his tray.  The sheriff should've given them some advice like the worth of their commissary and meals as well as detailed backstories. 

 

I don't know how I feel about Isiah's mother encouraging him to stay the full two months.  I get on the one hand that she wants to deter him from crime, but I think his time there may have already done that.  I don't know if I would actively encourage someone to stay in a prison for two months for a reality tv show when his basic needs were denied to him for the first few days.

 

Robert's a fool whose putting on a tough guy act.  I can get engrossed in books so much that I ignore hunger and tiredness, but not so much that I can neglect social interaction.  Robert seems like a real attention whore so I don't think the interactions with the guards bringing him food are going to cut it.

[junemeatcleaver]

 

Someone who doesn't have a lot of education, who is used to an active physical lifestyle, is going to be bored out of their mind in solitary.

 

The problems with people being stuck in solitary are bigger and more complex than uneducated people being "bored out of their minds".

 

I get Maryum being paranoid over people figuring out she's related to Muhammad Ali, I just doubt anyone will.  I also don't know if she's actually mentioning it all the time, or as someone above said she's kind of uninteresting and that's the only storyline the producers have crafted for her.

 

I wonder if producers suspected Tami's unresolved issues with being in foster care and group homes would come back to haunt her.  She went in as a cop wanting to learn about the perps she arrests and is now a teenager out of her depth and drowning.  Interesting.

[jennylauren123]

When you gotta go, you gotta go, and I can see these people just completely barring Dress Shoes from using the bathroom. What happens then? It's inhumane, and something has to be done. They have to have one bathroom that doesn't require permission to use it. But I guess that's not possible, because the inmates with power will require permission for that one, too?

 

I feel for the guy. He is so lost and awkward. 

[Lion18]

Next week's episode shows Robert is going to get a psychiatric evaluation! Love it! I think his big act is covering up his mental instability

What parent would want him as their child's teacher after this?

[Jordan61]

If they were panicking so much over Zac going before a judge and blowing the program, what do they do when somebody decides to leave? How do they explain to everybody how all of a sudden this person is going home?

I don't know how these things work, but part of their cover stories is that they are being held on out-of-state warrants, so I figured if they tap out they can tell people the extradition or whatever came through and they're being transferred.

Re: the bathrooms. That is a terrible situation. I remember being horrified about that in one of the earlier episodes, when DiAundre was trying to get someone to let Robert use a bathroom. What are you supposed to do? The only solution I could come up with was wait until people lined up for chow then book it in there while it's empty/unguarded.

[Primetimer]

Ranking our fauxmates from most to least viable.

Read the story

[ZoloftBlob]

The problems with people being stuck in solitary are bigger and more complex than uneducated people being "bored out of their minds".

 

I agree and I am not trying to underplay that solitary isn't necessarily a great way to handle an inmate. But, for a short period of time, where books and paper are provided, an inmate like Robert who enjoys reading and safety, could ride out thirty days a lot more easily than say, the guys on Lockup who scream obscenities and who find new creative ways to fling their urine at the COs. And based on the show Lockup, I doubt Robert would handle solitary well in a facility where he gets a bible and nothing else and no privileges at all.

 

Zoloftbob, the men's restroom situation is weird isn't it? It seems like it's set up to create conflict. I don't care where a person is, nobody should have to ask permission to go to the bathroom.

 

I get that it's due to overcrowding but its a clear example of the inmates openly running the show while the guards don't intervene and access to the bathroom is clearly a control technique.

 

Still confused over here about what exactly Tami's problem is with Boston.

 

Tami is "older and wiser" and thinks that means all the young silly girls should be turning to her for advice and listening to her sage wisdom and she's frustrated that the young silly girls are basically telling her to fuck off. This actually happened in my basic training platoon - a similar situation but I admit, not jail. Most of us were 18-20 with maybe high school degrees, and we had one woman who was 33 and she was... alternating between wanting to be our mom and getting constantly pissed that the dumb bunch of kids wasn't listening to her. It got to the point that I, a reasonably nice person, was avoiding being around her because all she did was bitch about how stupid everyone my age was and I got tired of hearing how none of us understood because we weren't "up there" on her level, being relatively successful with a college degree in the civilian world.

