The Swan 2, Episode 2: Overcoming Obstacles

Last time on The Swan, we saw a special two-hour episode to lead off the season. In the first hour, we were reunited with the swans from Season One and briefly introduced to the swans for Season Two. In the second hour, we met both Jennifer, who was the victim of a house fire, and often-uncooperative Kim. Both ladies got The Swan treatment and looked and felt terrific, and at the end of the show, Jennifer was named as the first contestant to advance to The Swan pageant.

This week, the show begins differently as my buddy the voiceover-guy recaps last week’s show for us. Well, that’s my job, and I know you read my article, so let’s move along! He then introduces us to Lorrie and Gina, this week’s contestants.

Host Amanda Byram comes out in what looks like a dom outfit. But it’s not about the clothes – that’s that other show – so we’ll just move along! Amanda tells us that two more women will change dramatically, but only one will move on to “The Swan” pageant, with a chance to be crowned “The Swan!”

Next, The Swan team of experts parade in. They remind us how important they are to the whole process. They are:

• life coach Nely Galán, who is also the creator of this show
• therapist Dr. Lynn Ianni
• cosmetic surgeons Dr. Terry Dubrow and Randal Digby Haworth
• reconstructive dentist Dr. Sherry Worth
• physical trainer Debbie Seibers.

Hey, I like the new, briefer intro, even if voiceover-guy has lost the chance to read three paragraphs of his hapless hyperbole!

Amanda presents tonight’s contestants to the panel of experts. First up is Gina Davis, a 38-year-old mother of three from Daytona Beach, Florida. I can tell you her life is a sad tale, indeed. She has been deaf since she was three, with 10% hearing in one ear and none in the other. Because she was different, other kids were mean to her and she retreated into herself.

But Gina doesn’t see her deafness as her biggest problem. She’s not confident in herself because of her looks – nose, no chin, and minor weight issues dominate her concerns.

Husband David notes that she’s very shy about her body, and Gina says they haven’t kissed each other for ten years. “We’re living like roommates, and I hate it,” Gina says. She adds, “He has anger management problems,” and, “He calls me names.” Ahh, that explains a lot. It looks like he’s going to be a strong early entry for the “Loser Spouse of the Season” award. Ass!

Host Amanda asks the team of experts for their opinions. Dr. Ianni notes that Gina has learned to withdraw from conflict situations, and needs to learn how to stand up for herself, be assertive, and get the respect she deserves. Dr. Dubrow sees a lot of physical challenges, including a nose job that seems to get progressively more difficult as the episode plays out. Dr. Worth notes that like many people who are deaf, people stare at her mouth to understand what she’s saying, and her smile could look a whole lot better. Personally, I could understand most of what Gina said, but I was still glad her portions of the episode were captioned.

Anyway, here’s what they plan for Gina:

Face:

• nose job
• brow lift
• chin implant
• liposuction under her chin
• fat transferred to her lips
• Lasik eye surgery

Body:

• breast augmentation
• tummy tuck
• liposuction on her hips

Dental:

• Zoom bleaching
• Extensive laser gum recontouring
• deep cleaning
• DaVinci veneers

Fitness:

• 1200 calorie a day diet
• concentrate on toning her muscles to lose 10 pounds
• weekly therapy and coaching to move past her traumatic childhood

Next we are introduced to contestant #2, Lorrie. Lorrie is 34 (but looks a lot older) and is a police department volunteer. She has always had low self-esteem, and was told she was “worthless” as a child. Her mother told her she was fat and that “everything she did was wrong.” Lorrie responded by eating. They show mom, but lucky for her, it’s with her face blurred out. Lorrie’s mom is in the early lead for the “Crappiest Relative” award (husbands ineligible).

Her husband was her first boyfriend, and they were married two months later. After years of obesity, Lorrie took off 120 pounds, but did it too quickly and was left with plenty of excess, saggy skin. Lorrie says it makes her look like she’s melting. And she’s not far wrong, poor thing!

Unfortunately, her story continues. Her husband died in November 2002, and she’s still dealing with the pain of that loss. All in all, Lorrie has had a difficult life.

Amanda asks the experts what they think. Dr. Dubrow says she will need what he calls, “a full body lift.” Dr. Haworth tells us there’s so much to be done it will have to be done in three stages. Therapist Dr. Ianni notes that she will also need counseling to deal with the loss of her husband.