Total Bellas - General Discussion

[SunnyBeBe]

My understanding was that after Nikki broke off the engagement, Cena became frustrated about it, missed her, as he said in public appearances and then said that he had changed his mind and that he WOULD have children with her. To me, that seems to be a ploy to get her back into the engagement and not so much a real change of his preference.  So, I interpreted that as him fooling her.  But, I'm not that familiar with this cast. Perhaps, I have misinterpreted the relationship.  I'm not a long time fan or anything like that.   I do recall the negative feelings that I got about Cena from watching the show on occasion.  I especially disliked the way he addressed Nikii in a scene where they were discussing emergency contact people or Healthcare power of attorneys, etc.  in case they were hurt or sick.  He seemed to put her down like she was nothing to him.  I found it incredibly cruel. Why would she be cut out of that as a fiance? Perhaps, it was staged.  

But, if Cena doesn't want children, that's certainly his right.  But, since, he knows that Nikki does, the kind thing to do is set her free and not placate her until she's too old or can't for some reason. But, this may all be a moot point, because, it seems that now Nikki is not too keen on the idea of the engagement.  

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

My understanding was that after Nikki broke off the engagement, Cena became frustrated about it, missed her, as he said in public appearances and then said that he had changed his mind and that he WOULD have children with her. To me, that seems to be a ploy to get her back into the engagement and not so much a real change of his preference.  So, I interpreted that as him fooling her.

Yeah, I never got the impression that Cena sincerely wants children, he's just willing to compromise because SHE wants them.  I don't see that as trying to fool her, but rather trying to please her so he can keep his trophy girlfriend.  I thought he was fairly clear on the subject, that he didn't really want kids but he would have them to make her happy.  I guess it's a bit like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  Maybe Nikki doesn't want to have kids with someone who isn't enthusiastic about it, she'd probably end up doing most of the work (well, her and the nanny).

Like I said before, I'm no fan of Cena, although I find his charity work very admirable.  He's the top Make-a-Wish wish granter, for instance.  But he comes off as having a stick up his you know what, too stuffy/snobby for me to be comfortable with.  Brie and Bryan come off as more "normal", and they seem to be on the same page.  Nikki and John both seem to be more into being big shot celebrities.  But I've read people on here that don't like Brie, so who knows?

[SunnyBeBe]

I know this sounds really odd, but, when I see close up shots in video of Cena, it kind of scares me. I'm not sure why.  He is a big guy, but, something about his persona just gives me a chill.  I'm not sure why, because, I don't even recall seeing him wrestle.  I don't get that feeling with other large wrestlers in close up shots like Batista or The Rock and he's smaller than they are. 

Edited July 7, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[DkNNy79]

1 hour ago, rmontro said:

Yeah, I never got the impression that Cena sincerely wants children, he's just willing to compromise because SHE wants them.  I don't see that as trying to fool her, but rather trying to please her so he can keep his trophy girlfriend.  I thought he was fairly clear on the subject, that he didn't really want kids but he would have them to make her happy.  I guess it's a bit like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  Maybe Nikki doesn't want to have kids with someone who isn't enthusiastic about it, she'd probably end up doing most of the work (well, her and the nanny).

Like I said before, I'm no fan of Cena, although I find his charity work very admirable.  He's the top Make-a-Wish wish granter, for instance.  But he comes off as having a stick up his you know what, too stuffy/snobby for me to be comfortable with.  Brie and Bryan come off as more "normal", and they seem to be on the same page.  Nikki and John both seem to be more into being big shot celebrities.  But I've read people on here that don't like Brie, so who knows?

Yes John has stated from the beginning that he didn’t want to get married again or have kids.  While this was disappointing to Nikki she made the decision to stick with him because she loved him and she thought she could let go of those two things.  Her family, especially Brie kept reminding Nikki how important those things (especially being a mother) were to her, to the point some folks thought they were taking it too far.  However they know her the best and it turns out they were right, Nikki really wants to be a mother and ultimately his lukewarm offer to give her babies wasn’t enough I guess to save the relationship.

Edited July 7, 2018 by DkNNy79
Grammar

[rmontro]

On 7/7/2018 at 11:41 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I know this sounds really odd, but, when I see close up shots in video of Cena, it kind of scares me. I'm not sure why.  He is a big guy, but, something about his persona just gives me a chill.  I'm not sure why, because, I don't even recall seeing him wrestle. 

