Flaming Bros Jersey City - The Origin of a Chaotic Reality Fanfic

 

After watching a handful of reality shows based in the East Coast, including The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Mob Wives, Made in Staten Island, Growing Up Gotti, and Families of the Mafia, one element that stood out to me the most was family drama. And to this day, I'm asking myself, "What is this obsession with family drama in the East Coast?" I have gotten to the point of believing that "family" is the East Coast's entire personality. And if I'm wrong, I refuse to believe that I'm wrong.

Anyway, back in 2018, when I was thinking of what other location had the potential to join the Flaming Bros universe (aka the greater Jordie-Verse), I looked into the state of New Jersey. Admittedly, I was way too scared to even bother with New Jersey because the people who live in the Garden State are just... unhinged, intense, uncontrollably annoying, and too loyal to a toxic fault. I've never even BEEN to the East Coast, so what would I know, right?

Eventually, Jersey City caught my eye the most, and to this day I don't know why lol. So naturally, in 2018, the title ended up being Flaming Bros Jersey City. I dig it, hehe.

Some might ask why "Jersey City" instead of "New Jersey," as many still thinking of New Jersey as a city within the state of New York, and others say state's name "New Jersey" is more marketable than "Jersey City"or any other name of an NJ area. Even the state capital Trenton isn't something you ever hear about, unless you live in New Jersey. But again, I like being different. And calling the show "Flaming Bros New Jersey" is a bit too easy and lazy for my taste.

But as with San Fernando, CA, the cast I chose for Jersey City didn't have to literally live in the city; they could live around it, and that would be fine enough for me.

In fact, the inaugural cast I chose for Season 1 (of currently 10 seasons) was not related to each other or familially tied in any way, and I still thought they worked very well with each other... until they didn't. More on that when I talk about Season 1 later. The cast overall did prove to be harder to rotate after a few seasons, and that can be a problem. In fact one of the biggest cons of East Coast-based reality shows is that after awhile, the cast becomes harder and harder to move on from. Just look at what happened to the Real Housewives franchises in New York and New Jersey. And in the case of FBJC, the addition of relatives in the cast, many seasons later, became the catalyst for the show struggling to move on from that family dram trope that dominated East Coast reality TV for roughly 20 years.

Still, if I could place this show in any network, I would go for...MTV. I'm not sure why, honestly. But MTV needed new shows then, and still do TODAY.

Flaming Bros San Fernando

Flaming Bros San Fernando

By 2017, I had watched a small handful of queer reality TV shows, including The A-List New York, The A-List Dallas, RuPaul's Drag Race, and more recently at the time, the YouTube reality webseries Chasing: Atlanta. And of course, I watched all-female reality shows like Rica Famosa Latina, The Real Housewives (and its spinoff Vanderpump Rules), Married to Medicine, and Basketball Wives. No matter which show I was watching, I would always think, "Wow... these people are... crazy."

But it got me thinking: what if I created my own fanfiction-esque version of a reality TV show that initially focuses on the young gay Latino community in/around the City of San Fernando, before eventually diversifying? Basically, something that The Real Housewives of New Jersey eventually did, starting with the addition of Dolores Catania.

The City of San Fernando is a general-law city in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County in Southern California. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and have been to the City plenty of times to visit family, to work, and to eat. And as a Black person with West African, Native-American, and Irish roots, one thing I always noticed as a kid was that the City of San Fernando was predominantly Hispanic/Latino. I mean, there is literally a high school called Cesar Chavez Learning Academy! 

Welcome to California, right? 

But to this day, there's just something unique about the City that separates it from the Valley, and I'm not sure what it is. It just feels more... cozy and intimate... and cultural. I'm not saying that everyone who lives in the City feels that way, but as a quasi-tourist from the Valley, that's the vibe I currently get to this day.

Anyway, I know some would probably find it strange that this fictional show would be based in the City of San Fernando, given that it's only about 2.37 miles long with a population of 24K. And I totally get that, but there have been enough SoCal shows that take place in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Malibu, Orange County, the greater Los Angeles... and I like being different. That's just how I roll lol

And hey, cast members didn't HAVE to live in the City; they could live in the Valley. That's totally fine! A lot of housewives from the Real Housewives of Potomac don't live in Potomac (or even Maryland, for that matter); some live in Washington DC or Virginia, which makes sense as the show is based in the DMV Metropolitan. So why not apply that to this San Fernando-based show?

And the name I came up with back in 2015 is kind of... hilarious: Flaming Bros.

Now I'm sure most gays don't mind being called bros, but some would question the choice to use "flaming" in the name. "Flaming" is actually a derogatory way of describing a gay male's stereotypical manner or appearance. In a world where minorities continue to claim a derogatory term/phrase as their own (which I do feel mixed about, as a Black person hates the N-word), I figured "flaming" would be just another one of those terms. 

Put the location "San Fernando" in the title, and now you got "Flaming Bros San Fernando" (or FBSF for short)!

No colon or "of" needed.

And out of all the Flaming Bros shows I came up with since 2015, FBSF is definitely my personal favorite, and the most developed. Why? Because while it mostly uses the casting structure of The Real Housewives of Cheshire, it follows the problematic structure of Basketball Wives and Rica Famosa Latina, narratively (and deliberately) struggling to outgrow that dynamic. Because of this, and the fact that certain cast members fall into the ghetto trope (ahem, David Ty Reza), I can absolutely see this type of show on VH1. 

Season 1 (2015)

This season tells you all you need to know about the original cast members, and for most of them, it's NOT in a good way at all.                            

Similar to Basketball Wives' Circle, and RHOBH's Fox Force Five, most of the main cast of Flaming Bros San Fernando has a clique that I've referred to as the Bullies & Snobs (or B&S). And their influence on the show makes the viewing experience feel like a chore rather than a delight.                            

The leader of the B&S crew is Venezuelan actor and executive producer (the Shaunie O'Neal of Flaming Bros San Fernando, if you will) Enrique Sapene, who is no stranger to reality TV, having appeared in Rica Famosa Latina. Alongside him is his best friend and fellow Venezuelan Alex Paredes, a lifestyle guru who lives and breathes music festivals and traveling. Together, they're the duo that chooses not to share much of their personal lives, which ends up working against them, not once but definitely several times.                          

Our next entry into the B&S gang is Miami-born Cuban actor Jason Caceras, who (at the time) was engaged to his future husband (and fellow actor and makeup expert) Christian Gabriel Lopez (who's not a cast member, but appears frequently,  as if he wants to tell Jason to stop with the hostility towards people). Jason has that adorable presence that makes you think that he would never hurt a fly. But that illusion changes very quickly, as soon as you realize that he LOVES to gossip, and is often the reason why the B&S crew is so fractured for seasons to come. He also shows himself to be a bully towards the more likable people that we'll discuss momentarily.                             

Rounding out the Bullies and Snobs is Jason's Mexican-American best friend Estuardo Edgar Alvizures from Boston. He's prefers to be called Estuardo, so that's what we'll call him. Estuardo is a dancer from Boston, who many PBS fans will recognize from the 4th and 5th seasons of the TV series "Zoom." On this show, he's normally Jason's sidekick. If Jason doesn't like you, then neither does Estuardo, and that's really Estuardo's personality in a nutshell.                           

Together these four men create a dynamic that can only be described as toxic, with Jason being the main reason, Alex tolerating it, and Estuardo eventually being Jason's target for gossip. And Enrique's just there seeing dollar signs because this is "good TV." The bullies and snobs also have no problem going after our next two (more likable) main cast members.                            

First up is Mexican-American actor David Ty Reza. David's "don't mess with me personality" against the B&S makes him a fan with viewers. But pretty soon, we see that he is... a lot. Constantly defensive, always ready to fight, as evidenced by one time when Jason threw a drink at David's face, David proceeds to do the same thing to Jason the very next day after ripping David a new one for talking shit about David on Twitter and IG. Jason would win round three when he brings a picther a water and throws the drink at David (who was minding his own business) backstage during the reunion. I guess you could say that Jason won that fight by technicality while David won by likability.But David's own behavior bites him in the ass, season after season...                          

And then we have the real lead of the show (as well as the #1 FAN FAVORITE), Brazilian actor Rafael L Silva, who we don't see until Episode 2. During this time Rafa is acting in various short films made for local film festivals, and is already a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. But he's also a sweetheart that the B&S do not like (especially Estuardo who proceeds to call Rafa worthless). There's only so much he can say to Enrique because Enrique is the self-proclaimed "boss" (sure, Enrique), so he never really bothers engaging with Enrique, which is probably for the best.                 

And after being verbally attacked by the B&S because he's the youngest in the cast, and they're that bored with their own lives, Rafa doesn't really engage with them until he has to. You can only avoid them for so long when you're a full-time cast member.                           

The only flaming bro who seems to like him is David, and they hit if off very quickly. Their friendship becomes one if the FEWEST positive highlights of the season. But many seasons later, it becomes clear that David only liked Rafa because Rafa is a good listener and a people pleaser. In other words, David just wanted a yes-man, not an actual friend, unbeknownst to Rafa this season.                 

And midway through the season, we meet a future cast member and Rafa's Mexican best friend from Austin, Texas, Alastair Patton, who makes guest appearances during Rafa's solo scenes this season, and becomes a friend-of next season.                            

No friend-ofs this season.                           

So yeah, already a jacked-up dynamic within our cast of 6 young Latin men. And while, the B&S team are insufferable, and David is a mixed bag, it's really Rafa who's truly the most likable of the bunch.               

And through it all... people still watched... and lived to regret it for years to come.

Season 2 (2015)

Everyone from last season returns for Season 2.

Jason's constant shit-talking about Estuardo causes Estuardo to reach his boiling point with Jason. Even Christian can't save Jason out if this one.

But Estuardo's problem this season is that nobody in the cast likes him. NO. BODY. Rafa and David want nothing to do with him because of how rude he was to them. And the boring duo that is Enrique & Alex are just like, "YOU figure it out."

So Estuardo is mostly iced out. You kinda wanna feel bad fot the guy, but then you're immediately reminded if how nasty he is.

Meanwhile Rafa's best friend Alastair joins FBSF as the very first friend-of. And to say that his energy was much-needed is a big fat understatement. He really helps Rafa be less miserable in the group, and manages to soften David, just a bit. So a new trio has formed. But knowing David's motives (which Rafa and Alastair (and the viewers) still don't know about yet, it's easy to say R.I.P. to this alliance.

And what's Enrique and Alex doing this whole season, you may ask? Yup, being boring evil masterminds as always.

We get to see Alastair's relationship with future husband Zachary Garcia (who plays a similar role to Christian, only he's Alastair's angel not forced babysitter - sorry Christian), which becomes another highlight in addition to scenes that Alastair, Rafael and David have together, individually, and/or 2 at a time.

Buuuuuuut, because of his already-established history with Rafa, we're not supposed to like Alastair at all. You know, if you were that dumb to be in the side of the Bullies and Snobs. At least Estuardo still has that in commin with the rest of B&S.

In fact, throughout a large chunk if the season, Estuardo constantly harasses Alastair because in the end of the season premiere episode, when Estuardo was teying to be his typical mean girl self, Alastair called Estuardo something that literally every viewer thought: "Estuardo, you are a heartless moron."

But even Alastair was tired of the constant attack, so much so that Estuardo and Alastair nearly got into it, FACE. TO. FACE. But luckily David and Rafa were there to break it up. Most viewers agree that Estuardo would've lost that match.

Oh, and David and Rafa still hate the B&S. And Alastair (who made aware last season of how mean the B&S crew was to Rafa) has his good eye on those damn bullies.

I know one thing: without the dynamic now known as the 3 amigos, we would have no REAL reason to watch Season 2 of Flaming Bros San Fernando (or FBSF).

  

Season 3 (2016)    

Some changes are made into this cast.       

Rafa, David, Jason, Alex, and Enrique are back.         

But NO MORE ESTUARDO! Irrelevant Kween said deuces! ✌🏿        

And Alastair has graduated from his friend role and is now a full-time Flaming Bro.      

And there are 2 new additions to the main cast.         

First new addition is another close friend of Jason's, named Aiden Tyler Lee Halley, a member of the film production department, who fits Jason's vibe so much that they are often accused by viewers of single-white-female-ing each other. They deny this, obviously, but for many seasons, it becomes clear that they are obsessed with each other. Um... Christian???        

And in case you were wondering, Adien takes Estuardo's spot in the B&S dynamic (because Alex and Enrique actually LIKE him), thus beginning a trend of new people hating on the 3 amigos.        

Another newbie who comes in as a straight-up hater towards our likable trio is Cory Zwierzynski (aka Cory Z), a bartender and model with a horrible mouth, and a mean streak (that rivals Danielle Staub, Kelly Dodd, and Candiace Dillard Bassett), something that David in particular learns the hard way, and everybody else doesn't know what to make of. Alastair better keep Zachary away from Cory Z; no fighting, gentlemen!       

Is this enough to make the rest of the cast bond together as a unit, FINALLY?         

NOPE!         

And know what? I don't think any of us expected more or less.        

Yeah, Cory Z is a bully, for sure... but he's also desperate to be accepted into the B&S group (of which he's a superfan, and it shows) because they're the ones with the most iconic drama and he IS the drama.    

He's also a liability, but SPOILER ALERT he doesn't get fired.        

And while he is reluctantly invited into the Bullies and Snobs alliance (giving us FIVE people in the clique, overpowering the 3 amigos), he's never truly accepted by the clique.       

