S07.E20: Vianey & Allen's Story

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Weighing over 600 lbs. each, Vianey and Allen are locked in a codependent relationship based on a shared love of food. As the head to Houston, they will soon learn if their relationship can survive the strain of growing healthy together. 

It's a two-fer!  1200 pounds of fun! Does this mean double the shower scenes?  Is the tupperware safe? Let's see. 

This is the regular episode thread.  It will open after the US East Coast showing on 2019.06.15.

[AVM]

A very good episode ,it showed the damage that's can be done to the body even if they stick to the weight loss  program ...

[sainte-chapelle]

I just started watching but why is her lower stomach black? That cannot be good.

[littlebennysmom]

Lola's whack ass wig looks like a combed down version of Sideshow Bob's hair.  It ain't cute.

Wow, so glad (and surprised based on that roadtrip/fast food orgy) they've done so well!  Good luck to both of them going forward.

[ams1001]

11 minutes ago, sainte-chapelle said:

I just started watching but why is her lower stomach black? That cannot be good.

I thought she was wearing brown panties at first.

[newyawk]

I just started watching this and Allen is already annoying me so much just because of his inability to enunciate ANYTHING properly, I may not watch this episode at all. I hate him for what he is doing to my ears.  Whoever taught him how to speak failed miserably. Or is it just that he has no effing teeth?  I don't care.  I don't like him.

*throws something breakable at wall, turns on "Dead To Me" instead*

[QuinnInND]

Just now, newyawk said:

I just started watching this and Allen is already annoying me so much just because of his inability to enunciate ANYTHING properly, I may not watch this episode at all. I hate him for what he is doing to my ears.  Whoever taught him how to speak failed miserably. Or is it just that he has no effing teeth?  I don't care.  I don't like him.

*throws something breakable at wall, turns on "Dead To Me" instead*

He fell down the stairs when he was a toddler. He had a brain injury that left him with speech problems.  We all felt like heels in live chat when we found out. 

[newyawk]

1 minute ago, QuinnInND said:

He fell down the stairs when he was a toddler. He had a brain injury that left him with speech problems.  We all felt like heels in live chat when we found out. 

JFC. That changes everything. Thanks for explaining it, it will make it more watchable knowing that.  Poor guy.  Sorry, Allen!!!

[QuinnInND]

17 minutes ago, newyawk said:

JFC. That changes everything. Thanks for explaining it, it will make it more watchable knowing that.  Poor guy.  Sorry, Allen!!!

Like I said, we all felt like a penny waiting for change in live chat. 

[calpurnia99]

But also

he is a high school drop out and illiterate. Some of it was a poor reader trying to read aloud.

[Reciprocity]

Everything in Texas is big…except bathroom doorways. Gotta go in sideways.

I am Lola; hear me roar! That was quite a mane.

I guess Vianey wasn’t moving fast enough. Lola is sitting down and says, “I hope to see you again real soon.” As Vianey is struggling to get up off the sofa Lola stands and watches then says, “I’ll see you again real soon.”

Love the Dr. Nowisms:
eating habit - because it is only one habit (extreme overeating)
munt
hey y’all doin’

[Delete]

Allen and Vianey really rallied at the end. I wasn't so optimistic when V said she needed her carbs, and Allen was secretly cheating. 

Vianey was so desperate to have the  surgery that she was more upset that it didn't happen even though she almost died . 

When they showed the interior of their home, my first thought was: "Wow, it needs a good cleaning" and secondly, "Wow, someone sure loves hot pink."

[Hannah94]

This episode was a pleasant surprise. At the beginning, I thought there was no chance in hell with this couple after watching their food orgy....that was absolutely disgusting. Sweet baby Jesus. But they really made a turn around. Ol boy lost 133 pounds between doctor visits; is that a record, fellow pounders? I cannot recall.

And re: Lola, she certainly is a character (various wigs, clothes, lil baby bird voice, etc) but I actually like her for the most part. I miss Dr. Paradise; where has he been?

[MrHufflepuff]

9 hours ago, QuinnInND said:

He fell down the stairs when he was a toddler. He had a brain injury that left him with speech problems.  We all felt like heels in live chat when we found out. 

I did feel like a heel at first.  Then I wrote about it on a piece of tissue and flushed it down the toilet.  And then I felt better.  Thanks, Dr. Lola!

And then the toilet overflowed, because I actually used a piece of paper towel by mistake.  And then I felt bad again.  THANKS, DR. LOLA!

I'm gonna go eat some grapes.