I've seen footage somewhere of Cena, I think it was from before his wrestling career, he's on some sort of prank show (can't remember the name of it).  I saw this years ago on YouTube, and I can't seem to find it again, or even a reference to it, and I've tried several times.  Maybe someone else will know what I'm talking about.  But anyway:

They're playing a joke on some poor actor who they are rehearsing.  They tell him what he's going to do, and tell him he's going to be working with this other actor (Cena).  I think they were supposed to get into some sort of physical altercation.  Cena storms onto the set and he's pretending to be angry.  He's angry with the director, apparently he has some issues about not being paid yet, he's indirectly threatening the young actor they're playing the joke on, like he's going to beat the tar out of him just because he's so upset with what's going on, and of course Cena is all buffed up and looks pretty intimidating.  Cena's like "Yeah, I'll play the scene, I'll fight this guy, I'll tear him up" or whatever.  And the actor is like "Uh, wait a minute guys, I don't think we should do this scene right now, I think he's serious".  And the director is all "No, no, don't worry about it, it will be fine".  I remember being impressed with how well Cena played that part, he was genuinely scary, I wouldn't want to have been on the set with him.  Your comment reminded me of that.

[rmontro]

Nikki is coming off more and more as an eccentric.  She strikes me as the type of person who would walk down the aisle and marry herself, just to show how independent she is.  But when she was trying on the wedding dress, she really does seem like she could look good in anything.

I do see that Brie has a tendency to stir the pot on occasion.  For instance, when Nikki said John wanted to say the traditional vows instead of writing their own, she seemed to disapprove and said "Interesting".  Not sure why that is such a big deal.

I wasn't aware that the husband was generally that involved in planning weddings, I thought it was more the bride, family, and wedding planner.

Rigging the car with a passenger side brake to demonstrate how irritating Kathy's backseat driving really came off as scripted/contrived.  I did think it was funny that Kathy was actually telling the backseat driver how to brake, essentially backseat driving the backseat driver.

When they were drinking in the restaurant at the end, those were the biggest wine glasses I've ever seen.

Next week is what they call the "Bachelorette trip", which I guess is the supposed to serve as the bachelorette party?  I'm not sure.

[OnceSane]

Episode 8:

Quote

"A Bella Bachelorette"

Nikki plans the bachelorette party of her dreams with her family and friends in Paris but Brie has other plans to liven up the party; Nikki tries to hide her emotions and anxiety from the rest of the girls about her upcoming wedding to John Cena.

Airs July 15, 2018.

[WarmSkull]

On 7/10/2018 at 1:04 PM, rmontro said:

Rigging the car with a passenger side brake to demonstrate how irritating Kathy's backseat driving really came off as scripted/contrived. 

That’s how I felt about the Brie ‘tries to spend 30K on an item that she knows Brian will complain about’ storyline. Thankfully, they followed one of their earlier narratives where the man points out the mistake to the woman and, oh my gosh, doesn’t she feel silly but wow, she learned a valuable lesson. 

 

I hate watched episode E07. But I am sticking to my guns for E08 and onward -  I’m not watching this garbage anymore. I read a recap of E08 on a wrestling site (thanks google!) and it seemed that E08 was the same drivel. Down to the point where Nikki allegedly complains she isn’t sure she wants to walk down the aisle with John. 

[rmontro]

Saw part one of the Bachelorette party, can't really think of much to say about it, but I don't want the episode to go unmarked.  Obviously the impending marriage seems to be on a collision course with.... something, not sure what.  Nikki's doubts about marrying John, I guess.  They seem to get along well when they're together, I suppose the fact that he is away so much will come between them?

The one thing that struck me in this episode is how much Kathy (the Bellas mom) suffers from anxiety.  Last week she was worried about being driven in cars, this week she was worried because of the terrorist attack in Paris.  I wonder what is causing her anxiety?  Maybe it's just her personality.

Can't help but notice that all the women in the Bellas party were very attractive.  Stands to reason I guess.

[Landlord]

I couldn't even bring myself to watch the first part of the Bella Bachelorette. I'm over those girls, and no Daniel Bryan makes it not worth the 40 minutes I would put into watching this. I'll be here for whatever new season of Divas, but Bellas, eck... They aren't even wrestling anymore. They are just kept around for $$$ and because they f**k two of the biggest talents.

[OnceSane]

Episode 9:

Quote

"Paris Bachelorette Part Deux"

Nikki's Paris bachelorette continues and Brie pulls out all the stops to throw a grand masquerade ball; after almost three years of seeing multiple medical specialists, Daniel Bryan finally learns the fate of his career with WWE.

Airs July 22, 2018.

[WarmSkull]

Quote

Sunday's episode of WWE's Total Bellas on E! drew 594,000 viewers and ranked #23 for the night on cable in the 18-49 demographic.

This is down from last week's episode, which drew 719,000 viewers and ranked #16 for the night on cable.

This is referring to then Bella Bachlorette part 1 episode from last week.

 

Source and other details here: http://amp.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2018/0717/642863/big-drop-in-viewership-for-this-week-total-bellas-episode/

[StaceyNotStacie]

There was a PPV on at the same time, so that might have something to do with the drop in ratings. 

[rmontro]

I didn't feel like I needed two weeks of the bachelorette party, I was pretty bored of it by the time it was over.  Especially in view that it's all a waste of time.  I kind of like Bree and Lauren's "opera off" and cheesy mime act though, horrible as it was.

Nice to see Daniel Bryan's return to wrestling speech, even though I saw it on Smackdown when it aired.  

