Mary, indeed looking a bit contrary
Previously on Flipping Out…Valley Vista is a money pit, but they’re still living and working there through the renovations. Demolition has begun at Mary and Marty’s in Newport Beach. Jeff and Gage’s surrogate Alexandra is pregnant with a girl. They found out this information from Dr. Potter, who happens to be the same fertility doctor Meghan from RHOC has been seeing.
Dr. Potter on Flipping Out
Dr. Potter on RHOC (also pictured: his ex-wife Nina at Shannon Beador’s 70s party)
You don’t think Bravo just goads these couples into having kids because Potter’s already on the payroll do you? “C’mon, it’ll make great TV!” Good God I hope not. And Zoila flipped off Gage.
This is what happens when people stop being nice…
…and start getting real
If I had more spare time I’d run for Zoila’s Fan Club President. We open this episode with all the castployees eating sushi together around a table at Valley Vista. Frank the contractor, sans business-destroying manager-wife Anjelica, interrupts their meal to show them the latest in “Your House Is A Money Pit” news: there is mold growing up the wall on the side of Valley Vista they are currently re-doing.
Gage interviews that they’re past the point of wondering if buying Valley Vista was a mistake; now they’re just trying to mitigate the constantly arising problems as best they can. Jeff flat out says it’s the worst house he’s ever purchased. It looked so pretty – “but those are the dangerous ones.” It looked like it just needed a little cosmetic work. Now they need a new roof, new framing for the roof because the old framing is rotted out…the list never ends.
Outside, where Frank’s crew has been diligently removing trees for weeks, Frank shows Jeff and Gage a tree that is basically keeping the entire yard from crumbling into the street. Frank wants to dig it all out and backfill it back in, which is going to be really expensive.
This tree stump
is the only thing keeping half the yard from sliding into the street
Jeff and Gage look defeated
“It’s like the Money Pit sequel. I’m Tom Hanks and Gage is Shelly Long.”
Poor Gage
Jenni and Jeff are asked in interview who they think is affected most by the chaos that is Valley Vista. I thought they would say Zoila, but they both agreed it had been worst on Gage.
Jeff is driving Jenni and Gage to Mary and Marty’s in Newport Beach. The line for the left turn lane is like seventeen cars long, so Gage tells Jeff to drive around them in the right lane and then cut back over at the last second to make the left. Jeff seems uncomfortable but obliges, cutting back in the line with only three cars in front of them. The entire line of cars start to honk as Gage laughs from his back seat post.
Turns out Gage is kind of a jerk
They arrive at Mary and Marty’s where demolition looks to be complete.
Kitchen Before
Kitchen After
Bathroom Before
Bathroom After
Mary and Marty plan to sell the house eventually, so the goal of the re-design is to maximize their selling price. Perhaps leaving a perfectly good kitchen and bathroom as is would have been best? Jeff says he has a hard job in front of him because he thinks they overpaid for the house, so he’s trying really hard to add as much value as possible.
The property has an ocean view and Jeff feels very strongly about adding a deck to the master bathroom. But Mary’s been talking to a realtor, Michael, who thinks an addition would add more value and the deck is a terrible idea. Jeff is irritated with this Michael, and tries to explain to Mary why he thinks Michael is on crack. He has Marty on his side, but Mary doesn’t look convinced.
But Michael said…
They head to lunch to discuss design options. In the car with Jenni and Gage, Jeff blows off some steam about Michael and they discuss Mary’s tendency to be swayed by the wind. Back at Valley Vista, the roof is coming off shingle by shingle. Zoila threatens a barking dog with a spray bottle. Vanina works away at her laptop. And I have no idea why they included that scene at all.
Back at lunch, Mary is showing Jeff potential design ideas while Jeff screams “LET THE GUY YOU HIRED DO HIS JOB” repeatedly in his head.
Michael thought gold accents would be amazing
Every single thing Mary shows Jeff makes him angrier. He finally busts out with “I’m probably gonna get fired, but they’re just…WRONG. They’re all wrong.”
“ALL WRONG!!!!”
Mary is upset but Jeff is relentless. He tells her the doors she likes and the other things she’s shown Jeff don’t fit with the rest of the house and they don’t fit in with the neighborhood. Like no one decorates their house that way, and Jeff doesn’t really want to be associated with the design if she has to have those things.