Summer House Recap: Fun for the Whole Family

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Upon reaching their Hampton vacation home, known as the Summer House, the Solomon couple – Lexi and Jesse – encountered a surprising sight: their front door functioning smoothly for the first time! It was an unexpected delight as no one had anticipated such a development without the usual banging, hip-checking, or forceful kicks. The door effortlessly slid open, much like Countess Luann gracefully exiting a party with her companion of the night. Amanda was left in awe and repeatedly tested the door to ensure the lubricant (WD-40) was properly utilized. I fervently hope that this change, unlike Danielle’s relationship with Joe the Balloon Guy, will prove to be long-lasting.

Let me share some fun news first: My fictional spouse, Kyle Cooke, is incredibly fertile! He could potentially father ten times as many kids as Elon Musk, and each one would be ten times more good-looking. Now, you might wonder about the state of his swimmers – well, doctors usually look for a minimum of 20 million. In my dating life, I have a similar standard: any potential partner should have a net worth of at least $20 million. Fortunately, Kyle has 159 million sperm, which is great news for both him and Amanda when they eventually decide to start a family together.

The following day, having shared his semen analysis results with everyone in the house (including viewers at home), Kyle feels disappointed when Amanda doesn’t seem more thrilled about it and fails to organize a small celebration. At the beach picnic, Kyle expresses his annoyance to the other male residents of the household (not referring to his sperm) and makes it clear that he’s not entirely happy. Amanda assures him that if there were an issue with his health, she would stand by him, but since everything appears fine, it’s no cause for significant excitement.

It’s clear both perspectives hold merit. Kyle had been concerned about his fertility, finding relief in knowing he wasn’t sterile, but it seems unnecessary to keep celebrating this topic. I agree with Amanda; if it’s no longer an issue, let’s move on. Paige aptly points out that Craig and Kyle share similarities, and they both require encouragement and support during life events. I can understand how taxing that must be for her.

This week, we’ve had some adorable and entertaining events, but let’s delve into the serious matter of Lesse (Jexi?) and its ongoing deterioration. It’s amusing how they recently portrayed their reunion (chuckle-chuckle) only for it to appear that she might break up with him on camera in the next episode. It seems that before their Hamptons trip, Lexi and Jesse had some intense discussions. She advised him to improve his communication skills, stop acting as if he’s single when he isn’t, and work through his trust issues. Then, we get two unexpected surprises from Jesse’s past. The first is that his best friend allegedly slept with his high-school (or possibly college) girlfriend, which has caused him trust problems. The second seems to be a prom photograph of Jesse, and if I were Lexi, I would have thought, “That’s it, we’re done.” By the way, did you notice that hairstyle? Jesse has certainly transformed, but if I were Lexi and saw that picture, I would have said, “I’m sorry, it’s over.

Lexi seems to involve her family in her romantic relationships more than most people do. I must admit, it feels strange. It doesn’t seem right for Jesse to have long discussions about their relationship with Lexi, but also listen to her mom and sister talk for three hours about how he treats Lexi. Frankly, I find that peculiar. After 14 years of being married, I have never once discussed my relationship with my husband’s family.

Unusual isn’t always a negative, and whoever ultimately bonds with Lexi will need to be as tight-knit with her family as they are with her. In the grand scheme of things, I believe she’ll find her footing just fine. However, it’s fair to say that this situation is far from typical.

Lexi chose to venture out and start working at a young age, which explains her desire for her mom and sister by her side for support. Kudos to Lexi for staying true to herself. But let’s face it, the entire setup feels strange. The fact that she lives with her mom and sister is unconventional. It’s odd that after a month, she expects her mom and sister to engage with her boyfriend. It’s unusual that her mom is out partying with them until 3 a.m. That Jesse grinds on Lexi in front of her mom is questionable. And yes, it’s weird, it’s very weird!

That said, I don’t want to imply that this isn’t good; rather, we can’t ignore the fact that this behavior isn’t what most people would consider normal.

Discussing unusual matters, it’s somewhat peculiar that we devoted more time in this episode to resolving Jesse and Ciara’s argument rather than Lesse’s potential separation. The conversation commences when the group is gathered and someone queries Jesse about his insights from his chats with Lexi (and her relatives). He responded by stating the need for improved communication. Ciara retorts, “You’re not a deceiver. You’re not two-faced. Is that the key point?” That’s quite blunt, Tai.