[rmontro]

The Bellas were on Raw 7/23 to hear the announcement of a women's only PPV in October.  The announcers made a point to congratulate Total Bellas for the ratings they have been getting, so apparently WWE is happy with them, at least.  

[OnceSane]

Episode 10:

Quote

"Follow Your Heart"

The Bella twins jet off to New Orleans for an electrifying WrestleMania where Daniel Bryan makes his long-awaited return to the WWE ring; Nicole realizes her dream of being Mrs. Cena may no longer be her happily ever after.

Airs July 29, 2018.

[Hero]

This show is so mind- numbingly boring. The Bellas are not interesting people. The terrible acting really takes you out of the show. I can't stand Brie and her "better than you" attitude. She is just a follower. It seems like she let Bryan mold her into something that she is not. 

I think she is jealous of Nikki. She puts her down a lot and throws in her face the fact that she is not pregnant or married. She is very spiteful. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I was relieved to see this.  I wish the both much happiness as they go their separate ways.\

Quote

NIKKI BELLA & JOHN CENAIT'S OVER ...ONCE AND FOR ALL

 

http://www.tmz.com/2018/07/30/nikki-bella-john-cena-tell-friends-officially-over-breakup/

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, Hero said:

I can't stand Brie and her "better than you" attitude. She is just a follower. It seems like she let Bryan mold her into something that she is not. 

I think she is jealous of Nikki. She puts her down a lot and throws in her face the fact that she is not pregnant or married. She is very spiteful. 

Well, nobody's perfect.  I agree Brie can be a little passive aggressive at times, shoving what she has in Nikki's face.  But I still like her better than Nikki.  I wouldn't say Bryan molded her into something she wasn't, but maybe opened up new possibilities for her that she hadn't considered, and was willing to get behind (like the environmentalism).

They are twins after all, and if one twin is flawed, it stands to reason that the other one is also.  They both went after (and landed) the top two guys in the WWE.  

Nikki strikes me as being completely entitled.  Apparently the real problem in John and Nikki's relationship was that John was away so much trying to build his movie career.  The odd thing is we had to hear this from Brie's mouth:  "He got his career that he wanted so bad, but it ended up costing him the woman of his dreams".  I'm sure most of the ladies here will side with Nikki, but she made Cena look like a chump - "The chump is here!"  :)     She was the one who wanted to move in together, to get married, and to have kids, and he slowly agreed to each one of them, only to have her rebuff him in the end anyway.  Seems to me that she led him on and is fickle.  She probably did him a favor here though, because it looks to me like the real love of Nikki's life is in the mirror.

[rmontro]

Nikki is nominated for best reality TV star on the People's Choice Awards.  She is also rumored to have a big match at the upcoming all female PPV Evolution.  She was on Dancing with the Stars.

Why is Nikki pushed as a big star over Brie?  Is it because she got breast implants?  Because she dated John Cena?  Because she's single and doesn't have a child at home to take care of?  Anyone have an explanation?

[Tatum]

On 9/11/2018 at 5:17 PM, rmontro said:

Nikki is nominated for best reality TV star on the People's Choice Awards.  She is also rumored to have a big match at the upcoming all female PPV Evolution.  She was on Dancing with the Stars.

Why is Nikki pushed as a big star over Brie?  Is it because she got breast implants?  Because she dated John Cena?  Because she's single and doesn't have a child at home to take care of?  Anyone have an explanation?

I don't think Brie is talented at all, and has no charisma whatsoever. Brie is just blah. Nikki may be getting a big push from WWE, but of the two women, I think she's far more deserving and a far better bet than Brie. Nikki seems to me to be the more ambitious of the two, the more outgoing of the two, and the better wrestler.

[rmontro]

59 minutes ago, Tatum said:

I don't think Brie is talented at all, and has no charisma whatsoever. Brie is just blah. Nikki may be getting a big push from WWE, but of the two women, I think she's far more deserving and a far better bet than Brie. Nikki seems to me to be the more ambitious of the two, the more outgoing of the two, and the better wrestler.

I do agree that Nikki is more ambitious, as far as her career goes.

I've always thought it was odd that for twins, they each have an individual look.  But when they both put makeup on, Brie looks like Nikki.  I'm not sure what that means.

[Tatum]

Yeah, I can usually tell who is who, although Brie has darker and shorter hair, and, at one time, a thinner, more angular face. Since she gained weight and Nikki lost it, if they are wearing their hair up, I usually identify Nikki by the boobs. I do think Brie's voice is different from Nikki's, or the girls speak with different inflections at least. Nikki has more of a Valley girl twang to her voice, and Brie speaks a lot slower. Unless she's drinking. Also, Brie tends to get this look after she makes what she considers a particularly well driven point, like she just dropped the mic or something. Too bad it's usually either factually incorrect or makes no sense. I think Brie is dumber than a box of rocks. I think Nikki pretends  to be ditsy, but is actually intelligent.