Edited May 16, 2019 by MrHufflepuff

[Ben.w]

I don't have anything to be snarky about in this episode, after what had felt like an orgy of fuck-uppery, it was nice to get back to something a lot more by-the-numbers (despite Vianey almost dying on the table) and Allen and Vianey obviously care for one another very much, and it was nice to see them support each other rather than watch their marriage crash like we've seen in other episodes. I like them and I can't wait to see them in a 'Where are they now' special.

But seriously, the people on the show need to stop saying "I'm afraid Dr. Now won't accept me", you have a film crew following you around, trust me, you're in they have to fill a 80 minute episode.😁 Do any of you think sometimes they get the participants to film segments for voice over? I just noticed near the beginning, Allen was doing a VO and in the scene, Vianey and Allen were just sitting there staring eachother. Ohhhh kay I think I'm snarking😂

[libgirl2]

9 minutes ago, Ben.w said:

I don't have anything to be snarky about in this episode, after what had felt like an orgy of fuck-uppery, it was nice to get back to something a lot more by-the-numbers (despite Vianey almost dying on the table) and Allen and Vianey obviously care for one another very much, and it was nice to see them support each other rather than watch their marriage crash like we've seen in other episodes. I like them and I can't wait to see them in a 'Where are they now' special.

But seriously, the people on the show need to stop saying "I'm afraid Dr. Now won't accept me", you have a film crew following you around, trust me, you're in they have to fill a 80 minute episode.😁 Do any of you think sometimes they get the participants to film segments for voice over? I just noticed near the beginning, Allen was doing a VO and in the scene, Vianey and Allen were just sitting there staring eachother. Ohhhh kay I think I'm snarking😂

It was very clear that they loved and cared for each other deeply. He especially seemed to want to sacrifice to make sure she did well. I think having that partner who is in it with you really helped them. I liked them both and wish them luck.

[gardendiva]

But...why didn’t they go back and get that mattress? They pulled over right away, so it wasn’t that far bacK. The two helper guys who packed up all their stuff could have walked back and retrieved it, no?

They should be glad that it didn’t cause an accident. Someone could have easily been killed if that suddenly flew into their vehicle on the highway going 70mph.

The whole mattress situation was frustrating to me.

[edie3]

I

45 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

The whole mattress situation was frustrating to me.

I agree!  At least go check out the condition of it, 

[JJ1]

9 hours ago, newyawk said:

JFC. That changes everything. Thanks for explaining it, it will make it more watchable knowing that.  Poor guy.  Sorry, Allen!!!

Allen’s voice sounds exactly like a beautiful Cajun accent to me. Hoping he isn’t sensitive about his voice, but if he is, they should move to Louisiana. Everyone would assume he was born and raised there! 

[newyawk]

That would be a good idea. That said, I still have a hard time listening to him,. 

[nokat]

As much as I was snarking and enjoying the snark in the Live Chat, I am three hours behind, so actually watching now, and I'm now not feeling snarky watching this couple. Maybe it's just after watching Angie J and her vile. Allen seems like a sweet guy.
 

[nokat]

Okay, the snark is coming, a giant fupa, owe my leg, and I'm starving.
 

[nokat]

1 minute ago, nokat said:

Okay, the snark is coming, a giant fupa, ow my leg, and I'm starving. Oh, and the mattress.

 

 

[Elizzikra]

Quote

But...why didn’t they go back and get that mattress? They pulled over right away, so it wasn’t that far bacK. The two helper guys who packed up all their stuff could have walked back and retrieved it, no?

I think it was in the middle of the highway - no way to get to it without getting hit by a car...

[libgirl2]

7 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

I think it was in the middle of the highway - no way to get to it without getting hit by a car...

Okay, I kind of get that, but at least call the police or something. 

[Ocean Chick]

12 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I thought she was wearing brown panties at first.

Aren’t you the silly-nilly!  You know the poundicipants don’t wear panties!  It’s against the code. 

[sempervivum]

22 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

You know the poundicipants don’t wear panties!  It’s against the code. 

Vianey actually had matching black bra (sport-type) and panties in at least one scene.

2 hours ago, JJ1 said:

Allen’s voice sounds exactly like a beautiful Cajun accent to me.

I was listening from another room and thought for a moment that it was Harry Connick, jr.!

13 hours ago, littlebennysmom said:

Lola's whack ass wig looks like a combed down version of Sideshow Bob's hair. 

It's funny, in past episodes this same wig has brought in a lot of compliments from the live chat crew. This time, there was a collective gasp! I think Lola needs to get her wig professionally washed and reset. That said, she's a ridiculously lazy 'therapist'.

[Natalie68]

12 hours ago, Barbara Please said:

Allen and Vianey really rallied at the end. I wasn't so optimistic when V said she needed her carbs, and Allen was secretly cheating. 

