S07:E21 The Assanti Brothers

[crazycatlady58]

6 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

 I think Justin knew that the father would use the trip to Houston for surgery as a chance to throw Steven in his face, and let him bully him again.   That's exactly what happened too.   The father arguing that Steven had cut down to 30 pills a week, from 60 being progress is ludicrous.      The father just doesn't get it, that getting 30 pills a week isn't cutting down at all, when street drugs are so available.     

I think that Steven or Daddy dearest, stealing the pain pills and giving them to Steven, acknowledged on film is the big reason that Daddy wanted to leave, and Steven did leave.   Texas doesn't play around with people coming there, and breaking the drug rules.  Especially, when it was shown on nationally broadcast TV.      The fact that Justin said he told Dr. Now, and Sr. claimed he gave the drugs to Steven, is enough for charges if they ever go back to Texas.      I think no one member of the Assanti family will be going to Texas ever again.    

As a Texan I sincerely say " From your mouth to God's ear."

[Twopper]

On 5/30/2019 at 7:03 PM, ProTourist said:

If anyone here watches the supersized episode tonight, please consider posting highlights of the addition content here. Even if it's just which magazines Senior likes to read.  😄

Well, I finally ff'd through it a second time to try to capture what is in the little blue boxes.  I wish they would put them at the top of the screen because they are always under the black box on bottom with the time line.  I have to pause the dvr and back up to where the blue box was to read it.   And many of them only are "stay tuned' or "welcome back to the episode" messages which waste my time.

So here's the blue box info.   

Steven--used to eat 2 whole pizzas in 30 minutes

Justin --loves video games and streams them, wants job painting model cars, born with bowed leg that never straightened as he grew  (So the unanswered ? is whether he was treated for it at all; I would have thought he would have had to wear braces for it, but what do I know)

S and J--moved many times as a child; J cannot recall how many different schools he attended.

J diagnosed at age 26 with type 2 diabetes.  after diagnosis he stopped drinking and lost 70 pounds.

J--favorite subject in high school was Physical Education (is he punking us??)

Just noticed that the chair in the consulting room that J is sitting in is so close to the door that Dr Now has to squeeze in. 

J- wants to visit Canada and Niagara Falls with his father one day

J-favorite colors are blue and red

S--in addition to the lymphedema in his legs, he had elephantiasis, a painful and disfiguring disease caused by obstructions in the lymph vessels  (must look this up later)

S --started getting the lymphedema at age 24

S--would like to be a professional actor

S--describes J as smart and funny

S--favorite dish now is chicken or tilapia with zuchini

S--likes to dance to music and walks around his apartment to burn calories

J--hates taste of onions

J-weight goal is 180, his weight at age 12

J---played Little League baseball at age 9

J and S---have overcome many obstacles in their lives

S--feels he is on an emotional rollercoaster now that his relationship to food has changed.

J--is nearsighted (Duh!!! what a surprise!!!)

J--when he was a kid his dad took him to hobby shops that sold miniatures, model kits and radio controlled cars to encourage him to socialize

J-in 7th grade was named "student of the month"

S--family sometimes calls him John, which is his middle name

S--before WLS he once ate 2 lasagnas for breakfast

J--as a kid he frequently went bowling with his father

S --weighed 500 pounds at age 20

Also I guess they changed vans because they were rentals

That's all, folks!!!  I should go back and proofread, but I am not in the mood.

[suzeecat]

Thank you, Twopper, for taking the time to rewatch, transcribe and share the comments with us.  I didn't have the stomach to watch again. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Twopper said:

Justin --loves video games and streams them, wants job painting model cars

I want a job napping. I would also accept employment as a magazine reader or a person who pets cats all day. See! I can dream as big as you, Justin!

2 hours ago, Twopper said:

J--when he was a kid his dad took him to hobby shops that sold miniatures, model kits and radio controlled cars to encourage him to socialize

His dad should have taken him to a doctor to get his leg fixed.

[ProTourist]

Twopper, thank you so much! Your efforts are greatly appreciated! 😍 😎 ❤️

[sainte-chapelle]

According to Daddy Steven is a "poor sensitive boy" and Justin is an "asshole" ...ok then. Poppa and Steven are both bullying jackasses, birds of a feather.

[Twopper]

6 hours ago, suzeecat said:

Thank you, Twopper, for taking the time to rewatch, transcribe and share the comments with us.  I didn't have the stomach to watch again. 

You are so welcome.  It gave me the opportunity to re-watch several times the expression on Steven's face when Dr Now said he would test  him for drugs.  I take immense pleasure in that one scene.  There seemed to be a lot more blue boxes with this episode than I recall in most of the other Super Morbid Sized episodes.

[babyhouseman]

10 hours ago, Twopper said:

S--would like to be a professional actor

He would win awards as a creepy killer in a crime show or movie. 

10 hours ago, Twopper said:

S--likes to dance to music and walks around his apartment to burn calories

Dancing with the Stars, here he comes. 

