Mob Wives: Recap “Desert Storm,” Ep 310

                                              First what we didn't see
                                   Karen and Gerard speak with a lawyer



One of the things Ramona and Karen have to do while in Arizona is to go to the storage unit and find anything that will provide information for Sammy’s release from prison. There are a ton of recorded tapes and paperwork. Karen will have to listen to all the tapes to try to find information on the plea deal Sammy made years ago. If there is proof that Sammy only agreed to do 15 years, and never knew he could do as much as 20 years, they have grounds to get him out.

At Renee’s house, Renee is telling AJ about her plans to get an attack dog for protection. He thinks that $20,000 is too much for a dog and tells Renee she is never home. Renee is also taking a self-defense class. She says she wants to rebuild her relationship with AJ  and wants him to take the class too. He doesn’t want to. She tells him that he minimizes things that she feels are important. She believes the self-defense class will help her release her negative feelings.

“Forgive yourself bitch, move on!” Ramona yells.

At Karen’s house in Arizona, Karen and Ramona are going through boxes of tapes. Karen says she needs to go through all of them. Karen puts on a tape of when they were all in court. She says the family was arrested, all at the same time, for being in an ecstasy ring. Sammy took the rap so she and her brother, Gerard, could get lighter sentences. Sammy didn’t want Karen in prison when she had Karina to raise. Now she needs to find a tape that proves Sammy only agreed to 15 years and never knew he could do 20. Karen says she feels sick because everything their family did or said was being recorded at that time. Karen starts messing with the tapes and Ramona yells at her to stop because she is going to need those tapes! Ramona gives Karen some tough love. She tells her she did her time and paid her debt to society and it’s time to move on! Enough!

Since AJ won’t go to the self-defense class, Renee takes Drita. The instructor explains how they need to hold their hands so they don’t break their wrists. Drita remembers breaking her hand when she was younger. Drita is loving this class while Renee is having trouble at first. Renee doesn’t like the thought of having to hit someone even in practice. But the instructor makes her use what she learned and Renee is actually having fun.

Renee, Love and Drita meet at a bar and Renee and Drita tell her all about their self-defense class. Renee mentions that she has an issue with Carla and then Love says she has her own issues with Carla. Drita s really sick of hearing about that. They move on to talking about Karen and Ramona going to Arizona to meet Dave’s girlfriend. They know Karen is upset. Drita thinks she would have a problem meeting an ex’s girlfriend and would probably beat her up.

“At this point she may need intervention cause I'm not sure she's alive.“ Karen says.

Karen goes to a restaurant to meet Rebecca and lay down the law. Rebecca looks at Karen with a cold stare and Karen is not happy. The meeting is awkward, and Dave chimes in that they are meeting because Becky spends a lot of time with Karina.  There is silence. “Helloooo Rebecca? Knock, knock, knock,” says Karen. Rebecca isn’t talking, but as always Karen breaks the ice and speaks first. Becky says she is 34 and Karen says that she is 40. Rebecca tells her she is in Real Estate, has two kids and is Italian. Karen says, “I shoplifted and robbed cars.” Then Karen gets right to the point. She is upset that Rebecca took Karina to the doctor. Rebecca says that her schedule is more flexible and that it was “no big deal.” That agitates Karen, who thinks it’s a very big deal and feel like putting her foot through Rebecca’s forehead. Karen feels like the outsider because she isn’t even being consulted on things that concern her daughter. Rebecca says she isn’t trying to be Karina’s mom. Dave tells Karen that Karina is friends with Becky’s daughter and they have gone to the same school. Karen is content that Rebecca has been respectful and is glad they met. Dave thinks they can all get along well. Karen ends by inviting them both to a get together she is having at her house the next day.

Drita is still waiting for the renovations on her store to be completed. Meanwhile she is paying rent and needs to make money so she went back to taking some makeup gigs. She has one for a fitness magazine shoot. Drita enjoyed this job.

