The Hills: When One Door Closes...

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

So the series of finale of "The Hills"...wait, as it turns out this was NOT the series finale!! Woohoo! Although we deny it to anyone who asks you know we all love this show just as much as we hide the fact that on Monday nights we run to the tv at 10 to watch our favorite group of Hollywood twenty-somethings. I can't imagine saying goodbye to this showing knowing that we're never going to see Lauren ("LC") again; granted I have my own reasons for feeling that way, the girl is gorgeous after all! Seriously though, this is one of those shows that every one loves but no one can admit, it's the ultimate guilty pleasure. And I'm perfectly willing to admit that I love it just as much as anyone. So when Lauren announced on the after show that this wasn't the end after all I was relieved. I can't wait to see the Paris trip and all the drama the girls cook up one last time.

Tonight was one of the best episodes yet and almost came entirely full circle. While Lauren left Laguna for L.A. significantly more mature than her friends back home, she was still a kid and made her mistakes over the years. Ummm, Jason...Paris... Well, anyway, tonight we saw just how much she's grown up and how strong she's become.

Right from the start the drama started when Lisa Love told Whitney she was going back to Paris again....without Lauren. "I think Lauren's had her chance to go to Paris." Harsh words but it was the truth. And it was nice to see someone on this show take responsibility for once; I just knew the first would be Lauren, she's always been very smart and down to earth. It definitely pained her to admit the truth and I really felt bad. At the same time though she really did dig the hole herself when she turned down the internship in Paris for a summer at the beach with Jason. I still don't fully get why she did it, I mean we are talking about Jason; the guy is not that cool and he certainly isn't worth giving up your future for. With all that in the past at least Lauren is better for it and willing to accept her part in her current situation.

And then...Lisa handed Lauren a gift. She got a second chance to go to Paris! And you just knew Lisa wouldn't give her this chance without a little jab. She certainly gave a good one when she asked Lauren to go to the airport with Whitney to make sure she gets on the plane this time. I have a good feeling Lauren is going to make the absolute best of this opportunity.
Speaking of Paris, is Whitney really that insensitive? Obviously she didn't want to hurt Lauren's feelings but she was completely clueless about how to act. Before Lauren knew she would be going too Whitney totally messed up the way she broke the news. Lauren was clearly upset and Whitney had absolutely nothing constructive to say. THEN later she asked Lauren if she's ever been to Paris so she could get tips on what to wear this time of year. What was she thinking?! Even if Lauren had been to Paris, which she hadn't, that was a terrible thing to do to her. I know it was innocent and she didn't mean anything nasty by it but she still needs to start thinking a little more before she speaks.

Now for the moment we've all been waiting for, the news on Speidi. These two are the couple from hell and deserve all the crap they've put each other through. Without taking sides, because I can't stand either of these people, Spencer is the one who caused all these problems in the relationship. Time and again he did things that made us all think that he just didn't want to get married or even if he did that he was just playing around and not taking it all that seriously, like marriage was like a 4 year commitment to college you could just walk away from down the road. Then the worst move he made was to walk out on Heidi during fights, not once, but twice. The second time was the final straw and Heidi decided to head back to Colorado to think. And for all of us who have dated a bit we know that thinking is never a good thing; it only gets you into trouble.

The problem with Spencer is that he's just not smart. Add to that the fact that he's selfish and just a plain old ass, and you have someone that you should never have been with. It has to be something that runs in the family because She-Pratt is just as absurd. I'll give her credit for at least realizing he shouldn't have walked out on the fight but suggesting he write Heidi an e-mail was stupid. They're supposed to be getting married! You need to actually talk at this point, not fall back on writing emails!

Heidi though needs to stop saying she gave up everything for him. Technically she did but it was always her choice. No one forced her on Spencer and whenever she had to choose she always went with him, no matter the consequences. I wonder if these two truly did break up. I wouldn't put it past them to do all this for some sort of personal gain with the media and paparazzi. I guess only time will tell but I'm putting my money on their greed.Lastly, you know we have to talk about Lauren and Brody. Finally a couple we can all get behind...well, sort of. I mean, I think we could all agree that they make a good couple and they're fun to watch. Except, something always seems to be missing. I can never quite see them being a serious couple. Lauren definitely wants to give it a try but Brody's player side just won't go away. It's fine that he wants to be young and free, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. He just needs to stop flirting so much with Lauren and leading her on.

The changes in Lauren I was talking about before really came out when the two of them were talking at dinner. Brody threw out a lame line about Lauren just wanting a boyfriend and the fact that he had bad past relationships. So rather than being immature, Lauren told him the truth - that all relationships in the past ended because they're not the best, otherwise they wouldn't end; and if he really cares about someone he should want to be with her and call her his girlfriend. Unfortunately, this didn't completely register with Brody. Nothing new happened, the next morning they said goodbye, kissed, and that was that.