[ProTourist]

Came across someone who recorded and uploaded one of the bonus scenes:

I was surprised that Dr. Paradise would have gone to the hotel -- Justin should have been able to go to his office, although he did not want to go. It seems that the session was of no real use to Justin. All they talked about was his forgiving Steven, for his own sake, which he said is never going to happen -- for his own sake.

I like Dr. Paradise, but he seems to have no idea how to treat someone this damaged; and wouldn't have the time to work with him even if he did know.

[Twopper]

4 hours ago, ProTourist said:

I like Dr. Paradise, but he seems to have no idea how to treat someone this damaged; and wouldn't have the time to work with him even if he did know.

I suspect he does a much better job than we see.   The main focus of the episode seemed  to be the animosity of the brothers so it makes sense that they would show a discussion about that.  I think most--if not all--of the "therapy sessions" are probably re-enactments or just snippets.  Based on the info about Justin's giving up drinking, I suspect Dr P at some point addressed that issue especially since brother Steven clearly has addiction issues.    (Justin could have had a serious alcohol problem and may be a "dry drunk"). 

At least it wasn't Lola who would have him writing letters to his mom, dad, and Steven😂

Edited June 5, 2019 by Twopper
redundant wording

[ProTourist]

One of the tidbits from Justin's narration at the start of the clip is that after advising Dr. Now that Junior had stolen his pain meds, he went in to see the doctor to receive a new prescription. So we know that Justin did indeed have a post-surgery check-in with the doctor; that the appointment he missed when Junior was going to be there was a later follow-up. And we know that Justin didn't have to suffer for too long without pain meds; I'm glad to know Dr. Now replaced them for him.

And from the conversation with Dr. Paradise, we know that Justin had already lost weight by the time of that appointment, and that he was already planning to go back home that week, before the incident in Dr. Now's parking lot ever took place -- that he didn't go back home in a huff because of that incident.

Regarding that Justin gave up drinking when he was diagnosed with diabetes -- that may have been required due to medications he could have started taking. It doesn't mean he had been a drunk, we don't really know one way or the other, although given his relationship with food it would not be a stretch if he had been a heavy drinker. That he lost some weight when he gave up drinking may indicate that his drinks had been high in carbohydrates, such as beer or spirits mixed with fruit juice. Cutting out liquid forms of carb would have lowered his blood sugar and brought about some weight loss.

Edited June 5, 2019 by ProTourist

[Twopper]

8 minutes ago, ProTourist said:

One of the tidbits from Justin's narration at the start of the clip is that after advising Dr. Now that Junior had stolen his paid meds, he went in to see the doctor to receive a new prescription. So we know that Justin did indeed have a post-surgery check-in with the doctor; that the appointment he missed when Junior was going to be there was a later follow-up. And we know that Justin didn't have to suffer for too long without pain meds; I'm glad to know Dr. Now replaced them for him.

And from the conversation with Dr. Paradise, we know that Justin had already lost weight by the time of that appointment, and that he was already planning to go back home that week, before the incident in Dr. Now's parking lot ever took place -- that he didn't go back home in a huff because of that incident.

Regarding that Justin gave up drinking when he was diagnosed with diabetes -- that may have been required due to medications he could have started taking. It doesn't mean he had been a drunk, we don't really know one way or the other, although given his relationship with food it would not be a stretch if he had been a heavy drinker. That he lost some weight when he gave up drinking may indicate that his drinks had been high in carbohydrates, such as beer or spirits mixed with fruit juice. Cutting out liquid forms of carb would have lowered his blood sugar and brought about some weight loss. 

Pure speculation on my part that he may have had an issue with alcohol, not that he had.  I would think Dr P  asked about it at some point just to be clear that there had or had not been a problem.  His irritability, isolation, and depression are characteristics of a "dry drunk," but they also seem characteristics of being morbidly obese as well.   He could well have lost weight just by not consuming all those extra calories in the drinks.  I limit my glasses of wine when I am watching my weight.  

Thanks for the clarification about the timeline.  I did think maybe Justin just used to request for the refill to inform Dr Now.  I am not sure at that point J still needed or wanted painkillers.   Maybe it is because I multitask a lot while watching that I miss stuff.

[Kid]

There is such extreme dysfunction in this family.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Kid

[cynicat]

On 7/7/2019 at 8:17 AM, Kid said:

There is such extreme dysfunction in this family.

That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.

[Oldcrone]

In Justin's defence regarding NOT wanting a relationship with his ever so toxic brother, I totally agree with him on that point. Just because you share DNA with someone does NOT give them the right to be hateful, hurtful, unkind or cruel and then magically forgive them because of a blood relationship. It's better to surround yourself with people who do love and care about you. I've always said friends are God's way of apolgizing for family. Yes, you can have a relationship; albeit a very distant one with toxic family. You just have to set the boundary within yourself. Just as soon as the first unkind remark is made it's time to say nicely "Oh, look at the time....So sorry to rush off but I have to {fill in the blank} See/talk to you soon." And LEAVE or hangup. No drama, no accusations. Just politley and nicely say "oops...gotta go" and disengage. Even if you can only leave the room, do it and busy yourself with something else.

I know he's not where he can just up and walk away, but he will someday. The trick is to not let it make you angry and leave in a huff. Just nice and polite and eventually they will learn not to treat you that way. And if they don't...well..you're not in the line of fire any longer.