What a flipping mess...

With the cast more divided than ever, one had to wonder "When is enough ENOUGH?"

And not that it means anything because, it's about a bully/snob, but the addition of Aiden and Cory Z makes them the first non-Latinos to join the series, with Aiden being Caucasian, and Cory Z specifically being Polish, but "Latino-passing."

Season 4 (2016)

Either the cast overall did something right, or VH1 just loves the spiciness too much to let it go.

Either way, the cast remains exactly the same for Season 4, but the cracks within BOTH alliances start to show.

Prior to the filming of the season, Jason - always causing confusion (a classic Tamra Judge trope) - said in an interview with Queerty that Alastair was trying to get with Alex's husband Peter Monn (who, up until the season 4 premiere, we have NEVER seen in the show, showing how LITTLE we currently know of Alex). 

Normally, Alex wouldn't be quick to believe everything that Jason says because... it's fucking JASON! But for some reason, he chooses to believe Jason because he doesn't like Alastair. Just stupid, Alex!

Alastair vehemently denies this, and it's true that he never once approached Peter, nor did he try to; he wasn't even thinking about anyone else's partner but his own. That's how faithful Alastair is. It also how faithful Alex and Peter are NOT, allegedly...

Peter jokingly implies his alleged affair with Alastair saying to Alex, "Well we did talk and stuff, but it wasn't like it meant anything. He's cute but he ain't you."

Of course, Alex being stupid as hell, sets up a meeting at a restaurant's patio where he tries and fails to set things straight with Alastair. The meeting also has Aiden (of course Jason chickened out, according to viewers), and (of ALL morons) Cory Z tag-teaming Alex. Alastair's on his own because Rafa had to go to school that day, and David was filming.

Alex goes blah blah blah, you did this you did that. Alastair - in a heated state - asks him, "So what did I say to Peter?" Cory Z - who needed a moment - butts in to say, "That you need his money!" Alastair says to Cory, "Bitch shut up!"

Cory says, "No, YOU shut the fuck up!" and tries to throw a glass at Alastair only to foolishly miss. Alastair returned the same energy, except HIS glass hit Cory Z DEAD IN THE FACE! And if the security didn't show up any sooner, it would've been over for Cory. But either way, Alastair won THAT fight, and viewers actually rejoiced Alastair for what he did. 

Was it right? No. Did Alastair care? No. Did the audience care? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

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During a mid-season trip to Santa Clarita (hosted by Enrique), all 8 cast members stayed in a beautiful house, but the tension was so THICK! 

Why are people forced to go to cast trips with people they don't get along with. 

Needless to say, the trip only lasts less than 2 days, and Enrique proves to be terrible host. Big surprise. 

As the B&S crew are unpacking their stuff, the 3 amigos have a private conversation about Cory Z's behavior, with Rafa in particular breaking the 4th wall, saying "It makes no sense for us to be here with 5 cast members that we don't get along with." Alastair agrees, while David stays awfully quiet (SIDE NOTE: at this point, David has hardly been affected at all by what Rafa and Alastair have been going through with the bullies and snobs, which viewers believe to be the first implication that David didn't really care for his friendship with Rafa, or care about what went on with either amigo, good or bad)

Enrique overhears Rafa's comment about Cory Z's behavior, and proudly AND LOUDLY tells Cory on Rafa. And it's off to the races. Cory rips Rafa a new one, calling him a scared little pansy, and talking trash about his mother (these were no yo-mama jokes). Cory and Rafa start yelling and screaming at each other, even though Alastair is trying to calm him down (um, where's David? Physically he's there, buuuuuuut...), and before Cory could go any further, Rafa does the unthinkable.

He punches Cory dead in the face and gives him massive black eye. The group and security try to break it up, but Rafa (with his martial arts skills) will not stop. This is the angriest we viewers have seen Rafa, and it was terrible to watch.

Rafael is visibly shaken and guilty, and Enrique scolds him for "doing such an awful thing." But Rafa (with Alastair by his side) refuses to fall for Enrique's gaslighting, and does not apologize to him or Cory, who later throws his water at Rafa's face because that's all he can do.

Cory, Alastair, and a checked out David end up leaving the next morning, while the rest of the group enjoys the rest of this uninteresting trip. With our amigos, the show is BORING! 

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Now if you never liked David before Season 4, this will make you dislike him even more.

Episodes after that disastrous trip, everyone is gearing up to go to the cast trip to Las Vegas. Well, everyone except for Rafa and Alastair who refuse to go.

David is disappointed by this but claims to understand. 

During that trip, it's constantly Cory vs David, Cory vs David, Cory vs David, over and over again. Viewers are understandably sick of this. And the beef ends in a gay nightclub where Cory pops David in the face. Big mistake, Cory. 

That foolish choice gets Cory's ass beaten by David, who ends up leaving Las Vegas early (which the boring-ass B&S crew calls a cowardly decision) and return to San Fernando. What didn't David didn't get to see was the B&S slowly starting to distance themselves from Cory. SPOILER ALERT, Cory STILL doesn't get fired. 

After returning to San Fernando, David tells Rafa and Alastair about what had went down. And Rafa and Alastair can tell that David is pissed. They also notice that the whole time David is talking, he's looking directly at Rafael, as if Rafa did something wrong.

Basically David felt abandoned, but - as viewers pointed out - he never seemed to care to come to Rafa's defense at Palm Springs. And who's to say that he was really working during Alastair's confrontation with Alex?

Regardless of the hypocrisy, David makes it very harshly clear that Rafael was being a horrible friend, and shouldn't have left him hanging, and... the viewers found this exchange to be very weird and alarming.

But Rafael must've believed him because as David walked away, Rafa started crying.

2 days later Rafa and Alastair visit David in his house. And we can that Rafa looks so depressed and defeated. David tells Rafa basically, "If you're really my friend, I need you to be supportive. I need to know how wonderful and special I am, and that I'm always gonna be the person you look up to. You need to realize that I'm honoring you with my presence." 

Lord, if Alastair's looks could kill...

And because Rafael is overwhelmed with guilt, he starts frantically crying and apologizing, until David finally gives in and gives him a hug, insisting thay he forgives him.

I lost all respect for David that day, and I think Alastair did too.

As for the rest of the main cast that I didn't really touch on, NO COMMENT.

Season 5 (2017)

David: Hey man, long time no see!

Alastair: Yeah, that was intentional. 

That little exchange between David and Alastair tells you everything that you need to know about Season 5.

The only person that Alastair knows he can always count on is Rafael, and he makes it very clear to David that the exchange between David and Rafael confirmed one thing: "You never wanted Rafa as a friend; you wanted him to be a yes-man." David says nothing to that accusation but doesn't deny it either. 

Not that he has to since right after the reunion, David threw Rafa under the bus, calling Rafa a "shitty person who should never be trusted. So as you probably figured, Rafael withdrew himself from spcial media indefinitely. He didn't wanna come back to the show, but admitted in a radio interview that came back for Season 5 for the money, which is fair.

One of the last interactions between Rafa and David would occur in the season 5 premiere. David said that he only wanted the meeting to be in house, and between he and Rafa. But that was a lie, because when Rafa shows up, there's David, along with Enrique.

Anyway, the conversation doesn't go well. I guess Rafael shouldn't have asked, "Why did you call me a shitty friend?" And David, in a deja vu moment, goes off on Rafa over the Vegas trip, AGAIN! As much as Rafa is tired of arguing about that, he's vulnerable and hurt that David never truly forgave him (though we as viewers stress that Rafa had nothing to apologize for).

Still, Rafa refuses to argue about the same thing for a whole season saying, "If you don't wanna be my friend, fine. But we don't have to enemies either." David's response? "Well if you're not my friend, then you are my enemy. Now take your fake-ass tears to your mommy." 

Rafa has enough and leaves quickly, not hearing Enrique's compliment to David, "You are one mean bitch, D. I like that."

For the rest of the season, Rafa does NOT interact with David at all, and doesn't participate in any group activities as long as he knows that David will be present. As annoying as that may be, viewers understand.

Alastair, already disgusted with David's motives and behavior, distances himself from David as well, and (after Rafa's meeting with David) basically lets Rafael know why David and Rafa were even friend to begin with.

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Meanwhile, Cory is kinda iced out, and in walks his close friend (not for long) José Bordonana Collazo, a Manatí-born singer, dancer, actor, and former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. José's entrance gives Flaming Bros San Fernando a total of 9 main cast members. This eventually becomes a problem for viewers, especially for a show with ZERO balance.

José is... fine. Likable? Well, he's another David hater, and hesitant around Rafa and Alastair. In practice, as soon as viewers are already aware of José's dislike for David, and weariness over Rafa and Alastair, viewers are over him, immediately. They already see him as another auditionee for the B&S crew. Little does anyone know how long he ends up lasting on the show.

As for Cory, his usual antics (one of them being his vicious falling out with José) get him fired midway through the season, and he doesn't even show up to the reunion.

Bye, Cory. 🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿

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Alex is back, and y'all Alex is still Alex. Just boring. Just blah. Just a blank sheet of paper. Just nothing. And just gullible. 

Still sticking with Jason's story about Alastair making a move on Peter, while the viewers DO NOT believe the accusation at all

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Aiden and Jason are as ruthless as ever, especially to David. They just love provoking him. 

David is hanging by a thread and has the B&S curse of having no storyline

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And Enrique is... Enrique. Why is he still on the show?

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Not a bad season, as long as you're not focusing on David, Cory, José, or the bullies & snobs. 

I will say this: it's actually at its strongest when the show focuses on Alastair and Rafa's friendship away from the group (especially from David), as well as their individual storylines with Alastair's engagement to Zachary, and Rafa's career, education and training.

So, ahead of Season 6 (2017), it was reported that Alex would not be returning to FBSF. And I would be lying to you if I said that anyone watching the show was devastated. 

Season 6 (2017)

Even with the firings of Cory and Alex prior to Season 6, VH1 still chose to maintain a 9-person cast. God help us all...

So returning to the series this season are main cast members are the true hero Alastair, survivor Rafael, desperate David, Dullsé (err- I mean, JOSÉ!), pointless Enrique, newlywed Jason, and his rumored lover Aiden. Speaking of...

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Christian and Jason finally got married! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 But nobody watching the show believes in the relationship, especially as two months aftet their marriage, reports suggested that either Jason is having an affair with Aiden, or Christian and Jason have an open relationship with Aiden. In the words of Brooke Ayers, consider your source.

Either way, viewers are not shocked to hear about this rumor because Jason and Aiden always seemed to have a frienship that always felt more FWB-ish than platonic. 

And now, the gossip duo are now being bombarded by these rumors. KARMA.

Christian, who often too scared to speak out against Jason or Aiden's toxic behavior, is now at the center of Flaming Bros drama. I gotta be honest: I feel bad for Christian having to deal with the backlash. There are plenty of people who clown him for marrying someone as vicious and manipulative as Jason, with one not-so-anonymous tweet saying, "Christian, you're adorable as hell. But you are so fucking stupid!"

At least Jason and Aiden are given an ACTUAL storyline, something that Jason never had, following the Estuardo of it all, and that era was BARELY a storyline.

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David Ty Reza is on an apology tour that backfires horribly because of his own uncontrollable behavior. Rafa's done with him. Alastair had BEEN done with him. And nobody likes him. Sound familiar? Echos of Estuardo strike again, and he's doesn't even appear on the show.

Seems like David (throughout his 6 seasons on FBSF) was never destined to fit into either alliance, because he was hated by B&S (and vice versa), was a fake friend to Rafa, and was only tolerated by Alastair (who initially gave David the benefit of the doubt until realizing David's motives behind his friendship with Rafa).

And while on his worthless apology tour in Season 6, David burned bridges with newbies at the time CJ and Matthew (as quickly as they joined the show), and while it would've been annoying that it's another season of newbies hating on a non-B&S cast member, the BIG difference here is that when David was interrogating them on the season 6 premiere, he coldly criticized Matthew's fitness/weight journey, and was racially insensitive towards CJ who is from New Zealand and is mixed (Indian, Italian, Irish, and English), as well being biphobic towards CJ. So Matthew and CJ wanted nothing to do with him, and David wouldn't leave them alone. Midway through season 6, Matthew and CJ were no longer hurt or humiliated by David, just ANNOYED with him to the point where CJ went off on David. And as long as Rafa and Alastair cut David out of their lives, David OFFICIALLY had no one.

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Even without Cory Z, José just doesn't have a strong-enough personality, and comes off very standoffish, even towards the newbies. But I'll give the show credit. At least they're not giving up on their newest cast members after just one season (although Cory and Aiden should've been one-and-dones themselves). Sure this is his 2nd mediocre season, but if he comes back next season, it could go either way, right?

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As an army vet, Alastair shares with us his experiences with always having to leave his family and his fiancé Zachary (prior to thr existence of Flaming Bros San Fernando), from his experiences with homophobia, racial/color bias (being a "Mexican with White skin"), PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

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Rafa has always been the sensitive one and had slid deeper and deeper into that role throughout his first 5 seasons, much to his own exhaustion. But since deciding to cut the cancer (David) and keep healthy relationships (Alastair), Rafa is slowly but surely moving on to better things in his personal life where we see him balancing therapy, his acting career, and his complicated dynamic with the cast (not including David, who he never interacts with this season).