Vianey was so desperate to have the  surgery that she was more upset that it didn't happen even though she almost died . 

When they showed the interior of their home, my first thought was: "Wow, it needs a good cleaning" and secondly, "Wow, someone sure loves hot pink."

It is nuts seeing the addiction to the sugar/carbs and the following detox.  Once that stuff was out of her system she seemed much calmer and able to handle life.  The 1st hour was rough but I was really rooting for them.  He really seems like he loves her.  I was very happy they were successful.  

[alegtostandon]

6 hours ago, gardendiva said:

But...why didn’t they go back and get that mattress? They pulled over right away, so it wasn’t that far bacK. The two helper guys who packed up all their stuff could have walked back and retrieved it, no?

They should be glad that it didn’t cause an accident. Someone could have easily been killed if that suddenly flew into their vehicle on the highway going 70mph.

The whole mattress situation was frustrating to me.

As someone who had a piece of wood fly off a truck and slam into my windshield on the freeway,  I agree.   After it bounced off of my windshield,  it began bouncing around the freeway,  people were swerving to avoid it.   This was before cell phones.   

I was so proud of these 2!  Without WLS, Viany lost a lot of weight.   I cannot wait to see a follow up on them.  

[cpcathy]

Forgive me, but when I heard Allen speak I was trying to recall where I've heard someone speak like that. It turns out it's on the Family Guy episode where animated Magic Johnson is explaining destroying the Death Star.

[Mothra]

3 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Okay, I kind of get that, but at least call the police or something. 

All the more reason to go back and check on it.  A mattress lying in the middle of a big highway is very likely to cause an accident as people swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid hitting it.

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, Mothra said:

All the more reason to go back and check on it.  A mattress lying in the middle of a big highway is very likely to cause an accident as people swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid hitting it.

My husband and I were out on the highway a few years ago and there was a mattress right in the middle of the road. Luckily there was very little traffic so he was able to swerve around it. 

[Natalie68]

1 hour ago, alegtostandon said:

As someone who had a piece of wood fly off a truck and slam into my windshield on the freeway,  I agree.   After it bounced off of my windshield,  it began bouncing around the freeway,  people were swerving to avoid it.   This was before cell phones.   

I was so proud of these 2!  Without WLS, Viany lost a lot of weight.   I cannot wait to see a follow up on them.  

THIS just happened to me on the way home last night.  I think it was a door that fell off a truck in front of my Fiat.  Luckily it didn't hit my windshield but a few parts got stuck under my car.  SCARY!

They seem like a good match!  It was a nice change from hosebeast Angie.

[libgirl2]

48 minutes ago, Natalie68 said:

THIS just happened to me on the way home last night.  I think it was a door that fell off a truck in front of my Fiat.  Luckily it didn't hit my windshield but a few parts got stuck under my car.  SCARY!

They seem like a good match!  It was a nice change from hosebeast Angie.

Yes, I liked them both and felt very sorry for them as they seemed like decent people as opposed that awful woman! 

[vintagesac]

1 hour ago, Mothra said:

All the more reason to go back and check on it.  A mattress lying in the middle of a big highway is very likely to cause an accident as people swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid hitting it.

Yeah, but can you imagine driving down the highway when you see a mattress in the road, then you see two 600 lb mattresses waddling after it? I would have thought I was hallucinating.

Vianay’s constant complaining on the trip really irked me, but Allen is so calm and sweet. His reading was gawdawful, but his voice was lovely, like a gentle cloud drifting across the bayou 🤣 I’m curious to see how they look after weight loss because they are both attractive people imo.  

[Tabbygirl521]

17 hours ago, newyawk said:

I just started watching this and Allen is already annoying me so much just because of his inability to enunciate ANYTHING properly, I may not watch this episode at all. I hate him for what he is doing to my ears.  Whoever taught him how to speak failed miserably. Or is it just that he has no effing teeth?  I don't care.  I don't like him.

*throws something breakable at wall, turns on "Dead To Me" instead*

Isn’t “Dead to Me” AWESOME??

[edie3]

We had a strap break on one of those car top hard plastic carriers and the carrier came off. Stuff went flying everywhere. Thank God no one was behind us.  A wonderful state trooper went to Sears for us to get a new strap, we were miles from home.

Edited May 16, 2019 by edie3

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was really rooting for Allen and Vianey.    They had such rotten lives as children, and managed to overcome this, embrace change, and go forward together.     I just wish Allen would get rid of the beard, and cut the hair.    I can't wait for an update episode on both of them, and hope Vianey gets skin removal to take care of some of those hideous growths that look so painful, and dangerous.   

