Staten Island Law: Recap of Episodes 3 &4

Elura and Michele

Episode 3 begins with the ladies going to Michele’s kick boxing instructor for a class. Elura isn’t thrilled. They do a little boxing on punching bags and Elura tells Michele that her son, Franklin, wants a birthday party with the theme of modern China. Elura takes parties very seriously, more important than the bar exam. So the ladies go to Manhattan’s Chinatown to find all the supplies they need for the party. They look at some dresses which are designed for flat chested girls, not boobs.

In this episode the case involves a landlord/tenant dispute. Michele and Elura go visit LaQuana, the tenant, who did not get her security deposit of $1700 back when she left her apartment. She was friends with Bob, the landlord, and lived there for four years. When she sent her 30 day letter and asked about getting her deposit back, he told her to speak to his wife. The wife told her she wasn’t getting anything back. LaQuana went to pursue the matter in small claims court and found she was being countersued for even more money than she was owed. She says the apartment was not in good condition when she rented it, there were issues. The stove never worked right and there was a leak under the sink. She complained, but nothing was fixed. She is upset Bob is suing her now.

The ladies then go meet with Bob, the landlord. He says he had to do a lot of work in the apartment after LaQuana left. He admits she always paid her rent on time or early and they were good friends. He also says the apartment was renovated just 10 months before she moved in. When she moved out he had to replace a three year old stove. It cost him $3,000 to repair all the damage. The ladies go see the apartment, which looks very nice. There is a new stove and cabinets. Bob also complains that the countertops are chipped. Michele and Elura believe this is a matter of communication and if it can’t be resolved they go back to court.

Time out to prepare for Franklin’s party. Everyone is assigned a job to do. The party takes place in the yard and there are lots of kids there.

Next thing you know, the ladies are back at the salon…Salon Nouveau! They are there to get some feedback about their latest case while they get their hair and nails done. Everyone has to offer their two cents. There is money and friendship at stake. Bob is willing to go along with whatever Michele and Elura come up with as a fair resolution.

Its hard to tell who is telling the truth, but the apartment had to be repaired. LaQuana agrees the apartment needs painting, the stove needed a cleaning and the countertops were chipped. Painting the walls comes out of the equation, that falls under normal wear and tear. The stove issue is troublesome because Bob said it was new and LaQuana says it didn’t work… they will split the replacement cost. They both agree the counter was chipped, they will split that cost too. There was $1329 total damage that they will split and she will get back the remainder of the money from the security. The pair are friends again.

*****

Episode 4 begins with some family issue. Elura’s mother has a room on the side of the house that she refers to as the cottage and she wants to turn it into a little business that will be open 100 days a year. It’ll be like a little yard sale, antique sale type of place. She needs free legal advice and uses GUILT to get it, like any good Italian mother would.. Elura says the county requirements will run about $10,000 which comes to $100 a day for time the store is open. She advises her mother that she needs to make $200 a day for the venture to be worthwhile. The cottage is very pretty and full of items for sale. They decide they will help her have a real garage sale and see if she can make $200.

This episode’s mediation concerns a mother/daughter dispute called Robin/Robin because they both have the same name. The ladies meet with the mother first. She wants her daughter to be a responsible young adult. All she does is go to college and sit at her computer when she is home. She wants her to get a job and help out more around the house without her having to ask her to do things. Mother Robin says she cleans her bathroom three times a day. No one cane get over that. When the ladies look at the bathroom they say “You could fry an egg on that toilet.” They both feel three times a day is excessive. The mother shows them her daughter’s room and then imitates her laying on the bed with the computer.

Next they have a meeting with the daughter, Robin, to get her side. They ask her what responsibilities she thinks she should have. She says she goes to college full time and doesn’t want to work, her mom doesn’t need her to help out financially. She says her mother wakes her up screaming and telling her to clean the bathroom. She just wants to be treated with more respect.

At the yard sale they are trying to help Elura’s mother sell  $200 worth of stuff to see if she can make a go of the business. At the end of the day they have sold $147 worth of merchandise. Elura doesn’t think that’s too bad. Then it’s off to the salon to discuss the mother/daughter issue and cleaning the bathroom three times a day. Everyone adds their two cents. Elise, the secretary, was assigned to poll 20 students and learns that they all have jobs in addition to college and do chores. Now they will try to work out an agreement between mother and daughter.

Daughter Robin doesn’t want to get yelled at. Her mother yells at her before she even asks her anything. The plan Michele and Elura come up with will use legal concepts as tools to resolve the problem. They will create a contract. They write in it that the daughter will attend college full time during spring and fall and part time in summer; they want her to at least look for a job; they tell the mom cleaning the bathroom three times a day it OUT, instead they let the daughter pick specific chores she will do (washing dishes and mopping floors). The mother has to show her daughter more respect. She cannot say things like “I’ll knock your teeth out.” The mother really just wants her daughter to be able to take care of herself without depending on anyone else. They want her to change her communication style. The mom says she is proud of her daughter and loves her. Tears. Problem solved.