I think everything pretty much ended where it should. Speidi on the rocks - had to happen; Audrina done with Justin Bobby - just too much of a scumbag; Whitney conquering the fashion world - we knew it would happen; and Lauren getting stronger and smarter everyday - we always knew she was the best of the best from Laguna. So as Heidi drives in to the sunset and Lauren heads to Paris with Whitney, I say goodbye for the time being. I can't wait until the rest of the season comes back. As soon as I hear anything about a date I'll let you all know. Until then, enjoy the review!!

The Hills: Once A Player

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

Only one more episode left of our beloved show!! I'm certainly going to miss the mayhem, drama, ridiculous nights out, and Lauren of course. For those of you who watched "Laguna Beach" and then moved on to "The Hills" you've followed Lauren (or as we know and love her, LC) for many years now and it's certainly going to be weird saying goodbye. Especially when "The Hills" is the highest rated show on MTV. But I guess we knew this day would come eventually; we couldn't really expect Lauren to walk around with camera's for the rest of her life no matter how much we hoped she would.

Before I get all nostalgic let's talk about the present and the present finds us stuck with She-Pratt once more. Why did they need to bring this girl around? Wasn't it enough that we had to deal with Spencer week in and week out? Now we have to deal with this monstrosity too? I think this girl has got to go except with one more episode left I think there's a fat chance of that happening.

Anyway, She-Pratt decided to mess with Heidi and Spencer this week instead of Lauren and Brody. Heidi approached her in confidence with some concerns that after all Spencer's issues with the wedding that maybe he didn't really want to get married and so she was feeling like maybe she should postpone it too. I fully understand where Heidi is coming from and she's actually right in feeling this way. BUT YOU DO NOT TALK TO YOUR FIANCE'S SISTER ABOUT IT!! What was she thinking? Obviously she wanted Spencer to find out or else she would have spoken to anyone else in the world before talking to Stephanie. To get mad that Stephanie said something is ridiculous because you had to know she would tell Spencer; it's her brother, how could she not. That aside, Stephanie should have left everyone alone and let them work it out. Apparently she likes getting involved in everyone else's lives rather than living her own. On a side note, did anyone catch the fact that at the card shop Spencer mentioned he really wanted the wedding party to be at Don Antonio's? The ridiculousness never stops with him; I'm so stunned I don't even know what to say about this.

As you know all of this led to a pretty big fight between Heidi and Spencer. In his usual passive aggressive manner he sat on the couch reading a book (or possibly pretending to, hmmm) waiting for Heidi to say "what's wrong?" It worked (Heidi you're a sucker) and the fight ensued. I don't normally agree with Heidi about anything but the truth is that she was right to feel like Spencer didn't want to get married. That's probably because he doesn't. I mean, who wants to get married but does not want to tell their family? This fight really highlights who Spencer is. Rather than acknowledge the things he's done he tries to win the fight by pointing out negative things about Heidi that she never really did. He twists and turns the past into this picture that makes it seem as though everyone is against him when in fact he was the one in the wrong the whole time. And now his new move is to walk out rather than lose the fights he thinks he can win but really can't. Heidi's chuck of the book at the door was a nice move and even a bit surprising. Do we have another abusive couple on our hands or the end of a couple? Personally, I'm hoping it's the latter.

Meanwhile, Lauren had her own drama do with. Brody has been a regular in the life of Lauren and many of us have been wondering what has kept them apart. Thanks to Lauren we know exactly what - "Britney Canada Whore." I'm glad to see Lauren so strong and finally standing up for herself and what she wants. It seems this was the theme of the night - the women who are usually pushovers decided to stand their ground. Lauren come right out to Brody and asked what was going on. When he refuses to acknowledge that he's a player, she asked for his phone; turns out this was a brilliant move. His phone had a fantastically long list of women's names, including the Britney reference above, and he even had perverted references for many of them. She found all of this in the phone and only got to the letter "C"! This player will never change even if he claims they're old numbers. Obviously it won't be that easy for Lauren to end her feelings for him but at least she's taking steps in the right direction. It's great to see her getting stronger.
I have to tell you, Lo is the best! I only wish she came around more often. Her comment to Lauren. "I'll be your boyfriend," was great. Lo is awesome and probably one of the most level-headed people we've seen in all the years we've been watching "The Hills" and "Laguna."
By the way, what was up with that Halloween party? The flapper outfit of Lauren's was interesting but not all that much fun. And Brody and Frankie as Batman and Robin? Interesting idea for a costume...actually it was very odd; words of advice to them, NEVER do that again. And a smoke machine in a small apartment; ummm leave that one in the shop next time.