I loved Allen's voice, it reminds me so much of a former co-worker from Louisiana, that had that same accent, and cadence.  Living in the deep South, I hear accents like that all of the time, and enjoy them.   I loved the way Vianey and Allen took care of each other.   I could have strangled whoever at TLC decided to have that huge commercial break after Vianey arrested in the OR, and am so glad that she came through OK.    

[Elizzikra]

Quote

All the more reason to go back and check on it.  A mattress lying in the middle of a big highway is very likely to cause an accident as people swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid hitting it.

Absolutely a hazard and they definitely should have called the police - but I don't think there is really anything that they could have done about it themselves. Maybe they did call and the show just didn't spend time showing us that - after all, the show is about weight loss surgery, not highway hazards. 

[Twopper]

So I finally watched the first half that I missed last night because I was hosting a pool party for 20+ kids all of whom are thin.   Water was really cold, but they were brave like I used to be at that age and dove right in.   There was lots of food, but I am sure they swam off lots more calories than they consumed.

I was curious about her name.  It reminded me of churches named for St John Vianney.  

I did like that Allen realized they needed help; he said something like 'food takes more than it gives now."  He did seem to have insight into his problem and also he realized Vianay's health was more precarious than his.

Did I see her eat 2 bowls of spaghetti in a row?  I was watching this after my lunch of left over spaghetti with portabello sauce.

On the plus side, they wear clothes.  Plus size clothes, but clothes count for a lot with me.

It drive me crazy when they say food is all they have.   They have two dogs to play with and walk.  I think over eating must do something to the brain when it comes to imagination.  Do a jigsaw puzzle.  Watch a movie without popcorn and a big drink.  Play cards.

And not tying down the stuff on the back of the truck.?  Not a good sitshashun.   I don't recall ever  seeing a mattress on the highway, but I was driving near a  car with a canoe on the roof when the canoe decided to fly across several lanes of traffic.  Not fun.  And a big plastic bucket in the back of a pickup flew out and hit our car.  I bet the driver wondered what happened to his bucket.  And once we were behind a semi when a huge block of ice dislodged itself and fell onto the highway.   I am sorry I am remembering this as we have a road trip in a few day.

Ack!! commercials for Kate Goslin and Matt Roloff.   I want them off my tv. And I don't care about his stupid pumpkins.

Lola, I think has old hair, but it looks like she has a different office.  Maybe it was new for this season.   I think we last saw her at the bedside of Mercedes.

I ended up really liking them.  Hope they do well. 

funny thing--I rewatched Angie on Tuesday and the dvr went to the next episode which was not this one but the one about the Assanti bros which will air next Wed.  I am so ready for that live chat.

[alegtostandon]

4 hours ago, Natalie68 said:

THIS just happened to me on the way home last night.  I think it was a door that fell off a truck in front of my Fiat.  Luckily it didn't hit my windshield but a few parts got stuck under my car.  SCARY!

They seem like a good match!  It was a nice change from hosebeast Angie.

So glad you are OK,  Natalie68. It's terrifying when something comes flying at you & there is no way for you to avoid it. 

They were a great breath of fresh air after last week.  I started drawing my own conclusion at the beginning that they were going to fail & was so impressed by their progress. 

2 hours ago, vintagesac said:

Yeah, but can you imagine driving down the highway when you see a mattress in the road, then you see two 600 lb mattresses waddling after it? I would have thought I was hallucinating.

This visual had me laughing, my dogs looked at me and walked to the other side of the room. Could almost see them shaking their heads

2 hours ago, edie3 said:

We had a strap break on one of those car top hard plastic carriers and the carrier came off. Stuff went flying everywhere. Thank God no one was behind us.  A wonderful state trooper went to Sears for us to get a new strap, we were miles from home.

This reminded me of a time several years ago when this group I belong to was having a benefit carnival.  I had spent the whole night blowing up balloons before realizing I need to transport them.  I ran up & bought 5 huge Rubbermaid trash barrels & filled them with balloons,  snapped the tops on & put in the back of the truck.  The tops blew off on the freeway & balloons were flying everywhere! 

1 hour ago, Twopper said:

I was curious about her name.  It reminded me of churches named for St John Vianney.  

On the plus side, they wear clothes.  Plus size clothes, but clothes count for a lot with me.

We have a friend named Vianny.   We all say "V-Annie",  everyone pronounced hers as "VanE".

In addition to clothes,  they both wore shoes too! 

Edited May 16, 2019 by alegtostandon

[CrazyInAlabama]

I hope the mattress either went off the road, or was moved quickly.   