Holy sh*t,“G” is for gangsta and you gotta be gangsta to rock some tits like that!” says Love.

Love and Big Ang meet up. Love tells her Fate is coming from Las Vegas to see her. She is nervous and excited at the same time. Love is looking to buy some sexy things to wear for him. She dated Fate seven years ago and says “he is the male Love.” The woman measuring Love says she is a 34 G-H…”G” is for gangster. Big Ang loves everything Love is trying on in the store.  Love says she almost doesn’t believe Fate is coming. She regrets leaving him all those years ago at the height of their passion. Then Love changes the subject and says she keeps hearing from other people that Carla is talking about her all over the island. Big Ang says she hasn’t heard Carla ever mention Love’s name and no one has said anything to her about it. Love still believes Carla is talking sh*t about her and that Big Ang is naïve.

“When I was getting my hair done, she said I want kids,” Karina tells Karen.

Karina is walking with Ozzie, her dog, and Ramona and Karen. They are taking Ozzie to the groomers because he has been alone in the house since Dave moved out. He is getting a bath. Karina asks Karen is she thinks Becky is pretty. Karina says she is nice and sweet, not like Karen. Ramona hears that and her eyebrows go up! Ramona says of course she is nice and sweet, Karina doesn’t know that all women do that while that are dating to get the man hooked. Karina says she heard Dave and Becky talking about buying their own home. She tells Karen Rebecca wants to have kids. Karina feels if Dave has a baby that she and her father will grow apart. Karen gets very emotional. She doesn’t want Karina to feel that way. She feels that she and Dave made so many mistakes and Karina is paying for them. Karen assures her that Dave will always love her and nothing will ever change that. She tells Karina she wants her to move to New York and live with her.

“The truth is, I wanted him to chase me and he didn't.“ says Love.

Love and Fate go on a date. Love looks fantastic. She says Fate is the one who got away. She is nervous, like a schoolgirl. They hug. She comments on how big and strong he is. Seven years have passed since they were together. He tells her she looks the same, she tells him he looks better than ever. He says he is leery because she ran out on him all those years ago. She says she left because he was having a baby with another woman that he was with before he met Love. She wanted him to go chasing after her when she left, but he never did. Love is emotional and says she still cares for him. They kiss.

“She's just a consolation prize,” says Ramona.

The get together at Karen’s house in Arizona is on and poppin’. Ramona and Gerard are there and then Karen’s fun and crazy Arizona friends all arrive. Last, but not least, Dave and Rebecca walk in. Ramona is not happy that “Becky Butana” is there and she wants to talk to both Dave and Becky during the party. Ramona says her first impression of Becky is “constipation.” She asks Dave if he is happy and hears he is buying a house. He tells her he is happy. She wants him to know that if he does anything he should let Karen know and they shouldn’t be finding out about it on the internet. He agrees. Ramona puts Dave on the spot about his feelings for Karen. Dave admits he was hoping to get back together with Karen and that she would take him back, but some things aren’t meant to be. Ramona is satisfied that Dave is not in love with Rebecca. Ramona says now that she bonded with Dave she is going to talk to “Becky Butana.”

Ramona says, “I’m just gonna cut her up like a frita.” Ramona goes over to Rebecca and says she has heard a lot of things about her, none of them good. Ramona tells her they were coming to Arizona to lynch her up. The fact that she took Karina to the doctor was out of line. Rebecca explains that she was doing Dave a favor and asked him if it would be okay with Karen, he told her yes. Ramona respects the fact that Rebecca isn’t quivering. Rebecca says she wouldn’t have taken her if Karen had a problem with it. Ramona is satisfied that, as mothers, they agree some lines should not be crossed with other people’s children. So Rebecca will now have Karen’s contact information and can ask her or tell her things that concern Karina’s welfare. Karen respects Rebecca for coming to her party.