Lastly, we have Audrina who seems to have finally moved on from Justin. Not that I get what she saw in him to begin with because as Lauren put it, he was basically worthless and didn't even shower. Her new Australian guy is kind of cool and a big step up from Justin - not that it's hard to accomplish anyway. The lip ring was a bit too much but hey, at least he showers right? Although his extremely transparent attempt at trying to get Audrina to seep with him after the date was very lame. It's great to see her moving on though and looking for decent guys now. Hopefully this will continue; her life will be much better.

Sadly this is going to be my second to last review of "The Hills." We have one more episode left until we have to say goodbye. It's been a great run and while I can't wait for next week's series finale, I wish it wouldn't come so quickly. Until next week's series finale, enjoy the review!

The Hills: A Night At The Opera

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

It's the female Pratt! I was actually pretty shocked to see her show up after all this time but I guess it made sense that she would finally make an appearance; the only thing better than one Pratt is a second. If I didn't know Spencer I would have been more upset at Stephanie's confrontation in the club but knowing her brother I couldn't help but laugh. Their parent's must have done something terrible to these kids. I can't think of any way that these two could grow up so equally messed up unless the parents fed them cocaine as babies or are the two worst people to ever walk the planet. If I were their parents I would be utterly embarrassed watching these kids on television. Then again, if they're anything like Spencer and Stephanie they either don't care or think they are the normals ones and everyone else is crazy.

If anyone could tell me what in the world must have gone through Stephanie's head to walk up to Brody and tell him he's leaving with her right now, I would be very appreciative. It makes absolutely no sense for her to have done that. Even if she feels like Lauren is in the wrong with everyone, which clearly she does, why would she take Brody away? Is she her brothers keeper and protector? I think it's hilarious that she has to fight Spencer's battles. Pretty sad for him actually. Then on top of that she starts a verbal fight with Lauren in the middle of the club?! She needs to stop fighting her brothers battles and worry about herself. Stephanie ended up looking like a complete and utter moron; what a way to make your debut.

If that wasn't enough she then meets up with Spencer and Heidi, telling them all about the scene at the club. Was it me or did Heidi look like maybe she was concerned about Lauren? I thought I saw a bit of concern for a moment which might explain some of the fighting with Spencer lately. It might be possible that she's finally starting to see that the way she's been acting was totally wrong and that Spencer's influence was a big reason for that. Anyway, did you all catch Stephanie's comment about how she's never seen two people so in love? Did I miss something the last two years? Because I've seen many, many, many people more in the love than these two. In fact, I don't even think they are in love. I found this comment very funny and really destroyed her credibility from that point on; not that it wasn't destroyed after the club scene anyway.

Oh and before I move on, can you believe Stephanie wanted to marry Speidi?! She went online and got ordained. Apparently, she thought this would be a great idea even though Heidi wanted a traditional wedding with a minister. Totally ridiculous! Even more, she looked shocked when Heidi said no. Too funny; I can't believe this family. She's lucky Heidi didn't return the ring and leave right then.

Speaking of ridiculous people, I have to say that although I like Audrina, the girl needs to grow up. She typifies the attitudes of so many women out there and I don't get it. Why does she expect so much from a guy who clearly could never live up to any expectations whatsoever? It's not like he ever seemed as though he could be a good guy and a caring boyfriend. For god sake he ditched her in Vegas once! If someone could explain why women see bad guys as good guys I would also be grateful. Justin is a loser and always has been so when Audrina keeps letting him get away with stuff and is then shocked when he kisses someone else in front of her, it makes no sense to me whatsoever. At least she grew some cajones and ditched him once and for all.

This was a very dramatic episode and I think we're starting to see Speidi fall apart. These two were never meant to be together and maybe Heidi is finally starting to realize that. Granted her learning curve is about two years slower than the rest of us but hey, better late than never right? Next week should be very enlightening and I can't wait to see what happens. Only two episodes left in what should be the third and final season of our beloved show. Until next week, enjoy the review!

The Hills: With This Ring

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

As the title of the episode suggests we had a lot of Speidi drama this week. Also, as you can imagine it's Spencer who causes most of the problems. We knew this kid had no sense the first time we met him but I at least gave him credit for knowing to stay out of the way in the wedding planning when he proposed to Heidi. No matter who the woman, you do not mess with the wedding. Like always, Spencer proved he's as dumb as he looks and of course for the last couple months he's been doing everything he can to screw up his pending nuptuals.

Tonight, he really took his efforts to a whole new level however. To start he couldn't possibly have made it any clearer that he does not want anything to do with the plans Heidi is making for the wedding. At the same time, how could she be so surprised? He's been apathetic at best about everything to do with getting married. So when she took him to the church and on top of suggesting an expensive wedding there she informed him that the church requires marriage counselling before the wedding, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise when he had a look of utter terror and disappointment on his face. And seriously, does she think marriage counselling will do any good? Do any of us? Please, you can counsel the devil to be a saint.