In their conversation on the beach, her attitude towards Jesse appears reluctant when he seeks to discuss matters with her. Jesse seems remorseful about his words towards Ciara and unwittingly dragging her into his predicament with Lexi, a situation she didn’t invite. However, she is cold and unresponsive, providing no signs of forgiveness or understanding. As Jesse had remarked earlier in the episode, “Ciara isn’t someone you want to dislike.” It seems that this incident involving the joke about not touching him at the cancer benefit and dinner night he hosted has left a deep mark on her, as she holds him accountable for his insensitive remark. He claims it was a joke, but Ciara reminds him that no one found it amusing, and she feels he could have communicated the situation more clearly to her via text, making things less complicated between them.

Her response remains unacceptingly casual. “I’m past you,” she declares. “I’m over it. I only have one more week left to worry about it, and that will carry me through the summer.” A woman as beautiful and lively as Ciara likely encounters disrespectful actions from men quite frequently, as we’ve witnessed on the show. Jesse’s actions were undeniably poor, but Ciara’s response might appear excessive. This could be because we are observing it in isolation rather than within a larger context.

Prior to their beach conversation, when the gang dines out separately, Jesse opts for a martini with blue-cheese olives, reminiscent of Vicki Gunvalson in season one of RHOC. He then seeks advice on handling Ciara. Paige hints that she may eventually forgive him, but it’ll take some time. Jesse queries if she will, given that she hasn’t yet forgiven West. Kyle offers insightful advice: “Bro, don’t bring up ‘That’s what she did to West.’ That’s not the reason they split up.

In Ciara’s thoughts, Jesse’s actions mirror the past events involving her and West, given their close bond as the Three Amigos. At the start of summer, she attempted to preserve a friendly relationship with Jesse, assuming he was distinct. However, he exploited his position to diminish her feelings and push her towards West prematurely, intertwining the two in her consciousness. As the summer progressed, he backstabbed her, much like West did, tarnishing her trust in him. If a different guy named Carl had acted similarly, I believe Ciara would have forgiven him and moved on. Yet, Jesse’s misconduct serves as an unsettling reminder of the hurt she experienced with West.

It appears that Ciara isn’t planning on forgiving West based on this episode’s events. I can understand her reluctance, given their past, yet she has made significant strides since the start of summer, as evidenced by her unwillingness to even acknowledge him earlier. In the backyard gathering, West offers Ciara a drink, and she requests one. She wonders aloud why West is being kind to her, to which Amanda responds that he’s been doing so all summer long, but Ciara wasn’t open to it beforehand.

It appears that these two former reality TV stars find themselves in a unique situation, cohabiting on the same show. They engage in conversation, share proximity, and even exchange beverages. Despite this, they maintain a friendly yet distant dynamic, eschewing any hint of renewed friendship. An incident occurs when Ciara vacates the dinner table during Kanye’s discussion about his late friend from last summer. The show attempts to elicit reactions such as, “Ugh! How rude! How callous!” However, upon hearing Ciara’s explanation, her actions become understandable. Essentially, she wanted him to express his emotions freely without her presence potentially distracting him. Admittedly, this also brought back memories of their close bond, which was undeniably painful for her as well. Nevertheless, Ciara is not insensitive or uncaring – quite the contrary.

Amanda, who often serves as the emotional core of the series, correctly observes that West appears more reserved this season. It’s unclear if this change is due to Ciara’s presence or if it stems from his experience with the sudden affection and subsequent rejection by fans. Regardless, West seems to be a shadow of his former self, and as a reality TV enthusiast, I yearn for the return of the old West. Interestingly, Amanda, who is often burdened by her knack for being correct, suggests that if it’s not humor or joy, West struggles to express his feelings verbally. This observation seems ironic because on numerous occasions over the past two seasons — whether comforting Jesse in his battle with cancer or supporting Carl during his grief over his brother’s death — West has been quick to offer a hug, helping them navigate complex emotions.

In this particular gathering, West’s emotional confidante was once Ciara, but that arrangement is no longer feasible. If he finds it challenging to express his feelings to the women in the house (though Lexi provides some understanding at dinner), and none of the men are willing to help, then perhaps we can step up and support him.

Given that West might be grappling with the anniversary of his friend’s untimely demise, we could collectively create a safe space for him, as well as for all those silent, emotional men out there. This space would allow him to freely feel sadness, anger, or even shed tears without fear of judgment.

By pooling our thoughts, feelings, and good wishes together, we can offer West an intangible embrace – a unified mental hug where we gently tap his virtual head and assure him, “It’s going to be okay, buddy.

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2025-05-08 06:28