Mob Wives: Recap: “New Year. New War.” Ep 201

 Next week balcony fight!

The premiere episode of season 2 begins with Renee’s arrival at Dr. Klapper’s office for her full body makeover. Her son AJ arrives with her.  It just so happens, that before Renee left her house for surgery and while on her way to the office, she was on the phone with me. I was interviewing her for the blog. It was Monday, June 27th, and the date is etched in my mind because I had just met Renee in person at Sugar’s, a couple of days before. I couldn’t believe she was taking the time to talk to me, literally right before surgery. I didn’t have a good feel about the surgery, I wish she had changed her mind.

As the show starts, Renee says that her makeover involved getting a flat stomach and a nice ass. It entails cutting all around the body, removing the fat, injecting it in your ass and sewing it all up. Renee gets on the operating table and says she has a bad feeling about the surgery, but felt she was too much into it to back out of it. All the while Renee is being operated on, AJ is in the waiting room. I love AJ.

At Carla’s house, Drita arrives for a drink and some sun. They toast to new beginnings. Drita says she is done with Lee. She wants to start a new chapter in her life. She tells Carla that Lee denies everything, he doesn’t respect her enough to tell her the truth. As they chat by the pool, Carla says that she doesn’t think it’s worth it to get aggravated over the women their husband’s cheat with. Somehow that doesn’t ring true with me. What woman in her right mind is not going to get pissed at the woman who is sleeping with her husband, Carla included. In any case, Carla says she is focusing on herself and being single. She broke up with her “Handy” man boyfriend and not a minute too soon, if you ask me. Mother’s should be careful about the men they bring into their children’s lives, that’s all I’m saying.

Back at Dr. Klapper’s office, Renee looks terrible. She is in a lot of pain, “so much agony” and the drugs aren’t working. AJ comes in to see how she is and she sends him away. The doctor gives her more pain medication, but Renee is uncomfortable. She explains that she can’t see anything, she can only hear voices. She feels the blood leaving her body and she can hear panicked voices and feels the commotion going on in the room. She has ripped the stitches in her back and has to be rushed to the emergency room. Renee says that she lost so much blood she almost died. Now I know why I had that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I heard she was having this damn surgery.

At Karen’s house, we learn that Karen has been calling Renee and is worried that she hasn’t been able to get in touch with her since the surgery. Renee finally answers Karen’s call and she sounds terrible. She tells Karen that she needed a blood transfusion. She almost died from the loss of blood from ripping her stitches open. Karen is not very happy to hear all that Renee went through.

Renee is at home after spending 16 days in the hospital. The recovery took a very long time. Renee says she had to stay home all day, she is lonely and wants company. She is in pain and she calls for AJ; she gives him a hug. The surgery showed her who her friends are. Drita and Karen called her about her surgery. Carla sent one text the day of the surgery, no calls, no visit. Renee is pissed at Carla. Who wouldn’t be pissed? That is really unforgivable.

Carla meets a friend for lunch. She tells her friend that Renee had a “little complication” from her surgery. Excuse me? Did she say Renee‘s near death experience was  a “little complication?”  No she di-ent! Talk about being insensitive and heartless. Then Carla says she sent Renee a “text” the day of her surgery that said, “can’t wait to see your new ass” and Renee didn’t answer. Well, if Renee was being operated on and almost died, maybe she wasn’t able to “text?” And, Carla adds, no one told her how bad Renee was doing or “she probably would have called her.”  Probably Carla? You probably would have called her? In my opinion, when a close friend of 25 years goes for surgery, you make it YOUR business to call and see how they are doing. This isn’t rocket science! It’s not the sick person’s job to call and let everyone know how they are doing. Where is your compassion?  And finally, Carla let’s her friend know that she and Joe are getting closer every day, whatever that means. I’ll leave it to Mob Mistress to decipher that one.

Back at Renee’s house, Karen comes to pay her a visit. Karen is checking on her and going to try to cheer her up. Renee tells her about her “plastic surgery nightmare” where her back split open. Renee shows Karen the picture of her back. Karen was visibly upset to look at it and it was as though she immediately understood what Renee had gone through. It was obvious that Karen was genuinely concerned for Renee and it seemed to me that Karen was fighting back tears so as not to get Renee upset. Renee says she is even more insecure about her body. She says she went in beautiful and came out ugly. She shows Karen the eight bottles of pills she has to take every day. Renee explains that she has suffered from depression for 20 years, but the surgery has brought her to her lowest point. Then, Renee says, she should have gone to the gym, “it was just a lousy 35 pounds” that she needed to lose. It was a big mistake.

