Believe it or not, I had never actually watched an episode of Catfish until now and it was by mistake. I went into MTV instead of MSNow but anyway, I knew exactly what the show was and is about. I did think that people pretend to be someone they are not online, feelings get involved, the truth eventually comes out, and somebody usually gets hurt. At least that was my assumption. What I did not realize is that some of these stories actually end well.
The episode I watched caught me completely off guard. The woman involved was convinced she was being catfished because the guy could barely leave his house and his behavior simply did not make sense from her perspective. As the story unfolded, it became clear that what looked suspicious on the surface was actually something much sadder and much more human. By the end of the episode, I found myself feeling terrible for the kid. Coming from someone who is not exactly known for loving himself, I understood parts of what he was going through. What surprised me most was that the story ended with what appeared to be a genuinely happy couple. I had no idea Catfish even allowed that to happen. I honestly thought every episode ended with someone getting destroyed emotionally. Read The Full Substack.
Summer House Still Has One Massive Unanswered Question
The Summer House Season 10 Reunion Part III wrapped up this week, and somehow, after three reunion episodes and roughly ten hours of discussion, there still seems to be one question that needs to be asked directly to their faces. I also think that’s what Lindsay was trying to articulate during that commercial break.
By the way, how many times did you think we were actually watching a live segment when it was really during one of their breaks? That Lindsay exchange, in particular, caught me off guard because when Andy suddenly said, “Okay, we’re back,” my immediate reaction was, “Wait, we weren’t on the air?”
Regardless, that’s a pretty innovative television production tactic. I have to believe it’s relatively new, at least in this format. It’s actually a cool idea because it gives viewers the feeling that they’re seeing what normally happens when the cameras aren’t officially rolling and we do not miss anything important. Read The Full Substack.
Amid the Reunion Chaos, Charley Manley and Justin Assad May Be Bravo’s Most Surprising Success Story.
One of the more surprising developments to come out of Southern Hospitality and its Reunion this season has been the relationship between Charley Manley and Justin Assad. In a reality television landscape where relationships often seem designed to implode for ratings, these two appear to be doing the exact opposite. The couple officially hard-launched their relationship earlier this spring and, unlike many Bravo romances, they actually seem happy. Justin frequently posts about Charley on social media and recently referred to her as his “whole heart,” which is about as public a declaration as you can make in the Bravo universe without getting engaged. He professsed his love on this last Reunion Episode. I am actually glad. As long as they are real, I am way into it.
Their relationship became a focal point during the Southern Hospitality reunion after Andy Cohen pressed Justin about lingering questions surrounding the timeline of their romance. Specifically, viewers wanted clarity regarding whether there was any overlap between Justin beginning to see Charley in August 2025 and Charley’s brief involvement with Southern Charm’s Craig Conover. Both Justin and Charley maintained that there was no overlap whatsoever. According to their version of events, Charley and Craig only went on a couple of casual dates before things naturally fizzled out, while her relationship with Justin developed separately and eventually became serious. Whether viewers choose to believe every detail of that timeline is up to them, but the couple appeared united and comfortable discussing it during the reunion. Conversly, the Charley and Craig situation was over before it really started and we watched that unfold last season. Read The Full Substack.
Captain Sandy Hits the Dock, Joe Shows Up Looking Like He Found the Gym, and Below Deck Mediterranean Is Already Off the Rails
The new season of Below Deck Mediterranean is only one episode old, and somehow Captain Sandy Yawn may have already delivered one of the biggest surprises of her entire run on the franchise.
Captain Sandy was involved in striking a dock during the Season 11 premiere. While it occurred during a training exercise, it was still startling to watch.
Despite years at the helm and countless charter seasons, this was the first time viewers have seen Sandy make contact with a dock on the show. The circumstances were almost comically unfortunate. Communication broke down as loud party boats in the area drowned out radio traffic, preventing Sandy from hearing Bosun Nathan Gallagher’s distance calls. Before anyone could properly react, the yacht made hard contact with the dock.
Fortunately, the damage appeared to be cosmetic rather than structural. Nobody was injured, the yacht remained seaworthy, and charter season continued. Still, seeing Captain Sandy involved in a docking incident was startling simply because it is something viewers are not accustomed to seeing. Read The Full Substack.
Tom Schwartz Throws a “James Bond” Party, Brittany Finally Hits Her Breaking Point, and the Best Joke of the Night Wasn’t Even Intentional
Did anything particularly great happen on The Valley this week? Honestly, I found myself wondering that while watching the episode. Plenty happened, of course. Relationships continued falling apart, feelings were hurt, accusations flew, and everyone seemed upset about something. But when the episode ended, the thing I remembered most was Tom Schwartz’s James Bond-themed birthday party.
Or what he believed was a James Bond-themed birthday party.
I have to ask, has Schwartz actually watched more than one James Bond movie?
The entire event felt less like a celebration of the Bond franchise and more like someone watched Casino Royale once and concluded that every James Bond film revolves around tuxedos, poker tables, and high-stakes gambling. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. Casino Royale is one of the best Bond films ever made. But the theme really should have been called a Casino Royale party rather than a James Bond party because that was clearly the inspiration.
The funniest moment of the entire episode, however, had nothing to do with Schwartz.
It involved Zack Wickham’s husband, Benji. Read The Full Substack.
Kenny’s “Spark” Problem Explodes, Andrea Finally Loses His Patience, and Whitney Deserves Some Answers
One of the more fascinating storylines developing on In the City is not a breakup, a business dispute, or even one of Kyle Cooke’s increasingly desperate attempts to save Loverboy. It is a single word.
Spark.
Unless he was trying to act cool and project that whole “whatever” attitude, why in the world would anyone allow someone to move into their place, especially someone relocating from halfway across the country to New York City, unless they already knew where the relationship stood?
I mentioned Lindsay poking the bear last week regarding the move-in situation because you also don’t get engaged just for the sake of getting engaged. Living together is supposed to help answer those questions before you get engaged or married. If living together implodes, it’s a lot easier to walk away when you’re not yet engaged or married. You move in together to see if the relationship truly works day to day. Read The Full Substack.
Watch What Happens Live Delivers J.Lo, Betty Gilpin, Jesse Solomon, Rachel Lindsay, a Breakup, and One Very Strange Congressional Campaign
Watch What Happens Live had a surprisingly busy week and I only watched it through Wednesday Night.
One of the more entertaining stops on the Office Romance promotional tour took place this week when Jennifer Lopez and Betty Gilpin joined Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. What could have been a routine promotional appearance quickly turned into a revealing look at both stars’ personal lives, career ambitions, and the chemistry that appears to have made Office Romance one of the most talked-about upcoming projects in Hollywood.
Jennifer Lopez arrived with her usual confidence and immediately established one thing, if anyone is interested in dating her, they should probably stop sending direct messages. Lopez made it abundantly clear that social media is not where potential suitors are going to find success. According to JLo, her inboxes are essentially ignored, meaning anyone hoping to catch her attention will have to do it the old-fashioned way.
Lopez also opened up about a much more personal subject, preparing to become an empty nester. With her twins heading off to college this fall, she spoke candidly about the emotional adjustment facing parents when their children begin the next chapter of their lives. She also discussed the methods she used over the years to ensure her children remained grounded despite growing up under extraordinary circumstances.
As if that wasn’t enough, Lopez revealed during the After Show that she remains very interested in eventually taking on a Broadway role. Considering her decades-long career spanning music, film, television, and live performance, Broadway may be one of the few major entertainment worlds she has yet to fully conquer. Read The Full Substack.