 

Tami is in culture shock because she can't use the thing that gives her power, her professional status as a cop, and its messing with her.

[Marco Solo]

I agree and I am not trying to underplay that solitary isn't necessarily a great way to handle an inmate. But, for a short period of time, where books and paper are provided, an inmate like Robert who enjoys reading and safety, could ride out thirty days a lot more easily than say, the guys on Lockup who scream obscenities and who find new creative ways to fling their urine at the COs. And based on the show Lockup, I doubt Robert would handle solitary well in a facility where he gets a bible and nothing else and no privileges at all.

 

I get that it's due to overcrowding but its a clear example of the inmates openly running the show while the guards don't intervene and access to the bathroom is clearly a control technique.

 

Tami is "older and wiser" and thinks that means all the young silly girls should be turning to her for advice and listening to her sage wisdom and she's frustrated that the young silly girls are basically telling her to fuck off. This actually happened in my basic training platoon - a similar situation but I admit, not jail. Most of us were 18-20 with maybe high school degrees, and we had one woman who was 33 and she was... alternating between wanting to be our mom and getting constantly pissed that the dumb bunch of kids wasn't listening to her. It got to the point that I, a reasonably nice person, was avoiding being around her because all she did was bitch about how stupid everyone my age was and I got tired of hearing how none of us understood because we weren't "up there" on her level, being relatively successful with a college degree in the civilian world.

 

Tami is in culture shock because she can't use the thing that gives her power, her professional status as a cop, and its messing with her.

 

I thought it was strange how Zac's military background seemed to help but Tami's LE background seems to have hurt her. He seems used to a hierarchy and things like a lack of privacy and has adjusted well to what he wasn't used to (thus far). Tami seems completely unable to deal with no longer being an authority figure because of her badge, you're right.

[Pdxblonde]

Well, they do say that a lot of people who have problems with the law BECOME the law, which seems to be Tami's case. I mean, she is used to using her cop status as a means of power and control.

[VioletNevermind]

Robert.  I found myself staring at the TV with wide eyes and my mouth slightly open during his scenes.  He is one weird dude.  He’s trying very hard to channel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest-era Jack Nicholson, but instead of coming off like a belligerent-but-intelligent bad boy, he just seems mentally unhinged.  Robert also appears to believe that his participation in this show will lead to a career as an actor.  His “breakthrough role,” if you will.  His eventual return to the pod after a month in solitary will be interesting, to say the least.  I smell an ass-kicking of epic proportions.  The fact that Robert has close access to children scares me deeply.

 

Maryum.  Someone needs to get over herself, stat.  She clearly plays the fact that her father is Muhammad Ali to the hilt in her real life, whether people care (unlikely) or not (much more likely).  Not once have I looked at her and thought, “Wow, she sure does look slightly like Muhammad Ali.  I wonder if she’s his daughter.”  That would be like me fearing that people would think I was Freddie Mercury's daughter because I have an overbite.  Her reaction to the news story playing on the TV was laughable and cringe-worthy.  Now, if she were Laila Ali, she might have a legitimate point, but Maryum is very much not Laila Ali, so . . . cut it out.  You don’t eat pork-- so what?  Neither do tons and tons of other Americans, including myself.  Focus on staying out of the drama and making it to day 60.

 

Isaiah.  I’m still struggling to figure out why he signed up for this show.  Some of us aren’t meant to be naked and afraid, survive in the jungles of Madagascar, or be locked up with dangerous criminals for two months – and that’s okay!

 

Zac. His storyline this week was kind of dull.  He was called to court, then sent back.  Yawn.  Of all the participants, I think he’s faring the best.  He seems to have figured out the magic formula of appearing tough without coming off as antagonistic, and staying out of the drama.