Just my 2 cents....

Edited July 16, 2019 by Oldcrone

[Airmid]

On 5/29/2019 at 2:16 PM, ProTourist said:

Found this brief exchange with Justin on another message board. Thought it might be worth sharing here, if permitted:

 

Justin kind of leaves a bit out here, and I had to go rewatch the first few minutes of part one to make sure I was remembering everything correctly that they talked about. 

Steven talks a little, not very much, about his early life. His mother was an alcoholic (which Sr. basically says he did nothing about and honestly didn't seem to care about it then), and that there was a lot of abuse between the parents, if not towards the kid. We don't know what kind of abuse was going on in those early years, only that Jr. mentions that it was abusive towards him, and later, towards his brother.

Then, when he was 11 and his brother 5, mom left and they went to live with her. She was out clubbing and drinking, locking them in the house, and letting the boyfriend of the week wail on both boys. Where was dad? Who knows outside of apparently not giving a damn.

And, as in the first episode, when they were 15/9, mom left and they went back to dad (again, how did dad know they were abandoned?). Jr. would go back to live with his mom for a brief period, and dad mentions that after this when he was by himself, he got out of control.

Whatever happened in their early years, it seems it was very bad. Given that Jr is basically an attention whore and welcomes both negative and positive attention equally, I have to wonder how badly he was neglected, including emotional abuse. Complicating this, the mom may have been drinking during at least his pregnancy, if not both, which can have serious ramifications for the child throughout life. 

Seeing what she told Justin when he was 13, she was a piece of work all unto herself. What's actually super sad is that Steven still seems to want her approval/attention and I remember he was all excited that she called at one point. I wouldn't even blink if one of the parents admitted that they egged on Steven anytime he went after Justin just for entertainment at this point. 

Not excusing his behavior in the slightest, or saying that he isn't a creepy, dangerous-looking, very mentally unwell man; more like Justin's perpetual victimhood irks me. Steven definitely includes Justin in the abuse in the initial episode, and both seem to have the emotional maturity of young children, just expressed in different ways. They are both profoundly damaged, maybe even irreparably so. And honestly, Justin's story kind of makes me wonder if these boys went to school at all, were ever around other kids, adults, doctors, bus drivers, pretty much anyone. 

Honestly, I am getting caught up on this season and didn't think I could watch yet another episode of these two, hence reading this thread. I hate the manufactured drama of trying to force these two together (and just because someone's blood doesn't mean you have to automatically take abuse) and the whole entirety of their lives is utterly depressing. This season had enough of that, already.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the filming just gave Senior the opportunity to push his agenda of the sons getting along, "because we're family".     I think that Senior will never stop trying to push the two men together, and will always be in denial about his part in their hatred for each other.     

I hope Justin has an exit strategy, because if or when something happens to Steven Jr's relationship, he'll be on his way back to Daddy's house.   

[Ray Adverb]

I got bored with this show and stopped watching after the 3rd episode of the 2019 season.  Did they do ANOTHER followup on these two clowns?

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, they did a fourth episode. 

[ProTourist]

Looks like Steven Junior is back on YouTube as of this month: raven crow. Three videos posted so far. Oh boy. He doesn't seem to me to have lost much weight, nor to be any healthier mentally either. Perhaps it's to be expected, but I believed he was doing better in his new life in Iowa. 😟

[CrazyInAlabama]

At least he finally got a sports bra to control his man boobs.     He's not a pound smaller than the last, miserable TV update.  Actually, it looks like he's regaining some.  

Edited August 22, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Polliwollidoodle]

I don't know what made me think of this family but I figured there had to be a thread or two here. This is one  I have watched sporadically over the years. It's just so so hard to fathom that this can be someone's life. I don't know all the background but man oh man. I do feel bad for Justin, and Steven just does seem like so over the top evil, and the dad is just lost and an enabler. Painful to watch

[CrazyInAlabama]

This is the final part, and playing tonight a 9 p.m. Central.  This is the one that shows the wedding of Steven, and whatever her name is.   I think it was shot right as the WATN Chapter #3 was, and part 3 was boring.   Which means it's at least two years old, since at the end Dr. Now says he hasn't heard from Steven in about 18 months, and Justin about the same time.  

The part I found interesting was when Justin had his surgery, and Steven stole his painkillers.   Then the father says he knew, (my suspicion is he actually swiped the pills, and gave them to Steven).   Then Justin and Sr. go back to R.I. never to be seen again, and Steven moves to Iowa with his internet 'celebrity' wife. 

My guess is when Sr. and Steven found out Dr. Now knew about the pill theft (Justin said later he told Dr. Now), that they skipped across the state line to avoid getting charged, and neither one will be seen in Texas again.   

  I wish the best for Justin, but the other two can go to hell.    I hope Justin stays on his own, because once Steven is dumped by the wife, who would be surprised if he moved right back into Daddy's house of horrors?    The father doesn't care about Justin at all, just his sicko son Steven. 

It's actually sub-titled "The Final Chapter".  

Edited August 13, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama