VH1 has us pegged for sure. As the summer wears on and reruns abound, we can count on reality shows to provide us with some new material and much needed drama. Enter the ladies of Basketball Wives: LA. Who cares if you’re the wife of a basketball player? If you want to create tension with the series veterans, by all means, join in the shenanigans! Last night was the long awaited (by me, at least, but I know I can’t be the only one!) premiere of the latest season of BBW: LA, and it did not disappoint.
It’s been so long, I can’t keep up with which ladies hate the others, which ones threatened to never return but are still front and center, and why in the world Tami Roman decided to jump casts. I’m sure it won’t be too difficult to catch up to speed. The episode begins with Malaysia Pargo redecorating her home in the midst of her divorce from Jannero Pargo, and Brandi Maxiell stops in to check up on her friend. She’s ready to play matchmaker, but Malaysia wants some me time for a change. Malaysia explains that she couldn’t keep being disrespected by her husband, and he wasn’t willing to go to counsel. Brandi can relate, but she’s not willing to consider divorce…yet. Malaysia wants to change the subject, but she doesn’t want it re-routed to a conversation about Jackie Christie. She hasn’t forgiven Jackie for her behavior and insensitive comments last season, so it will be game on when the ladies are forced to interact.
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Across town, Jackie is meeting with 24-year-old Mehgan James. She’s never been a basketball wife, but she did date an NBA player once which makes her more legit than some of the other cast members. Jackie is hoping that she can help Mehgan further her aspirations of becoming an actress. Mehgan wants to launch a pantie line, and Jackie finds her idea to be genius! She invites her new friend to join her for a chef’s tasting which, as Jackie explains, is the newest, hippest, coolest thing to do in Los Angeles…and every other city across the country. True to form, Jackie is trying to form an alliance with the newbie so she has someone on her side when she has to face her alienated cast members.
Draya Michele has lived through her first fashion show and Malaysia and Brandi tout her success. Brandi wants Draya to help persuade Malaysia it’s time to get back on the scene, but Draya recognizes her friend needs to take her time. She is in a relationship (or at least she was when this episode was being filmed), and she thinks her coupled friends help her stay on the straight and narrow. Mehgan approaches the trio to congratulate Draya on her on the show and introduce herself to the crew. The women recognize Mehgan from Jackie’s Instagram feed (although she said she didn’t know anyone in LA), and they give vague warnings about the company one keeps as a newcomer to LA. Mehgan knows exactly to whom they are referring, but she’s not willing to take sides. When Mehgan leaves, the girls speculate whether Jackie sent her to report back with some news.
Jackie is all about a product. She’s moved on from fashion and is now branding her cognac. She’s meeting with her team to come up with an advertising scheme for her new liquor. Her consultants try to shoot her down when she insists on having a boa constrictor in her commercial, but she refuses to compromise. Snakes and nudity are what Jackie envisions selling her cognac. That evening, the girls are convening on the tasting which is hosted by a celebrity chef, but it’s open to the commoners public. Malaysia brings Patrice Curry, who is, in fact, the wife of a basketball player, to meet her friends. Draya is surprised to see newbie Mehgan in attendance, and Malaysia exits stage left when she sees Jackie arrive. The women try to maintain their composure even though the last time they saw Jackie was at the volatile reunion. Malaysia returns and totally ignores Jackie, but Jackie compliments her nonetheless. She loves instigating, doesn’t she?
Malaysia can’t understand why Jackie thinks things can be normal given their last interaction. Jackie expresses to Draya that her feelings were hurt over not being invited to Draya’s fashion show. Draya fakes a phone call and reveals to Brandi that she didn’t send out personal invites…it was an open shwaray, which I assume is similar to a soiree. The ladies are trying to ignore Jackie, but she’s determined to fit in by talking about what she refuses to do in the bedroom with her husband. Draya admits that she has a tiny, tiny soft spot for Jackie, but she’s not willing to extend the olive branch just yet. Jackie leaves, citing an early morning of exotic snakes and cognac, and the remaining ladies chastise Mehgan for acting as if she didn’t know Jackie. Mehgan doesn’t get the other women’s issues with Jackie, but Malaysia promises that it will only be a matter of time before she’s on the receiving end.
Malaysia’s sister Krystal is visiting to make sure Malaysia is getting settled in her new life. A tearful Malaysia says she feels like a failure having a broken marriage in her midst. She wonders who is going to want to pursue a relationship with someone who has three children. At the heart of it, Malaysia is still traumatized by her brother being shot by the police during a New Year’s party. Meanwhile, Draya has agreed to meet with Jackie who wants to apologize for sharing the news that Malaysia’s boyfriend was also dating her daughter. Draya would have appreciated getting the news in a more private setting. Jackie finds it odd that everyone has issues with her. Draya reminds her that she should take that realization to heart. Jackie claims to have been hurt by the girls’ behavior on their trip to Paris last season, but Draya asserts that Jackie never appears hurt…instead she just goes for the jugular in her hateful responses. Jackie laughs as Draya tries to explain others’ perception of her and why people take such issue with her. Draya inquires about Jackie’s friendship with Mehgan, and Jackie likens her to a close little sister. She enlists Draya to play the go-between between her and Malaysia.
Later, Malaysia and Brandi are having cocktails with Draya, and she hopes they understand why she felt the need to meet with Jackie. Before she’s able to ply her friends with drinks, she drops the bomb that she met Jackie for lunch. Draya feels badly for Jackie, but Malaysia and Brandi can’t believe she’s mingling with the enemy. Not only did Jackie try to drive a wedge into Draya’s relationship, she also made light of Brandi’s ordeal with ovarian cancer (not cool at all). Malaysia doesn’t fault Draya, but she’s not willing to forgive and forget. Draya wants her friends to give Jackie a chance to apologize. They don’t have to rekindle their friendship, but at least give her the opportunity to make amends. Brandi will consider it if Jackie will host a fundraiser for ovarian cancer research, and Malaysia jokes that a date with Jackie’s husband Doug will allow bygones to be bygones. Draya is floored…she’d get murdered as the messenger for that trade! Malaysia laughs, insisting she knows that Jackie would never agree to it, and thus she doesn’t ever have to make peace. The following day, Draya shares Malaysia and Brandi’s demands with Jackie. She agrees to Brandi’s request, and when Doug enters, Draya is worried to discuss Malaysia’s request. She puts it as delicately as possible…Malaysia would like a meeting with Doug.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S PREMIERE? SHOULD THE WOMEN LET JACKIE BACK IN THEIR GOOD GRACES?
[Photo Credit: VH1]
