The behind-the-scenes special “Secrets Revealed” was one of the best episodes of “Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars” Season 5, packed with great nuggets of inside information; much more than merely the Tara Reid and Dean May fakery. There were mini-shows within the show like the chronicle of Mickey “Memphitz” Wright’s cross-country trip to face a judge on assault charges. He was filmed throughout the 24 hour turnaround. He really didn’t know if he’d be detained and it made him reflective, professing love for his wife and feeling shamed.
Here’s a suggestion for WE tv and Think Factory Media, that produces the show: we need this every week, for at least a quarter of the show. Half the show would be better, but we can work up to that. Jim and Elizabeth were the equivalent of the hosts, but we heard from the crew almost as much, particularly Executive Producer Adam Freeman.
He was the one in the control room when Tara Reid stormed in to say “enough is enough”, except no one could ever understand what she meant by it all. It went on for an hour or so and Freeman told us that the only place that’s off-limits to the stars is the control room, so that’s right where Tara went. “The truth about what?” Freeman asked her when Reid said she was making him aware of the “truth”, as she pulled her cellphone out of her shirt to reveal that her mother was on the other end, listening to their conversation.
The longer version of that scene in “Secrets Revealed” makes Tara Reid sound like she needs to be hospitalized. She was incoherent, talking in circles and getting so frustrated at being unable to communicate her point that she broke down in tears as she pointed to her phone. “This is my mother. She hears what’s happening. She’s listening to everything you’re saying.” The Carrolls revealed that they were concerned about her health.
For those that wonder if the bedroom camera is on when someone gets out of the shower and has to get dressed, wonder no more. We got side-boob and more of Michelle Money as we watched her change clothes up to ten times, just to start the day and get out the door. Then there was the mechanical bull that malfunctioned while Cody was on it during one of the exercises. First he got thrown off, then as he got up, the thing looked like it was possessed, as it spun around almost ripping up Cody’s face.
That was the end of that role-playing exercise and the Carrolls had to improvise. The substitute drill was “Imitation Game”, which we’ve seen before. The couple faces off and fights, but they have to take the role of the partner, mouthing his or her words back at the person who says them. Lorenzo couldn’t keep from smiling as he played the role of Brittish. Jim had seen enough, telling Lorenzo that it was serious stuff. He then proceeded to Jim stand in front of Lorenzo and threatened to slap him if he smiled as he spoke. He had to follow through only once, but it got Lorenzo to get down to work.
A great tidbit of inside info was how there was a freak rain storm the day of the ring ceremony, and it all had to be recreated indoors. It should have taken three days, but it couldn’t and scores of crew members were pressed into service. They created something that some think was the best looking one in the show’s history.
And finally, it was confirmed that after Tara ran out of the boot camp house when she and Dean were dismissed, he stayed behind. He was there for hours, according to the Carrolls, making his case for why he was the wronged party and the woman he came in with was a “crazy, delusional, insane person”. He stuck the dagger in by reading texts Tara was sending him at that moment, about him breaking her heart by saying things about her and making her look bad. She ended with “I never want to see you again. Get some help.”
So, there you have it, it was crazier than we saw in ten episodes, which is why, let’s ask for, or better yet demand, that from now on the show includes these tell-all scenes. It’s gold, I tell you, it’s gold.
Photo credit: WE tv, used with permission