MY TWO CENTS

I just found out there will ONLY be two more episodes next week and that is the end of season one. I am really surprised because how can you establish a following of viewers in just three weeks? I don’t think that’s enough time to get the word out about the show. Frankly, I only found out about it at the last minute because they interviewed Jennifer Graziano to see how she felt with more Staten Island ladies being on television. If not for that newspaper interview, I would have been clueless. If there was any promotion of the show I didn’t see it. I hope people will give the show enough support for a season two. The premise of the show and the ladies have great potential and are very likable.

Now for this week’s episodes. The format is basically the same for each episode. I still feel too much time is spent on things that aren’t that relevant to the primary purpose of the show, mediation. What I want to see is less punching bags, less shopping at Chinatown and more law and mediation. The shows are only a half hour long and there isn’t enough time for all the personal stuff and the legal stuff too. I think one personal event plus the mediation of a case is more than enough for 30 minutes. For example, episode three could have had just the birthday party and the case; and episode 4 pretty much did that with the garage sale and mother/daughter dispute. I’m not sure how I feel about the salon interlude where they kick the case around. Once in a while it may be good idea, but every week, I’m not loving it. I would rather see Michele and Elura bouncing ideas off each other and discussing some legal tips, like taking pictures before you rent an apartment, for both the tenant and landlord. This show is an opportunity to entertain while teaching every day legal concepts and laws to the viewers, like Judy Judy does.

I think the show should be expanded to an hour an episode. Then there would be time for all the things they want to include without it feeling so choppy. I like the format of the Long Island Medium. She handles her personal business and talking to the dead, without the show feeling crammed with too many events. It has a nice flow to it. Maybe Staten Island Law could be modeled after Long Island Medium? If it remains in it’s 30 minute format, then something has to give.

Regardless, I think this show is a winner and I would like to talk to Oprah and share my thoughts! Hopefully there will be a season two at some point. I am really disappointed that season one is so short.

Picture credit: Staten Island Law Facebook page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Staten-Island-Law/474156585939159

Mama’s Boys of The Bronx: Recap Episodes 3 &4

Episode 3 - Bringin’ The Bronx to Miami

The show starts off with Frankie’s mom, Gina, who does an inventory of the refrigerator for what she’s left for Frankie to eat, while she goes to Florida. She’s got everything labeled and stacked. She warns him, “Now remember, this food is for you not your friends. And no wild parties and no girls.” “Okay, okay,” Frankie tells her. She says she needs to get away from him, at least for a little bit.

Patti is leaving a detailed list on how to work all the appliances while she’s away. She’s going with Gina and Camille to Florida. She explains how the the stove and the toaster work. Anthony comments that it’s like an instructional video. “What?  You think I can’t take care of myself?” No, apparently Patti doesn’t and I can see why. She does everything for him! And, Anthony loves it. He tries to make her feel guilty by saying “Don’t worry I’ll starve while you’re gone.” For some reason I don’t find that at all possible.

Camille, who is obsessed with the cats that she cares for, tells Chip he needs to take care of them and has to feed them. “You make sure you take care of my babies.” She explains feeding times and litter box duty. “Oh Madone!” Chip says, “What about my feeding times?”  “You eat when your hungry,” Camille says.

Now that the moms are going away, Frankie decides that he’s going to have a Miami themed party. The guys come over and they decorate the place with palm trees. The girls show up and everyone is drinking homemade wine and doing shots. The girls are dancing and when one of them takes her shoes off, Chip comments, "You’re one step closer to sex." Oh my, Chip, shhh! He offers $10.00 for the first girl naked! Thank goodness he didn’t offer $100.00, cause it may have happened. Unfortunately, the only one who even comes close to being naked is some guy, who strips down to his boxers. Now they’re gonna play spin the bottle for a lap dance. Poor Pete is targeted thanks to Giovanni. In the end Anthony wins the spin and there is no real lap dance. They carry on, making out with the girls. Yeah that’s right, I remember acting similar to that, oh but that was back in like 1976. The girls leave and the guys sit down and take a look at the place. All the food is gone and the place is a mess. So they come up with a great idea. Lets hop on a plane and head on down to Florida to be with the Mama's.

So they show up in Delray Beach and, to say the least, Camille, Patti and Gina don’t look too happy. Gina calls them babies. The guys asked if they are having fun and Gina says, "yeah, until yous showed up.“ Frankie lets her know he’ll find her anywhere, even if he has to put lojack in her suitcase. Poor Gina. Well, all they want to do is eat, so the mamas make them dinner and tell them to eat and get lost. Then they have another great idea. They’re gonna head down to south beach cause Chip has a "boy" at the Catalina who can hook them up. They head out and they are out at the Clevelander when they meet 2 pretty girls from Hungary. Frankie mistakes them for being hungry and Chip once again mentions sex....they lose a chance with those two, I wonder why? They meet another group of girls and they get a little personal and ask some questions. They let on they live with their moms, who do everything for them. One asks if they have a curfew. Another says, "yeah he probably told his mom, “I’m going out, be back later, leave the chicken cutlets out".  She nailed that for sure, any one of them could have said that line. The guys get a little turned off when the girls ask if they like broccoli parmigiana. What? What part of Italy is that from? I guess they aren’t fans of broccoli parmigiana and now they aren’t too fond of these girls. I like how they decide who’s good for them or not, over food choices.

