Unlike many well-known boy bands, S.O.5 was not put together by producers or a talent agency. In fact, it was put together by the future glue to the group TJ Kippen. Born in Panorama City on February 11, 2004 to Irish-American lawyer Miles Kippen and Creole/French-Canadian professor Liberty Lewis-Kippen, and raised in Lake Balboa, TJ is biracial. Remember this… because it will be important later. MUCH… later…

 

And like many biracial actors/singers before him, including the DeBarge family, Mariah Carey, Trinity Whiteside, Logic, Natasha Hamilton, Cameron Boyce, and Matt Murray, TJ was more “white-passing” (he really hates that phrase), meaning you couldn’t tell at first that he’s also Black. His hair texture was thick straight-to-wavy, not curly. And before he was barely old enough to go to school, he even faced taunts and ridicule from both sides of his family because he was biracial. He always tried to fit in with his Black relatives; tried so hard to “look Black, talk Black, be accepted Black.” “There’s no way you’re Black, you don’t look it.” Like, he literally grew up with Black music and went to an all-Black church (Rock of the Valley), for crying out loud! And the White side of his family was no different, with many of them not wanting to acknowledge him because they could tell that he was (in the words of an adult cousin) a mutt. He couldn’t help looking the way that he did. It was bad enough that strangers and peers were somehow bothered by his features, but it was annoying and hurtful that even relatives would throw it in his face that he wasn’t full-Black or full-White. But really, who is full-anything in North America? And if anyone from his church had any thoughts about his race, they kept it to themselves, like typical church goers.

 

Yet, despite that unwanted attention over his mixed race, no matter how much somebody made him cry, they couldn’t make him ashamed of his mixed race, even at a VERY young age. And his parents always assured him there was nothing wrong with how he looked or spoke. At Stagg Street Elementary School, he didn’t know if anybody else was mixed; it’s not something that you ask a random student or staff member. So, if there were any mixed-raced classmates, he didn’t know because growing up, a lot of mixed-raced kids are often told to just say that they are one or the other, based on their strongest features. TJ’s parents didn’t do that to him (despite the fact that he did indeed have stronger White features); they wanted him to be true to himself, even if that meant filling in the bubbles next to answers “Black/African-American,” “White”, and “Mixed,” respectively, in his emergency cards at school.

 

But sooner or later, by the time TJ was five years old, he would accidentally find his safe space through music, movies, TV, and theatre, develop a talent in rapping, dancing, and singing, and have an interest in performing and entertaining. He also became quite the class clown. And he fell in love Karate, which he voluntarily started learning at age 4, and became very helpful for him when it came to self-defense, even to this day.

 

His musical influences are truly impressive: The Black Eyed Peas, A Tribe Called Quest, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, TLC (especially T-Boz and Left Eye), Yelawolf, Logic, Corbin Bleu, Britney Spears, Rihanna, O-Town, Tokio Hotel, Billy Porter, Ricky Martin, Guy Sebastian, Justin Bieber, and Tiziano Ferro, to name a few.

 

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, TJ was already a local performer in school plays and local talent shows, doing almost anything under the sun, from rapping, to dancing, to singing, to making music, to writing songs and poetry in a diary (yes, he said “diary,” not “journal”), to puppetry, to acting in commercials, and even making time to earn a black belt by the time he was 9 years old. Jesus… He was a very busy kid and had the confidence and flamboyance that made people young and old either love him or hate him, and even question him, if you catch my drift. And at the time, he thought nothing of it because he was used to the feedback and was just and being himself: a funny and carefree kid with a diary, a black belt, and a love for the arts.

 

TJ met Wally Brodski - a fellow Lake Balboa-raised kid who was also bitten by the art bug - in the first grade at Stagg Street Elementary School, and instantly clicked, as if they had known each other since they were in diapers. TJ’s over the top personality and Wally’s more cool and laid-back presence only made their bond stronger (still to this day). And for whatever reason, each one made it easy for the other to just be himself in a way that little kids couldn't describe it. And as lifelong fans of PBS, their favorite cartoon from the PBS Kids brand is 2000's "Clifford the Big Red Dog," a show that literally teaches kids to never judge a book by its cover.