 

Barbra. Well, she certainly came out of her shell!  I can understand why she joined the Cool Kids Crowd, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.  When I watch her scenes now, all I can think about is the news story about her making public demands for a refund to a recent Taylor Swift concert.

 

Tami.  I didn’t think my opinion of her could sink any lower than it was last week, but here we are.  She’s taking this whole process waaaaay too seriously.  Unresolved issues, party of one.  I mean, getting visibly mad at Barbra because she elected to back away from the drama?  If I were in Barbra’s place, I would have totally done the same thing.  At the end of the day, survival in prison is about looking out for number one and if that means stepping on a few toes and switching allegiances on a dime, so be it.  If I didn’t know Tami was there voluntarily, I would swear she was a prisoner, herself.  Her reactions to things are very middle school.  If Barbra wants to hang out with those silly bitches and braid hair and giggle in the cells all day, let her!   

 

Dress Shoes Kid.  Meh.  Giving away his entire breakfast tray and basically inviting other prisoners to use his commissary account money?  He’d better add a spine to that grocery list at some point before he gets his ass kicked.  I'm as far from a dangerous criminal as you can get and even my foot is itching a little bit.

Edited April 1, 2016 by SuzyLee

[Chaos Theory]

The whole point of this "exercise" at least for the sheriff was to find out the major areas of his prison that needed improvement. Things no inmate would tell him for fear of retaliation (like the bathroom thing) and no guard would tell him (not wanting to narc on their buddies). The idea is to send people in who have no immediate horses in the race.

Now the ones picked for the "exercise " may in large part been picked by the people doing the show. The Sheriff couldn't really put up a million new cameras to protect the participants without looking suspicious so he set up a reality tv program so the participants can go in and out as needed and speak to the camera crew if something when sideways. Again I think many if not most of these people were picked not by the Sherrif but by the people doing the program just to see how Suzy Homemaker or that crazy ass teacher with no sense would actually fair in prison. The last thing the show actually wants is a prison full of Zacs. That is kind of boring. The show needs Tami and Robert to create drama.

[Neurochick]

Maryum.  Someone needs to get over herself, stat.  She clearly plays the fact that her father is Muhammad Ali to the hilt in her real life, whether people care (unlikely) or not (much more likely).  Not once have I looked at her and thought, “Wow, she sure does look a lot like Muhammad Ali.  I wonder if she’s his daughter.”  That would be like me fearing that people would think I was Freddie Mercury's daughter because I have an overbite.  Her reaction to the news story playing on the TV was laughable and cringe-worthy.  Now, if she were Laila Ali, she might have a legitimate point, but Maryum is very much not Laila Ali, so . . . cut it out.  You don’t eat pork-- so what?  Neither do tons and tons of other Americans, including myself.  Focus on staying out of the drama and making it to day 60.

 

 

I think Maryum's story is that she's Muhammad Ali's daughter, meaning that she has no other story for the show.  I remember seeing pictures of her and her sisters, when I was a teenager, before Ali married Laila's mother (which was a big deal because everybody was saying that Veronica (Ali's third wife) was Belinda's (Ali's second wife) cousin).  I'd never know that Maryum was Ali's daughter unless she told me. 

[ZoloftBlob]

Now the ones picked for the "exercise " may in large part been picked by the people doing the show. The Sheriff couldn't really put up a million new cameras to protect the participants without looking suspicious so he set up a reality tv program so the participants can go in and out as needed and speak to the camera crew if something when sideways. Again I think many if not most of these people were picked not by the Sherrif but by the people doing the program just to see how Suzy Homemaker or that crazy ass teacher with no sense would actually fair in prison. The last thing the show actually wants is a prison full of Zacs. That is kind of boring. The show needs Tami and Robert to create drama.

 

I understand, and I agree, but Sheriff Idiot has to own the fact that whatever actually happened with casting, he's the dumbass who started this show with how carefully he vetted the civilians for his special project.

