Cupid, Episodes 8 & 9: Meet the Folks

After taking a one-week hiatus (me, not the show) to deal with some personal business, I’m back with a double episode recap. The two episodes fold together nicely however, since the “theme” of each week involves meeting the parents. In the first episode Lisa meets the families of the remaining men and in the second, each of the men are introduced to Lisa’s family.

The show begins as it always does, with host Brian McFayden introducing us to the contestants, Lisa, and her two friends Laura Restum and Kimberly Tarter. We see a film clip from within the bachelor house where things are getting tense. Paul, the most recent elimination, was expected to last a lot longer in the game and each of the remaining men realizes that nobody is safe – with the possible exception of Robert A., who seems to survive each week only to face another round of derision from Laura and Kimberly. Ken describes standing in front of Lisa’s two friends as “getting thrown under a bus on national TV.”

Back at the live show, Brian calls forward Renda, Dominic, and Ken. They are the three lowest vote getters for the week. Brian then quickly sends Renda back to take a seat leaving us with two very unhappy looking men at center stage. Laura and Kim each put in their two-cent opinions and each feel it’s Ken’s time to leave. Kimberly raises the reality show cliché count for the series to two billion by saying there doesn’t seem to be a connection between Lisa and Ken. After a commercial break to increase the drama, Brian sends Dominic back to the bachelor pit, takes Ken’s arrow, and breaks it in half.

Ken: I’ve had one hell of a ride. I’m flattered you selected me to become part of this great group of guys. I hope the woman of my dreams is still out there.

Lisa: Ken, I count you among my friends. I had an amazing time with you.

Laura: There’s not too much wrong with Ken at all. He’s good looking and he’s got a real future.

Kimberly: He’s gonna make some woman extremely happy.

This leaves us with six men and of course, six dates for this week. As I said above, this week’s date will involve the guys bringing Lisa to meet their respective families. During the early audition process a number of the men brought their families with them when they first met Lisa, so she won’t be flying completely blind. The first date will be with:

Renda:

The date begins on the streets of New York City where Renda introduces Lisa to some of the local street vendors and hustlers he with whom he shares camaraderie. He dispenses some advice to one down-on-his-luck hustler (“Every no is one step closer to a yes!”) and brings Lisa to a restaurant. Inside his family sits beaming from behind matching pairs of Groucho glasses. Despite the elaborate disguises, Renda manages to recognize his family and makes a beeline for them. (I think the cameras and klieg lights tipped him off.) Renda’s dad promises Lisa that life in the family will never be boring and one of Renda’s friends asks her if she feels strongly toward Renda. She says, “Isn’t it obvious?” and plants a long and lingering kiss on a very pleased Renda. This may look tender, but I think it’s also a dodge. While she’s professed to liking several of the men a lot, she always seems to be holding her true feelings and emotions just out of sight. This may be a necessary part of playing this particular game, or it may be a small character flaw. Regardless, it’s unlikely we’ll know for sure until the final episode of the series. Renda tells us, “This is something stronger than I’ve ever felt before.”

We come back to the studio for the comments of Lisa’s friends.

Laura: I gotta say that I love your family, but there was something about that kiss that bothered me.

Kimberly: Don’t give up your dreams or you may come to resent Lisa.

Me: I still think Renda is one of those “creative guy” side trips that a lot of women take before settling down with a more solid and responsible mate. I think Renda will eventually meet a wonderful lady of similar bohemian tastes to his, but I think Lisa’s best bet lies elsewhere. Lisa is obviously enjoying herself, and she’ll miss him when he’s eliminated, but he’s not her first choice for husband material.

Renda: Laura, about the kissing thing… you weren’t there. It was a good kiss!

Lisa: You were seeing your family again, but you were even more excited that I was meeting them. I think that was really cool.

Evan:

For Evan’s date we head to Westminster, California, for a huge family picnic. Evan’s mother quickly tells him that she absolutely loves Lisa. His best friend tells us that he’s never seen Evan so happy. Lisa admits to the friend that her feelings for Evan scare her a little bit but that she feels very happy with Evan as well. When Lisa and Evan have a moment alone Evan confesses to her that it bothers him that she seems to be enjoying the dates with the other men so much and that he doesn’t like to see the guys come back “glowing” from spending time with her. She assures him that it’s different between the two of them than it is with the other men and seals the comment with a tender kiss.

Laura: Your family seem amazing and I was really touched by your openness. Fight for her if you think she’s the one.

Kimberly: Lisa felt so comfortable. I will tell you something you guys have, and that’s sexual chemistry!

Me: I’ve watched these dating reality shows enough times to know a trend when I see one. The person that expresses too much jealousy about the private time the other contestants spend out on dates may not get ousted immediately, but they get ousted nonetheless. Evan needs to make his comments about the others sparingly or he will be dismissed as a whiner.

Evan: My family and friends adore you. Everyone adores you!

Lisa: We both have such strong feelings for one another. But I can’t help the premise of the show. You either have to get past it or we’re both going to lose.