“Loves gonna rip her with her f*ckin’ fist!,” says Drita

Over in Staten Island, Drita decides she need to get back in shape and goes to “boot camp.” Drita says she was always athletic, but this class is just way too rough and she is having trouble keeping up. Big Ang stops by to meet up with Drita after class. They plan on going shopping. Drita tells her she feels like she has been beaten up. Big Ang says Love should take the class. This comment opens a can of worms. Big Ang says Love keeps mentioning Carla and Drita agrees. They both complain that this issue Love has with Carla is escalating and getting worse because Love keeps talking about it. They both agree that Carla has to be told and warned about Love, who may be looking to beat her up. Drita is worried because Carla uses words to attack, but Love uses fists.

MY TWO CENTS

Finally we get to see more of Love Majewski and her life! Love is reconnecting with her old flame, Fate and sparks fly. The dinner date goes well as the couple catch up on each other’s lives and why broke up. It’s too bad they couldn’t work things out seven years ago because it’s obvious there is a strong bond between them. Personally, as nice as this connection is, I am patiently waiting for Love to confront Carla on her running her mouth all over Staten Island. That is one sit down I want a ringside seat for. Of course Carla will deny it, like she has done with every other mob wife, BUT can all of Staten Island be wrong all the time?

In the past few episodes we have been watching Karen deal with several serious issues. Thank God she has Ramona. These two cousins have each other’s backs and give out “tough love” whenever needed. This week it was Ramona’s turn to watch out for Karen. First, she had to make her “snap out of it” when Karen was reminiscing about her father and what her family went through. She feels guilty. The past is the past. It can’t be changed. And, Ramona keeps Karen focused on the present and getting the information needed to get her father out of prison. Next, at the get together, Ramona needs to have a little “chat” with Dave and “Becky Butana.” She wants to let them know that if they mess with Karen, they might as well be messing with her too. Dave surprisingly seems to admit her that he has feelings for Karen. I am starting to think he is mad at Karen for not taking him back and is trying to make her jealous. I don’t see any sparks at all between Dave and Rebecca. I will say that all the mob wives came to Becky’s defense on Twitter last night, so she s probably very nice. Maybe she was nice enough to agree to be filmed for the show, because she certainly isn’t under contract. But she did look intimidated to me. Maybe it was because of Karen or Ramona or simply being in front of a camera for the whole world to see? Who knows? At any rate, Dave could have done a lot worse. However, if he is planning a serious future with Becky, like a house and kids, then he needs to have two conversations, first with Karina, who should not be “overhearing” these matters, but spoken to directly and included in them.  Then he needs to talk to Karen right afterwards so she is not hearing these things from Karina or anyone else. I really hope Karina moves back to New York City after she completes this year of school. She needs to be with Karen. That’s my feeling. I know Karen was trying to get Karina to come around on her own, but it’s been two years now and I think Karen should insist on it.

The best part of the show was NO Carla! Of course they had to mention her here and there because everyone has an issue with her. I was disappointed there hasn’t been a Love/Carla sit down yet. Did I say that already? Drita and Big Ang definitely seem concerned. They know Love’s history and it ain’t pretty. Love is sick of hearing the gossip that Carla is spreading all over Staten Island. On top of that, if she doesn’t confront Carla about it soon, it will ruin her reputation. One thing is for sure, Love is not afraid of Carla and will show her what she thinks about her. There’s one way to get her to shut her mouth, put a fist in it. So yes, Big Ang and Drita are concerned because Carla fights with words and hits “below the belt,” while Love has been known to hit below and above the belt. So stay tuned for the next three episodes of Mob Wives, because something has got to give!

P.S. I was reading Twitter between note taking and I was surprised to see Carla defending poor Rebecca when all she did was bad mouth Raquel for months. She never met Rebecca, how would she know? Just sayin’

Special Thanks to @CarmelaCorleone for giving me her favorite quotes of the episode!

Video Credit: VH1