 

As it is, if Sheriff Idiot genuinely can't trust his staff to notice the bathroom situation that he's actually pointing out almost immediately, or the commissary problems,  or can't understand the potential problems of the female pod inmates having all evening nighttime access to each other's cells, then a reality show is not going help solve the problems.

 

I mean, I feel for Sheriff Idiot's problems  - the bathroom situation is one of overcrowding, what is he supposed to do other than build a new jail, but at the end of the day, he's the idiot displaying his ass here, and he needs to own it. I actually question the legality of filming the inmates with secret informer civilians in the mix for a for profit reality show, anyway

[Marco Solo]

I think Maryum's story is that she's Muhammad Ali's daughter, meaning that she has no other story for the show.  I remember seeing pictures of her and her sisters, when I was a teenager, before Ali married Laila's mother (which was a big deal because everybody was saying that Veronica (Ali's third wife) was Belinda's (Ali's second wife) cousin).  I'd never know that Maryum was Ali's daughter unless she told me. 

 

And you can be sure she would definitely tell you. 

[rainsmom]

I didn't like Barbra AT ALL as she was presented coming in to the show, but I think she has done a great job assimilating. Tami whined that Barbra was becoming an inmate, and I screamed, "THAT'S THE POINT." She's supposed to BE an inmate for 60 days, so she can evaluate the experience and report on it.

 

Tami is an idiot. She created her bed and doesn't like it at all. I'm really tired of watching her sulk because no one wants to play with her. Good God, woman. You are a newbie in their world. Don't expect them to change to suit you. They may be loud and giggly, but it wasn't targeted toward YOU. Just chill.

 

Okay, here's something that bugged me: the phones. Jails and prisons record phone calls. How are these undercover reality show participants discussing their temporary status on those phones with no expectation of privacy? 

 

Robert is a loon, yes, but I don't behoove him the commissary and meals. Why is Sheriff Idiot whining about that? If I had money on my account, I would probably eat my way through my incarceration too!

[TeapotWakeen]

How many days have they been in there, filming-wise? Are we to believe it's been a week, a few days? three weeks? I can't get a sense of that. Since they are being pulled out for filming 'the documentary on first timers" are they supposedly giving info to Sheriff Idiot in real time? or will it be a de-briefing at the end? How long did Robert practice his psycho-giggle? And, clearly he's no poet (I almost transcribed his poetry, but since I couldn't duplicate the kick on the metal door, I realized I would be cheating his literary genius).   And, weren't we led to believe there was only one female pod? but the attempted suicide was in another pod? I'm confused.. and yet I cannot look away.

[jennylauren123]

I'm puzzled by something. When Isaiah was talking to his mom on the phone, he was saying things like, "I don't know if I'm going to make it here the whole time."

 

I was really surprised that he was openly talking about his situation on the phone and almost giving it away. There is no privacy there, and it seemed that there were quite a few men close enough to be able to hear him if they tried. 

 

Anyone else notice that and want to weigh in?

Edited April 1, 2016 by jennylauren123

[Jordan61]

I'm puzzled by something. When Isaiah was talking to his mom on the phone, he was saying things like, "I don't know if I'm going to make it here the whole time."

I was really surprised that he was openly talking about his situation on the phone and almost giving it away. There is no privacy there, and it seemed that there were quite a few men close enough to be able to hear him if they tried.

Anyone else notice that and want to weigh in?

I did notice that. He pretty much flat out said, I don't know if I'm going to stay the whole time, and didn't seem concerned at all about people nearby overhearing. Weird, did he think if someone heard him his cover would be blown and he'd have an excuse to quit?

[Maharincess]

I hated how when Tami was on the phone she would turn and face the room and speak louder when she was talking about Barbra then turn back to the wall to talk about other stuff. That was disgustingly immature for a police officer.

It seems as though every other person in the program has found at least one other person they've bonded with and can hang around with but not Tami.