 

Let’s rewind a bit talk about Wally before he met TJ, shall we? Wally was born in Northridge on May 16, 2004, and is African-American with roots going back to West Africa (Ghana/Ivory Coast/Nigeria). And his parents Wendy Brodski and William Brodski noticed Wally’s love for singing when he was a babbling baby singing along to Xscape’s cover of The Jones Girls’ “Who Can I Run To?” They still remember it as being the cutest thing they had ever heard. He never stopped singing after that. He eventually started rapping as well at age 5, after seeing a music video for Jacob Latimore’s “Like ‘Em All (featuring Diggy Simmons)” on Disney Channel. That’s how he developed a smooth-talking style of rapping.

 

But what’s hilarious - and more importantly, refreshing - about Wally’s early awareness of pop and R&B music is that he grew up annoyed at how so many singers unnecessarily showboat just to prove that they can sing. It got to a point where if he ever watched an undiscovered talent or an established recording artist perform the national anthem, or saw/heard an audition that required singing, he would dread it almost immediately because he knew that the singer would try to do those vocal acrobats. This hot take of his was never a secret and would earn him a mixed reception, specifically from R&B fans, even when he was still a child.

 

So, whenever he would sing a cover of a pop/R&B song at a talent show or audition, he kept the ad-libs and riffs to a minimum on purpose, and still managed to keep people’s attention. His main inspiration behind this technique was Elizabeth Wolfgramm, the lead singer of The Jets who never overdid it and still managed to keep audiences engaged.

 

In addition to The Jets, Jacob Latimore, and Diggy Simmons, other influences of Wally’s include Aaron Fresh, Mindless Behavior, Jesse McCartney, Mary J Blige, P!nk, Allstar Weekend, Lloyd, Lil’ Romeo, and B5, among so much more!

 

Okay, back to the story. Wally was also active in the world of talent shows and stage plays, and sometimes the two would star in the same commercials or sing/rap together as a duo, which could explain why by the age of 9 when they started the fourth grade, neither felt ready to pursue a solo singing career, whether or not they would do anything else together.

 

In the beginning of their 4^th grade year, Wally and TJ met the Puerto Rican born Oscar Nero, who didn’t have the most positive experiences as a singer, dancer, actor, or person. Born in San Juan on July 24, 2004, Oscar Nero is of Afro-Puerto Rican descent. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Oscar was already an adoptee. He always knew that he was adopted, and he knew about his birth parents at a very young age, because his foster parents Trina and Alonso Nero (also Afro-Puerto Rican themselves) wanted to be honest with him and let him know exactly where he came from.

 

His birth parents were teenagers when they had him, with his birth mother Joseline Melendez being 15 and the biological father Ricky Morales being 16. Trina and Alonso were 26 and 27, respectively, when they adopted Oscar in 2004 shortly after his birth, so they already knew who his bio parents were, and even asked if they wanted to keep in touch to see how Oscar was doing (they basically wanted Oscar to know where he came from). Of course, the birth parents said no, but their respective parents (behind Joseline and Ricky's backs) agreed to stay in touch with Trina and Alonso, knowing that the two foster parents were going to be great parents for baby Oscar, and promised that if he ever wanted to know about his birth parents, the door would always be open.

 

Trina couldn't physically have kids herself, and thought that would be enough for her husband Alonso to leave her. But with or without a child, Alonso could not imagine a life without her, saying, "If you and I ever want kids, there's always room for adoption." Eventually, that led to them legally adopting Oscar. To both of them – and even to Oscar himself – it was always meant to be.