So the next day they meet 2 beautiful Australian girls. Chip wants to fill them in on what Italian men like. They like to eat, have fun and lots of women. Then Chip (and I’m not going to repeat it)  combos 2 of the items together. Maybe Anthony is right, he always kills the game! They are having fun with the girls and they talk about what the night is going to bring them. Meanwhile, the moms decide to take a trip to south beach themselves. “Wow,” Camille says, “lots of men flesh here.” And, surprise! The guys can’t believe it. The girls lose interest in the guys, and the moms tell them they came down to teach them a lesson. The guys blame their moms over why they can’t meet any girls and then they sit around and have lunch. Just like at home. It ends with small talk around the table. And the guys, deep down inside, look happy their moms are there.

Episode 4 - Devour!

Gina explains how to make a cannoli!

We are back on Arthur avenue in this episode. Aunt Gina’s sitting in the kitchen with Giovanni and she’s giving him her grocery list once again. I need some things for you to pick up. Giovanni looks annoyed. You always need something. I gotta get to the gym, I have no time for the groceries. I’m not sure why this guy puts up a fight. We all know Aunt Gina will find him. Giovanni, shame on you! Be nicer to her! Then, Giovanni's friend Gio shows up. Instead of hitting the gym, Giovanni tells him he has this great idea. He wants to have a cannoli eating contest on the avenue. “What?,” Gio says, he’s obsessed with cannoli's. It think he’s right. I think he does have a fetish.” They walk the avenue, eating and talking about this brainstorm of an idea.

Camille and Chip shop on the avenue. Chip stops to eat raw clams on the street and Camille thinks it’s disgusting. They’re slimy and scurvy. Chip says they are better than half the girls he’s been out with. Girls and Clams....in the same sentence? Really Chip?

Looks like Patti had to drag Anthony out on her shopping excursion.  Anthony seems to be reluctant in helping her and says he’s got better things to do. They stop off at a bakery, where Anthony bites into a cookie, and feels the pain of a cavity. Don’t worry, Patti will take care of that later.

And by the way, Aunt Gina finds Giovanni. Same place I found him. At the pastry shop. He tells her about the cannoli eating contest and she doesn’t like the idea one bit. It’s juvenile and stupid. She lets him know that she should hit him over the head with a frying pan to knock some sense into him. If that works, then I say, go ahead Aunt Gina!

Building a cat condo!

Camille is really a cat lover. She tends to numerous cats and is very concerned for them in the winter. Chip goes to Frankie to ask him to build some insulated cat condos, so the cats wont freeze. “You know, for my mom Frankie.” But, deep down inside, Chip has a soft spot for these cats too. Camille is thrilled with the condos.

The "tutu"

Giovanni is now hitting the streets with this red and white tutu in his hand trying to find some cheerleaders for the cannoli eating contest. So, I’m thinking, he’s an inspiring designer and this is what he came up with? Giovanni, show us what you can do. Wear something at least! This  turned out to be unsuccessful and Giovanni did not find any cheerleaders. I guess he’ll have to settle for the neighborhood audience.

Patti takes, let me rephrase that, makes the dentist appt for Anthony; brings him to the dentist & oversees the dentist’s actions. Patti, I think Anthony may be able to handle this on his own! After he learns how to show up for an appointmentt he can learn how to work the toaster at home! Gee...she’s spoiling him!

Giovanni is getting ready for his cannoli eating contest. You know, the usual things that men do before they’re going to sit down and overstuff themselves with cannolis. There’s the tanning, the haircut and the manicure. Just in case, he says, he meets someone. Next time I’m single, I’ll have to remember that if I want to meet any single men, I need to go to a cannolli eating contest. The moms and boys show up. Frankie is hosting, being that Joe Pesci had a previous engagement. I can’t believe he missed this. So the contest goes on and Giovanni looks like a real pro. He certainly has had a lot of practice. In the end Frankie asks his mom who the winner is. Pete Cigars wins. And by the way, he cheated. He passed his cannolis down to Giovanni. So the first annual cheating cannoli contest comes to an end. Giovanni leaves with Aunt Gina and they  walk down the avenue. Aunt Gina consoles him and she’s gonna make him a nice pizza when they get home.

Well there are a lot of funny chuckling scenes in the shows. One thing for sure is that these guys are playing themselves. I do enjoy the humor. These guys have not a worry about them. I wish my life was so simple. Seems like Pete’s the only one with a real job. I missed both Larry and Grazia in these episodes and I look forward to them in the next ones. I hope you enjoyed this recap. Please leave your comments below.

Written by: Carmela Corleone

Picture Credit: TLC and Carmela