Paradise Hotel, July 30: Truth and Consequences

Dinnertime, but before the toast, Dave says Alex has something to say. Alex wishes Scott and Holly a good time, but he, Amy, and Beau had something planned. He says to be on the lookout for notebooks or scrolls. Holly and Scott are sent on their evening, which takes place in a penthouse suite of a hotel, complete with swimming pool. Back at Paradise Hotel, Beau, Alex, and Amy come out wearing togas. They invite the others to the first annual Paradise Hotel Toga Party. Guests will only be admitted if they have the gifts, togas, and a drink. Dave goes back to the Monkey Room and calls a staff member for sheets and towels. The guests all get into bedsheets, and Charla jokes Dave should stuff tissue in his underwear and have it stick out. Keith brings a drink as a gift. Tara brings coupons for backrubs promised to bring ecstasy (with the paper bearing her lip prints). She also shows off her underwear, with the slogan “kissy-kissy” written on the back of it. Charla brings snacks, Dave plastic bottles, Toni a neck brace, and Kristin whipped cream.

Over at the penthouse, Scott and Holly enjoy the view and bring out the champagne. They toast their romantic excursion together and end up in the pool kissing each other. The guests at Paradise Hotel start the games, with the first being toga judging. Each guest is introduced with a nickname, and Tara takes the opportunity to show her panties off. Toni flashes her breasts. Dave wins the male category, and they award him a straw hat. If it seems strange that the "originals" would pick Dave to win something, keep in mind that Beau and Alex are judging and Scott's away. That means the only competition was Keith, who isn't exactly Mr. Popularity with them. Tara and Toni tie for the women's category. The party degenerates as Tara shows off her underwear some more and licks whipped cream off some of the men. Toni kisses Dave, so I know she must be drunk. Game off, Toni?

The next morning, Scott says he had a good time with Holly, and they return to Paradise Hotel. Dave comes out to breakfast wearing the straw hat, and he thanks Amy for the party. Holly tells the girls about the flowers and fruit, but Toni whispers, "Boring." Scott tells the men that Holly is a really cool girl. Beau asks if she's cooler than Toni, which causes the men to laugh, and we see a flashback of one of Toni's many rants. As a flashback of Scott touching Holly's bikini top is shown, he's asked what his favorite body part of hers is. "Her eyes," he replies.

In the Bird Room, Toni tells Amy they are on high alert. Toni has just figured out that Dave, Charla, and Tara are plotting to get rid of them. Toni names Charla as the ringleader. Amy asks her how she knows, and Toni says she can feel it. Of course, they admit they are trying to keep their group together, but apparently they think the others shouldn't be playing the same game. They want Charla to drop the innocent act. Over in the Monkey Room, Keith tells Tara and Charla that the others are frightened, but they don't know there is a foursome. In confessional, Charla remarks that Toni accused her of clinging to the newcomers. She wonders what the alternative is - clinging to them? "Yeah, right," she remarks. She thinks they are mean and she'd never treat people the way they do. She wants them to keep thinking she's dumb.

Toni tells Amy and Kristin that they are all safe with different men (Beau, Alex, and Scott). Toni's confessional indicates she's going to play the game hard. If she goes, fine, but if not, somebody is in a lot of trouble. The trio of Amy, Kristin, and Toni all agree that Charla is the target. Apparently, this trio needs to reconsider their position. Holly decides who gets kicked out, not them. While it was possible to conspire with the others earlier in the game to control who left, the new person now has absolute power. So if they are going to play the game, they really ought to figure out the rules first. While it's fine to want your friends to stay in the game, the trio has ignored the newcomers for the most part, putting them in a revolving door. People don't like being treated as outcasts. Survivor: Marquesas will always be remembered for the way five unallied people, some of whom didn't even like each other, were treated as disposable. They rebelled and stole the game. It's taken some time, but the outcasts at Paradise Hotel have forged a similar connection. The only people who had really figured it out from the start were Dave and Keith, who both, in very different ways, made decisions which helped them develop a power base (Dave by picking the unpopular Charla; Keith by picking the very popular Amy). Plus, the outcasts are simply nicer people. Toni has raged at Dave, Kristin threatened Keith before he made a choice, and Amy has spit out venomous hatred to Keith after it.

Only one episode of Paradise Hotel is scheduled for next week, on Monday night. Holly makes a move on Beau. Toni fights with Amy after apparently learning she wasn't part of the quartet (Amy, Kristin, Scott, and Alex). Toni accuses the trio of Charla, Tara, and Dave of being after her. Plus, Holly gets to select a roommate and kick out an existing guest... but which one will it be?

Jeffrey Clinard lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his cats, Lam and Princess. He can be reached at jclinard@flashmail.com.

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