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And we have two newbies who bring a lot in one season, and yet José - who's on his second season - has given us nothing worth talking about. The two newbies are actor and fitness coach Matthew Frias, and YouTuber and refrigeration engineer Courtney-Jai Shane Niner (better known as CJ). And believe it or not, they are the first newbies since Alastair to have no interest in joining the Bullies and Snobs alliance. Instead, they both breathe new life into a show whose unlikable premise had long gotten stale.

Matthew is another cast member born and raised in Texas (Dallas, to be exact). And he had a bit of a cool-guy vibe, with his biggest defining features (other than his Texan accent) being his religious trauma, therapy, and his career in helping ambitious queer men achieve their dream body, maximize performance at work, and feel grounded in the process. Matthew is quick to win over Alastair, Rafael, and CJ, but ended up having the most conflict with Enrique, David, SWF Twins Jason & Aiden (to whom Matthew said, "This is why your own husband doesn't trust you [pointing to Jason] or like you [pointing to Aiden]!"), and most notably José. In fact, Matthew becomes a target to José's bullying out of jealousy, until Matthew baptizes José's face with champagne. 🤣 #PoorDullsé 

Fellow newbie and future mainstay CJ brings a lighthearted humorous vibe that only a New Zealander can. That's right! He's from New Zealand. He is also mixed-race, being Indian, Italian, Irish, and English, making him the first Asian cast member to join the show. He's a caregiver for his younger brother who suffers for Dextrocardia. He's also a comic book nerd and gamer, which would NOT be a good fit for a VH1 reality series in the 2010s, but was nonetheless a welcomed addition to a show that desperately needed more fun cast members. But what makes CJ stand out from the rest of the group is that he is openly bisexual and has a lovely and supported girlfriend (and future fiancé) named April Burrows. But of course, while Matthew, Rafa, and Alastair welcome him with open arms, the rest of the cast is the exact opposite, with Aiden and Jason in particular seeing him as a threat. But one thing's for sure: there hadn't been a flaming bro like CJ, and there hasn't been one since, giving him a distinctive presence that makes him a staple on the show

--------------

Oh and yeah, Enrique's there too. 🙄

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Overall, Season 6 was an overdue improvement, and despite an overbloated cast, still with more villains than rootable people, it feels slightly more balanced than it ever was.

Season 7 (2018) 

The cast remains exactly the same, except for one thing: NO MORE DAVID!  He claims that he quit, but the real truth was that he was fired. Either way, one down several to go. But patience is a virtue.

And the show kindly went on without him 

But if thought that Flaming Bros SF was heading in the right direction (which they were), it doesn't last.

Until then... what do you think of how I've explained the first 7 seasons so far?

Season 8 (2018)    

Despite 2 praised seasons, there were plenty of B&S fans who found those 2 seasons to be "flat-out boring," as if there weren't any conflict during those seasons    

Everyone from last season returns for Season 8, and they are joined by two new questionable main cast members: God-fearing army vet Raul Rivera, Jr., and actor Rudy Martinez. This gives us TEN MAIN CAST MEMBERS! TEN! 😫    

Both of these newbies do not fit in, but while Raul ends up only last 2 more seasons, Rudy sticks around for 9 seasons it total, which baffles viewers to this day. Plus I wouldn't say that they were boring; just unhinged, for better or worse.    

Let's start with the gay Jesus Jugs himself, Raul Rivera, Jr. Despite his conservative ways making him a fish out of water within the group, Raul is clearly a himbo, not that he would ever admit it, though of course it gives Jason and Aiden a break from their scandal. DAMN...  

Raul comes off a pretty rude, having a tendency to fake-snore during what he thinks are long-winded stories, and demeaning others for basically living their lives their way with or without the guidance of the bible (or his bible, as he probably would've preferred). And when the group goes to Studio City, Alastair - a fellow Christian army vet - reaches his breaking point with Raul. But hey, at least Raul isn't a member of B&S, which is more than I can say for our 2nd newbie.    

Rudy is a theatrical close friend of Enrique, and therefore an automatic addition to the Bullies and Snobs circle, getting along with Jason and Aiden quite well, if you know what I mean. A lot can be said about Rudy in hindsight, but one thing that most viewers can agree on is that he's certainly not afraid to go for the jugular, no matter the consequences.    

Right from the get-go, he clashes with Rafael due to Rudy's own vulgar and insensitive sense of humor which led to Rudy giving Rafa an unfortunate nickname: Blahfael/Blahfa. So if you already thought Rafa was boring, you can thank Rudy for coining the nicknames. He fails to make amends with Rafael, not that Rudy really cares.   

And while in a gay nightclub in North Hollywood, a drunk Rudy goes off on Matthew, calling him a "see you next Tuesday" and a dumb fuck, which enrages and already-annoyed Matthew (who, after the reunion, refuses to return if Rudy comes back).    

And finally, back in a San Fernando restaurant, Rudy pulls his usual antics with the more likable or (at least tolerable) cast members (Rafa, Alastair, Matthew, CJ, Raul, José being super annoying physically and verbally, which brings joy from Jason, Aiden, and Enrique. When Rafa basically snaps at him to stop it, Rafa walks away, leading to Rudy yelling out, "No wonder why David hates you!"    

Lord, why did Rudy say that?    

As soon as Rafa hears that, he walks back and dares Rudy to say that again, which Rudy happily does with a smile on his face. This causes Rafa to grab a wine bottle and run to Rudy, but Alastair and Enrique holds Rafa back, which does nothing to stop Rafa from THROWING THE WINE BOTTLE AT RUDY. Miraculously, Rafa missed, so Rudy got lucky. But Rudy was unphased, jokingly saying, "Oh so you do got balls! Shit, I guess David was wrong about you."     

Rafa doesn't get suspended or fired, but of course Enrique tells him that what he did was unacceptable, as if Rafa cares about Enrique's opinion at this point.    

---------------    

And then there was Aiden's beef with CJ. Aiden (with a little help from Jason) just continues to bully the hell out of CJ, to the point where in the cast trip to Catalina Island. Aiden (with Jason, Enrique, and Rudy by his side) verbally assaults CJ so bad that CJ ends up leaving the trip immediately. When Matthew, Rafa, and Alastair hear about this, they leave with him, but not before Alastair tears Aiden, Enrique, Rudy, and Jason WHOLE a new one.    

CJ gets his sweet revenge during the reunion. When Aiden is making excuses for his behavior towards a visibly pissed CJ, CJ has enough, cut off and yells at Aiden, and lunges at Aiden, physically fighting him. A tormented starts shouting swear words at CJ while being taken backstage, and the audience is asked to leave. The last 30 minutes of the reunion is... grim. One segment is Alastar, Rafa, CJ, and Matthew. And the other segment is Enrique, Jason, Rudy, José, and Raul. Aiden left the reunion early following the fight with CJ.     

-----------------   

And while all this bullshit was going on, perhaps the greatest storyline of all time was Alastair and Zachary preparing for their wedding, which took place during the Season 8 finale (which Enrique, Jason, Aiden, José, Rudy, and Raul did not appear in, thank God).    

Rafa, Matthew, and CJ attended which was very lovely of them.    

And Alastair and Zachary have officially changed their last name: from Patton and Garcia, respectively, to Patton-Garcia. 💍👨🏽‍🤝‍👨🏾    

-----------------    

Whew!   

Talk about an EPIC ACTION-PACKED FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER of a season!  

Season 9 (2019)

After an explosive season 8, you'd think there would be a massive shakeup, especially since 10 cast members is too much.

NOPE!

However, 2 things happened ahead of Season 9: 

• (1) Aiden was fired, THANK YOU JESUS! This Jason without a sidekick for the first time ever. Without an Aiden or an Estuardo, Jason has to do his own dirty by himself. Spoiler alert, he cannot handle it at all. 

• (2) Rudy does NOT get fired at all,  because that's how biased VH1 is towards bullies. As a result, Matthew keeps his promise that he would not return. This upsets viewers, as the B&S have grown too powerful, and likable crew has always been pretty small. But Matthew's never truly gone as he makes sporadic appearances during the season. 

The rest of the cast returns: Alastair, CJ, Rafael, José, Raul, Rudy, Jason, and Enrique.

But the cast continues to be divided, like we're watching Basketball Wives.

CJ and Rafael refuse to film with Jason, Rudy, and Enrique, and vice versa.

Alastair, José, and Raul are in-between

So this creates a very annoying dynamic for the whole season.

But Alastair's married life with Zachary is a major highlight, as is CJ's recovery from the Aiden mess as well as his involvement with cosplay and his healthy relationship with April, and Rafael's branching off into acting in commercials and a TV series in pre-production. And Matthew's cameos are always a breath of fresh air. 

As for the B&S gang? Yawn... Now THAT is something to snore about, right Raul? 

But hey, Christian's surprise meeting with Rafa was unexpected but rather healing for both of them. Yeah, even with Aiden out of Christian's hair, Jason's marriage to Christian is starting to feel like trouble in paradise. 

Season 10 (2019)        

Everyone returns for Season 10, strangley enough. Still separated until our protagnonists feel like filming with the antagonists, VH1 forces the protagonists to give in, or VH1 pulls the plug on the show. Obviously, they don't do the latter.       

This season, Alastair does make an effort to film at least ONE sit-down with Enrique, SET UP BY ALASTAIR because Alastair is a horrible host. Alastair demanded no backup from either party, "As much as I would've wanted to ambush Enrique the way he did Rafa [flashback to the Season 5 premiere meeting that was SUPPOSED to be between Rafa and David ONLY]." This is when Alastair lets Enrique know how much of a horrible influence he has been in the show, and calmly reminds him, "You are not even mentally strong enough to control anything or anyone. You're bullshit may have worked on some of your minions, but it will never work on me. You will never be an EP; you're barely a cast member that anyone cares about. Know that." Enrique doesn't say much but is visibly angry with Alastair.       

-----------------       

Jason confronts Rafael about Rafa's chat with Christian. Rafa was not prepared for Jason's reaction, but Rafa tell Jason, "Before you go accusing me of fucking your husband, because I know that's what your stupid ass wants to do, all did was tell him that he needed to do whatever made him happy. Even if it's without YOU."        

--------------------       

Matthew makes a guest appearance again to have a one-on-one conversation with Rudy at a local park. And Rudy already starts getting defensive, excusing his behavior towards Matthew, who cuts him off by softly calling him ugly for his attitude, personality a d behavior. Rudy is stunned by Matthew's "insult" and decides to leave the conversation. But that's fine, because Matthew felt vindicated that day.        

---------‐-----------       

With Aiden banned from the show, CJ confronts Jason for being the reason why Aiden always bullied CJ for 3 seasons straight. And again Jason can't handle confrontation from anyone!        

------------------       

This season brings us a new main cast member: entertainment journalist Patrick Gomez, husband of VP of Production, Matt DeGroot. The best to describe Patrick is that he's kooky, neurotic, and a little delulu, but in the most fun way possible. He gets alonf surprisingly well with CJ, Alastair and Rafa.        

Patrick used to be close friends with Enrique, but they had a falling out and hadn't seen each other since 2018. When Patrick joins the show during the season premiere, Enrique (always the dismissive one) acts like he doesn't know Patrick. And according to Patrick himself, Enrique will chew you up and spit you out. It was clear that it was Enrique who had beef with Patrick and not the other way around. But because Enrique refused to open up about people in his life, he let Rudy take care of Patrick midway through the season.        

So Patrick became Rudy's latest bully target, from calling Patrick thirsty and lonely, to accusing Patrick of being desperate for Enrique's dick.        

But the final straw for Patrick is during a sit-down in a restaurant (Enrique, José, Raul, and Jason were there as well) when Rudy (whose name REALLY should be Rude or Rudé) says, "Your own husband don't like you, bitch!!!" Patrick refuses to let that slide, starts yelling and screaming at Rudy, and Patrick dashes to Rudy with intention of beating Rudy's ass but the security runs to Patrick and holds him back, which doesn't stop Patrick from saying, "I swear to God, I will fucking kill you, you stupid cunt!"       

It's so alarming that someone as tiny as Rudé can easily provoke these massivley tall cast members.        

-------------------       

CJ, Alastair and Rafa (as well as Patrick) shouldn't have to carry the show in their backs, but they do. And their individual scenes, as well as scenes with each other continue to be the saving grace, especially with Rafa starring on his first lead role in a TV show: 9-1-1 Lone Star.

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But even though Season 10 took 2 steps forward, Season 11 takes 2 steps back.

Not only is Raul let go (not that any of us really cared), but Patrick was FIRED after the reunion (their first season since Season 8) because VH1 was not gonna tolerate a death threat, no matter how provoked. 

*groaning in disgust*

Typical VH1.

But don't worry, as time goes on the B&S crew starts to decrease by the time we've reached Season 19, more on that much much MUCH later.

Season 11 (2020)  

Without Patrick, the amigos/likables are down to 3 again, against Enrique, Rudy, Jason, and José.    

Fans of the likables were understandably upset by this, and mostly stopped tuning in the show. They were no longer interested in a Season 11.    

So it was just not a good time to be bringing in a new cast member for Season 11. But guess what? That's exactly what they did.    

All the way from NYC, say hello to club kid, content creator (if you know what I mean), and entrepreneur Remy Duran, a DutchJewish-Mexican bisexual person who lives a gay lifestyle - his words not mine.    

