There Goes the Neighborhood, Episode 4: “It’s Gonna Be a Wild Night Tonight!”

On last week’s episode of There Goes the Neighborhood, the Bussiere family, which contained the oldest and youngest competitors in the game, was eliminated. Before that, the Schindler family made an alliance with the Upshaws, the Mullenixes won the Home Challenge, and the Upshaws won the Neighborhood Challenge.

Before we jump into this week, I want to take a moment to thank Teeuwynn Woodruff for filling in for me last week. And as an added bonus, Tey will be back next week when I’ll once again be unavailable. Thanks Tey!

We’re down to five families:

• Johnston Family (“The Intellectuals”): Dad Cameron (51), Mom Regina aka “Gina” (44), Daughter Carliegh (11), and Niece Theresa (25).
• Mullennix-Goff-Hatcher Family (“Two Moms”): Partners Clarissa “Chris” Mullenix (41) and Renee Hatcher (42) and Chris’s Sons Nathanael Mullennix (18) and Keith Goff (17).
• Nelson Family (“The Southerners”): Dad Chris aka “Nellie” (47), Mom Mickey (47), and Sons Christian (19), Branson (15), and Jackson (7).
• Schindler Family (“The Young Bunch”): Dad David (40), Mom Christina (39), Sons Noah (12) and Emmett (10), and Daughter Olivia (6).
• Upshaw Family (“The Athletes”): Dad Ricardo aka “Rick” (42), Mom Therese (42), Son Christopher (21), and Daughter Alexus (18).

The Upshaws discuss the Bussieres’ elimination. They agree that as long as you play the game with a cool head and know it’s a game, then you do what you need to do. Therese says they are keeping no promises beyond their pact with the Schindlers. That leaves them with only three choices of families to put up, and they are all in the core. Everyone has a chance to leave and it’s going to be tough.

Cue colorful intro and catchy theme! It’s morning in the Neighborhood and Chris “Nellie” Nelson sits outside with the Upshaw children and his son Branson. Rick Upshaw joins them and teases Nellie about his full stomach. In voiceover Rick says Nellie is a good friend of his for about 10 years now.

Rick continues that he enjoys being next to Nellie just to hear what he is going to say next. He’s often funny, apparently. Nellie says after this show, he and Rick are going to become nude models, as Rick and the wives (who are watching from a short distance away) break out in laughter.

Meanwhile, the Schindlers are having breakfast. Daughter Olivia is holding a fly swatter. I think we all know where this is going. Christina remarks that Dad David isn’t talking this morning, and he replies that he’s great and he’s just focusing.

Olivia swats brother Emmett with the fly swatter and Christina tells her that he’s not a fly, he’s a boy. In voiceover Christina says the wall is making them all a bit claustrophobic and they’ve been behind it too long. Olivia continues hitting Emmett, and he continues getting frustrated with her. Christina says they go through this same thing every morning.

Emmett kicks his sister and she swats him back. This goes on a few more times, leading Christina to say it would be a good idea to get Olivia out of the house for a little bit.

An ice cream truck drives by the Neighborhood with telltale music playing. All of the families head outside and Regina and Cameron Johnston accurately observe that Olivia goes berserk. She starts jumping up and down like a pogo stick and then starts smacking the wall.

The truck stops and the driver gets out and starts tossing ice cream over the wall. Emmett is the first to get some, and soon the whole Neighborhood is outside collecting a frozen treat. Olivia gets an ice cream sandwich and is mesmerized at the idea of the ice cream man throwing treats over the wall. Even the adults enjoy the treat. Rick Upshaw observes that it helped remind them of the simple things they are missing. Everyone declares it a special event.

And it’s time for the Home Challenge! Matt calls the families outside, where five tables are set up with a letter tray on each one. He tells them it’s mail day as a USPS truck pulls up outside the wall and mail bags are tossed over. The Johnstons wonder whether it’s really their mail and say they don’t want to think about it.

As the fifth bag lands, Christian Nelson hopes for love letters from his girlfriend, who is obviously outside the wall. Each family grabs the bag labeled with their name and places it on their table.

Matt explains that each bag contains 500 pieces of mail, but only 10 are addressed to each family. The families must find those 10 pieces and stack them in the Inbox on their table. The first family to find all 10 pieces will win the Home Challenge and gain a slight advantage in the Neighborhood Challenge.

Therese Upshaw used to work in the post office so she believes she will have an advantage in this challenge. Matt gives the go signal and mail bags are furiously untied.

Everyone gets involved in the challenge, with the smaller children being responsible for picking mail up off of the ground. It’s pretty boring watching people sort through mail, and everyone is quickly up to three letters. On cue, Alexus Upshaw starts yelling and whining.

The Mullenixes, Johnstons, Schindlers, and Nelsons all have nine pieces when the Johnstons find their 10th piece. The Johnstons win their first challenge! Dad Cameron jumps around as if he just won the Super Bowl or the World Series. Nellie gives him a hug as Chris Mullenix gives him a look that would kill, if looks could do such a thing.

Neighbors outside the wall comment on the wall, and it’s the same stuff we’ve heard every week so far, so I’ll spare you. Be inventive and make something up in your own head, I’m sure it will be more entertaining than what was actually said…