Then, Spencer decides that if he can't convince her to change the plans with his amazing ability to convey what he's thinking (sarcastic...yes I am being that), he will pack her bags, light some candles, and this will convince her to run off with him to Vegas to elope. Not only that but he already put the deposit down on what I'm sure is a gorgeous honeymoon sweet. And yes, I'm being sarcastic again. How in the world did he think that would be a good idea? Heidi was almost as stunned at the gesture as I was. I just sat there shaking my head. This kid just seems to surpass his ridiculousness every single week; it's simply unbelievable that he's been able to do it so consistently. Thankfully Heidi grew some sense for once and called him out on it. I'm just shocked that she hadn't handed him back the ring before. I think she forgave him too quickly given all he's put her through but I have a feeling she might not be completely past it all just yet. She needs to realize that he just does not want to get married; plain and simple. Even if he's willing to elope, look at the fact that he doesn't want anyone to see them married or even his family to know or be there. That should be saying a lot to her but clearly she's doing whatever she can to ignore that. This is just a disaster of a relationship and I just hope they don't procreate.

Leaving Speidi aside, tonight Whitney got her game on! We haven't really seen her go after the guys too much so it was good to see her mackin' it with her trainer. Apparently the girls only go to this gym to get dates with their trainers. Personally I think this guy is a bit plain and boring but if Whitney likes him then more power to her. He does need to stop saying "Cheers" when they go out; that was getting a bit old after the first 8 times he said it. I was glad to see her getting out there and it was even funnier watching Lauren and Audrina cracking up while watching her play pool with him.

Things seem to be getting pretty interesting over there in The Hills. Enjoy every minute of it as the third and final season comes to a close soon. Until next week, enjoy the review!

The Hills: Forgive and Forget

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

Interesting episode tonight, very interesting... To be honest I really thought the whole Lauren and Heidi confrontation scenario would play out to be much more dramatic than it turned out. Kudos to the producers and editors for playing this up. The truth is that not much changed last night. Lauren knows that Heidi either told people the sex tape rumors with Spencer or knew he was doing it and said nothing about it. Heidi knows Lauren knows this and is still pretending to be oblivious. All that changed was we saw the two of them talk for the first time in over a year and Heidi actually apologized; albeit she did so with a bunch of lies and without any true meaning behind it.

The biggest problem I have with Heidi is that she thinks everyone else in the world is stupid except for herself. Pretending to be unaware of what's going on around you and pretending that you're not at fault simply by acting as though you have no idea what anyone is talking about is an insult to everyone's intelligence. Does she really think that pretending she has no idea why Lauren thinks she spread the sex tape rumors will rid her of fault? Apparently she does because her apology at Lauren's apartment was filled with shocked looks and gazes of bewilderment. Written across her face and coming out of her mouth were the words, "I have no idea what you're talking about with any of this. It wasn't me." Please Heidi, you've been taped on this very show mocking the sex tape rumors and basically confirming that you've spread them too. She even told Lauren to her face that it's true when she said "whatever you do with your ex-boyfriend is your business." This could mean nothing more than that she actually thinks the tape exists and is alright telling people about it!

This was really just a pathetic attempt by Heidi to smooth things over without ever actually admitting fault. Her apology was full of lies and until she stops pretending she did nothing wrong and lying about everything, there can never be a friendship with Lauren. Case in point, Heidi tells Lauren, "Spencer doesn't hate you." Are you kidding me? He says he hates her, or at least in other words, at least three times a show. That day he even warned Heidi she was going into "the lions den." Who is Heidi kidding? Spencer is evil, sadistic, and manipulative and he has Heidi wrapped around his little pinky finger. And seriously, how could Heidi think those yellow roses would do anything at all? You can't bring her flowers after all this and expect them to have an effect. This was a pathetic attempt to put herself in a better light so that when the show ends she can still be famous. Someone should let Heidi know that she's only famous for being a horrible person and not because anyone actually likes her. Oh and while you're at it, please ask her to stop trying to sing; haven't we been put through enough.

Speaking of people who should go away, I have to mention Justin. The guy just keeps hanging around and never seems to get kicked to the curb; not even when he burps multiple times directly in Audrina's face like it's something to be proud of. I really don't see the attraction here for Audrina. I can tell she likes the bad boy and the wild side, especially the idea that he drives a motorcycle but is that really enough? The guy is constantly a mess, refuses to call her his boyfriend, and worse he barks things at her and constantly puts her down. For instance tonight, she mentioned that he didn't call the week before to return her call and his answer was, "When I say I called then I called." What is that? Audrina needs to get rid of this guy when she should have done it months and months ago. Hopefully she'll find her way out into reality with her new job. Which, by the way, is an incredible new promotion. She moves from secretary to artist liaison at EPIC?! That's awesome. Congratulations to her; now if only that could happen to me...