Remy came into the group via Jason, which immediately made many viewers over him already. What viewers didn't expect was for Remy to be the one thing that B&S never was: likable.     

In fact, when interviewed by Alastair's husband Zachary in Zachary's podcast in 2025, Remy admitted to the world that he and Jason never knew each other before the day they started filming, and that Remy was just credited as "Jason's friend," because Jason was "desperate for relevance and could only get it if he brought a new sidekick to the show. But [they] were never close." Child, when I tell you, Zachary had to stifle a squeal that was begging to come out after Remy spilled that tea! Now it makes sense why Remy turned on Jason early on in the season.   

But back to Remy's first season: he immediately triggered the B&S gang with his beauty and dark edgy East Coast style. And if anyone had a legitimate reason to hate on Remy, it was his introducer Jason because Remy failed to make Jason relevant again. Oh well.    

Remy shows right away that he has a funny and self-deprecating sense of humor that we haven't seen since fellow bi king CJ, who Remy immediately clicked with. We also saw the blossoming relationship between Remy and married couple Alastair and Zachary for their obsession with horror movies. And Rafa took to Remy, as they both love to dance. Remy even bonded with Jason's husband Christian.     

B&S found him to be very crass, but at this point, no one gives a fuck about Enrique, Rudy, Jason, and José. But of course they have their share of drama with him, and he pays them DUST.   

I think this season marked a shift in the show's direction due to Remy's presence. He quickly stood out in what could've been a really boring season, had the series only focused on B&S. But his performance in Season 11 was just astounding and paved the way for many later additions to come

Season 12 (2020)

The returning Amigos: Remy, Rafael, Alastair, CJ  

The returning B&S: Jason, Enrique, José, Rudy  

And they are joined by new main cast member, dancer and actor Jerry Hernandez, who many may recognize as the video boy on JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)" as well as the 2004 gay crime drama film "Ethan Mao".   

35-year-old Jerry came in as a close friend of Jason (here we go again), but unlike Remy, Jerry actually knew Jason personally for 10 years, and had every intention of joining the Bullies and Snobs crew, already setting himself up for backlash.     

Jerry was definitely one of the strangest (and frankly, most outdated) additions to the show, having a bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrome, acting stupid (a la Porsha Williams), annoying the living daylights out of his parents quite often, and even coming off as very annoying and off-putting on social media. And he just might be one of the most hated flaming bros of all time. And yet his antics (and his clashes with Remy) helped VH1 pay their bills.   

One of Jerry's bigfest triggers is when his intelligence is questioned or challenged, something that the amigos learn almost immediately. 

------------------

I think at this point, because he has 9-1-1 Lone Star where he's happiest and healthiest, Rafa's glad to no longer be the protagonist of FBSF anymore. He never even wanted to be the lead. Alastair has always been the better lead and protagonist since Season 3 anyway, in Rafa's opinion 

----------------------

And now that Season 12 has come to an end, a big change has been made, and the viewers say HALLELUJAH, while B&S is now more scared than ever. 

After years of giving viewers a whole lotta nothing while giving the Amigos a legitimate reason to hate him, Enrique Sapene is GONE! Not on pause, but FIRED! This is terrible the Bullies & Snobs, but the Amigos are relieved as FUCK! 

When talking about his firing on IG Live and Tiktok, Enrique coldly said, "I hope you're happy Alastair."

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Okay and now for the Season 13 reveal! 

Does it get better or worse??????

Ready to find out?

Well, ready or not, here we go!

    

Season 13 (2021)       

Historically, 13th seasons are never that good for long-running TV shows.       

But for Flaming Bros San Fernando, it's more or a less a mixed bag. While the Amigos are thriving and gave us a lot to look forward to, the last remaining Bullies and Snobs continue to be very mediocre on their own. To make matters worse for B&S, their pimp Enrique is no longer on the show, putting the future of the unlikables in massive jeopardy.         

---------------------        

Rafael has always been beloved and protected. And this season, he's just great television from start to finish. He magages to not have any scheduling conflicts between FBSF and 9-1-1 Lone Star due to the latter show always being a mid-season series, so he always has time to return to the former show. Viewers love his quirky sense of humor, and his Brazilian culture being more present this time around.      

In fact, one of the biggest highlights this season was the Amigos' cast trip to his home country Brazil (or as Remy puts it, one of the sexiest countries in the world), in which Rafael got to reconnect with his relatives after leaving the country in 2007 to move to New Jersey when he was 13 years old. This was very touching and brought a lighter side to Rafa that we don't always see.         

Normally, this is the storyline of VH1's nightmares (as their priority is rachet ghetto hoodrat drama), but thankfully, Rafa didn't care. And as someone who loves learning about other cultures, I found this side of Rafa to be very freshing and interesting, and it gives him a break from the unnecessary drama of B&S.        

---------------------        

Alastair's lead role for the show continues to be deserved. Alastair has always been one of the nicest blunt people you could ever root for, and isn't afraid to get to the bottom of a conflict.         

And this season, we really see him become the reason why the remaining B&S members' "friendship" is put to the test, as he moderates their conversations that show us that B&S is never prepared. EVER. No other Amigo has ever been this brave or strategic when it comes to the Bullies and Snobs, and I have to wonder if he would've done this with Cory and Estuardo. Who knows? Either way, this is why Enrique could never be the lead of the show.        

Outside of the group, Alastair showcases his love for his husband Zachary, literature, LARPing, and having a damn good time at music festivals, the latter interest making him a semi-replacement (but a worthy one nonetheless) for the long-forgotten Alex Paredes.        

So just like Rafa, Alastair has a LOT of reasons to stay on the show if he wants to. He also continues to have friendships with past likable cast members, so he'd be a good connector bring back someone like Matthew and/or Patrick.        

--------------------------        

If you couldn't tell, I absolutely love all of CJ!         

This Bi Prince Charming such a gorgeous nerd like me, and I can tell that it's just the way that he is personality-wise, which makes him wildly entertaining, a great friend to Alastair,  Rafa, and Remy.        

CJ has been able to handle drama with B&S more than ever before. Because once B&S decides to hit you below the felt, there are no boundaries. PERIOD. So CJ refused to have any filter when dealing with Jason, Rudy, José, or Jerry. Is it right? No, but because it's B&S getting attack with CJ's words, I don't care.         

Also love how much of a gentleman he is to April. He's just one of my favorite "middle era" flaming bros.      

--------------        

And then there was our Bi KING Remy Duran.        

For his 3rd season in a row, Remy is just too easy to idolize. At this point, he's just too powerful for the bullies and snobs, and B&S knows this all too well.         

But he never asked for power or to be a fan favorite. He's just a friendly, silly, and naughty person with a sense of humor of his own, which is why it doesn't bother him if you look at him as a campy cartoon character.        

Towards B&S he can be pretty messy, or at least that's how B&S views him, when he refused to talk to them about his life until they talk about their own IN GREAT DETAIL. Boundaries.        

----------------------        

A lot of viewers are down on José, claiming that he's stupid useless idiot. But I respectfully... AGREE. Plus I didn't really care for him, as per usual.         

MOVING ON!        

----------        

Rudy... always attacking others and defending himself viciously, what else is new?        

----------        

Jerry's dumbass deserves none of my attention.        

----------        

This season, Jason (against his own will) documents his marriage to Christian falling apart. After years of alleged infidelity, and Jason controlling Christian, the teo finally get a divorce midway through the season while the Amigos are on their trip to Brazil.         

This was a long time coming, and continues the recently-established trend of Jason losing everything.       

--------------        

And finally, our newbie this season, Billboard journalist, socialite, and astrologer Evan Burke, another New Yorker. He seems like the life of the party and above the drama, though it doesn't take too long for the latter façade to crumble.         

Evan... is an incredibly erratic person, something that CJ commented on. When Evan finds out about what CJ has been saying, Evan's immediately triggered and his reaction to CJ shows that Evan is NOT afraid to fight dirty.        

Kooky Evan later gets into hot water with Jason when Evan joins a conversation regarding allegations of Jason having an affair with former cast member Aiden. This comes to a head when the entire cast goes to a Halloween event, and the two verbally go at it.       

I don't know what it is about Evan, but I just find him fascinatingly ridiculous, and an entertainingly horrible fit for the show. 😂🤣💗🥴        

-------------------        

Overall, unlike most 13th seasons, this might have been one of the luckiest. With Enrique gone and Alastair fully promoted to lead cast member, Flaming Bros San Fernando was able to have a not-so-toxic season.

BYE ENRIQUE!

----------------------

To the surprise of literally NO ONE, after 9 seasons (Season 5 - 13) of bringing absolutely nothing, José (aka Dullsé) has been let go from the show. 

I'll be honest, I totally forgot he was still on the show after Season 6. That's how useless and forgettable he was. Dullsé stays quiet about his exit from the show. Whatever lol

Another B&S member bites the dust.

Season 14 (2021)

So Season 14 starts off pretty messy before filming even begins. Because there's bad news regarding casting. 

Just when we thought that were finally rid of him, the ghost of Rafa's past is back!

That's right, girls, gays, and theys.

DAVID TY REZA HAS RETURNED!

His mission: to make Flaming Bros real again! 

I'll talk about the rest of the cast later, but I must talk about the ads for Season 14:

The ads had people thinking that David was coming back as a full-time cast member, and that he was gonna bring back the spice into FBSF, and that he runs the show, and all that bullshit.

Instead, what viewers got was a washed up flaming-bro-turned-friend-of who was desperate for Rafa's attention, and when he didn't get it, he got aggresive.

Yup, don't let the ads fool you, David is a friend-of this season (and the show's first friend-of since Alastair in Season 2), not a full-time flaming bro.

VH1 is notorious for creating ad campaigns that are so misleading, that I STOPPED falling for them about 5 years ago. They've done it all the time with their biggest franchises Love & Hip Hop, Black Ink Crew, and Basketball Wives. That's how you know VH1 is full of shit! 

As a result of the misleading ads, a new ACTUAL main cast member (who I'll talk more about later) gets sidelined during the commercials for the new season.

Also, nostlagia is never a good idea for long-running shows because it gives less room for newbies to breathe.

------------------------

Okay... now we can talk about the season

Sigh...

So unfortunately, this whole season is all about David...

But I wanna get into the rest of the cast first. 

The returning main cast members this season are Evan Burke, Rudy Martinez, Jason Caceras, Jerry Hernandez, Remy Duran, CJ Niner, Alastar Patton-Garcia, and Rafael L. Silva. 

--------------

With Season 13, if you could believe it, Evan Burke (the only cast member not concerned with joining either side of the cast) was a major fan favorite, and seemed to be the future of Flaming Bros San Fernando. That was until Season 14 rolled around.

Fans who spent enough time analyzing this season will most likely agree that Evan overestimated his hold on the audience. The fan favorite status appeared to have gone to his head a lot, which is why at times he acted like FBSF was HIS show, not caring that the show is actually an ensemble. 

One Evan Meltdown was at a house party that Alastair was hosting during the final 30 minites of the 2-hour Season 14 premiere. A drunk Evan went totally unhinged against Alastair's husband Zachary. Evan was beyond rude; calling Zachary a "retarded cunt" for not knowing what asbestos was, and agressively yelling at Zachary when saying that Zachary needed to "take [his] fucking fat ass back to Texas!" 

The thing is Zach didn't even know Evan. Evan already puzzled Alastair last season and amused Rafa, so when they witnessed Evan ripping Zachary a new one, they came to Zach's defense. And while Rafa takes an already-heated Zachary (who doesn't always believe in taking the high road) outside the house to take deep breaths, Alastair scolds Evan. 

But Evan's not even listening to Alastair, and turns his attention to CJ, yelling at CJ for literally no reason at all. This confuses and irritates CJ. Remy takes CJ away from Evan, but as they're walking away, Evan is following them yelling at CJ, until CJ snaps at Evan calling him a wasted scumbag and demanding he "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" This angers Evan who throws his drink at CJ's face. Evan leaves the party, insulting everyone in his path. 

From there, most of the cast is torn on how to treat Evan, going forward. For the rest of the season, Evan is an emotional roller coaster, having meltdowns and tantrums, and almost no remorse or redeeming qualities. 

Evan also goes on a rampage against Jason during a cast trip to the snowy mountains of Big Bear (everyone attended), accusing Jason to his face of having a threesome with him and... Jason's brother. 😳 💀 As much as I don't like Jason, this accusation (which turned out to be true) is just one of many examples of Evan taking his love for the mess, one step WAY too far. This leads to Jason snapping at Evan, and shouting out for the whole mountain FUCK YOU EVAAAAAAAAN!!!!! *echo, echo, echo...*

Thank God that Christian (who doesn't appear in this season at all) doesn't have to deal with Jason (or even Jason's questionable family) ANYMORE.

By the season finale, it's clear that the cast despises Evan, and so do the viewers.

Talk about a sophomore slump.

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Rudy and Jerry are just there, being as wild, messy, and out of control as ever.

----------------

So Rafael is riding high off the success of 9-1-1 Lone Star and keeps himself busy with acting, BJJ, and modeling. But as a cast member on the show, this is his most polarizing season to date, as you start to see the way he treats a certain cast member other than David. More on that later. 

I'm just glad that his issues this season have nothing to do with his found fame, as he actually uses his platform for good and not evil, and doesn't brag about his career.

He'll always be down to Earth, which is why I personally love him as a person, but I have to be fair: I don't think a lot of us (myself included) really liked him this season, as much as we did the previous 13 seasons, and a lot of it has to with David triggering him and taking him to a place that he swore he would never go back to. David is that powerful, and is the only one who can truly bring out Rafa's insecurities.

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Alastair goes through the ups and downs of his marriage to Zachary. Alastair is sometimes very busy with work, and Zachary can be a bit of a couch potato. This had actually started during the later months of the covid pandemic, as they were mostly forced to stay at home, adding unneeded stress and conflict. So when the season begins we see them in marriage counseling for the first time ever, and it's really inspiring to see them work on their marriage as they clearly love each other too much to end things over petty drama. A lesson not typically displayed on queer reality television.

It's worth noting that while Alastair loves Rafa like a little brother and always will, he's starting to be at his wit's end with Rafael because of Rafa's ongoing beef with David, and attitude towards a certain other cast member. More on that later.

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Remy and his girlfriend Zoey Luna celebrate the birth of their baby boy, and we see him adjust to life as a father out of wedlock, something that I'm sure former cast member Raul Rivera, Jr. would've complained about on IG live lol. It's really cute to see Remy's life outside of the group, and it gave us a softer element of Remy that VH1 often ignores.

Where he thrives, of course, is in having the flailing B&S shaken in their boots, hilariously dragging the hell out of Evan's exhausting ass, and letting David know, "I'm not the one." Jesus... 

-------------------

CJ - a great buddy for Alastair, Remy, and Rafa - continues to show us why he's a needed addition to the cast. We see him spend a lot more time with his girlfriend April, who's always a joy to watch. It gives CJ a mental break from having to deal with his intense beef with Evan, David, or even the B&S (the latter of whom at this point is a group of non-factors to CJ). CJ and April are a great couple who play off on each other very well - much like Alastair and Zachary. They're both funny and ridiculous together, and it's almost like I'm watching a sitcom when I see them together, which is just too adorable for even VH1 to tolerate. I hope nothing but the best for these two lovebirds; they deserve it!

-----------------

Okay, now let's move on from the RELEVANT returning cast members, and talk about the big elephant in the room: David, who has returned this season as a friend-of.

Sigh...

He makes his first appearance back on the show midway through the Season 14 premiere to meet up with new BFF Jason. Yeah, you heard that right. He is reintroduced and credited as "Jason's friend." In the words of Patrick Star, "How pathetic." 

Since leaving the show, David has kept up with who was in and who was out, and was surprised that Rafa's "boring ass" was still there, and decided that CJ and Alastair were not important enough to hate (yet somehow they ARE important enough to just dislike? Bye, David). David is clearly scared of Alastair, but he will never admit that. He will take that fact to his grave.

And it's actually at Alastair's house party later that episode that David shows up as Jason's uninvited "plus one." And yes... Alastar and CJ were shocked to see David because Jason said nothing about bringing a "plus one." PLUS, not only do they still not like David, they're confused about the fact that Jason and David are BFFs now, with CJ saying in his confessional, "Ummm... since when...???" 

But no one is more shocked or triggered than Rafael. David - in a facetious tone - says, "Rafa. Long time no see," to which Rafa says, "Yeah, if only you were dead," a walks away, saying nothing else to David that evening. Rafa's response takes even the viewers by surprise because it's not like him to be that cold to anyone.

So, in addition to being besties with Jason (big mistake, but whatever), we see that David is also now close with Rudy, and Jerry. I guess you can, at this point, say that David is part of the B&S crew, which is actually on-brand for David.

David claims to miss his friendship with Rafael. But the audience knows better. We know that David only misses being able to control Rafa. And that's weird because our new main cast member appears to be somewhat similar to Rafael, which may explain why David is friends with the newbie. More on that cast member later.

But David can't claim that he misses Rafael when all he does is complain about how Rafa is fake, Rafa is crazy, Rafa is this, Rafa is that, FOR A WHOLE FUCKING SEASON, YOU GUYS! 

The second and final time (not counting the reunion) Rafael sees David is at a bowling alley "event" that is hosted by... Jason. It was supposed to be main cast members only, according to Jason, but it was really an ambush event because B&S brought David with them.

Basically, David is going off on Rafael, accusing him of the same bullshit that he's been accusing Rafael of since VEGAS IN SEASON 4! OH. MY. GOD! Rafa snaps and they're both yelling at each other's faces, and it looks like they're seconds away from putting their hands on each other, until Alastair had to get in-between to literally yell each other to shut up and stop fighting. 

Remember what I said about Alastair being at his wit's end with Rafa? This was it. But he's also HAD IT with David's antics. Rafael would never see David again until the reunion, and ends up not going to the cast trip because he already knows that David will be there (and he was right). Alastair decides to not go either. But it's not the end of David's time on the show this season.

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This brings us to this season's new ACTUAL main cast member. He's David's new friend who I mentioned was somewhat similar to Rafael, which may explain why David is friends with the cast member. He's also the same person who I mentioned was treated a certain way by Rafa, hence why Rafa's not as liked this season. And yes this is the same person who was senselessly sidelined in the ads, so that VH1 could put all their focus on DAVID, DAVID, DAVID, DAVID, DAVID.

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Hector Luis Lopez. He prefers to be called Luis Lopez, so we shall respect that since VH1 didn't respect him at all. 

Luis might have had the most tragic experience on the show ever, and his association with David doesn't help. 

When we meet 23-year-old Luis it's on Episode 2 of Season 14, and he is introduced as "David's friend," which some viewers initially said "ugh..." But actually... he is nothing like David. He doesn't even care to be part of the Bullies and Snobs cult because... he's not a mean person.

Luis is the 3rd bisexual cast member on the show (following Remy and CJ), and is already a father of one boy (Mason), by the time he is casted on the show. We don't know anything about what happened to his ex-girlfriend (the mother of their son), but it can be assumed that she's out of the picture, because Luis has full custody of their son. Luis opens up about experiences with being bullied, struggling with depression, self-harming, attempting suicide, having an abusive childhood, and how his parents made him feel unloved, unwanted, and unworthy. 

Midway through the season, we actually see Luis try to explain his feelings about his childhood to his mom, who is so dismissive about Luis' trauma, that she just cowardly accuses him of being ungrateful of all that she did for him. This was very hard to watch, and I felt for Luis, as did a lot of viewers. We never see Luis' father, and that's probably for the best. I will admit that I'm not a fan of Luis' mom, who had no problem being very cruel to Luis, who was being very respectful and a little timid when speaking to her.

Because of his humble personality, the Bullies and Snobs don't give Luis the time of day, and even David has shown to not be emotionally there for Luis, at least until David needs a yes-man. Sound familiar?

In fact, it didn't take long for Luis and David to eventually have a falling out, largely due to David turning on Luis time and time again.

Luis also becomes the target of Jerry's verbal wrath after Luis accuses Jerry of having fake amnesia and pretending to not remember gossiping about Luis and calling him a fuckboy. When Jerry is accused of all of this, he threatens Luis, warning Luis to not ever accuse Jerry of gossiping or calling him a fuckboy (even though Jerry IS lying), "That's what you're NOT going to do to me, do you understand?" This leaves Luis defeated and embarrassed. 

He was also put off by Evan's behavior, but who wasn't?

It's really Alastair, Remy, and CJ, who organically connect with Luis, and they become a much-needed safe space for him. There's just a natural bond within this foursome, and it was great to see that there are people who care for Luis. And the best part? They don't even care that this is their first season knowing him. 

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Now, if you're wondering where Rafa fits into the Luis arc of it all, this is the part where you stop liking Rafa as much.

Because he first sees Luis as David's friend, Rafa immediately wants nothing to do with Luis, and lets Luis know this, quite rudely. 

And at the bowling alley, Luis is trying to understand Rafa and David's beef after hearing them yelling at each other. 

Rafa rudely says to Luis, "You wanna know fine!" And he tells Luis all about what happened between them during seasons 1 and 6. After that, he tells Luis, "Now get out of my face and go back to your friend. He's your problem now."

After that, the two rarely interact during the rest of the season, and when they do, Rafa is just being very mean to him. And Rafa's attitude towards CJ starts to get on Alastair's nerves. Luis decides to just leave it alone (what choice does he have?), so there's no resolution between him and Rafael, not even during the reunion. 

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It's worth noting that during the reunion, when David is brought on-stage to talk about his issues with Rafael, Rafael does not speak directly to him or give him eye contact. 

And when Rafael is asked questions about David, he speaks directly to the host (Ross Matthews). And everytime David talks over Rafa, Rafa doesn't stop talking or acknowledge David; Rafa just keeps talking to the host until he's done with his answer. 

That's pretty iconic, I'm not gonna lie, but I'm still giving Rafa the side-eye for his behavior.

--------------

In retrospect, Rafa was influenced by David, A LOT. They both became needy. They both have a "pick a side" mentality. They're both insecure. And they're both exhausting. 

Plus, they're both actors. And it can be assumed that they're each using their respective acting careers as an escape from their individual trauma, which is fine as long you're not trying to run away from your problems.

------------------------- 

So yeah, this was rather a dark-cloud of a season. 

And we can thank David for his services. I think you know that means.

After the reunion's airing, Remy announced that he was leaving the show. In a video he made regarding the announcement, he explained that he wanted to focus on being a father full-time. But he assured everyone that it wouldn't be the last they'd seen of him, and tearfully said that his friendships with Alastair, CJ, and Luis mean so much to him to this day. He especially made a promise to all 3 of them that he will always be their safe space. 

Later, it was also announced that Evan and David were fired from the show. Evan's exit inevitable, as he left so many viewers exhausted with his big-ass mouth. And David never should have returned. Hopefully he stays far away from the show (and especially from Rafa and David) and gets the help that he needs.

Season 15 (2022)

Season 15 welcomes back Rafa, Alastair, CJ, Jason, Rudy, Jerry, and Luis

--------------

This is the first season where Rafa goes from still kinda being one of the most rootable people on the show to the most unexpected disappointment ever. 

After the fever dream that was David's unneeded return last season, Rafael completely isolated himself from the rest of the cast after the reunion, deciding that nobody in the cast can be trusted. 

Yeah, you heard that right: NO. BODY. That includes Alastair.

I think I speak for every fan and viewer when I ask this question: "You mean to tell me that after every season of Alastair protecting you, allowing you to just be you, defending you, letting you into his world, and calling you his little brother... you have now decided that Alastair is no longer to be trusted, ALL OF A SUDDEN?" 

As you can imagine, Alastair and CJ were not happy about this. And neither was Remy who actually cameoed in the Season 15 premiere to tell them about what Rafa's "I don't trust anyone" rant. And the 3 of them waste absolutely no time confronting Rafa about this and letting him know how they really feel. They're angry about his decision to ice them out following the David situation in Season 14. But nothing gets resolved, at the moment, because Rafa has made up his mind. They don't hate him, but they are really disappointed in him, especially Alastair.

In fact, this season we really see Rafa going through it mentally and emotionally. It's clear that he never recovered from David's abuse, and he's taking it out on everyone who loves him. 

---------------

Since the reunion, Luis has remained close with former cast member Remy, and current cast members Alastair and (especially) CJ. But the last thing Luis wants to do is be a burden to CJ, something that Rafa was to Alastair. Rafa still doesn't like Luis.

And Luis' scenes with his son Mason are always adorable to watch, and provides an even safer space for Luis after what happens to him this season.

-----------------------

This leads us to our 2 newbies, and boy are they super terrible.

First up we have the Italian-American version of Cory Z, Jacob D'Antonio. Jacob is an idiot, and therefore an easily manipulated loose canon, and that's literally all you know about him. He came with one goal in mind: to have Luis' head on a stick, and constantly confront Luis every chance he got, which he does, and it confuses Luis, who now knows that he needs to keep away from Jacob. The problem is that B&S really didn't gravitate towards him and never will.

Enter fellow newbie Taylor Gray, a badly dressed biracial (African-American and Caucasian) singer and songwriter (horrible singing voice), who just-so happens to be yet ANOTHER friend of Jason's, because of course he is. But we see very quickly that Taylor is the HNIC (Head Nigga in Charge), and more than capable of standing on his own without help from anyone. It's clear that Taylor had watched the show for years, and ultimately decided that he did not like Luis. And he was determined to get Luis off the show one way or another. 

Or perhaps DEFINITELY, as Taylor leads the charge on bullying Luis, by using Jacob's gullible ass to bully Luis, somehow having Jacob think that Luis was talking trash about Jacob and is not this innocent little boy that viewers make Luis out to be (yeah, Taylor's not very respectful towards viewers with common sense). And now Jacob has a reason to really go after Luis. This comes to a head midway through the season. Zachary and CJ gets Luis away from Jacob, who made it a point he would NOT be ignored. When Jacob argues with Luis and Zachary blocks Jacob who keeps trying to poke at Luis, Luis feels triggered and yells at Jacob to get out of his fucking face. Eventually Jacob spills his water at Luis' head. And it ends with Jacob physically fighting Luis, who now has no choice but to fight back. When they're both pulled away and separated,  Luis so shaken, that he can't help but cry. It was just terrible for him.  Viewers who watched that fight felt so awful for Luis. He was hurt, he was angry, he was humiliated, he was devasted, he was mentally alone even with close friends.

Jacob ended up getting fired after the fight (again midway through the season) and does not attend the reunion. And we don't actually know that Taylor was behind Jacob's attack on Luis UNTIL the reunion, which devastates Luis, who ends up leaving the reunion crying and never coming back to finish the rest of the reunion. 