[Hero]

10 hours ago, Tatum said:

Yeah, I can usually tell who is who, although Brie has darker and shorter hair, and, at one time, a thinner, more angular face. Since she gained weight and Nikki lost it, if they are wearing their hair up, I usually identify Nikki by the boobs. I do think Brie's voice is different from Nikki's, or the girls speak with different inflections at least. Nikki has more of a Valley girl twang to her voice, and Brie speaks a lot slower. Unless she's drinking. Also, Brie tends to get this look after she makes what she considers a particularly well driven point, like she just dropped the mic or something. Too bad it's usually either factually incorrect or makes no sense. I think Brie is dumber than a box of rocks. I think Nikki pretends  to be ditsy, but is actually intelligent.

I totally agree. Brie is so smug all the time. She thinks she is so much better than Nikki. I think Nikki is more likable and fun. Bryan's "better than you" attitude has rubbed off on Brie. 

I feel like Brie made a huge deal about leaving the WWE to have a kid. But when she saw how much attention Nikki was getting, she wanted to come back. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I read a couple of weeks ago that Nikki had changed her mind about wanting to have a child right now.  WTH?  After all that we saw about how that was the major desire for her.....Sounds bogus to me.  I'm definitely done with her and that whole thing....

[WarmSkull]

On 9/17/2018 at 11:37 AM, Tatum said:

Also, Brie tends to get this look after she makes what she considers a particularly well driven point, like she just dropped the mic or something. Too bad it's usually either factually incorrect or makes no sense.

 

Yes! (Yes! Yes!) I loved when they did then ancestry testing and Bryan revealed her results. Brie’s face was smug-like when she tried to cover that she was wrong about being half Italian. It was grating.  Here’s the link, watch at the one minute mark and her reaction starts at 1:08: 

On 9/18/2018 at 8:47 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

 

I read a couple of weeks ago that Nikki had changed her mind about wanting to have a child right now.  WTH?  After all that we saw about how that was the major desire for her.....Sounds bogus to me.  I'm definitely done with her and that whole thing....

 

Sounds like it’s time for a new storyline in the next season! I saw a news headline that she is starting to date. 

I can just imagine it: “You guyssss, like it’s so crazy! Bir Bir totally made me want to be a mom. But, like, I just don’t know. Ugggghhh!” 

[rmontro]

Lol, you guys talking about Brie being smug.  It reminds me of that South Park episode where everybody started driving hybrids and they got so smug they started to sniff their own flatulence.  Since Bryan and Brie are big environmentalists it really fits.  I like Brie though.  Nikki annoys me more, with her fake boobs, and her waffling on her marriage/children/Cena issues.

On 9/17/2018 at 9:49 AM, Tatum said:

Nikki seems to me to be the more ambitious of the two, the more outgoing of the two, and the better wrestler.

Apparently you're right about Nikki being the better wrestler.  Brie accidentally gave Liv Morgan a concussion on Raw this week by kicking her in the head twice.  Not good.  

[WarmSkull]

IG is showing me an a video advertisement for the upcoming season. Within the first few seconds Nikki is declaring that she needs to “focus on me.” Hasn’t that been a storyline for the past year or so on both Total Bella’s/Divas? 

[OnceSane]

Season 4

Episode 1:

Quote

"Bellas Are Back in Action"

The twins have to face the fact that they are in two different places in their lives, with Nicole's new single lifestyle and wanting to start fresh in Los Angeles, and Brie and Bryan trying for a second baby.

Airs January 13, 2019.

[rmontro]

Okay, saw the first episode of the new season (Bellas are Back in Action).  

I couldn't help but notice Nikki saying "I'm going to miss it" in reference to her relationship with John Cena.  Note that she doesn't say she's going to miss him.  Seemed to be more about the house and the public attention.

Then she keeps saying it is so sad.  Of course, she was the one who wanted to end the relationship, because she was "sad" in the relationship too.  Seems like she always finds something to be unhappy about.

Then when she wants to move to LA, she tells Brie she has to put herself first for once.  And I'm thinking for once?  When has she done otherwise?

I know this sounds very negative on Nikki, maybe she just rubs me the wrong way.

As for Brie, there was a well known botch during her comeback when she gave Liv Morgan a concussion by kicking her in the head.  The storyline in this episode made me wonder if she had her mind back home and on making baby #2.  Others will say nah, she's just a lousy wrestler.

[OnceSane]

Episode 2:

Quote

"Bellas and the City"

The Bellas start their huge comeback at SummerSlam ringside with Ronda Rousey in New York; Brie goes behind Bryan's back and meets with a plastic surgeon; newly single Nicole is surprised to find that a family dinner turns out to be a blind date.

Aired January 20, 2019.

[rmontro]

I've never been a big fan of breast implants, but I guess I'm more sympathetic to the idea of Brie getting one to compensate for sagging and deflation than just wanting to walk around with a big pair.  It probably is frustrating to go from having small but perky boobs to saggy.