 

But as Oscar's birth parents put it, when he finally got to meet them when he was 9, it was just a hookup, he was an accident, it shouldn’t have happened, and neither wanted to keep him. Little Oscar’s heart dropped when they gave him that revelation. He was so embarrassed and heartbroken that he was lost on what to say after that. He hadn’t seen or heard from his birth parents since, but still keeps in touch with his biological grandparents, who he has a great relationship with to this day. His foster parents felt responsible for his devastation, because they didn’t want to keep his background a secret from him. But he assured them he didn’t blame them. “I wanted to know for myself, and now I know.” Outside his foster parents and extended bio/foster family, he never connected with anyone (staff or student) at school until he moved to Lake Balboa and met Wally and TJ at the beginning of the fourth grade. As they got to know each other, he told them about his story as an adoptee, and they eventually became his safe space and eventually a second family for him.

 

Oscar already had the early “signs” (for a lack of better term) that he might be gay. One time, in the third grade (while still living in San Juan), 8-year-old Oscar absent-mindedly stared at a male fifth grader’s bare chest during a basketball game at PE class, and when another male student noticed, that student laughed at him and said, “¿Qué estás mirando, maricón (in English, that translates to: What are you lookin’ at, fag)?” which caught Oscar off-guard, so much so, that he ran away from the area. Kids were already gossiping about Oscar because he was reserved, boring (in their opinion), and polite, and didn’t say too much until he had to or felt like it. Even homophobic and sexist faculty members joked about it. It was so bad for Oscar that he made it point to stay as invisible as he possibly could. He would realize years later that isolating yourself doesn’t solve anything. But at the time, when his foster parents told him that they were moving to Lake Balboa, Los Angeles (where he would attend Stagg Street Elementary School with TJ and Wally), Oscar was more than happy to leave Puerto Rico and start fresh in California.

 

His two new friends Wally and TJ always made him feel welcome, though Oscar never talked about the possibility that he could be gay, or the kids back in Puerto Rico spreading rumors about him being gay (and TJ and Wally were never even aware of their own sexualities at the time, so they had nothing to bring up as well). He wasn’t ready to talk to anyone about that, not even to his foster parents. Although he did accidentally overhear his foster parents randomly talking in the middle of the night about the kids and adults back in San Juan gossiping about Oscar prior to their move, worrying if that's why he didn’t talk to a lot of other kids before moving to California. They agreed that they wouldn’t force Oscar to open up about anything that he may not feel ready to open up about, and that they will always love him for who he is, not in spite of who he is. That moment gave him some hope, but it would be many years – following a mistake he makes in high school – before he finally realized that his foster parents meant what they said.

 

On the performance and entertainment side, Oscar didn’t have as much experience as Wally and TJ, but loved to sing, dance, and act. Musically, his influences were Menudo, Marc Anthony, Mario, Usher, Richard Lugo, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Shawn Desman, Blake McGrath, 3T, Patra, The Fugees, Shontelle, Billy Crawford, and Craig David.

 

While still living in Puerto Rico, he always auditioned for a variety of shows/movies/talent shows but always got rejected once people realized that he was Afro-Latino. For most people, it wasn’t that easy to tell, but he never denied it or hid it. And as a result, he never once tried auditioning for anything created by the Mexican-based Televisa. It was disheartening for his foster parents who always encouraged him to not give up, but he was tired of always being shown the door, especially during an era where Afro-Latino actors, rappers and singers were still forced to just play the generic roles of typical African-Americans. Plus, the most common feedback he would get was, “Decent singing voice, but definitely attractive for the ladies, so who cares?” He didn’t want to be remembered for his looks, he wanted to be known for his talent. It was getting to the point where he didn’t think he was the right fit for entertainment.