Anyway, maybe the Heidi and Lauren drama is finally over. It would certainly be nice to talk about something new for a change. Although I can't imagine Heidi is going to be staying out of trouble for long and it seems that she may finally be having some trouble with Spencer. Until next week, enjoy the review!

The Hills: Young Hollywood

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

The last couple weeks of "The Hills" has definitely not been the best we've seen from this show. Things seem to have calmed down and there hasn't been all that much drama. This could be deceiving as it could turn out to just be the calm before the storm. Next week brings us a Heidi-Lauren confrontation. This is really the first time all season they're going to have the chance to have an all-out, in your face blowout. It should be great! And it's about time too. Everything has been festering for so long and they know so many of the same people that I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. Sure, there were moments and fights before but I have a feeling that none are going to compare to this.

Next week aside, this week we saw Whitney coordinate her first major Teen Vogue event. To be honest, I'm surprised she was given this much responsibility. Didn't she get promoted less than a year ago and isn't she basically just one step above Lauren's position of intern? Anyway, despite some minor setbacks and delays Whitney appears to have done an amazing job. She's also lucky to have Lauren helping her. The girl works really hard and knows exactly what to do and how to do it. It looked like there was a crazy amount of celebs at the event and they all ended up being happy. Congrats to Whitney and Lauren for a job well done.

I was actually hoping for some more drama from the night considering the event was taking place. The producers tried to trick us into believing there would be some but nonetheless things weren't that crazy. We sort of a had the usual minor drama with Audrina though. Justin still can't say that he's her boyfriend even when another guy is hitting on her and asking if she's single! What is wrong with this guy? I guess the overwhelming desire for everything to "be mellow" just always seems to win out with Justin. What's more frustrating is that Audrina thinks nothing of all this. She may complain and not love it but she always goes back. I don't get it, maybe someone else could explain this to me.

Meanwhile, Heidi and Spencer (a.k.a. Speidi) are up to their usual. It was Heidi's 21st birthday and you could only imagine the craziness that would ensue on such a day. But wait, we're talking about Speidi, of course she won't do anything other than hang out with Spencer on her birthday. Even her coworker Kimberly thought this was really weird. I mean who does absolutely nothing for their 21st except chill with their boyfriend/fiance? I guess when you've stabbed most of your friends in the backed, screwed over your coworkers, and alienated everyone else you don't have much choice than to only chill with your fiance. It's just sad really. I don't even get what they find so much fun about each others company. He gave her a crazy expensive gift (don't we all wish we had our parents millions to live off of) and then they sat there saying nothing while Spencer just played with his cell phone. Wow, someone please tone down the excitement!

I really hope the episodes start picking up soon. This being the last season I would hate for the show to go out on a boring note. It's been a great three season, lets hope they can bring it home for the end. Until next week, enjoy the review!

The Hills: Stress and The City

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

Just a side note to start, are they really having a fashion party in a church? Isn't that, oh I don't know, just slightly sacrilegious? I can't imagine the Church foresaw photobooths in the confessionals when the Church was built. This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard of and I can't believe it went over so well with the top brass at Teen Vogue. At least it worked out for Whitney, she deserved some props for working so hard.

Speaking of Whitney, how could she go all the way to New York for a meeting with the EDITOR IN CHIEF of Teen Vogue and not practice her presentation. It's all well and good to put the thing together but if you don't practice it and work out any kinks it's not going to go well. Personally, I didn't think the presentation went well but apparently those over at Teen Vogue New York thought differently. Whitney got props for doing a good job and seems to be moving along well with her new position in the company.

While Whitney was impressing the people at Teen Vogue, Lauren was sent downtown to visit Marc Jacobs studio and help prepare their photoshoot. I actually thought it was odd that they would surprise Lauren with the opportunity to go over there and then put her to work. I think she was a bit shocked at that too but in the end it worked out because she made a good impression and even got to meet Marc Jacobs. These ladies get amazing job opportunities being on this show and they're very lucky. Not that I'm looking for a job in fashion but I wish I could get those kinds of opportunities in my field.

There wasn't all that much else that took place tonight. Brody got a phone call from Spencer after he ran in to Frankie outside Bolthouse. Frankie laid it out there for Spencer and basically just told him that if he wants to be friends with Brody he needs to chill out and just let Brody be friends with whoever he chooses. Maybe Spencer was willing to do that at the end of the episode but we may never know since Brody has no desire to call him back. Lauren really showed what kind of person she really is in all this. Whereas others (Spencer and Heidi) took opportunities like this to bad mouth Lauren, she came right out and told Brody that she doesn't want to effect his friendship with Spencer and he should do whatever makes him happy. She's really a good person and it shows just how petty Speidi really is.