I can't blame Nikki for not wanting to be set up.  It's also kind of weird how Mama Bella was picking up young guys in da club (for Nikki).  I'm not sure Johnny would be that pleased with the idea, although they never really addressed his reaction.

[OnceSane]

Episode 3:

Quote

"Troublemaker"

Nicole is determined to break the rules and revamp her lifestyle; Brie faces the emotional challenge of leaving Birdie for the first time to go on the road with Bryan for their new WWE storyline.

Airs January 27, 2019.

[drivethroo]

Nikki is probably partying, driving red cars, spending $20K/month on beach houses etc because Cena likely wouldn't have let her get a red Ferrari or spend $20K on a beach house.  She's just blowing off steam.  Nikki should be in charge of when or if she becomes a mother; with Cena it likely would've been never.  She ceded that authority to Cena and now she's taking it back.

[OnceSane]

Episode 4:

Quote

"It's My Life"

Nicole goes behind Brie's back to rekindle her chemistry with her "Dancing With the Stars" partner, Artem; Brie is upset that Nicole is training with Ronda Rousey without her and Bryan; Brie makes two major mistakes.

Airs February 10, 2019.

[Tatum]

$20K a month is pretty steep, but she also said she's only renting for a few months until she decides what she wants to do. I don't think she'd sign a 12 month lease at those rates. It's probably a 1-2 month rental, which is why it's so high.

I am a little surprised at Nikki hinting at how domineering John Cena was. I mean, he certainly seems like someone who wants things his way all the time, but I always got the impression that as long as Nikki followed his housekeeping rules (ie: no dirty laundry out, no actual cooking in the kitchen), she was free to do whatever she liked without any judgment from John. Not like Daniel Bryan giving Brie a hard time when she wants to buy a $6 coffee.

I hope Nikki got a deal with Ferrari for a loaner and didn't honestly give them the impression she planned to buy it. I think that car would be out of her price range. I did agree with Brie that driving around in that car would feel cheesy to the point of embarrassing. I get so annoyed with these d list celebs always calling attention to themselves then bitching that they have no privacy.

And as a mother who has to occasionally travel and work late and be away from my kids, I want to empathize with Brie, but she's just so ANNOYING. LIke, she's always acting like she's the first person to ever have a child and deal with adjusting to motherhood and balancing work and home life and getting back in shape and everything. Fine to document her struggles and open up about it- I actually like that- but she's just so sanctimonious about it.

[WarmSkull]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 20K is inflated so it seems that Nikkk is ‘out of control.’ I also expect that MTV chipped in, especially since they are using it for the show. 

I’m not impressed with Brie’s concern about the Ferrari. Didn’t Cena and Nikki have quite a few expensive cars? Also, I recall all the fancy bags and shoes in Nikki’s closet. Now they worry about her spending habits? Because Cena isn’t bankrolling her anymore and she doesn’t know how to manage her money while keeping up appearances? 

8 hours ago, Tatum said:

Fine to document her struggles and open up about it- I actually like that- but she's just so sanctimonious about it.

I totally agree. Her personality is an immediate turnoff for her storylines. 

Also, I don’t like Maya in the show. Nothing against her personally. But it’s weird having a 16-year-old hanging out with the family/involved in storylines. The Bellas are 15 years or so older. What does Maya contribute to the storylines that actual adults can’t?

The Bella mentoring storyline could have been interesting. But they set up her first modeling job without telling Johnny. Then we have the learning experience of “we promise to tell you in the future,” which doesn’t strike me as the best mentoring scenario.* Plus, I don’t really want to see a teenager surrounded by the Bella Family’s constant boozing and their discussion of each other’s sex lives. 

Though if I see less of Brother Bella because of Maya then I’m all about Maya. 

*I recognize that these storylines are created and/or exaggerated for TV. 

P.S. I was bored this weekend and hated watched it. 😶

Edited February 12, 2019 by WarmSkull

[Tatum]

12 hours ago, WarmSkull said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 20K is inflated so it seems that Nikkk is ‘out of control.’ I also expect that MTV chipped in, especially since they are using it for the show. 

I'm a bit suspicious of the $20K price tag as well. I realize San Diego beachfront property is not cheap, especially for a shorter term rental, but I don't think the market there is that inflated. A quick look at Zillow and apartments.com shows a number of listings similar to Nikki's in the $10K-$12K range. Airbnb shows nightly prices for comparable properties at around $400 per night (plus taxes and fees).

[rmontro]

On 2/11/2019 at 6:44 PM, WarmSkull said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 20K is inflated so it seems that Nikkk is ‘out of control.’ I also expect that MTV chipped in, especially since they are using it for the show. 

This is what I was thinking, plus I'm wondering if she's even actually living there, or just filming for the show.  If it's just for the show, that would support the 1-2 month lease theory.

I have no idea what the Bellas are paid, so I did a Google search on them and both twins appear to have a net worth of $4-6 million dollars.