 

So, when he moved to Lake Balboa, he mostly focused on school and just being a kid, and didn’t really want to risk rejection again, so he never auditioned for anything in Los Angeles, *at first*. However, it was clear to even his foster parents, Wally, and TJ that he missed it. The two friends knew about his situation as an Afro-Latino in Puerto Rico, and agreed that he should try again when he was ready, even if he had to be more assertive. Until then, he really looked up to both of them and admired TJ’s triple-threat energy and Wally’s artistry. If nothing else, Oscar felt more at home with his two new friends.

 

And after Wally won a talent competition that earned him a spot in a boy band being put together – quickly known as G-Heartbreak (what a horrible name) – TJ (after congratulating Wally) instantly had a secret lightbulb moment: “Wait, that’s it! A boy band.” And both TJ and Oscar would follow and support Wally on his journey as a G-Heartbreak member.

 

Little did TJ and Oscar realize - at first - what kind of experience G-Heartbreak would turn out to be for Wally.

 

G-Heartbreak was quintet created in 2014 by small-time talent manager Tyler Kash who was looking to cash in (get it?) on the 2010s boy band resurgence that gave us Mindless Behavior, Big Time Rush, The Wanted, and especially One Direction. The group consisted of Jackson O’Brien (13), Kevin Peterson (11), Wally himself (10), Reed McPhearson (12), and Cameron Webber (12). G-Heartbreak was a predominantly white group, with only one exception: Wally, the only Black member and the youngest to join. This immediately created friction — not because of Wally, but because of the other boys’ immaturity, insecurity, and the adults around the group.

 

Behind the scenes, G-Heartbreak was disorganized, poorly managed, undisciplined, petty, mean-spirited, racist, racially insensitive, and motivated by ego not teamwork. The kids mimicked the toxic adults surrounding them. And Wally, slowly but surely, became the main target. He came into the group being the most talented, the most professional, the most disciplined, the most educated, the most experienced as a performer, and (to the group’s earliest fanbase) the nicest, funniest and most relatable. Even the early fans said (as a compliment) that he was the only one that truly was an artist, and visually the most distinctive because everyone else who was White (and blonde-ish) was very arrogant, bland, looked too much alike and were just not very good at singing. Heck, even TJ and Oscar couldn’t you a positive thing about the other members. Oscar was personally over the “traditional white boy band” thing, and agreed with TJ and the fans that Wally was easily the best thing to happen to that horrible group, not the other way around.

 

The G-Heartbreak bandmates mocked Wally’s hair, his voice, his style, his mannerisms, his dancing, and his skin tone. They mocked him for being “too loud,” then mocked him for being “too quiet.” Tyler Kash gaslit him, saying, “You have to toughen up. This is just how boy bands work.” That was a lie; it was abuse. And after five months, Wally was not having it anymore.

 

One early afternoon, Wally had just finished rehearsal for a mall tour in Encino. He was alone in a food court and seemed really sad, looking like he had been crying, at least from the perspective of another fourth grader who accidentally spotted him. Enter the fourth grader Cyrus Farber, who debated whether or not it was a bad time to approach him. But he quickly built enough courage to do so, introduce himself, and let Wally know that he sounded really great during the soundcheck. He also mentioned that he had seen Wally and TJ’s performances and was a fan of theirs. Wally – who was a little timid – smiled at Cyrus’ feedback, and appreciated, and softly thanked Cyrus. When Wally asked Cyrus if he was a singer, too, Cyrus said, "Yes, but my parents won’t let me pursue a singing career, or even perform at a talent show. They want me to pursue sports, which I really don’t wanna do, you know?”

 

Let’s rewind all the way back and discuss Cyrus Farber. He was born on January 12, 2004 to Jewish parents Tobias Farber and Jane Farber in Woodland Hills, and raised in the gated communities of Encino. They were Jewish by ethnicity and religion. But even without fully understanding why, Cyrus couldn’t feel less attached to the religion (and he would end up outgrowing the religion much later in life). Either way, he was raised in a strict religious and conservative upbringing, and his parents were already pushing him to do things that typical “normal boys” should be doing, in their opinion.