It seems that Brody and Lauren are beginning to get pretty close. That was a nice little setup with the candles and the movie at Lauren's apartment. I think she may be wanting a bit of the Brody. Maybe next week we'll see if that's the case or if they're just really close friends. Until next week, enjoy the review!

The Hills: No More Mr. Nice Guy

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

All in all, not too much happened this week. My usual review is long and I generally leave some things out so you're not reading an essay on life in Los Angeles but there's not too much to talk about this week. We basically only have a couple things I think we need to address: Lauren's love life and Speidi's deteriorating relationship. Both seem to be in a state of flux and both seem to learning some new things.

To start, Lauren's love life is starting to pick up. Ever since she surprised Brody in Vegas for his birthday it's been a big question whether or not the two of them would hook up again or possibly even start dating. They've gone out and it appeared to be on dates but this week Lauren seemed to put any questions to rest when she said she had no feelings for Brody at the beach house. On top of that, she gave her number to a model she met at a Teen Vogue audition and invited him to the beach house where she knew Brody would be hanging out. So it seems that Lauren may have thought she was just hanging out with a friend when she and Brody went out together. Too bad for Brody, he seems to have thought much differently. He was incredibly jealous of Lauren's date, Gavin, despite constantly denying any jealously whatsoever.

Lauren also seemed to be genuinely into Gavin; then again not everything is what it seems to be. So Lauren went out for sushi with Gavin a few days later but according to her there were no sparks. When she arrived home she immediately called Brody and he invited himself over to "watch a movie." You could tell from her smiling that Lauren wanted him to come over and is definitely into him more than she leads on. The biggest tip off though was when Brody asked what movie she was watching and she said "does it really matter?" Hmmm, I think Lauren might have some intense feelings for Brody after seeing what a boring date is like. I guess we'll find out next week if she really does like him or she's just settling for second best.

As for Speidi, it appears there may be trouble in paradise. Well, that's if hell can be considered a beach in the Bahamas. I never thought I'd see the day that Heidi not only found a flaw in Spencer but actually acknowledged its' existence. The seeds for their confrontations last night were planted weeks ago and Heidi finally called him out on not having a job. Granted he had to push her over the edge with his constant complaining about her job and the hours. But at least it finally happened. Spencer is a bum; he's spoiled and lives off his parents money so what does she actually expect from him? And I have to ask, what exactly is Spencer expecting from Heidi when he keeps surprising her with plans? If you know she's working hard then he shouldn't expect to be able to pull her out of her job. You can't show up at her office mid-day with no warning and expect that she can walk out for lunch. The real world doesn't work that way but apparently Spencer doesn't live in the real world (not that we didn't know this LONG ago). I wonder though whether Heidi will follow through on her feelings or just put them on the back burner and ignore them like she always does.

A few things I liked last night: The looks Whitney gave Lauren after she gave her number to Gavin; very funny and I really like their friendship. They genuinely care about each other and it's good to see. I also loved Lo's comment about Gavin at the barbeque when Lauren said he was cooking for everyone not just her, "But he's cookin' for you..."

Decent episode but not the most drama filled we've seen. Personally, I like the break from all the yelling and screaming. It's nice to see Lauren with a chance to be happy or at least giving herself that chance. See you all next week, I can't wait to see if Lauren and Brody get together or if Spencer gets in the middle once again.

The Hills: What Goes Around

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

We're back! After a week off with a "Cram Session" season in review episode, our friends from L.A. are back for some more wild and crazy fun. Well, maybe not so much with the wild but definitely the crazy. Big question of the night, did Brody spread the sex tape rumors about Lauren?

Jen finally got in touch with Lauren looking to smooth things over and to tell her about Heidi. After some time has passed Lauren decided it might be good to have lunch and put the past in the past. The only problem is that Jen had some news from the past that's HUGE now that Lauren and Brody hooked up in Vegas. I get how Lauren would automatically say Brody didn't do it but it was so obvious that she felt just as betrayed as she did all last year with her friends. For a moment, she had that look like "what if Brody did do it? I can't believe another friend and now a hookup did this?" All this is understandable though; how many times can one person get messed with and not have some trust issues?