[OnceSane]

Episode 5:

Quote

"The Big Mistake"

The Bellas overload their schedule the week of their first ever Birdiebee fashion show and an overwhelmed Brie cancels on an appearance a day before, leaving Nicole frustrated that she needs to pick up the slack. However, all of this exhaustion takes a toll on Brie.

Airs February 17, 2019.

[Tatum]

On 2/16/2019 at 9:59 AM, OnceSane said:

Episode 5:

The Bellas overload their schedule the week of their first ever Birdiebee fashion show and an overwhelmed Brie cancels on an appearance a day before, leaving Nicole frustrated that she needs to pick up the slack. However, all of this exhaustion takes a toll on Brie.

As a woman who has spent the last 8 years navigating a time consuming, high pressure job while raising two kids (I work in the financial services industry) I think Brie does a disservice to working moms everywhere. In fact, I pretty much think Brie sucks at life.

First off, she loads up on a number of vanity projects, agrees to come back to the WWE realizing her joint story with her husband will require them to both be away from their daughter at the same time, and then  starts dropping her commitments with a wide eyed, "but I'm a mom" excuse. Yeah, Brie, I'm a mom too, and I've been one longer than you, and if I made a professional commitment that I dropped at the last minute for a non emergency, you know what I'd be? A flake our clients don't want assigned to their accounts anymore. Moms in any kind of professional industry have to work damn hard to be taken seriously. Being a mom while holding down a time consuming job is very hard. And it is heartbreaking sometimes, and you can make mistakes and wonder if you made the right choices. All understandable. It is not a carte blanche excuse to perform subpar work and get out of stuff you know longer feel like doing.

Also, it sounds like the jam packed week was ONE week. This is not her every week schedule. I've had business trips that lasted longer than a week. She's lazy and irresponsible, and I'm sick of her using her kid as an excuse for her own character flaws.

ETA: for some reason, I just really like their sister in law. When she said, "I had a baby two weeks ago, I am nowhere near ready to walk a runway, but I'm going to do it for all the mamas out there"- I just thought that was really cool. That seems to be the vibe Brie is going for and she always mucks it up because she's such a try hard loser.  Lauren seems way too good for JJ though and I wonder why she's with him. As water tends to seek its own level I have to conclude my admiration for Lauren is probably misplaced.

Edited February 19, 2019 by Tatum

[WarmSkull]

On 2/19/2019 at 7:22 AM, Tatum said:

She's lazy and irresponsible, and I'm sick of her using her kid as an excuse for her own character flaws.

I thought Nikki had an excellent point regarding how disappointed fans could be since they bought the Comic(?)Con tickets expecting 2 Bellas but were getting 1. Other than bumping Nikki’s appearance time I wonder if there was any other fallout, especially if they were contractually obligated. 

Also, I was disappointed with the episode ending. When the twins were driving to practice,  Brie was asking Nikki if she was ok to drive since Nikki was tired. I thought that there next scenes would be Brie realizing that she dumps her responsibilities on other people. But it’s Nikki saying “guilt mom is real.” At this point, we know it is. One from our own personal experiences and two, from all the other episodes and seasons where Brie complained that being a newlywed, diva, pregnant woman, mom, woman, human, etc is hard. 

I’m trying to recall previous episodes of Total Bellas / Divas: but I vaguely recall a storyline where Nikkk introduced the idea of the wine line and Brie basically mocked her. Nikki ran with the idea while Brie complained that some aspect of her life was too hard for her to be involved. Then both reap the benefits once the wine became a reality. Or I may have remembered that completely wrong. 

This will come across as shaming but what was Nikki wearing to their pre-runway show dinner? When she got out of the car all I saw was lingerie. I guess it looked slightly better at the show when she wore a shirt over the top half, but, just no, honey. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by WarmSkull
Grammar.

[Tatum]

17 hours ago, WarmSkull said:

I thought Nikki had an excellent point regarding how disappointed fans could be since they bought the Comic(?)Con tickets expecting 2 Bellas but were getting 1. Other than bumping Nikki’s appearance time I wonder if there was any other fallout, especially if they were contractually obligated. 

Also, I was disappointed with the episode ending. When the twins were driving to practice,  Brie was asking Nikki if she was ok to drive since Nikki was tired. I thought that there next scenes would be Brie realizing that she dumps her responsibilities on other people. But it’s Nikki saying “guilt mom is real.” At this point, we know it is. One from our own personal experiences and two, from all the other episodes and seasons where Brie complained that being a newlywed, diva, pregnant woman, mom, woman, human, etc is hard. 

I’m trying to recall previous episodes of Total Bellas / Divas: but I vaguely recall a storyline where Nikkk introduced the idea of the wine line and Brie basically mocked her. Nikki ran with the idea while Brie complained that some aspect of her life was too hard for her to be involved. Then both reap the benefits once the wine became a reality. Or I may have remembered that completely wrong. 