And the scariest part? The cool, calm, collected Taylor Gray had absolutely no remorse for what he did to Luis, and best believe he'll do it again. Does Taylor get fired, too? Of course not. The reason that he never gets fired is never revealed until many seasons later.

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Oh, and there was a friend-of named David Perez.

I... don't have much to say. He has a gorgeous face and body, and a scrumptious ass. And he's Jason's friend. RED FLAG!

That's about it.

He doesn't even attend the reunion.

Season 16 (2023)

Season 16 welcomes back Rafa, Alastair, CJ, Jason, Rudy, Jerry, Luis, and Taylor. And Remy returns as a friend-of, which was very much-needed. 

Naturally this season opens with a grim Luis Seasons 14 and 15 didn’t just “stress” Luis. 

• It traumatized him. 

• He wasn’t dragged. 

• He wasn’t shaded. 

• He wasn’t “in a storyline.” 

• He was hunted, targeted by an unstable newbie, manipulated by an even more unstable puppet-master, humiliated on camera, and left emotionally stranded while the cast was fighting their own demons. 

So Season 16 becomes the season where Luis carries the aftershocks of that trauma. 

Here’s the complete breakdown of his PTSD arc. 

⭐ 1. The Symptoms Begin Immediately: “Fight, freeze, flight.” 

• Luis enters Season 16 a changed man. 

• Fight: 

o He flinches easily. 

o His body reacts before his mind does. 

o Any raised voice makes him snap into survival mode. 

• Freeze: 

o He dissociates when overwhelmed. 

o You literally see him go silent, his eyes unfocused. 

• Flight: 

o He leaves scenes suddenly. 

o He avoids certain cast events. 

o He stays near exits at parties. 

o He rarely goes anywhere without CJ or Alastair around. 

o It’s not dramatics. 

o It’s trauma physiology. 

⭐ 2. His trust is thankfully not shattered with Remy, Alastair, or CJ, all 3 of whom love him. 

But because: 

• Jacob pretended to be a neutral newbie

• Taylor weaponized kindness

• David repeatedly betrayed him

• Jerry gaslit him

• Jason enabled violence

• Rafa pretty much hates him

• production threw him to the wolves 

Luis starts internalizing a toxic belief: “I don’t know who else is safe anymore.” 

⭐ 3. His self-blame becomes the central conflict. 

• Luis does what so many trauma survivors do: 

o He blames himself. 

 For the fight. 

 For Jacob losing his job. 

 For Taylor targeting him. 

 For Rafa treating him coldly. 

 For being “weak.” 

 For everything. 

• Even though he did NOTHING wrong. 

His inner monologue becomes:

• “Maybe I did provoke it.”

• “Maybe I am too sensitive.”

• “Maybe I shouldn't be on this show.”

• “Maybe Taylor’s right about me.” 

It takes the entire season for him to unlearn this. 

⭐ 4. CJ becomes his emotional anchor.

CJ notices Luis’ triggers immediately.

He knows this look:

The “I’m shutting down because I don’t feel safe” look.

CJ becomes his:

• emotional translator

• co-regulator

• protector at events

• grounding voice

• reality-check provider

• confidant 

Their chats become the soul of the season: 

• CJ: 

• “You’re not broken. You were attacked.” 

• Luis: “But it felt like I let it happen.” 

• CJ: “That’s trauma talking, not you.” 

CJ treats Luis the way Remy treated him once upon a time. 

It becomes one of the most beautiful mentor arcs in FBSF history. 

⭐ 5. Alastair takes on a different role: “strategic guardian.” 

Alastair protects Luis too — but his version is different. 

CJ focuses on the heart. Alastair focuses on the environment. 

Alastair: 

• blocks Taylor socially

• manages seating arrangements

• keeps Luis out of ambush situations

• quietly warns producers

• calls out manipulation publicly

• fights for Luis’ dignity on camera 

Luis even admits: “I feel safest when Alastair is in the room.” 

But ironically… this also pressures Luis. 

Because he hates feeling like a burden. 

He does not want to run the risk of annoying his friends. 

Which leads to… 

⭐ 6. Luis withdraws emotionally — a classic trauma response. 

The more people try to help him… 

The more Luis pulls away. 

• He cancels filming days. 

• He stays home with his son. 

• He avoids group trips. 

• He dodges parties. 

• He doesn’t dance. 

• He doesn’t joke the way he used to. 

The audience immediately notices: “Luis isn’t… Luis anymore.” 

And it hurts. 

⭐ 7. His scenes with his son become his emotional anchor. 

Luis’ bond with his son becomes the healing heartbeat of Season 16. 

Scenes of:

• Luis cooking

• Luis helping with homework

• Luis taking him to school

• Luis talking about breaking the generational trauma cycle give him a warmth and purpose that the rest of the show can’t. 

Every time he’s with his boy, he smiles again. 

And viewers see: The REAL Luis isn’t gone. He’s just hiding for safety, and thinking about the safety of his son. 

⭐ 8. The moment Taylor reappears in the season premiere, the PTSD becomes visible. When Taylor walks into his first all-cast event in Season 16… 

Luis’ whole body changes:

• shoulders tense

• eyes drop

• breathing falters

• voice shakes

• hands tremble CJ immediately puts an arm around him. 

Alastair immediately shifts his stance. 

The other cast members stare at Taylor with pure disgust. 

Luis can’t make eye contact. 

• He can’t speak. 

• He can barely stand. 

• It’s one of the most gut-wrenching scenes of the entire franchise. 

And it’s the moment the audience turns on Taylor FOREVER. 

So Luis refuses to be in the same location as Taylor, and he is not changing his mind anytime soon. He also wants nothing to do with Jerry.

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Enter new cast member Kyo Figueroa, the show's very first Afro-Latino cast member. He shows up in Episode 4 after Rudy (still credited main cast member for Episodes 1, 2, and 3) starts to get phased out, leaving after Episode 3, but not before defending Taylor's actions against Luis. But Kyo is not Rudy's replacement, nor is he a new recruit for B&S. 

Kyo works in set design (props, styling, and scenic), and is married to his husband makeup artist Luigi Chamarro. 

Interestingly, he was friends with Taylor years ago before distancing himself from Taylor after realizing how nasty and evil Taylor really is. So when Kyo made aware about what Taylor did to Luis during Season 15, Kyo uploaded posts/blogs/stories on social media detailing Taylor's behavior, manipulative ways, and constant need to do whatever he needed to do (if you know what I mean) to get studio sessions. And we actually see that Taylor is angry with Kyo, and throughout Season 17, the two clash. 

Kyo is clearly anti-Taylor and anti-B&S. But midway through the season, when Jason start interrogating Luis about whether his trauma is real (which pretty much sealed Jason’s fate on the show), Luis (who has Kyo, Remy, CJ, and Alastair as backup) completely shuts down. This leads to Kyo saying to Luis in a tough-love kinda way, "Luis, stand up for yourself, man. Come on. Just say whatever you need to say." It's clear that Kyo cares about Luis' safety and mental health, too. But you can't force someone to speak up when they’re not comfortable. 

Kyo also has a bone to pick with Rafael for his attitude towards what Luis has been going through. Kyo doesn't dislike Rafael the way most newbies in the past would dislike him; Kyo is just simply not impressed.

------------------------

Taylor has this weird flirtationship with new friend-of Victor Gonzalez, a dancer who happens to be an ex-best friend of Luis. Oh dear... 

In fact, when Luis hears about Taylor's entanglement with Victor in the beginning of the season, he already knows that it's a setup. 

Victor used to be Luis' best friend for about 3 years (2015 – 2018), but dropped Luis as a friend in 2018 once Victor decided that Luis wasn't worth his time anymore and found a more superficial clique. This stung Luis who really cared about their friendship, and became one of this reasons why he didn't attach himself to anyone before meeting David (almost as if Luis attracted people who just wanted to be his friend when it was convenient for them). 

At a laser tag tournament (Taylor did not show up because Luis was gonna be there) at San Fernando during the early half of the season, Victor confronted Luis about the end of their frienship, blaming it on Luis. Unfortunately, nice people are always blamed for things they didn't do. Luis was not going to accept that and defended himself, which (as he predicted) would become a heated screaming match. And when Alastair, Remy, CJ, Kyo, and Kyo's husband Luigi hear the commotion, Kyo and Luigi break it up. Kyo pulls Victor away, and Luigi pulls Luis away. Luis is pissed and visibly on the verge of tears, which Victor mocks, and Luis lets Victor know, "I'm crying because I can't kill you, bitch!" 

Luis, Kyo, Luigi, Alastair, Remy, and CJ end up leaving the laser tag tournament early, leaving Victor, Jason alone to play laser tag with each other. Thank God we didn't have a scene with Victor and Jason playing laser tag; they don't deserve our attention.

-------------------------

The cast trip was boring as hell because the only people in attendance were Taylor, Jason, Jerry, and Victor; basically people that viewers don't care to see anymore. But at least the more likable characters could take a break from those assholes. 

But while the trip is going on Rafa (who was largely absent despite still being credited as a main cast member) attempts to apologize to Luis, but it doesn't go well, and here’s why. He starts off by saying, “I’m sorry about what you’re going through; it sucks. But you have to understand where I'm coming fr-," and before he could finish, Luis cuts him off and says, "Fuck your apology."

And as of now, that’s Luis’ ONLY interaction with Rafa this whole season.

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During the latter half of the season, Luis eventually decides that until things change, he can no longer return to the show. He needs to focus on himself, his son, and his mental health. And he tells Kyo, CJ, Remy, and Alastair, who are sad to see him go, but happy that he choosing to put himself and his son first. 

So Luis ends up leaving a few episodes before the finale and doesn't attend the reunion. But CJ, Remy, Alastair, and Kyo have no problem putting Taylor, Jason, Jerry, Victor, in their place during the reunion. 

Rafa, who was mostly the odd man out this season, was mostly quiet during the reunion until he was forced to talk about his behavior towards CJ, Remy, and Alastair, and attitude towards Luis. You can tell by his tone that he feels guilty and responsible for everything that has transpired, affecting Alastair, CJ, Remy, and Luis. And while those 4 (along with viewers) somewhat appreciate Rafa’s honesty… it’s too late.

With Luis gone, Taylor is officially HATED by the majority of viewers with a vicious passion. But his downfall comes pretty quickly after the reunion, I promise.

And Rafa can no longer be trusted, meaning if he comes back for Season 17, it’s going to be rather ROUGH for him.

----------------------------------

So just one day after the Season 16 reunion, it was announced by EW that BET would be taking over FBSF from now on, even if means cleaning up the mess that VH1 made. One of the biggest cleanups occurs when Jason, Victor, Jerry, and Taylor have ALL been fired, effective immediately.  

Remy also left again, but he's not gone for good, and neither is Luis. 

In fact, many fans will remember that after the reunion was over, Remy made a promise to CJ backstage that he would keep an eye on Luis.  

So when you count Rudy (who was only on the first 3 episodes of Season 16) and Luis, that's 7 people who have left the show, but only Remy and Luis left voluntarily. 

This leaves Rafa, Alastair, CJ, and Kyo as the only 5 who return next season. 

It also leaves Rafa as the last remaining OG cast member to date. But given his behavior, not many fans are celebrating him lasting the longest.

And Jason’s firing makes Jason the last OG B&S rat to finally leave.

And this is a major (albeit well-deserved) blow for Taylor, who REALLY needed the show to pay his bills. But with coming back, they look forward to seeing him crash and burn, and at least the REST of the B&S epidemic is GONE FOREVER. 

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Season 17 (2024)

The cast shakeup heard around the world leaves us with returning main cast members Rafa, Alastair, CJ, and Kyo.

Luis and Remy may not appear this season, but their absence is greatly felt.

Because he’s the last original cast member standing, and the one with the most disappointing era (at least for now), it’s only fitting that Season 17’s opening montage focuses on our fragile prince Rafael L Silva; showcasing some of his most emotionally impactful moments throughout his first sixteen seasons. Some being good (his acting, martial arts training, his education, visiting his relatives in Brazil, and interacting with pre-friend-of Alastair in Season 1), some being bad (being called worthless by Estuardo and being ganged up by B&N in Season 1, his abusive friendship with David, and how it’s left Rafa paranoid, depressed, and eventually distant from everyone else), and some are ugly but important (beating up Cory Z, being confronted by CJ, Remy, and Alastair over Rafa’s decision to not trust them anymore, Kyo reprimanding him, and his horrible treatment towards Luis, ending with Luis saying to him, “Fuck your apology.” *echo, echo, echo*). 

And with so many things that went on in 2023 ([1] a much-need shakeup which saw the last litter of Bullies and Snobs FIRED (and yet we’re stuck with TAYLOR and his generic singing voice), [2] Luis quitting the show, and [3] 9-1-1 Lone Star being on an indefinite hiatus due to WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes), Rafael no longer has a reason to hide anymore. But he also can’t be trusted by the remaining likable cast that now consists of CJ, Kyo, and especially Alastair.

Rafa starts Season 17 with the heaviest guilt he’s ever carried. His seemingly perfect persona had already started showing cracks in Season 14 when David returned and Rafa said, “Yeah, if only you were dead,” which caught both David and Alastair (along with fans) by surprise, and things only got worse from there, especially when Rafa met Luis and was very rude to him. 