The preview made Barbra look like an idiot the way she was sobbing when one of the inmates was released.

I feel bad for Dress Shoes. I don't think he's going to make it in there. The poor guy obviously has never gotten over being bullied and picked on when he was a kid, and the bullying in there will be so much worse than what a high schooler can dish out.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Maharincess

[farmgal4]

That was ridiculous. Plus she was killing me with the whole, "if I say I am a Muslim they are totes going to know I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter!!" WTH?

That was ridiculous. Plus she was killing me with the whole, "if I say I am a Muslim they are totes going to know I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter!!" WTH?

Maryum is wearing me out with the "I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter" shit. I'm betting that 90% of the inmates don't even know who Muhammad Ali is.

[ZoloftBlob]

I did notice that. He pretty much flat out said, I don't know if I'm going to stay the whole time, and didn't seem concerned at all about people nearby overhearing. Weird, did he think if someone heard him his cover would be blown and he'd have an excuse to quit?

 

I really didn't take his comments as blowing his cover as much as he was being a whiny little bitch crying to his mommy how he wanted to come home and thought she could somehow get him out of trouble. But that he's ready to quit goes back to the super awesome vetting process...

 

Am I the only one who thinks this show is a super awesome way to get the jail sued on so many levels? I mean, its now documented that the staff is so incompetent, they don't even pull the right prisoners for court hearings. An inmate in the female pod where no one is ever required to sleep or stay in their own cell manages to jump over the rail, well why not? It's not like anyone is watching her. Two inmates openly discuss how they are about to fight while being observed on camera and the jail does nothing? Inmates being denied toilet facilities? On camera? Anyone who sues can point to this tv show to show how its *documented* that inmates were denied toilet facilities.

[Chaos Theory]

Maryum is wearing me out with the "I'm Muhammad Ali's daughter" shit. I'm betting that 90% of the inmates don't even know who Muhammad Ali is.

i think her whole identity is wrapped around being Ali's daughter. If she found out tomorrow that she wasn't it would break her to her very core. There is just nothing else to her that I can see. At least the other two women for better or worse have personalities that transcend what they think they are. Tami strikes me as someone who is on the Asperger spectrum but has found a way to overcome it on the outside but is having a harder time on the inside. Barbara is the "every woman" character of the show. Maybe a bit more conservative then some but she is the road map of how the majority of us would fair in jail.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[farmgal4]

And you can be sure she would definitely tell you.

Yes, she would, and I'm beginning to think she is pretty darn arrogant just because of who she is. I don't care who she is, I don't think I like her but not at the level that I don't like Tami. I despise Tami, and Barbra was wise to un-friend her.

[ZoloftBlob]

I don't think Tami is on the autism spectrum at all. I think she's insecure when she doesn't feel in control and her initial plan to puff up like a peacock and be the pod boss failed and now she's scared because she's pissed off a bunch of people she's stuck with who she pretty openly doesn't respect or like.

 

It's pretty clear the other inmates aren't interested in fighting her, she just keeps pushing and pushing.

[Maharincess]

Am I the only one who thinks this show is a super awesome way to get the jail sued on so many levels? I mean, its now documented that the staff is so incompetent, they don't even pull the right prisoners for court hearings. An inmate in the female pod where no one is ever required to sleep or stay in their own cell manages to jump over the rail, well why not? It's not like anyone is watching her. Two inmates openly discuss how they are about to fight while being observed on camera and the jail does nothing? Inmates being denied toilet facilities? On camera? Anyone who sues can point to this tv show to show how its *documented* that inmates were denied toilet facilities.

There are so many shows about jail and prison and no lawsuits have been brought because of those shows so I don't see why this one would be any different.

[ZoloftBlob]

There are so many shows about jail and prison and no lawsuits have been brought because of those shows so I don't see why this one would be any different.

 

Understood... but I have never seen it documented on Lockup and they go to some pretty shitty prisons and jails, that inmates are denied toilets unless they submit to the whims of other inmates.