This will come across as shaming but what was Nikki wearing to their pre-runway show dinner? When she got out of the car all I saw was lingerie. I guess it looked slightly better at the show when she lf. wore a shirt over the top half, but, just no, honey. 

I don't remember that, but it wouldn't surprise me if that happened. Brie seems overwhelmed at life. Honestly, I don't think she ever wanted to be a WWE wrestler, and she probably never wanted to run a lingerie line or start a wine company. In Brie's perfect world, she gets to lounge around her house wearing a variety of vintage dresses day after day while her hordes of instagram fans "like" every one of her pictures and basically validate her existence 24/7. She found that unfortunately, you have to be relevant to have a large social media following and that means going along with all Nikki's ideas to push their "brand". But I don't think it's anything she really wants to do. I think she needs constant attention and validation, and riding Nikki's coattails is the easiest way to get it.

Listen, I understand the sheer exhaustion that would come from being two shows weekly, and I wouldn't want to do it while raising a small child. So you know what, Brie? I wouldn't agree to do it. But she did. And then she whines that no one "will work with her" when she overbooks herself and gets tired. Yeah, Brie, sorry that Comic Con and Raw and Smackdown won't change their schedules on a whim to accommodate your whiny ass.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Tatum

[OnceSane]

Episode 6:

Quote

"The First Date"

Brie becomes emotional and overwhelmed by the backlash she receives on social media since accidentally injuring Liv Morgan in the ring, leaving her wondering if she has taken on more than she can handle. Meanwhile, Nicole takes the plunge and agrees to go on a date with Peter Kraus and is pleasantly surprised by their immediate connection during their romantic night together.

Airs February 24, 2019.

[The Ascension]

I just caught up on the Liv episode.

It’s not cool that Brie’s overcommitting and thus is failing. If the show tries to present it next week (err, last night’s episode) that she injured Liv because she overcommitted and was tired then that’s just BS. WWE wrestlers are in 3-4 different towns a week for shows (the TV show, two house shows) and they don’t injure each other all the time citing exhaustion.

It annoyed me that Nikki had to hop on the flight to Comic Con while Brie got to stay and celebrate the success of the fashion show. Then Brie playing it off at the family dinner like she was bossing Nikki around and making Nikki go to the signing. It’s not cute. Brie would fall apart if she was a regular working mom, who had to get up, get kids off to school, get to the office, be a professional for 8 straight hours with meetings and presentations, pick up kids, shuffle them around, make dinner, try and eek out time for herself and for Bryan, and then do it all again the next day. She wants to be #goals and an empowered woman, and a boss babe, but she’s none of that.

I think she just doesn’t know who she is and she’s not very smart. I think she’s kind of been pulled along her whole life. First with Nikki, now Bryan. Nikki seems very driven and ambitious, especially over the last couple of years, and Brie has just been along for the ride because being a #twin helps Nikki stand out. Like someone else pointed out, Brie didn’t want to do the wine, but eventually was like ‘sure’, when really Nikki could do it without her. So she’s lazy because Nikki always did the work for her, and just doesn’t know what she wants to be but she’s accustomed to a lifestyle now. Brie wants to be an influencer and be told she’s an “empowered woman”, but not have to put the work in.

Now she has Bryan who is also very driven, and very motivated by his love of wrestling and his love of the environment. So Brie’s picked up on the environment issue, which, don’t get me wrong, more people trying to do right by the environment is awesome. But it’s not really hers.

Edited February 25, 2019 by The Ascension

[Tatum]

6 hours ago, The Ascension said:

I just caught up on the Liv episode.

It’s not cool that Brie’s overcommitting and thus is failing. If the show tries to present it next week (err, last night’s episode) that she injured Liv because she overcommitted and was tired then that’s just BS. WWE wrestlers are in 3-4 different towns a week for shows (the TV show, two house shows) and they don’t injure each other all the time citing exhaustion.

It annoyed me that Nikki had to hop on the flight to Comic Con while Brie got to stay and celebrate the success of the fashion show. Then Brie playing it off at the family dinner like she was bossing Nikki around and making Nikki go to the signing. It’s not cute. Brie would fall apart if she was a regular working mom, who had to get up, get kids off to school, get to the office, be a professional for 8 straight hours with meetings and presentations, pick up kids, shuffle them around, make dinner, try and eek out time for herself and for Bryan, and then do it all again the next day. She wants to be #goals and an empowered woman, and a boss babe, but she’s none of that.

I think she just doesn’t know who she is and she’s not very smart. I think she’s kind of been pulled along her whole life. First with Nikki, now Bryan. Nikki seems very driven and ambitious, especially over the last couple of years, and Brie has just been along for the ride because being a #twin helps Nikki stand out. Like someone else pointed out, Brie didn’t want to do the wine, but eventually was like ‘sure’, when really Nikki could do it without her. So she’s lazy because Nikki always did the work for her, and just doesn’t know what she wants to be but she’s accustomed to a lifestyle now. Brie wants to be an influencer and be told she’s an “empowered woman”, but not have to put the work in.

