Summer House Recap: Just for Kicks

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Thus far this season, I’ve been opening each recap by mentioning how West and Jesse Solomon always push boundaries together. However, this episode, it’s the show’s producers who are crossing lines that need to be addressed. I completely sympathize with Gabby. They had her travel to New Jersey for Carl’s Soft Bar event, and then made her play kickball in the afternoon sun during the same week? Absolutely not, no way. As a New Yorker, I wouldn’t attend a party on a boat or a bus for the exact reason: If the party turns out to be a dud, you’re stuck. A bus party in New Jersey is even worse because your entire evening is ruined. You can’t grab dinner on the way home, nor can you pop off with friends for a nightcap. Instead, you’ll end up at some suburban house in Dirty Jerz, drinking mocktails, and then returning home to air-conditioning and an episode of Love Island. That’s it.

Regarding kickball, I’d have joined in if it wasn’t so competitive. However, once the competition kicks off, I step back. Didn’t see West performing that acrobatic catch and those rolls? Absolutely not! Not me. Watching it made me break out in a sweat, not hives related to homosexuality though. My sports career was more like Lindsay’s and Lexi’s – more about chatting than running or catching. The T-ball season I played, I mostly stood in the field, chit-chatting while others ran around and actually played. Looks like a lot of effort to me. Surprisingly, the MVP of the game was Imrul, who managed to catch almost every ball thrown his way. I didn’t expect Imrul to excel this summer, but I certainly didn’t think it would be in something as big as a red ball.

I may tease Imrul about being sexually active, but that doesn’t automatically mean he’s at risk for sexually transmitted infections. Perhaps he practices safe sex by using condoms and takes advantage of modern treatments like PrEP and DoxyPEP. The point I’m trying to make is that having a lot of sex doesn’t necessarily lead to diseases. I’ve been very active myself for months on end, but didn’t catch anything, only to find myself with chlamydia after six months of abstinence. So, let’s be careful and avoid jumping to conclusions about promiscuity leading to illnesses.

Gosh, it seems like I’ve traded places with Mr. DeSantis, my former health teacher, for Dame Brian Moylan, the reality TV critic. But let’s get to discussing that series, shall we?

The narrative begins at Carl’s Soft Bar event in New Jersey, where numerous unfamiliar faces were present, among them Bailee, who tragically passed away on Instagram and now appears as a lively Reel. Additionally, we caught a glimpse of Jasmine from ‘Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard’, with a hope for more fairness towards that series. Furthermore, Carl’s mother, Sharon, made an appearance, engaging in conversation with Jesse and West (perhaps Jesse and West?), expressing her past grievances with Lindsay and believing that Carl has maintained the higher ground throughout this entire situation while Lindsay has not. Wow, Sharon certainly isn’t shy about voicing her thoughts!

At the party, there’s not much action, but some events are set in motion that become significant later. Imrul confides in Bailee that Jesse Solomon had his toe sucked during a threesome the previous weekend, Gabby and Paige warn Jesse about his excessive flirting with Ciara and advise him to talk to Lexi, and most significantly, Gabby has a chat with Lil, who’s Carl’s new lemur companion and a self-proclaimed fashion enthusiast. Lil shares that she creates her own outfits using safety pins and delusion, similar to a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Lindsay received an invitation to Carl’s gathering, but opted instead to spend the time at home, decorating her walls and observing the paint dry. Nice humor, Lindz! Top marks for you. It was wise of Carl to extend the invite and Lindsay to decline; this is how former partners should interact on a shared platform. (Similarly, Ciara passing up West’s game of kickball.)

However, the manner in which Lindsay and Carl are dealing with their split, Larl, shows distinct differences. To date, Carl has not uttered a negative word about Lindsay, as his mother noted, but Lindsay seems to be harboring resentment towards him.

I believe that their breakup was for the best, given how ill-suited they were for each other and their tendency to hurt each other. It’s a good thing it ended without fault, and it’s beneficial for everyone involved, including us who are sitting here at home. However, I can’t understand why Lindsay reacted so harshly towards Carl when discussing the breakup with Gabby. She says, “I don’t need to celebrate your future plans,” indicating that it’s still an inaction and he wasted more money on it. It seems she might be right, as no one from the cast has high hopes for its long-term success (Paige even jokes, “If we can support Kyle being a DJ, we can support Carl’s bar without alcohol”). But Lindsay is no longer in that relationship and has moved on with a new boyfriend and pregnancy. So why does she still seem upset about it? Let Carl fail in whatever way he chooses, and let us sit back, smugly watching as the “For Lease” sign appears in Soft Bar’s window.