Drita goes for boxing lessons because of all the stress in her life, finding out about Lee’s cheating and her rooftop rumble with Karen. Drita says she is taking it from the rooftop to the ring. She is turning over a new leaf. Drita learns some boxing techniques. She admits to having a bad temper and hitting the bag makes her feel better. Boxing is supposed to help her stop wanting to hit people. She says she wants to mend fences with Karen.

Karen and Ramona, “the cousins,” meet at a steakhouse. Karen reads Drita’s text to Ramona. After the rooftop rumble, they say that Drita told everyone she split Karen’s head open and put her in the hospital, which was a lie. Karen is angry about that and feels these text messages are phony. Ramona calls it “flip floppin’” and doesn’t like it. Karen actually feels like she wants to hurt Drita now. Karen is tired of Drita’s stories, “the gloves are off B!tch!” Not only is Karen riled up, but now so is Ramona!

Renee has a new therapist! Good for you Renee, I didn’t care for the other one. She sees him to discuss her horrible surgery because it sent her into a deep depression. She shows the therapist the hole in her back. She tells him she has a 360 degree scar, no ass, and suffered from a horrible infection. He asks why she felt she needed the surgery and she tells him that she got it done because she didn’t feel pretty. She mentions the argument she had with Carla over her boyfriend and that Carla didn’t believe her. Then she tells him that Carla never came to see her at the hospital. The therapist says there is no way anyone could let that slide, agreeing that Renee‘s anger is justified. However, he suggests to Renee that she avoid Carla for now, she is too angry to handle it well. Renee agrees and decides to wait before confronting her about it. Can’t wait to see that scene!

At Renee’s house, Renee calls to talk to Drita to invite her to her birthday party/ celebration of life party. She mentions that she will not be inviting Carla. She tells Drita she is hurt because Carla never called her after the surgery. Drita says she asked Carla if she ever called Renee, so it was discussed. Drita says she wants to talk to Karen anyway. Renee tells Drita to stay away from Karen at the party. Drita agrees.

Carla and Drita meet again. Drita tells her she has something to say that she isn’t going to like. Drita says that Renee is having a party and isn’t inviting Carla. She explains why; it’s because Carla never called or visited Renee during her botched surgery, near death experience. In the confessional scene Carla says she is glad she isn’t being invited to the party, but while she is talking to Drita she sounds very pissed off.  Carla seems to feel that Renee should have responded to her text message or called her if she had an issue with her. Carla claims she didn’t know about Renee’s surgery complications. Renee has been nasty to her since they had the fight about the boyfriend. Drita tells her that’s because “you called her a liar” about the boyfriend.  Drita gets it, why doesn’t Carla? This conversation shows why Carla never called Renee. Carla could not put the boyfriend argument aside long enough to focus on Renee’s health. Regardless of their issues, it was Carla’s place to call and find out how Renee was doing. She didn’t need to be told about complications by a third party before picking up the damn phone.

Everyone is getting ready for the party at their own houses! Renee is excited, she wants a drama free night and doesn’t want Drita and Karen to fight and ruin it. Karen and Ramona are getting dressed and Karen tells Ramona that Drita has been texting her and she calls it a “cop out!” Ramona says, “It’s disrespectful!” and loudly adds, “STOP being nice!!!” Drita is getting ready too, and all she is thinking is that she is going for Renee.

PARTY TIME! 

Drita just wants to go in, have a drink with Renee and leave. But Renee isn’t there yet and in walk Karen and Ramona. Drita is uncomfortable. Ramona doesn’t like Drita since that rooftop rumble because of what she did to Karen. Drita doesn’t like Ramona either. If I was Drita I’d be uncomfortable too.

Renee calling "all her girls" to get Drita and Karen together!

