Howdy Trashies! Last week on Flipping Out…all was dark at Valley Vista as the world watched the spectacle that is these Olympic Games. Also, I started my first year teaching little humans things! In light of that daunting task, I will be posting the full ‘cap over the weekend from here on out. Until then, here’s a little preview.
Gage and Jeff are starting to create a hostile work environment with all their bickering. Jeff is still super pissed about the Living Spaces contract termination even though he doesn’t talk about it all the time.
“They owe me a shit ton of money. That’s why I fucking hate them.”
He actually says that. Jeff has a chance to redeem himself as the gang travel to Chicago for a “final interview” photo shoot with a new furniture client: Walter E. Smithe. Jeff will be staging various rooms in two separate houses for the campaign/audition.
Jenni is still trying to conceive her second child with Jonathan. Jeff will have to give Jenni her hormone shots, right in her stomach, on the road. He also has to do a commercial shoot, a task he despises.
Zoila is initially pig-in-shit happy to have the house to herself while Jeff and Gage are in Chicago. By the end of the trip though, she misses him so much she asks Ashlyn, who still works there, if she wants to spend the night. Ashlyn’s not feeling it, sleeping in her boss’s house and Zoila wants Jeff to come home.
The commercial will be shot inside two separate houses. Jeff is immediately impressed with the organization of Walter E. Smithe as opposed to the nightmare that was Living Spaces.
Walter E. Smithe III is the grandson of the company’s founder. He and his four daughters, all of whom also work for the family business, are really involved in the shoot, moving furniture and helping out wherever they can. It’s an awkward dance with both parties wanting to move forward with this new relationship but neither sure where the other stands.
Watching the gang set up the houses is super cool and the rooms look amazing.
Designed by Jeff Lewis & co.
The rooms they stage turned out even better than they expected, but Walter E. Smithe III isn’t giving any hints as to whether or not he’s pleased. Jeff finally flat out asks him what he thinks and he seems really impressed.
It comes time to shoot the commercial and Jeff’s anxiety soars. He tries to completely rework the script and change the whole setup. Walter and his gaggle are super understanding and really work to accommodate him. But then the whole thing gets really weird, with Jenni asking for a submarine and Jeff wondering if he can be the fourth Smithe brother. I’ll for sure try and find a final cut because I’m dying to see how that all turned out.
After the shoot, Jeff and Gage watch their surrogate’s second ultrasound via FaceTime. They see her move around and This Kid immediately becomes “she.” Phew.
They end the trip at a beautiful dinner. Walter affirms his delight and lets Jeff know that he knew the Living Spaces disaster wasn’t Jeff’s fault in what Jenni calls a Good Will Hunting “it’s not your fault” moment. Jeff is overcome with emotion but tries to keep it together lest Walter suss out his instability.
Once back in L.A., Jeff continues to come up with new ideas to extend the construction at Valley Vista. Jenni calls him a gambling addict living inside his own casino. Gage has about had it.
This was actually a really fun episode! Check back here in a few days for the full recap.
Until then,
Snarknado
XOXO