So Lauren approached Brody and I thought she did it in a good way. She could have accused him and just got in his face about it but instead she just asked him once and let it be. That was the best thing she could have done because in situations like this it's very easy to make enemies out of friends. I definitely take Laurens side when it came to whether Brody should tell her if Spencer and Heidi spread the rumors. At this point, Spencer has gone against Lauren AND Brody, not to mention Heidi is telling people Brody spread the rumors. There's no reason not to tell Lauren and every reason to tell her. On top of Speidi taking their positions against Brody, he hooked up with Lauren again and made it clear that they're friends too. When you know something like that which concerns your friend you have to tell her. I'm glad the truth is finally out there.

Tonight Lauren showed why she's different from most of the girls on this show. Whereas many of them only think of themselves and generally have no concern with how they act, Lauren actually notices what she does and wants to be better. She wants to be a good friend and actually took responsibility for her actions. This was something we rarely see on this show and something we've NEVER seen from Heidi. Lauren really is a good friend and probably the best person on the show. I think she was a little hard on herself though when she blamed herself for Heidi leaving. Heidi was responsible for everything that happened, not Lauren. Even if Lauren was a bit too pushy the fact still remains that Heidi chose Spencer over her, treated Lauren like crap, and allowed Spencer to treat her terribly also. It's really not her fault and she shouldn't blame herself.

Let's get back to Speidi for just a minute. Heidi got in trouble at work for the whole Elodie situation the other week. I find it funny though that even with her boss explaining exactly what she did wrong, Heidi still completely missed the point. He wasn't made because she didn't know that Elodie quit, he was mad that she had her cover for her and didn't tell anyone else. If she had spoken to him or anyone else about Elodie covering the event she would have found out she quit. Instead, she goes home and tells Spencer he yelled at her for what happened, completely leaving out the part about her needing to keep others up to speed. Then again, no matter what she tells Spencer he'll always take her side.

Also, Heidi goes home and tells Spencer that Brody confirmed it was them who spread the rumors. This was a HUGE moment in the season because Spencer all but admitted he did it. Even Heidi was speechless. Somehow despite the usually thick head she has that nothing reasonable can penetrate, Heidi even realized that Spencer probably did it. Spencer is such a slimy person and should never be allowed to around people again. The screen shot on the left is the look Spencer gave Heidi after she said "I just think it's so sad that they're blaming you, right?" Come on now, is that a look of guilt or what? He's clearly smiling and even though he said nothing you can totally tell that he did it. And by the way, the kid still needs to shave that stuff off his face.

Tonight's episode was decent but very important with the discovery that Spencer was really the mastermind behind the sex tape rumors. I do have to say that Lo looked great! She's really been looking good this season and it's great to see her around again. Next week should be interesting when Heidi finally tells Spencer he should get a job. Is the honeymoon over before the wedding? I guess we just have to wait and see...

The Hills: What Happens In Vegas...

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

The line of the night came from Lauren, "I just saw Lo's Britney." Really, this season Lauren has thrown out so many good one-liners. I don't know where it all came from; she never used to be so witty with the one-liners. Anyway, this line came while the girls were out partying for Brody's birthday in Law Vegas. They surprised him at his massive suite in the Palms and the group went out to live it up on the town. Just another Saturday night for the rich and somewhat famous out on the West Coast. Man, I wish I had the money to just take over huge suites in the Palms for a birthday party.
Vegas baby! A lot of drama in sin city and we can thank Justin for once again starting trouble where there need be none. Everyone was happy and having a great time except Justin. Wherever he goes with this group he isn't happy, he sulks in the corner, and refuses to even acknowledge anyone. I understand that Lauren and Lo weren't welcoming to him but Lauren has given it a shot. She went with him and Audrina to dinner where Justin treated Lauren horribly. She tries saying hello and talking with him. Yet he refuses to make any effort and Audrina defends him to the end despite the fact that he doesn't treat her well most of the time. And wasn't it just a couple years before this that he ditched her in Vegas where she was left all by herself? So Lo got a bit annoyed and so did some of the others on the trip which ended up causing Audrina to storm out of the hotel room. I feel bad for Audrina only because it sucks when you're friends gang up on you like that but at the same time she asks for it by going back to a guy that blatantly and purposefully treats her and her friends terribly.

The biggest surprise of the night (well not really since MTV blew the surprise in last week's scenes) was the hook up of Lauren with Brody. I was actually a bit surprised that she went back to him but Frankie was right, they never broke up because of anything wrong in their relationship. It was all a result of the Speidi fighting. I really hope that Brody had nothing to do with the sex tape rumors. Lauren's been messed with enough by the guys in her life, she doesn't need him to turn out to be a loser too. I don't see them getting married or anything but she at least deserves a normal relationship for once. I have to give props to Brody for making the move in Pure. Pretty slick catching her off guard and just going for the kiss.