Now she has Bryan who is also very driven, and very motivated by his love of wrestling and his love of the environment. So Brie’s picked up on the environment issue, which, don’t get me wrong, more people trying to do right by the environment is awesome. But it’s not really hers.

I've long since said that Brie takes on the personality of whoever is in the room with her. She has no hobbies, interests, or goals of her own, although she does appear to enjoy being a mom. Her playing with her daughter, and grappling with her insecurities over being what her daughter needs, is about the only time she seems "real". Other than that, she just parrots whoever she's talking with.

I know Bryan is really popular and well liked, but something about his interactions with Brie seems creepy to me. It just seems like his two favorite things about her are how unintelligent and how insecure she is. She is very, very, VERY easy to manipulate and mold into what the person wants her to be.

ETA: I don't know much about professional wrestling- is the accident largely considered Brie's fault? Johnny Ace made it sound like it was Liv leaning forward when she shouldn't have been. I would imagine when you have to pretend to kick someone in the face multiple times, the exact angle of both individuals needs to be precise.

If it was Brie's fault, I wouldn't necessarily say it happened because she was tired that particular week, more that she didn't practice the move as much as she should have because Brie half-asses everything in her life. If she weren't the good looking identical twin of an extremely ambitious woman, I think Brie would be folding sweaters at H&M or answering phones at a realty company or something. But probably just until she could get married and then stay home with the kids.

Edited February 25, 2019 by Tatum

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, Tatum said:

ETA: I don't know much about professional wrestling- is the accident largely considered Brie's fault? Johnny Ace made it sound like it was Liv leaning forward when she shouldn't have been.

I remember this incident when it happened.  Brie was the target of a lot of internet hate at the time for messing up on those kicks and knocking Liv out, I think she ended up with a concussion.  At the time, I hadn't noticed, but watching this episode, it does look like Liv was recoiling forward too much.  That would suggest that maybe they share some blame for the "botch" (as they call it in the industry).  Or perhaps Brie had already caught her with an earlier kick, and that's why Liv ended up leaning forward too much - maybe she was already out of it.

In pro wrestling, you are literally trusting the other person with your body and your life, so it's a big thing that you take care of your opponent.  Still, injuries do happen.  I'm sure Brie felt terrible about what had happened, and you could see on her face that she did.  And this was on top of a previous episode where she had messed up on those two dives out of the ring.  So she ends up looking bad professionally.  I feel bad for her, but maybe she should stick to the wine, clothing line, and motherhood, since it appears that she's too busy to really stay in practice and as sharp as she needs to.

This is where  Nikki is pressing her advantage.  You can see that Brie has sometimes rubbed it in Nikki's face that she has a family, and that Nikki is rubbing it in Brie's face that she is now single and has more freedom and energy.  These interactions are subtle, but they're there.  Which one has the better of it, I wonder?

[CarolikesLemons]

Hi All,

I’m a long-time lurker and loved all your comments so decided to take the plunge and write a quick comment. 😊 But please delete if it’s inappropriate.

I have long thought (and I do like her!!)  that Brie subconsciously feels like the second-best twin and due to this she feels like she always has something to prove and hence why she takes on so much that Nikki does.

There are times when (even in this season) she seems really mean to Nikki (I do know that Nikki is no angel) and seem to lord it over Nikki that she is married with a child and its something that Nikki really wants and hence her breakup with John Cena.

I agree with Tatum that Brie is an adapter and I think even JJ in an earlier season even makes that comment to her. I feel that Brie would be happy being a full-time mum and that’s fine but her complaining about taking too much just annoys as she chooses to do all these things and there are really single mums out there struggling to make two ends meet.

In saying that, I felt awful for Brie with the Liv situation as I felt the hate was way over the top.

[OnceSane]

4 hours ago, Tatum said:

is the accident largely considered Brie's fault? 

Yes.

30 minutes ago, CarolikesLemons said:

I felt awful for Brie with the Liv situation as I felt the hate was way over the top.

I felt awful for Liv, if that had been botched any more it could have ended her career.  And this wasn't Brie's first time botching/injuring someone, so my sympathy for her is very little.  Perhaps if she worked more on her in-ring skills, it wouldn't have happened.

[The Ascension]

It was Brie's fault. If Liv was falling forward too much, Brie should have noticed before throwing the next kick or re calibrated on the fly to land the kick differently. There's an amazing instance of AJ Styles (one of the best wrestlers in the world) hitting his finishing move on another wrestler. Mid-air, he noticed the other wrestler, James Ellsworth, was not in the correct position and would have broken his neck, so AJ adjusted how he landed to insure James' safety. Link if anyone's interested: https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2016/10/13/13269794/james-ellsworth-aj-styles-clash-botch-serious-injury-smackdown-live

Bryan did have a very sweet defense of Brie and named all the times he injured someone. It's a part of the job. This was on Brie, but she's not the first and won't be the last. The backlash was way too much.

Edited February 26, 2019 by The Ascension