 

I'm not saying it doesn't happen... but its not documented on film, the way it is here.

Edited April 1, 2016 by ZoloftBlob

[Irritable]

Tami is in culture shock because she can't use the thing that gives her power, her professional status as a cop, and its messing with her.

 

 

Beautifully said, and so succinct.  That's everything in a nutshell!  She can say it all takes her back to Foster Care days, but this makes a lot more sense.  I'm sure foster care was Hell, and I feel bad that she suffered through it her whole childhood, but this just really, REALLY is not the same thing at all.  She doesn't want to admit what the real problem is.  And there is even a chance that she herself doesn't understand that's the actual reason this is so tough for her.  She may not consider herself someone who uses being an officer to wield power, so feeling powerless now could be registering in her mind as something else.  As annoying as it is to watch her implode and create unnecessary problems, I can't help but feel bad for anyone who feels that alone.

[Chewy101]

I think the reason Tami is SO disliked, is because for the pecking order to work in these clique situations, someone has to be kept out. Tami made herself the target by letting Boston get to her. I don't think everyone even dislikes her, but if Tami is now a form of breaking social rules, no one is going near her. Girls are so freaking dumb. And this batch really is like highschool.

 

Barbra seems like a jerk - and I see why she has no friends. She is at summer camp, blending with the misfits because she cant hack it with functional people. I get her logic about wanting to avoid being in Tami's predicament, but at any point she could have approached Tami with a smile on her face and explained that she didn't want to accelerate the problem. Instead she is putting inmates ahead of the one girl she knows is also in the program.

 

I don't really see why Yaz can't just be Ali's daughter and still have gotten herself arrested.

 

Robert irritates me so much. So little respect, but he got what he really wanted- serious solo airtime on a reality show. He could give a crap about the program, and I hope someone knocks him out if the shrink clears him to go back in.

 

I still like Zac, but he is worrisome because he is more interested in going after drugs then remembering why he is really there. And now that his wife is visiting, I feel like they are really in danger.

 

Poor dress shoes. That is all I can say. 

[Maharincess]

Chewy 101, I agree with you about Maryum/Yaz, even if they did find out who her dad is that doesn't mean she can't get arrested just like anybody else.

I also agree with the poster who said that most of these women probably have no clue who Mohammad Ali is anyway.

[Jordan61]

Chewy 101, I agree with you about Maryum/Yaz, even if they did find out who her dad is that doesn't mean she can't get arrested just like anybody else.

I said the exact same thing to my husband earlier today. Celebrity kids get in trouble all the time.

[Maharincess]

It must be killing her to not be able to tell everybody who her dad is. I would bet money that everybody she meets knows who he is within 3 minutes of meeting her.

[kassa]

I am giving Maryam the "as wives of professional football players" benefit of the doubt (on an early Amazing Race one team continually used that phrase. Took us a while to clue in that the producers made them start every confessional with it) I can totally see producers asking her to work it into her response "so viewers seeing this episode without seeing the others will understand who you are."

Nobody goes into social work to be a fame whore.

Her mugging face during the TV show was shown more than once. I don't necessarily believe it was even made at that time. They showed it from the same camera angle twice, and then from a much broader angle when it looked like it was directed at the woman across the table from her. I call shenanigans on that one.

Don't enjoy Robert's dead eyed performance art, but I do enjoy everybody around him using euphemisms for what a jerk he is.

[Neurochick]

My thoughts:

 

I really don't get Tami, has it occurred to her that maybe some of the women in the pod could have been in foster care themselves?  She's acting like foster care was something that happened to only her; I would not be a bit surprised if a good portion of the women there had been in foster care.

 

Jeff's problem is he wants to be liked.  He was afraid the other inmates wouldn't like him, so he went into people pleasing mode.  Jail however isn't the right place to do that, he just got taken advantage of.  