Renee makes a grand entrance! The party is about friendship. Everyone welcomes Renee. Renee says Junior has the biggest smile and has been extremely loyal. He was there for her during the whole surgery fiasco.  During the party, Renee sees Drita and Karen on opposite sides of the room. She takes the microphone and calls out their names to bring them together. Drita and Karen do not understand why Renee is calling attention to the fact that they are having problems, by trying to bring them together. Didn’t Renee tell Drita to stay away from Karen at the party when she invited her?  I’m confused. Did Renee forget what she said or what? She had to know it was not going to end well because when she sees them all headed for the balcony, she says one of them is going over. And, before that, they were all doing such a good job of avoiding each other too!

A nervous Drita talks to Big Ang on balcony

Anyway, in comes Big Ang, the second new mob wife, and she goes out to the balcony to check on Drita. Drita tells her she wants to get along with Karen. Big Ang tells her they have to talk it out and move on. Drita says she wants to talk to Karen. Big Ang goes over to Karen’s table and asks her to talk to Drita. Ramona and Karen had already decided that the party was not the place to have this conversation, but they get up and go to the balcony...together. That’s the end…for NOW.  

Coming attractions show that not much conversation seems to takes place. Instead tempers soon take over and a fight is going to break out right there on the balcony. We’ll have to wait till next week to see what happens. But just between you and me, this looks like it is going to be a lot more than a rumble!

My extra two cents: The premiere episode of season two exceeded my expectations! I loved it. Jennifer Graziano, kudos to you and your brilliant mind! I enjoyed the newest additions to the cast, Ramona and Big Ang. Ramona is feisty and will not put up with any BS. It’s easy to see why she and Karen are so close. Big Ang is a “peacemaker,” but considering her role in getting Karen and Drita together at the party I have to wonder how long she will keep that title.

As for Dr. Klapper, I think a lawsuit is in order for either malpractice at the minimum or gross negligence. I’m not a doctor, but there is no way such extensive surgery should have been done in an office and not a hospital. Too many things went wrong. I hope Renee has a good lawyer, that’s all I’m saying.

Carla needs to learn a lesson in friendship, human compassion, and plain old etiquette! How does a person know that a friend is going for surgery and not call to see how it went or how they are doing? Seriously? It’s true they were at odds over the boyfriend, but real friends put their differences aside when health issues arise. She allowed the “Handy” man to come between a 25 year friendship?  Carla vigorously defended him last season. The guy was so great that she called Renee a liar and then quietly broke up with him. The fact is, any way you slice this pie, Carla was wrong not to call Renee. A lousy “text,” the day of surgery, is really insulting. 

Karen, Ramona and Big Ang strolling out to the balcony!

My last observation may be controversial, but I can’t help the way I feel. After watching the show three (3) times, I didn’t change my mind. Maybe next week I will. But, I think that, to a certain extent, Drita was set up last night at the party. Drita did some talking about trying to change, change is hard. Drita herself admitted in her interview with DJ Toro, that she did not see the change she hoped for, in herself. Drita also said she wanted to make peace with Karen. She looked very nervous at the party and was trying to avoid Karen. To me she appeared scared and anxious. She makes a comment she is going in there “alone” as though she senses she will need backup. Renee and Drita agree, before the party, that she should stay away from Karen. Drita keeps her end of the deal until Renee takes the microphone and orders them all to come together. Why? On the balcony, Drita seems very uneasy and worried. Big Ang tries to comfort her, but then suggests that she talk to Karen right there at the party and “set things straight.” Ramona and Karen seem surprised that Big Ang wants Karen to speak to Drita. Even the “cousins” had agreed that was not the time or the place for the conversation. Nevertheless, they both get up and head to the balcony.  Renee sees them and thinks one of them will go over (the balcony). She knows this means trouble. When they get out there it appears to me that Karen, still angry from the events of the rumble, confronts Drita and Drita is taken by surprise. She was expecting a conciliatory talk, instead it’s an aggressive confrontation. Of course the episode ends on this note, so I will have to reserve judgment as to how it plays out when I see the whole scene, instead of bits and pieces. I get the feeling that episode two is NOT to be missed.

What is your take on the premiere episode? Did you love it, hate it? What about the new cast members, Ramona and Big Ang? We have a lot to talk about! Feel free to tell us what you think. We need to know.

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