Renovate My Family, The Serratellis, Part 2

After a brief review of the events to date (read my recap of part 1 here), we begin where we left off last week, in Dr. Phil McGraw's office. Dr. Phil had just asked the question, "Do you want out of this marriage? Is it too late?" After a significant pause, Donna responds, "It's never too late." But, she didn't really answer the question.

Dr. Phil turns his attention to Tony. He asks him how he feels about himself. Tony says he doesn't mind staying home, but feels as though he doesn't have a purpose. He says that all of this had led to his having low self-esteem. Dr. Phil asks him what he wants, and Tony replies that he wants attention from his wife. "You mean sex?" Dr. Phil asks. "Yes," says Tony. Ahhh, there's the problem right there. Dr. Phil goes on to elaborate and rounds out the wish list to include romantic time, talking, and sharing experiences.

Dr. Phil asks Donna, "What is your ownership in where this relationship is?" Donna responds by saying that she pushes Tony away and shuts him out. Dr. Phil asks her about her statement that she can't be nice to her husband. She feels that she has to be mean, or he won't make it. He asks her why she married him in the first place and she answers, "Because I loved him."

The good doctor asks the couple to look one another in the eye, and for Donna to "look through all the experiences" and see the man that she married. When asked, she says she married Tony for his positive, good-humored personality. Dr. Phil asks, "Does it hurt you to be mean to him?" She replies, "Yes," but qualifies this by saying that when he fights, he gets better faster. That's the way she sees it, anyway.

Dr. Phil instructs Tony to tell Donna what it would mean to him if he felt that, once in a while at least, she was proud of him. He explains that being told he is negative does just the opposite and makes him not want to fix what's wrong. Dr. Phil talks about how he deals with people suffering pain. He realizes that Tony needs someone to listen to him talk about his pain but that, once stated, he never has to talk about it again. "Never," says the doc. "I get it. I don't need to hear it."

He verifies that Tony got a bad deal. Donna gets it. Dr. Phil asks Tony, "What are you going to do about it." He goes on to tell them that he has worked with quadriplegics who can only move by blowing in a tube and who would, "Give their front seat in hell to have your back… to have your pain, to feel that." He continues, "Your glass is half-full. You've got a great mind. You've got a great personality and a great spirit, and I don't know what you need to claim your place with pride and dignity. If it's working outside the home, then you need to find somewhere that you can use those abilities." Tony is nodding in understanding.

Dr. Phil asks if Donna is right about Tony's curling up. He tells her that her job is not to be mean and to have to coerce him. If Tony needs a therapist, then he should get one. Dr. Phil tells her that Donna's job is to provide comfort and intimacy in the relationship. He charges them both to say that they are not going to get a divorce and will save their relationship. They need to fall in love again and redefine their relationship. Dr. Phil is adamant and explains that the purpose of Renovate My Family is to renovate the whole family from the inside out.

Before he lets them go, he tells Donna that she looks ten years younger than when they first sat down. And, really, she does. All her pain and stress is in her face and, after hearing Dr. Phil pronounce that he sees hope for them, it all seemed to disappear. Let's see if she can stick to this.

We move to the construction site where foreman Scott McCray is standing on the roof of the house. He explains that the roofline they designed gives it a really dramatic look. It is very pitched, with lots of gables and corners. It is dangerous to work on, though, but Scott feels it's worth it. One of the triplets announces the arrival of Canyon Fireplace, and they help to unload the outdoor barbecue. Kahi shows us the artwork she has chosen; specifically, the car racing items she has selected for one of the boy's rooms.

Jay is taking Tony to Hollywood to get started in a new career. Tony has always wanted to do voice-overs, and Jay is going to make this dream come true. But Tony is having second thoughts, and his negative thinking nearly destroys him once again. He manages to make it into the studio and says that seeing all of this makes him feel the same as he did the first time he saw a fire truck.

Rick Zieff, the voice-over director, asks Tony to describe himself, and then they are off to the sound booth. Rick tells Tony this is like acting and that he has to be believable. Finally, Tony is alone in the sound booth and it's "take one." Tony is outstanding! He's cracking up the crew, and Rick tells him he was believable and that he has a great, rich voice. Jay says that he wouldn't be surprised to hear Tony's voice on the radio. Tony tells us this was "an absolute dream come true." What a great moment.

Back at the house, the triplets are assembling a swing set for Meghan. For some reason, probably lack of space, they are doing this in the neighbors' yard. How many triplets does it take to assemble a swing set? Sorry, I couldn't resist. They test out the swings and leap off beautifully. Mission accomplished.

The hardwood flooring arrives, and in a fast-forward shot, it all seems to be coming together nicely. So well, in fact, that Kahi is happy. She loves the angles in the house and has even had some arched doors installed. This house is going to be the best one yet.