 

Barbra seems like a jerk - and I see why she has no friends. She is at summer camp, blending with the misfits because she cant hack it with functional people. I get her logic about wanting to avoid being in Tami's predicament, but at any point she could have approached Tami with a smile on her face and explained that she didn't want to accelerate the problem. Instead she is putting inmates ahead of the one girl she knows is also in the program.

 

In this case, to me Tami's the one who's not functional.  Barbara, like the inmates is trying to make the best of the situation, you're stuck in a place like that, might as well have a good time while your'e there.  Tami just wants to make things harder.  

[slasherboy]

I'm puzzled by something. When Isaiah was talking to his mom on the phone, he was saying things like, "I don't know if I'm going to make it here the whole time."

 

I was really surprised that he was openly talking about his situation on the phone and almost giving it away. There is no privacy there, and it seemed that there were quite a few men close enough to be able to hear him if they tried. 

 

Anyone else notice that and want to weigh in?

I think Isaiah was speaking in a quieter tone than it sounded like, and we just heard it amplified for the sake of the program because otherwise we wouldn't have heard it at all. I'm certain the inmates didn't hear it or else there absolutely would have been some reaction. I think his mother was wise to tell him he had to stay because Isaiah seems more like a mama's boy than a manly man. Maybe this will toughen him up some.

I agree that most, if not all, of those young women wouldn't have a clue who Muhammed Ali is/was. Some of the men, maybe, but the girls? No way. So, Yaz, you can stop making the goofy faces because your secret is safe. I'll bet she's a PITA in real life.

I feel sorry for Shiny Shoes. Tami's an odd bird. Barbra gives me a bad vibe. I believe Zac is going to want to stay on even after his 60 days are up. Isaiah is a whiner. Robert ... stone cold psycho.

[lasandi]

Robert.  I found myself staring at the TV with wide eyes and my mouth slightly open during his scenes.  He is one weird dude.  He’s trying very hard to channel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest-era Jack Nicholson, but instead of coming off like a belligerent-but-intelligent bad boy, he just seems mentally unhinged.  Robert also appears to believe that his participation in this show will lead to a career as an actor.  His “breakthrough role,” if you will.  His eventual return to the pod after a month in solitary will be interesting, to say the least.  I smell an ass-kicking of epic proportions.  The fact that Robert has close access to children scares me deeply.

 

Maryum.  Someone needs to get over herself, stat.  She clearly plays the fact that her father is Muhammad Ali to the hilt in her real life, whether people care (unlikely) or not (much more likely).  Not once have I looked at her and thought, “Wow, she sure does look slightly like Muhammad Ali.  I wonder if she’s his daughter.”  That would be like me fearing that people would think I was Freddie Mercury's daughter because I have an overbite.  Her reaction to the news story playing on the TV was laughable and cringe-worthy.  Now, if she were Laila Ali, she might have a legitimate point, but Maryum is very much not Laila Ali, so . . . cut it out.  You don’t eat pork-- so what?  Neither do tons and tons of other Americans, including myself.  Focus on staying out of the drama and making it to day 60.

 

Isaiah.  I’m still struggling to figure out why he signed up for this show.  Some of us aren’t meant to be naked and afraid, survive in the jungles of Madagascar, or be locked up with dangerous criminals for two months – and that’s okay!

 

Zac. His storyline this week was kind of dull.  He was called to court, then sent back.  Yawn.  Of all the participants, I think he’s faring the best.  He seems to have figured out the magic formula of appearing tough without coming off as antagonistic, and staying out of the drama.

 

Barbra. Well, she certainly came out of her shell!  I can understand why she joined the Cool Kids Crowd, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.  When I watch her scenes now, all I can think about is the news story about her making public demands for a refund to a recent Taylor Swift concert.

 

Tami.  I didn’t think my opinion of her could sink any lower than it was last week, but here we are.  She’s taking this whole process waaaaay too seriously.  Unresolved issues, party of one.  I mean, getting visibly mad at Barbra because she elected to back away from the drama?  If I were in Barbra’s place, I would have totally done the same thing.  At the end of the day, survival in prison is about looking out for number one and if that means stepping on a few toes and switching allegiances on a dime, so be it.  If I didn’t know Tami was there voluntarily, I would swear she was a prisoner, herself.  Her reactions to things are very middle school.  If Barbra wants to hang out with those silly bitches and braid hair and giggle in the cells all day, let her!   

 

Dress Shoes Kid.  Meh.  Giving away his entire breakfast tray and basically inviting other prisoners to use his commissary account money?  He’d better add a spine to that grocery list at some point before he gets his ass kicked.  I'm as far from a dangerous criminal as you can get and even my foot is itching a little bit.

Yaaaassssss to everything you wrote. I just want to defend Maryum, just a tad, silly faces aside. While watching tv she was afraid they might show pics of his children which then her gig would be up because if she lied about who she is what else is she lying about. And if they decided to jump her in that moment, she would get hurt before the CO's could get in to rescue her. She should really relax now because the news did show Ali's picture and not one of those women did a double take or said "hey, you look just like Muhammad Ali".

[placate]

I don't really see why Yaz can't just be Ali's daughter and still have gotten herself arrested.

All I can think is that it might cause some conflict with the filming. Yes, noone is surprised that a celebrity has an arrested child.  However, if she went on as an Ali instead of a Yaz, she'd have to contend with tabloids wanting to tell us about Ali's daughter getting locked up.  She'd be questioned about her dad even more.  Even though we get the whole, I'm Muhamid Ali's daughter we'd get this x100 if she checked in under her real name.

 

Social workers do so much shit, I'm hoping she gets to find out more about the women she might have taken kids from while she's in jail, but she's just a popcorn chewing inmate with no real voice,

[Chewy101]

Isaiah.  I’m still struggling to figure out why he signed up for this show.  Some of us aren’t meant to be naked and afraid, survive in the jungles of Madagascar, or be locked up with dangerous criminals for two months – and that’s okay!

 

 

Well, he says he did this to experience what his brother is going through serving a five year sentence. Kid is getting scared straight, to say the least. Which is what his mom wanted. Isaiah is only 18 and didn't commit a crime to be there, so to me his shock and fear adds up. And because he can leave anytime, it's hard to resist the temptation to bail when things get too scary or vulnerable.

 

I don't think Yaz needed to check in under her own name... Although big deal about the tabloids, when the show airs, the rumors subside. But my point is, should someone catch her lie about her name, if she said she didn't want anyone to know who she was and therefor lied to hide, they would all get over it anyway. They are all full of crap.

[Neurochick]

I kind of like Maryum, being a social worker is a thankless job, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  If a child dies at the hands of their parents,social workers are blamed for not doing enough; but if the social workers take a child from their parents, they get blamed for breaking up a family.  Can't win.

[kassa]

I suspect she doesnt follow the eating laws religiously (!) in her daily life except avoiding pork, the way lots of Jews don't keep kosher but draw the line at bacon. So the dietary thing might not have meant much to her going in until pork was the entree.

I wonder how the place is mic'd. I know there's no expectation of privacy in jail, and yet if they had the ability/right to zero in on any conversation they wanted, it seems like that would give them the kind of answers these people are in for.

I think Tami's issues precede this situation. Her wife's reaction was not that of someone shockedand saddened that her rock of a spouse was feeling broken and alone, but more like "you know you get like this, let it go."

Edited April 2, 2016 by kassa

[Jordan61]

I don't think Maryum is that kind of a social worker. At least that's not what it sounds like from her bio on her website. Not that I'm trying to take away from the good that she does, but I'm not sure she's an actual, nuts & bolts, 9-5 job type social worker.

http://www.maryumali.com/bio/

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she did work in the field for a while, got frustrated, and is starting her own outreach programs. Having worked in county mental health in California myself, I can easily see that being the case.

Edited April 2, 2016 by Jordan61