 

Cyrus attended Lanai Road Elementary School. And by the time he was in the second grade, he was already playing basketball. And although he was great at the sport (still is to this day), and even the best on his local team, winning several trophies, it wasn’t his passion. His passion was singing and dancing. In fact, a lot of his favorite music came from Black music artists, ranging from R&B, to hip hop, to Gospel, to rock, to neo-soul (the latter of which he was least familiar with by name, but accidentally discovered it via Maxwell, D'Angelo, and Kina Cosper (a former member of Brownstone)). He also loved writing and drawing. And by the time he had reached the end of the second grade, he was reading about astronomy and geography.

 

Also, by that time, Cyrus often heard kids make fun of other kids who may or may not be gay. Cyrus was taught that homosexuality was sinful, and men and women are each supposed to behave a certain way. Each gender had a specific gender role that they had to play, and Cyrus didn’t… really feel that way. He didn’t know why, but he always got offended and heated whenever someone at home, church or school would comment negatively on homosexuality, and often wondered, “Is it really a sin?” Even his own father complained about television and film "pushing the gay agenda."

 

Speaking of which, Cyrus’s parents did not like the fact that he was spending more time singing and dancing (doing anything art-related basically), and less time playing sports. He never wanted to disappoint his parents, especially his dad. Tobias was VERY tough and abrasive, had a VERY firm hand, and was VERY critical of Cyrus’s behavior, choices and personal interests. He always put Cyrus down for any little mistake that was made (sometimes physically), and had an "I'm right, you're wrong, end of story" attitude towards Cyrus, which would make it difficult for Cyrus to communicate with him, the older he got. But Cyrus didn’t want to play sports full-time anymore. He wanted to sing and dance.

 

Cyrus was often told to stop being so soft. But unlike Wally, Cyrus (due to his conservative upbringing) gave in, ultimately believing, “I must be perfect to be worthy.” So, whenever someone (even unintentionally) made him feel unseen, he reacted with defensiveness, frustration, urgency, loudness, fear, depression, and anger. Interestingly enough, Cyrus might have suppressed his depression and anger (sometimes), but he was far from a shy person.

 

There was one family member who saw through Cyrus’ passion and struggles, and that was his uncle Jake Farber, a music teacher the younger brother of Tobias in his early 30s. Jake was always liberal and a parental figure for Cyrus in a way that made Cyrus feel safe and seen. Jake also saw musical potential in Cyrus. He knew that Cyrus was very attracted to rhythm, drumming anything from a table - until his father ordered him harshly to stop doing that - to his stomach, knees and thighs, until Uncle Jake gave him his first set of drums and bongos. Even when Cyrus was playing basketball, music was all he could think of, and by the time he was 8, he developed a personal taste in artists like the Bee Gees, Earth Wind & Fire, the Isley Brothers, Kina Cosper, Eternal, Toni Braxton, Keyshia Cole, B5, Luther Vandross, New Edition, Tonex, Phyllis Hyman, Teena Marie, Jon B, Guy Sebastain, Gorillaz, the list goes on. And going to a public elementary school allowed Cyrus to be exposed to R&B, rock, and pop, something that his parents don’t listen to. And he even got to join a Gospel choir in his elementary school, which bothered his parents because he’s Jewish. Regardless, it was through his time in the choir, that he learned how to properly sing. And Uncle Jake knew that Cyrus’ true calling was not sports, no matter how great an athlete Cyrus was and still is.

 

As for his singing, he was a powerful, dark and edgy singer. His falsetto was never strong, which didn’t matter to him anyway, so it didn’t bother him. When he was using his head voice, he was conveying emotions, and sometimes his most powerful moments sounded like shouting (think Johnny Gill, Jennifer Hudson, or Tyler Joseph from Twenty One Pilots), which could have led to the future popular opinion that he was doing too much. But when he would use his chest voice, his vocals were more restrained, soulful, and comfortable (not to mention a little sassier), which he inherited from learning how to properly sing while in the Gospel choir. Luckily around his time in the choir, Cyrus would find a vocal balance that has ultimately saved him from having a drastically different/weaker voice in the future.

