Source: Kinetic Content / Kinetic Content
The honeymoon has come to an end and honestly, it’s amazing what character traits and personality quirks can be revealed in a single week. And of course while it’s still early, last night’s episode gave us quite a bit in terms of material from each of the five couples.
Check out a few of our observations from last night’s episode.
Henry notices Christina’s impatience
If anyone would complain about their spouse first, I thought it would be Christina. I mean Henry is not giving her a lot to work with. So to hear him remark about her impatience was a surprise, for sure. I get the sense that Christina may be taking her frustration toward Henry out on the people around her because she’s not married to them.
Miles opens up about his depression
I don’t have to mince words with y’all. I love Miles. I think a man who is honest about and in tune with his emotions is so refreshing, especially when said man is Black. Lord knows our brothas repress so much and often times when their emotions bubble over, Black women are on the receiving end of what often presents as dysfunction. So I was happy to see him speak about being clinically depressed and taking medication to regulate it. It was a good moment for the community to see.
Source: Kinetic Content / Kinetic Content
Karen’s reaction
On camera, when she was actually speaking to Miles, Karen did much better than I thought she would. She thanked him for sharing something that might not have been easy to do. She asked really valid questions about how Miles would communicate with her in the midst of a depressive episode. I thought, okay cool. Great.
But her conversation with producers was something entirely different. She said that Miles dealing with depression was a red flag and that she was looking for someone masculine, insinuating that his dealing with depression—and communicating very clearly about it in my opinion—was somehow not masculine.
Oh, Karen.
I really want her to examine her definitions of masculinity. What does that mean to you and where did you get that from? I was so happy to see a Black man open up and be vulnerable and then in the confessional, she showed us exactly why so many of them don’t. Yikes.
Later in the episode, we watched what happens when men aren’t expressive. And it’s not great.
Money, Baby
Olivia makes quite a bit more money than Brett. Which is not entirely surprising if you watch the two of them in action. Thankfully, Brett doesn’t seem to be challenged or threatened by that. What was concerning about their conversation is the amount of money the two of them will be willing to spend on experiences. Olivia wants to be out and about, living life. And Brett wants to be saving and investing for the future. For as much as he gives off a$$hole vibes, I get the sense that Brett is really ready to settle down, down. And I don’t know if Olivia is about that life just yet.
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The Ratings
The rating game seemed like it would be so simple. But it really took a turn for the worst when Brett happened to hear Olivia gave him a seven. There really is something to be said about the dangers of eavesdropping on conversations not meant for you. If Olivia were talking to Brett, she could have explained why she gave him the score that she did. But because she wasn’t talking to him, he made some wild assumptions about what that seven meant. And afterward, he proved her point that everything was not perfect in their marriage.
Brett and Christina
So after hearing Olivia’s number for him, Brett decides that the rating system is dehumanizing. And he is entitled to that feeling. He didn’t like the way Olivia’s number made him feel and that’s real. But instead of saving that, he spent the next several hours shut down. He shut down with the guys and with the other wives. When Christina asked him why he wouldn’t participate in the rating system, and he still refused, she must have taken it as a personal slight and went running back to Olivia with her “see something, say something” excuse.
I think anyone watching Brett might get the impression that he could be an a$$hole. Still, I really don’t think it was her place to run back to Olivia with that bit of information. She really didn’t have anything to stand on aside from being offended by him not answering her. But he’s not married to her. And if Olivia could accept him not answering, she should have minded her business, particularly when she could have devoted that energy to figuring out what the hell is up with she and Henry.
C’mon Woody!
Am I ready to throw away my reservations about Woody? Not quite. But I really like how he shows up for Amani. He might not be the best t when it comes to answering her questions but the actions are there. And any woman can appreciate that. The rose petals, the candles, the bath. Perfect. And with the emotions of it being the last night of the honeymoon, there was no way those two weren’t going to sleep with each other. More than just that one gesture, Amani said that Woody makes her feel seen and heard. That’s intimacy baby. And I love to see it. I don’t know what’s in store for those two but I’m rooting for them hardcore. I want to see it work.
Brett’s shutdown
If Karen associated masculinity with a man who doesn’t express his emotions, I would have loved to see her with Brett after the day with the couples. It’s really a damn shame that he let his feelings ruin the last night of his honeymoon with Olivia. Sis tried to ask him so many questions, attempting to get him to open up about what was bothering him and them one-worded answers made me want to fight the air. When you’re a communicator being with a man who shuts down is infuriating. And Olivia shed tears behind his lack of communication.
The Apology
I really want to just dismiss Brett as a jerk and move on. But I can’t lie. I was really impressed with his apology the next morning. Not only did he apologize for his behavior, he explained why he was in the mood in the first place. He thought Olivia had given him a D. Smh. He should have done it last night but I can respect a man who wakes up the next morning realizing where he f*cked up at and trying to make it right. And Olivia was receptive as well. Cuz sis was fully prepared to hit him with that silent treatment all day lol.
