Strange Love, Episode 10: The Finale – Is it Real or is it Memorex?

The finale for Strange Love was, well, strange! Rather than give the viewer any kind of warm and fuzzy happy ending, the show seemed to simply run out of steam. Here’s how it went down.

We catch up with Brigitte and Flavor Flav in their room at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas. As you may recall, Brigitte and Flav had yet another argument, and after announcing she was ready to go home, she stormed out of the hotel’s casino and took refuge in their suite. Flav proceeded to lose all of his money on the roulette wheel and celebrated by getting drunk on champagne. Same old, same old, right!

Morning arrives, and the not-so-happy couple is semi-awake and trying to figure out how to spend their last day together. They talk about having some breakfast, but their conversation is interrupted when Brigitte’s tickets are delivered. Flav doesn’t take this very well, but puts on a brave face. Mind you, this show is heavily interspersed with flashbacks from their journey to date, and punctuated by an inane ditty that I have chosen not to repeat.

Before they can make any kind of plans for the day, though, yet another opportunity is presented. Seems that a local wedding chapel has extended an invitation to Gitte and Flav, requesting their presence as "celebrity” witnesses for the afternoon’s slate of weddings. It doesn’t seem as though they have much choice about this, which seems odd, but it’s possible that in return for their free room and associated goodies, they are obliged to do whatever they are told.

Whatever the reason, they are up and out, and off to the wedding chapel. They are greeted by the owner/operator of this establishment, who informs them that they are going to witness not just one wedding but several. Brigitte and Flav aren’t real thrilled about this turn of events, but good-naturedly change into specially selected wedding garb. Brigitte puts on a long, white, off-the-shoulder gown, and Flav is outfitted in a tuxedo. Brigitte is so tall, and in heels she positively dwarfs Flav.

Once they are dressed, they enter the chapel, and Flav sits down at the organ and begins trying to figure out the “Wedding March.” He is still noodling around on the keyboard when the first couple arrives for their wedding. How bizarre! Finally, he gets it together and the first couple is married, somewhat taken aback by the presence of this strange pair at their nuptials.

The couples keep on coming, and with each wedding, Brigitte seems to be getting more and more disturbed. All these weddings seem to be reminders of her own failed attempts at marriage, her confusion over her engagement to Mattia (remember him?), and her feelings towards Flav. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she tells Flav that she has to get out of there. She flees to the safety of the limousine, where she waits for Flav.

Meanwhile, Flav, who appears to have had just about enough of all of her, tries to explain Brigitte’s bizarre behavior to the owner of the chapel. Although he is also uncomfortable with the whole idea of marriage, and says he is “creeped out” by all these weddings, he has been willing to play the game up until now. Finally, he is on his way out to join Brigitte in the limousine. But on his way to the door, he is recognized by a couple about to be married. Seems that the groom-to-be is a fan of Flav’s band, and even carries a Public Enemy CD in his CD case (which he conveniently has with him). The groom-to-be begs Flav to stick around for the wedding, and Flav, always aware of the importance of his fans, agrees. Of course, Brigitte doesn’t understand this and continues her tantrum in the limo.

Once the fans are married, Flav is free to join Brigitte in the limo, and together they return to the hotel. As a farewell gesture, Flav has arranged for the hotel to set up the living room with all kinds of special foods, champagne, candles, flowers, sex toys, and even a sexy negligee for Brigitte. He knows this may be their last night ever, and says, "If she marries Mattia I'll wish her well but we can never be romantically connected again." For her part, Brigitte tells us, "If he asked me, ‘Do you want to stay with me?' I would do it."

This gesture seems to move Brigitte, and the two make up and head for the bedroom.

In the morning, the two prepare for their inevitable parting. They are both reluctant to let go, but realize that the time has come to say goodbye. The trip to the airport is emotional and they both seem genuinely upset. If nothing else, these two have some history now and shared memories of a pretty extraordinary adventure.