The first episode opens with his therapy session. Rafael tells his therapist that he can be in his head a lot, which made it difficult for him to really mesh with other likable cast members; particularly current cast member CJ, and former cast members Remy, Matthew, and Patrick. According to him, this unintentionally furthered his divide from the rest of what we viewers call the Amigos/Likables (some viewers felt that he didn’t have a natural chemistry with those four cast members, which – if true – could explain why he wasn’t always seen with them onscreen, or even offscreen). 

And we actually see him admit all of this in therapy, but it took a LONG TIME, because he’s not really that good at communicating how he feels or what he’s going through when he needs to. If anything, he’s better at writing down his thoughts (something that his therapist suggested he start doing) than actually speaking his mind. He opens up about his behavior being brought on by depression and anxiety, and being a victim of bullying, racism, and colorism since childhood, and only being told to toughen up instead of getting the help that he needed to safely cope with his trauma. Rafa explains that as a kids, he had to learn how to shut down emotions, and express them in his family. So he doesn’t have the proper coping mechanisms to deal with them, leading to side of him that is very unlikable. Often times, one of the dangerous coping mechanisms is taking it out on someone who had nothing to do with anything, including the ones who love you the most. In fact, this is also the first time he talks to his therapist about his abusive friendship with David and how much of a horrible person he was to Luis, Alastair, CJ, and Remy. 

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After more than a decade (remember, there were 2 seasons almost every year) of friendship and brotherhood that dates way back to 2008 (when Rafa was 14 and Alastair was 16), Rafa and Alastair are not in a good place, and have not spoken since the reunion. Rafa misses Alastair and hates that he felt that he couldn’t trust Alastair anymore, because he knows that he lost a special person in his life.

As for Luis, we find out that Rafa eventually did try to reach out to him via Remy, who bluntly said to Rafa that Luis is not interested in talking to him at the moment. It didn’t surprise Rafa, and he doesn’t blame Luis. And even Rafa’s new friend Calvin Seabrooks says bluntly, “I know that you were in survival mode, but you fucked up. Real bad.” And he’s right.

"Well Rafa, if I were Luis, CJ, Remy, or Alastair, I would be just as upset; I'm not even joking." 

Calvin in confessional scene: I don't know Rafa's... I guess they're still his friends... Well, I just say this: I don't know them, and even I know that Rafa was dead-ass wrong. They didn't deserve that.

Fans are glad that Rafa is owning his shit, but it’s gonna take more than an apology.

------------------------------

Calvin Seabrooks is a brand new main cast member. He met Rafael during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023 during FBSF’s much-needed hiatus. He is a Black and Mexican writer, actor, singer-songwriter, and musician, who has much better songs and a better voice than former cast member Taylor. He even calls himself the suprior version of what Taylor will never be: a messy guy with heart, soul, remorse, and TALENT.

Calvin Seabrooks is one of the nicest assholes, and quirkiest weirdos you'll ever meet. There's just something about Calvin that the fellow cast members like, but they’re not sure what it is. 

Calvin may not be the greatest fit for the group's overall dynamic, which is very "woe is me", BUT... nobody cares about that, at this point. Everything about Calvin Seabrooks is MUCH-NEEDED. And viewers are happy that someone like him has stepped into the show, brought genuine fun and laughs, and pushed Rafa to do better. 

Plus, the fact that he successfully hosts the get-togethers and cast trip to Vancouver, BC, is just iconic and living proof that newbies can do it all. His intentions are for everyone to have a healing journey, not really expecting everyone to be besties again, but hoping to get everyone to start talking again.

------------------------------------------------------

Newly engaged to April, CJ has a new job as a refrigeration engineer and couldn’t be happier to have his job and his fiancé. 

But as a flaming bro, CJ is fatigued, and it’s not because of his role as a caregiver for his brother; he feels Luis’ absence. He’s not “fine” when Season 17 starts filming. He comes in quieter. More cautious. More watchful. Less playful. And angrier. The first person to notice is Kyo. Why? Because CJ feels like the show took a family member from him. And he’s not sure how to exist in that space without Luis. Luckily, both CJ and Luis keep in touch with each other, and see each other as much as they can, off-screen. And he mentions to the confessionals that Remy kept his word that he’d take care of Luis. And when it comes to Rafa making excuses, CJ shuts down any Luis assassination, corrects any false narratives, stops production from dragging Luis into storylines, and refuses to let Rafa weaponize Luis’ absence. In fact, at one point, CJ literally says on camera (which becomes a trending topic), “Don’t talk about Luis unless you’re sending him love.”

----------------------------

Our lovely leading man Alastair and his rock Zachary are dog dads, and are happier in their marriage than ever before. Zachary can really bring out Alastair’s funnier and clumsier side, including Alastair cutting off the cork from a champagne bottle, which goes horribly wrong and the wine splashes all over Alastair AND THEIR KITCHEN. Haha, oh no… 

But outside of that, some days, Alastair is going through it, and Zachary can see it: the pacing, lack of sleep, quiet anger, and crying. It’s bad for Alastair; from feeling responsible for what happened to Luis the past 3 seasons, to his falling out with Rafa last season. He may be seen by many people as the real lead of the show, but he makes one thing clear to production: “If you use Luis’ name for storylines or manipulation, I walk. And I’ll burn the contract on camera.” 

As for Rafa, Alastair avoids him at first…

But early on in the season, during a small get-together at Calvin’s BEAUTIFUL house, Rafa tries to talk to him.

• Rafa: Can we talk?

• Alastair: No. Fuck off.

• Rafa: Please…

• Alastair: *sigh* Fine. What is it?

• Rafa: I really don’t like that we’re not talking.

• Alastair: Well, I don’t like hearing things from the grapevine that after years of us being friends and ride-or-die, that all of sudden “I don’t trust anyone. I don’t trust CJ. I don’t trust Remy. I don’t trust Alastair.” Like, how was I supposed to take that, Rafa?!

• Rafa: *speechless and nervous*

• Alastair: I know that this is about David. You let him manipulate you. You worry about what he thinks-

• Rafa: No, I don’t!

• Alastair: Yes… you do. You’re so far up his ass, that you can’t see what he’s done to you.

• Rafa: Why are you being aggressive?

• Alastair: I don’t know, man. I’m an army vet. What can I say?

• Rafa: I’m not gonna bow down to you just because you’re an army vet?

• Alastair: Okay, well David says get on you knees, and you’re like “OKAY, DAVID!” He’s the reason why you’re not getting along with any of us!

• Rafa: *voice breaking* Alright, you know what? I’m done with this. Everybody fucking hates me.

• Alastair: I don-

• Rafa: *voice breaking* No-no-no-no-no-no, I get it, I get it. Because YOU’RE MAD AT ME, CJ’S MAD AT ME, KYO’S MAD AT ME! REMY’S MAD ME! EVERYBODY’S FUCKIN’ MAD ME! I GIVE UP!

• Alastair: *stunned and in shock*

CJ, April, Zachary, Calvin, CJ, Kyo, and Luigi watch from a distance in shock at Alastair and Rafa’s argument. 

Alastair in his confessional: I know that Rafa has been through a lot. And I totally respect that. But until he can just admit that he has a problem, I don’t think he and I could ever go back to being friends.

It’s clear that Alastair and Rafael do indeed miss each other. But Rafa needs to focus on his mental health and self-esteem, and Alastair needs time. They mostly avoid each other for the rest of the season. But miraculously, they don’t argue during the reunion, and both admit that they miss each other, so there’s hope.

----------------------------------

One thing that’s underrated about Kyo is his ability to critique his own behavior or delivery. Even though he knows his heart was in the right place, he acknowledges that he was too hard on Luis, who was not in the right state of mind to be facing his enemies. So he’s upset with himself for forcing Luis to stand up for himself when he didn’t really know Luis that well enough at the time. Even his husband Luigi agrees that Kyo should’ve let Luis handle his conflict his own way. We find out through his confessional that he had spoken to Luis in person, and apologized for the way he handled Luis’ conflict, and said to him, “I shouldn’t have forced you to say anything. You weren’t ready, I didn’t respect that.”

Although he’s happy that Luis forgave him, Kyo’s trying his best to not be so serious, harsh or forceful to people. He’s always been open to connection, but wants to be more approachable. And with the massive shakeup that Kyo dodged (and rightfully so), we now have way more time to truly get to know Kyo and why he behaves the way he does. Slowly but surely, he and Rafael have a fresh start, which Rafa sincerely appreciates. 

Kyo’s friendship with Alastair and CJ is even stronger than last season. And he also bonds with Calvin over their love for all things fashion. 

Overall this is a TRULY excellent fresh start, after 16 mentally exhausting seasons. It was still sad at times given the events of the last couple of seasons, and Remy and Luis are greatly missed. But so far so good, thanks largely to Calvin who became the missing puzzle piece, the honorary therapist, and the clever instigator.

Season 18 (2025)

CJ, Rafa, Alastair, Calvin, and Kyo are all back full-time for Season 18. 

Season 18 becomes Rafael’s TRUE redemption season — not by making him perfect… but by finally letting him be real.

______________________________________

🔥 How Season 18 Could Become Rafa’s True Redemption Season

  

A full narrative blueprint

  

For Rafael L. Silva to be redeemed, Season 18 must do something NO season has ever dared to do:

  

👉 Shift Rafa from “reactive trauma case” to “accountable, intentional adult.”

  

👉 Let him rebuild—not repair—his relationships.

  

👉 Give him purpose beyond the chaos.

  

Here’s the full roadmap:

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 1. Rafa has a redemption ARC, not just a redemption SCENE.

  

He knows that fans and cast members no longer trust him overnight.

  

So his redemption is slow, messy, earned, and felt.

  

• baby steps

  

• awkward attempts at socializing

  

• uncomfortable self-reflection

  

• writing things down (like his therapist suggested)

  

• quiet apologies, not grandiose ones

  

• staying calm when triggered

  

• letting other people talk

  

• showing up consistently, and NOT just when he feels like it

  

• NOT disappearing when things get hard

  

The audience is not expected to “forgive Rafa.”

  

But Rafa is finally ready to do whatever he can to become someone worth forgiving.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 2. Rafa apologizes correctly — and in the right order.

  

The show needs the apology arc to roll out like chapters:

  

CHAPTER 1 — CJ

  

The most balanced, emotional apology.

  

CJ accepts truths, not excuses.

  

CHAPTER 2 — Kyo

  

Respect-based.

  

Rafa admits he made assumptions.

  

CHAPTER 3 — Remy (the episode Remy makes a guest appearance in)

  

This apology is guilt-ridden and vulnerable — Remy is the mirror Rafa fears.

  

CHAPTER 5 — Alastair

  

The emotional climax of the entire season, full stop.

  

This is the one that breaks the fandom.

 

Luis (who appears in a scene with only Remy, CJ, Kyo, and Alastair, during one of the very last episodes of Season 18) is still not ready to hear Rafa out, and Alastair tells Rafa this on Luis’ behalf. So Rafael doesn’t take that chance during this season 

Even if Luis eventually does hear from Rafa 

This may not even be accepted… and for redemption to land, THAT’S OKAY.  

Rafa must learn that:

  

💬 “An apology is not a reconciliation. It is a responsibility.”

______________________________________

  

⭐ 3. Rafa faces a NEW conflict without regressing.

  

Season 18 gives him:

• a moment of public embarrassment

• a triggering confrontation

• a situation where he normally shuts down

• a moment where Calvin tests him

• a moment where CJ gets emotional and Rafa must stay grounded

• a moment where Kyo calls him out bluntly

  

And THIS TIME, Rafa responds positively:

Not explosively.

Not defensively.

Not passive-aggressively.

He takes a breath.

 He uses words.

 He keeps his volume low.

He takes accountability.

 And that’s when the audience says: 

👉 “He’s changing.”

________________________________________

  

⭐ 4. Rafa has a storyline about HEALING — not relationships.  

Season 18 can’t be about Rafa chasing friendships.  

Season 18 must be about Rafa chasing himself.  

That means:  

• therapy  

• journaling  

• doing emotional homework  

• calling his family about childhood trauma  

• reclaiming his self-worth  

• confronting why he always felt replaceable  

• acknowledging he was manipulated by David for YEARS  

• recognizing the difference between fear and intuition  

• practicing healthy boundaries for the FIRST time  

These are the scenes viewers will cry over.  

________________________________________  

⭐ 5. Rafa publicly defends the RIGHT person. 

This is the moment that cements a redemption arc. 

And Rafa, who once fled from conflict…  

STANDS UP.  

CALM.  

CLEAR.  

STEADY.  

He says something like:  

“We’re not doing this again.  

I’m not letting someone go through what I put others through.  

Not on my watch.”  

That’s the moment fans say:  

“Rafa is BACK — but a better version.”  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 6. The reunion becomes Rafa’s rebirth—not redemption.  

Reunions have always been Rafa’s worst nightmare.  

But Season 18?  

This is where he walks in with:  

• no tears  

• no hyperventilation  

• no guilt spirals  

• no retraumatization  

• no defensiveness  

• no victimhood narrative  

• no blaming past seasons  

• no blaming David

  

He simply says:  

“I hurt people.  

I isolated myself.  

I spiraled.  

That was on me.  

But I’m getting better — slowly — and I’m showing up for the first time in years.”  

And the room goes silent.  

Because that’s REAL growth.

  ________________________________________

  

⭐ 7. The true redemption arc ends not with forgiveness… but with POSSIBILITY.