As for Speidi, things seem to be falling apart in their fairy tale engagement (hahaha). Spencer's selfishness is starting to become obvious to Heidi and it's a shocker that it took this long for her to realize it. Her excitement for their anniversary couldn't have been less enthusiastic. Plus I think she's really starting to question why he refuses to tell his parents about the wedding. The kid is shady and although Heidi isn't much better herself she needs to move on. He doesn't want to be married and even if he does go through with it he won't remain faithful and committed for long. And by the way, Spencer needs to shave that stuff on his face. Blond beards do NOT look good under any circumstances.

As for Bolthouse, Heidi finally got a dose of her own medicine. I was shocked that Elodie decided to screw her over also but man did she get Heidi good. To work in an office and have no idea a co-worker quit means you must really be hated there. Normally someone in that office would have mentioned it at some point but not a single person told her. Elodie was brilliant in convincing Heidi she would work the event and really got some sweet revenge. Again, Spencer was beyond selfish when Heidi had to leave. I understand that its their anniversary but they were at Don Antonios! This wasn't an expensive OR well thought out dinner plan so what's the big deal. Also, he couldn't even tell his parents about the wedding so he has no right to be pissed that Heidi has to leave and save the event. What it comes down to is that they both deserve each other but Spencer is by far the worst of the two.

The scenes from the rest of the season look great! I can't wait to see the confrontation between Lauren and Heidi. I'm actually really excited to see what Brody has to say about the sex tape rumors also. I wonder what role he really had to play. Until next week...keep the dish coming in the comments.

The Hills: Surprise Engagement

ORIGINAL EPISODES, MONDAYS @ 10PM ON MTV

Definitely not one of the best episodes but a lot happened anyway. The biggest shock of the season (not that we didn't know about it already) came when Jason decided to propose to his girlfriend Katja after only 6 months of dating. The episode didn't really hit on this until the end but will easily be the center of the watercooler convo's tomorrow.

It's really just terrible that Lauren is still put through Jason's crap. Granted she brought it on herself by hanging out with him after all that happened but still it's just wrong. I'll give Jason a little credit though, he does seem to be a bit nicer and sunnier since he's been in jail, rehab, and jail again. Still though, he always finds a way to torture Lauren. First, he hangs out with her on numerous occasions after coming out of rehab and doesn't tell her he has a girlfriend. Instead he decides to spring it on her randomly at lunch. Second, he doesn't need to invite Lauren to his housewarming party; he has a girlfriend and he shouldn't be inviting her (plus Lauren shouldn't have gone anyway). Not only that but he knew he was going to propose that night!!! Obviously he just wanted Lauren there to see how much he could hurt her. She has to stop letting him win; by hanging out with him so much she's letting Jason control her and screw with her mind. I can't believe he had the nerve to even ask her "are you okay?" after he sprung this engagement on her. Ofcourse she's not okay!!! She's a much better person than me because I would have been outta there the second the announcement was made; there would have been a hole shaped me in the front door. Even Katja couldn't believe Lauren was there. I couldn't even keep count of how many ice cold stares she threw Lauren's way. Plus the constant kissing, PDA's, and her finding Jason on the balcony with Lauren all were clear signs that she's jealous of Lauren and wants her out of Jason's life. Not that I blame her but hey, she said yes to the proposal so she asked for all this.

FINALLY Lauren has the right idea about Jason. She told Whitney that although she misses him and loved him that she's so happy it's not her in Katja's shoes. So far Whitney is the only one in that group that seems to have any sensibility when it comes to these guys. She's the only rational female voice and it's good that Lauren has her in her life.

As for Whitney and Teen Vogue, she could use a little of her guy sensibility in the professional department. That was just DUMB to go out with the band the night before. Lisa didn't need to tell her that, she should have realized it on her own. In the end she basically screwed herself because the band was late after drinking all night, she and Lauren were hung over, and the band didn't even respect her so she lost control of the shoot. She could have fixed it if she asserted herself more when the band member wouldn't wear the jeans. If she's going to be the head of the shoot she needs to take control and force the issue.

Back to our favorite reality show couple, Speidi. I loved that Jenn finally asked Heidi if she thinks getting married is the right thing to do and backed it up with the fact that they're still immature. As expected though, Heidi just ignores anyone who wants to take away her special day. To be honest I think she likes the registry, the wedding dress, and all more than Spencer. She just wants to be special and have her wedding day. This whole thing is stupid because Spencer never even intended to follow through with actually getting married. Not only does he clam up anytime the wedding stuff is brought up but he didn't even tell his parents! This is not a guy that wants to be married anytime soon and Heidi needs to move on. Then again they're both insane so maybe they deserve each other.

Next week Brody and Lauren get back together apparently which I really just have no words for. Especially if Heidi was telling the truth and Brody spread the sex tape rumors too then this is just not going to work out well for Lauren. But I guess we'll see what happens next week...