TV Review: Real World Austin - 9/20/05

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

This week’s episode of the Real World: Austin was fast paced and action filled. All the roommates found a way to be a part of this week’s events which involved one of the roommates being carted off to jail, and a couple fighting it out over their relationship.

The majority of this episode dealt with the relationship between Danny and Melinda. These two have been an item within the household since week one - almost day one in fact. Danny has been feeling a bit tied down, and his frustrations with the relationship have become more prominent as the season progresses. These frustrations are now causing seriously problems for the budding relationship. Danny wants to have the single life while he is in Austin, but he also has strong feelings for Melinda. Melinda shares these feelings, but she wants all of Danny’s attention now, or she will walk away from the relationship. She feels she deserves more from this relationship than she is currently getting. Danny writes her a letter expressing his feelings, and it seems to set these two on a break.

As is the case with these roommates, they spend their night once again drinking at their local bar. Danny finds himself with the other male roommates at one, and the girls end up at another. Soon they all find themselves together, and Melinda catches Danny getting a phone number from a girl in town just for that week. This angers her, but we really aren’t allowed to see much of this here before it is learned that Johanna is being taken into custody by the police just outside the bar.

Danny and Wes go to investigate, just as intoxicated as she is, and learn that she is being arrested for public drunkenness after taking a rose from a vender on the street. Rachel and Melinda go home, leaving Wes and Danny to go to the police station to see about Johanna’s release. Once Rachel and Melinda reach the house they inform Lacey of their roommate’s situation, and she calls the police station. As a result, she discovers that Johanna will have to spend the night in jail. Her release won’t come until the next day.

Danny and Wes soon return to the house, and they bring back the same information. Melinda sees how drunk Danny is, the numbers all over his hands and the way him and Wes are acting - this sets her off. She goes into her room, and begins to vent her frustrations to Rachel and Lacey. However, Danny overhears every word she says, and this leads to an argument between the two. Tempers and words fly, and it really turns into an ugly situation. By the next day, the two talk it out, but it is unclear what their status is as a couple following this week’s episode. I do find the fact that Danny lied to Melinda about the source of one of the numbers interesting. He says one is for Wes, and the other is for Nehemiah, but one of the numbers he did obtain for himself.

Johanna is released the next afternoon. The judge dismisses her case if she promises to do community service and pay a small fine. The arrest will then not appear on her record. At the jail, she is met by Leo. Lacey had called him once she heard Johanna is in jail. This leads the two to bundle up under the covers in the pool room, while Danny and Wes laugh over the incident. The main reason behind her arrest seems to be her stealing of the flower. This causes quite a lot of humor for her male roommates.

I really enjoyed this episode. It was definitely one of the most action packed episodes of the last few weeks. The Melinda and Danny situation is getting a bit old, but seeing these two fight was a hoot to. The return of Johanna’s drinking problem to the show was also welcome. This has been brought up at the beginning of the season, but it hadn’t been addressed again until here. No work for the roommates this episode, and it doesn’t look like any set for next week either. I’m definitely curious to see how Wes reacts to Johanna’s renewed closeness with Leo. Things once again seem to be heating up on this season of the Real World.

What did you think of this episode of the Real World: Austin? Was it hot or not? Let me know what you think.


This review also appears on Blogcritics.