  

At the end of Season 18:  

• CJ trusts Rafa again  

• Kyo respects Rafa  

• Calvin tolerates him (with humor)  

• Alastair looks at him with soft eyes again  

• Rafa sets healthy boundaries  

• He’s emotionally stable  

• He communicates better  

• He’s not perfect  

• But he’s present  

• He’s healing  

• He’s self-aware  

• He’s growing  

• He no longer sees himself as the victim  

• He no longer sees Luis as the enemy  

• He no longer sees Alastair as the parent  

• He no longer sees CJ as the replacement  

• He no longer sees Remy as the threat

  

Rafa becomes the man he should’ve been if David never existed:  

• open-hearted  

• supportive  

• funny  

• vulnerable  

• grounded  

• flawed  

• lovable  

• human

  

________________________________________

Remember when former cast member Matthew Frias quit the show, because he refused to stay if Rudy Martinez returned?   

 

Well now that Rudy had been gone since the beginning of Season 16, our Texan gay fitness coach (or should I say fitness KWEEN) is finally back for Season 18 as a friend-of. And honey, the B&S fans are LIVID, which is perfect. 😈  So where has Mr. Matthew been since leaving the show 10 seasons (7 years) ago? Well, he continued acting and fitness, and is now a trainer for Plyo Fitness in Los Angeles. Over the years, he's learned to embrace his thicc self from head to toe. And in 2021 he met his future boo thang Drew Tillman. And together, they have a little doggie named Winston aka Weenie 🐶 One of Matt's clients since 2022 happens to be none other than his long-time bestie, the bi himbo himself CJ Niner! And it's thanks to CJ that Matthew has kept up with the all the good, bad, and ugly of FBSB tea 🍵   Matthew returning is THE reset button the show needed.

  

He brings:  

•  FUN

•  flirting  

•  gym energy  

•  quirky vibes  

•  non-trauma storylines  

•  CJ joy 

•  Calvin cackling  

•  Kyo shade 

•  Alastair approval  

•  Rafa discomfort (in a useful way)  

•  audience adoration

Matthew is the bridge between old FBSF and new FBSF

---------------------------

CJ Niner (the heartbeat of the show) coming back was NON-NEGOTIABLE.

He is:

• the last bisexual main cast member standing

• the emotional glue  

• the audience surrogate  

• the moral compass  

• the protector of Luis (even in his absence)  

• the only cast member with universally positive reception

  

Season 18 is CJ’s year to:  

• rebuild trust with Rafa  

• reconnect joyfully with Matthew  

• deepen his bond with Kyo & Calvin  

• possibly guide the NEW bi rep  

• test the limits of his patience and anger

  

CJ is the quiet main character of the entire post-Luis era.

---------------

Alastair Patton-Garcia returning means:  

the standard has returned.

  

He is:  

• the most respected cast member  

• the protector of the weak  

• the destroyer of villains  

• the moral titan  

• the emotional backbone  

• the unofficial leader  

• the one Rafa needs  

• the fan favorite

  

Season 18 will show:  

• whether he and Rafa can rebuild  

• whether he forgives too deeply

• how he interacts with the new cast

  

Alastair is exhausted, but he is the anchor.

 --------------

Calvin Seabrooks returning is the SINGLE BIGGEST reason Season 17 worked.

  

He is:  

• funny  

• emotionally intelligent  

• chaotic  

• stylish  

• unbothered  

• honest  

• necessary

Calvin brings:  

• levity  

• shade  

• commentary  

• wit  

• fannish joy  

• queer presence  

• effortless leadership

  

Season 18 will show:  

• Calvin bonding with Matthew  

• Calvin comforting Rafa  

• Calvin clowning Kyo  

• Calvin pulling CJ out of his sadness

  

He is the destabilizer and the healer.

---------------

Kyo Figueroa’s return guarantees:  

• more fashion moments  

• more blunt honesty  

• more emotional intelligence  

• more scenes with Luigi (viewer favorite)

  

But most importantly:  

Kyo is entering his “gentle era.”

  

He is:  

• learning to soften  

• learning patience  

• building real friendships  

• repairing his guilt over Luis  

• forming a great relationship with all cast members (sans Taylor)

  

Season 18 will show:  

• he and Rafa warming up to each other  

• he becomes more comedic  

• he befriends Matthew

  

Kyo is unpredictable — in a GOOD way.

Matthew's strained dynamic with last remaining OG Rafa is acknowledged. They were never close per se, but as Rafa revealed in the Season 17 premiere, his trauma and experience with David made it difficult for him to gel with Matthew, CJ, Remy (who joined in Season 11), and Patrick (who was only on Season 10).

it’s not hostile, not dramatic, not hateful…  

It’s tragic, avoidant, and psychologically rich in a way FBSF rarely ever allows itself to be.  

Here’s the full, layered breakdown of Matthew & Rafa’s strained, quiet, and deeply misunderstood dynamic, framed by the devastating things Rafa finally admitted in Season 17.

  

________________________________________

  

🌑 Matthew & Rafa: A Strained Dynamic Built on Trauma, Misfires, and Missed Opportunities

  

(“We were never enemies… but we were never friends either.”)

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 1. They joined at different emotional temperatures.

  

When their timelines first intersected:

  

Rafa (Season 1)

  

• already traumatized (Estuardo, Alex, David era)

  

• deeply guarded

  

• already “the little brother” in B&S

  

• already treated like trash

  

• internalized that “emotional softness = danger”

  

Matthew (Season 6)

  

• sweet

  

• expressive

  

• physically affectionate

  

• goofy

  

• openly gay

  

• eager to connect

  

• emotionally accessible

  

They simply didn’t speak the same language.

  

Rafa communicates through:

  

• silence

  

• withdrawal

  

• loyalty tests

  

• protective aggression

  

• tight boundaries

  

Matthew communicates through:

  

• warmth

  

• vulnerability

  

• humor

  

• openness

  

From the very beginning, they were mismatched socially.

  

Not incompatible.

  

Just… unable to meet each other halfway.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 2. Rafa’s early trauma made him suspicious of “soft” men.

  

This is the hard truth Rafa finally admits in Season 17:

  

“It was difficult for me to mesh with them.”

  

Why?

  

Because the men who traumatized Rafa the most were:

  

David, Estuardo, Alex, Aiden, Cory Z

  

— all of whom mocked him for being emotional, soft, or “girly.”

  

So when Matthew arrives with:

  

• softness

  

• flamboyance

  

• openness

  

• zero toxicity

  

Rafa’s trauma brain automatically registers him as:

  

“Someone I can’t be safe around, because softness = vulnerability.”

  

Matthew NEVER did anything to Rafa.

  

But Rafa’s brain categorized him as:

  

“Someone who represents everything I was punished for.”

  

This is why Rafa kept his distance.

  

Not because he disliked Matthew.

  

But because Matthew triggered Rafa’s deepest wounds unintentionally.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 3. Meanwhile, Matthew interpreted Rafa’s coldness as disinterest.

  

Matthew is a feeler.

  

He senses energy.

  

He reads tone.

  

He notices distance.

  

So when Rafa:

  

• never approached him

  

• never joked with him

  

• never bonded with him

  

• rarely filmed with him

  

• kept walls up

  

Matthew assumed:

  

“Oh… he doesn’t like me.”

  

Which made Matthew shut down around Rafa too.

  

They became two men who didn’t dislike each other —

  

but couldn’t figure out how to like each other.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 4. CJ became the bridge Rafa could never cross.

  

CJ became Matthew’s soulmate friend.

  

CJ also became Rafa’s emotional rival.

  

Rafa always saw CJ as the guy who:

  

• replaced him in Alastair’s emotional circle

  

• bonded naturally with the likables

  

• didn’t have to fight trauma to fit in

  

• connected instantly with people Rafa kept at arm’s length

  

Rafa was threatened by that.

  

So by extension, Matthew (CJ’s closest friend) became:

  

• someone Rafa avoided

  

• someone Rafa didn’t know how to connect to

  

• someone Rafa placed in the “they won’t get me” category

  

The irony?

  

CJ wanted the THREE of them to bond.

  

Matthew wanted it too.

  

But Rafa didn’t have the tools to let them in.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 5. The David effect: Rafa couldn’t trust ANYONE who resembled real warmth.

  

This is the part nobody talks about:

  

David trained Rafa to believe that:

  

• real affection is manipulative

  

• open people are dangerous

  

• vulnerability = weakness

  

• emotional closeness = loss of control

  

So when Matthew came in — sweet, trusting, earnest —

  

Rafa’s trauma screamed:

  

“He’s going to hurt you like David did.”

  

Which is heartbreaking.

  

Because Matthew is the LEAST David-like person on earth.

  

But trauma has bad vision.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 6. By Season 16, the disconnect becomes unavoidable.

  

When Luis is traumatized…

  

Matthew and Rafa have opposite reactions:

  

Matthew (off-camera)

  

• comforts CJ

  

• sends love to Remy

  

• reaches out indirectly to Luis

  

• sees the toxicity clearly

  

Rafa

  

• shuts down

  

• distances himself

  

• avoids CJ

  

• stonewalls Alastair

  

• treats Luis terribly

  

• spirals into self-hating survival mode

  

Matthew sees this from afar and feels:

  

• disappointed

  

• confused

  

• protective of CJ

  

• sad that Rafa “chose the dark side”

  

He doesn’t judge Rafa’s trauma.

  

But he DOES judge Rafa’s behavior.

  

And fairly so.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 7. By Season 17… the distance is now HISTORICAL.

  

When Rafa finally admits in therapy:

  

“I had difficulty connecting with them…”

  

He includes:

  

• CJ

  

• Remy

  

• Patrick

  

• Matthew

  

And it’s true.

  

Matthew represents the version of friendship Rafa didn’t believe he deserved.

  

Their strained dynamic isn’t about hate.

  

It’s about two men on opposite ends of survival.

  

Matthew survived by love.

  

Rafa survived by isolation.

  

Those survival styles clash.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ 8. Season 18 is the FIRST time they have a real chance to connect.

  

Now that:

  

• Rafa is in therapy

  

• Matthew has matured

  

• CJ is the emotional bridge

  

• Kyo and Calvin have broken the walls

  

• the toxic cast members are gone

  

There is room for Rafa and Matthew to FINALLY understand each other.

  

And the relationship could be BEAUTIFUL.

  

Because:

  

• Rafa needs softness

  

• Matthew has it

  

• Matthew needs understanding

  

• Rafa finally has the words

  

This could be one of the most healing dynamics of Season 18.

  

________________________________________

  

⭐ FINAL VERDICT

  

Rafa & Matthew aren’t broken — they’re unattempted.

  

There is:

  

• no betrayal

  

• no scandal

  

• no fight

  

• no resentment

  

Just two men who were never safe enough to meet each other halfway.

  

Rafa didn’t know how to receive warmth.

  

Matthew didn’t know how to interpret distance.

  

Season 18 is the FIRST time they’re in a place where:

  

✔ Rafa is self-aware

  

✔ Matthew is grounded

  

✔ CJ can mediate

  

✔ The toxicity is gone

  

This could finally become a friendship.

  

And fans will EAT IT UP.

 -----------------------------

All the way from the LGBTQ sports leagues We also meet our 2 newbies: full-timer Scott Ureta and friend-of Tyrelle Millard, the comedic duo of basketball players (or should I say, basketball SLAYERS) who don’t take themselves seriously at all, and playfully banter with each other with very little effort. This is the first season where two newbies are introduced as friends

 

Sports commentator and basketball player Scott is Filipino-American and has been married to his husband Garet Carson Lamb (an actor, producer, and physical therapist) since 2013.  

Fellow sports commentator and basketball player Tyrell is African-American and Mexican-American, is literally the class clown between him and Scott, and is in school studying healthcare administration. 

 

It’s actually quite funny that one is a main cast member and the other is a friend-of, as they’re both heavily involved with the rest of the cast. But Tyrelle was fine with it, as there was already 3 Black cast members and only one Asian (CJ). Either way, these two are so unpredictable in and out of the court, which brings so much freshness into a franchise that became too predictable by Season 14. 

Scott and Ty met through a gay basketball league (the Los Angeles-based Lambda Basketball League) and found out they had a lot of similar interest. During the pandemic, they grew a lot closer as friends and continued to grow their friendship through sports. Scott had the great idea to combine both of their passion of basketball and queerness to create a fun, accepting and loving podcast called Fruit Hoops (launched in 2023) that gives their perspective through the gay lens. They not only talk about basketball but they are inclusive through all sports, but they like to throw in their thoughts about the fashion, pop culture and trendy topics. 

While their friendship was growing, Ureta realized that he wanted to try posting sports talk-related content online. He began with Instagram videos as a solo but couldn’t find the right rhythm in his delivery to feel confident in their quality. Eventually, Ureta’s husband noticed how comfortable he was bantering about sports with Millard and suggested they team up to launch a podcast. As soon as Ureta pitched the idea, Millard was on board.  

Throughout the season Scott and Tyrelle hit it off with everyone, 

----------

Wow, an even better season, most fans agree.

 

It’s gotten to the point where fans overall can’t decide who is the real MVP of Season 18. But most agree that it had the right amount of nostalgia, but were happy to see the cast (especially Rafa) moving forward.

---------

Oh, and by the end of the season Alastair, CJ, and Kyo visit Remy and Luis (both of whom guest star in one episode) at Remy's house