It’s intriguing to note how upset Lindsay is about Lil’s comments to Gabby. (One might wonder if Carl is dating Lil solely for the sake of keeping the ‘Carl-Lil’ portmanteau.) According to Lil, she and Carl met at a soccer game, after which she reached out to him via direct messages. When Gabby asked about the exact date of the game, Lil mentioned it was last summer, suggesting that Carl had already met her family when he was still with Lindsay. Upon sharing this information with Lindsay, she claims that before their breakup, she noticed Carl quickly scrolling away from a message containing a phone number. She believes he was communicating with Lil even before they officially broke up, contradicting his statement that he entered the conversation unsure of his next steps. Interestingly, she also uses the term ‘gaslighting’ inappropriately, though it has become increasingly common in today’s language.

In this situation, both Gabby and Lindsay appear to have fallen short in their duties, as we don’t have sufficient details about the events that transpired. Gabby should have pursued more clarifications. The tone of the DMs, particularly when it became suggestive, raises questions: Was it persistent or did Carl reinitiate contact after the breakup? Gabby, it’s crucial that you fulfill your responsibilities!

It’s clear that Carl and Lil haven’t been out on a date together, but during their conversation, there’s a possibility that Carl may have encountered Lil’s father at a game and mentioned his involvement in a reality show. Lil’s father then suggested that his daughter, who aspires to be a reality TV producer, should connect with Carl for advice. Although this interaction might seem suspicious, it could simply be about professional discussions and not related to dating or inappropriate behavior. For instance, Carl might frequently chat with other adults online, such as gay friends, discussing topics like humor, pop culture, and celebrity changes over time. It’s essential to consider various scenarios where such interactions can be innocent.

Or perhaps! What Lindsay claims may indeed be true, but it’s not exactly admirable. Her main issue is that Carl appears to be playing the victim in this situation, acting as if he hasn’t moved on when he was already seen talking to other women before they split up. Frankly, I must say, this isn’t much worse than what Lindsay is currently doing. To begin with, the speed at which she has found a new boyfriend, even without considering the pregnancy, is quite rapid. Secondly, Lindsay tries to give the impression that Carl no longer affects her in any way, yet she continues to criticize his business and harbors lingering resentment about the text-cheating allegations during their relationship.

In truth, both parties were flawed within the relationship, and it seems they are both playing blame games in the aftermath. Their relationship was always a precarious balance of mutual self-destruction, and we all know that neither party can truly claim innocence.

Discussing individuals who have found themselves in trouble due to their actions, Jesse Solomon has landed himself in a predicament solely of his own creation following the New Jersey party. He texted Lexi about Ciara, insinuating that people thought he was flirting with her, but he claims it wasn’t intentional and no harm was done. However, Lexi clarifies that she has never observed him flirting with Ciara, which is why the idea hadn’t crossed her mind. Essentially, this suggests that Jesse wouldn’t make such a move in front of Lexi, as even he isn’t that naive.

In other matters, he hadn’t disclosed the toe-sucking incident, even after they had officially started their relationship and had their first sexual encounter off-screen. Despite this, it’s important to note that discretion was maintained in this regard. Now, consider Imrul as an example. It’s possible to convey sensitive information tactfully. At the kickball game, the guys and girls were segregated into separate groups, much like a middle school dance. Paige revealed that Imrul had been involved in a threesome the previous week, then Lindsay mentioned Jesse joining them. Later, Bailee disclosed that Jesse was the one who had his toe sucked. The most distressing aspect isn’t the toe-sucking itself; it’s the fact that Jesse didn’t share this information with her and she only learned about it through others. Worse still, it seemed everyone else knew but her, causing her to question Jesse’s fidelity and feel foolish. I may not be well-versed in heterosexual relationships, but I believe a fundamental principle is always to avoid making your partner feel foolish.

Like you telling Ciara last year that if she hadn’t dated West, you two might have been together?” Needless to say, Jesse was left speechless and taken aback by the revelation.

In that moment, as I sat there with the remnants of dry grass etching patterns into my leg, I listened to the opposing team packing up, their heads hanging low following our victory against a group of reality TV enthusiasts. The sunshine, the soft breeze, and even the lush grass beneath my feet couldn’t bring me joy because I knew I had let them down, and myself. I offered a small apology, but my heart was heavy with guilt – something Jesse Solomon isn’t accustomed to dealing with, much like commitment, setting boundaries, or treating hearts with care. But I am learning, I am trying. I want nothing more than to make this work with Lexi. As I pulled her up with a forceful tug that sent her floating slightly in the air, I hoped she’d look around – at my drenched shirt, our friends, the sunlight, the swaying trees – anywhere but my feet.

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2025-04-03 06:55