I'm so glad Vianey and Allen did so well, and hope to see a great update on them in the future.  

A friend was driving through Montgomery, AL where the two huge interstates merge, and a plastic pick up truck bed liner (not the spray on kind of course) lifted up, and started sailing over the traffic.   She said the cars were swerving, and horns were blaring, and fortunately it didn't hit anyone.    

Edited May 16, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[ams1001]

12 hours ago, Ben.w said:

But seriously, the people on the show need to stop saying "I'm afraid Dr. Now won't accept me", 

They can stop explaining to the audience who Dr. Now is, too.

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Isn’t “Dead to Me” AWESOME??

I have gift cards for Netflix and I keep seeing commercials for this show. It might be the thing that finally gets me to set up an account.

[sainte-chapelle]

I thought they were for the most part lovely and seemed to really love each other. I wish them both the best. 

[Kenzie]

I rewatched the scenes following the food orgy and really paid attention to what she said and how she talked about Dr. Now. She seemed so depressed and defeated but I noticed unlike SO many others that she seemed to actually mean it when she said, "this is our last hope." I think she really did understand that their lives were completely out of control and she had to grab the lifeline that was being tossed at her.

[Tosia]

9 hours ago, alegtostandon said:

As someone who had a piece of wood fly off a truck and slam into my windshield on the freeway,  I agree.   After it bounced off of my windshield,  it began bouncing around the freeway,  people were swerving to avoid it.   This was before cell phones.   

I was so proud of these 2!  Without WLS, Viany lost a lot of weight.   I cannot wait to see a follow up on them.  

I ran over a mattress on the interstate. ..about 10 years ago, not last week from 7-9 pm..  I saw it and couldn't change lanes cuz of traffic , and I braced for a wreck because I thought it was box springs, but it was just a topper and I sailed over it easily. 

Abput 15 years ago, When my son was almost ready for his driving licence, ,  we went on the interstate.  On the entrance ramp i looked up to see this big thing in the sky.  It was a fricking canoe that had caught air and  lifted off the top of the vehicle in front of us. It floated down onto the grassy verge on the side.  

Last week on the interstate again,  I saw a metal ladder in the middle lane.  A guy had stopped on the side and was standing there trying to gage a hole in the oncoming  traffic to get to it,  but too many cars, too fast.  I don't know what happened. 

If it was my mattress and i was low on cash,  i would have gone back to check.  Just out of curiosity.  

[karenkarenbobaren]

14 hours ago, JJ1 said:

Allen’s voice sounds exactly like a beautiful Cajun accent to me. Hoping he isn’t sensitive about his voice, but if he is, they should move to Louisiana. Everyone would assume he was born and raised there! 

I thought the same. Vianey’s name also sounds Cajun so I was like 🤔

[Drogo]

Next time someone asks to borrow money I'm going to redirect the conversation to how much phone battery they have remaining.  Masterful, Jason.

These grapes pair well with this episode.@PrincessPurrsALot

[ZeldaZee]

I'm so glad it was cleared up early on that Allen legitimately has a brain/speech injury, because for the first few minutes I was thinking, "this is the most scripted voice-over ever and Allen is a terrible actor".

Was anyone else confused about the math of when they met? According to the intro screen, Allen is 51, Vianey 35. He said he started online dating at 35 (so 16 years ago). It was implied they met shortly thereafter, so that would make Vianey 19 at the time. However, later in the episode she says she started online dating at 25, met him and they'd been together ~7 years, which would make her 32 at the time of filming. Am I just that bad at math (and I don't doubt that) or is this wonky?

[LuvMyShows]

7 hours ago, Twopper said:

And not tying down the stuff on the back of the truck.?  Not a good sitshashun.   I don't recall ever  seeing a mattress on the highway, but I was driving near a  car with a canoe on the roof when the canoe decided to fly across several lanes of traffic.  

My husband has all of you beat.  He was driving down the highway and porta-potties flew off a truck!  Somehow he managed to dodge all of them.  Thank goodness I wasn't with him, or I would be permanently scarred and never able to use a porta-pottie again without flashbacks!

7 hours ago, Twopper said:

It drive me crazy when they say food is all they have.   They have two dogs to play with and walk.  I think over eating must do something to the brain when it comes to imagination.  Do a jigsaw puzzle.  Watch a movie without popcorn and a big drink.  Play cards.

I simply do not understand this...and they really mean it!  How do you do nothing all day, except eat?  Not even a board game, or cards, or coloring, or surfing the Internet, or even watching TV.  And when they say it, it's as though there just aren't even any other possibilities for something to do other than eat.