 

So even without any experience in the entertainment/music industry, he was just as busy as Wally and TJ. Which takes us back to the day Cyrus met Wally for the first time. As an everyday kid, Cyrus never had a true group of friends until 2014, when he accidentally spotted a sad Wally who had just finished rehearsal for a mall tour in Encino, and the two instantly clicked. It was a very lovely conversation between the two, so much so that they lost track of time. Luckily, it was certainly not the last they had seen of or heard from each other, as they remained in touch immediately after that first meeting.

 

Two weeks later, during vocal rehearsal, an argument escalated into a full-on confrontation. 13-year-old groupmate Jackson told Wally he was “lucky to even be a group.” After that, Wally walked out and never came back. He stopped communicating with the boys and their management. This was a major blow for G-Heartbreak as they had to do a school tour in just two more days, and now they just had to figure it out themselves without Wally’s influence or undisputed talent. They did carry on for three more months, but fans who wanted to see Wally (aka the ONLY reason fans, and future S.O.5 members gave G-Heartbreak a chance) had tuned out once Wally immediately put the rest of the group and their management on blast just hours after quitting. How many 10-year-olds were this open and honest about industry abuse and drama within a singing group? Oscar was more scared than ever to try again as a performer himself after learning the truth about Wally’s experience. But you can imagine Cyrus’ immediate vocal support after Wally revealed everything about G-Heartbreak via social media.

 

And news of Wally’s exit and why he left became the talk of the school hallways. Practically every elementary/junior high kid in the San Fernando Valley was aware of this, and an Anatola Elementary student named Marcel Ortiz – who had followed the group mainly for Wally – was in shock that Wally was really treated this unfairly; not just by other kids, but by adults as well. He didn’t even know Wally (or any of Wally’s four friends), and still found his tragic story to be relatable in so many ways. More on Marcel later.

 

 

 

So, G-Heartbreak was over, after just eight months together. And while it didn’t take long for Wally to start fresh in his career, the others – Jackson, Kevin, Reed, and Cameron – have since kept a low profile following the backlash they received from Wally’s accusations, which the majority of fans believed, as they did notice some awkward tension and how Wally was treated compared to the others. Hell, even Tyler Kash has pretty much disappeared after fans called him out for his mistreatment towards Wally, as well as his response to Wally’s accusation – calling Wally ungrateful, a royal pain in the ass, and difficult to work with. Racial subtext? Uh, yeah. And even TJ thinks so.

 

In fact, TJ – who personally wouldn’t have lasted in that group despite being “white-passing” – had noticed G-Heartbreak’s dynamic when attending one of their mall tours. And when Wally told him what was going on (days before quitting the group), it all made sense to TJ.

 

Wally’s parents and TJ’s parents were absolutely disgusted when they found out about what happened and made sure that Wally’s five former groupmates and their manager Tyler Kash never worked in the industry ever again, hence why you never hear from the G-Heartbreak members or their management again.

 

This unfortunate era for Wally didn’t stop Wally or TJ from persuading Oscar to give his own career aspirations another shot. Slowly but surely, after a much-needed push from his family and two best friends, Oscar managed to book his first acting role in an episode of NCIS Los Angeles where he did get to speak Bilingual, played a singing role on an episode of East Los High (which allowed him to play a Puerto Rican kid, instead of a Mexican kid), and did a couple of commercials for Chuck E Cheese and Universal Studios Hollywood. However, he was still not ready to take a chance with Televisa (“Uh-uh.”) given their history with racism and colorism amongst the non-Eurocentric performers, but he didn’t completely rule it out this time.

 

 

By the time Wally was done with G-Heartbreak, TJ had already come up with a potential name for a group that he initially treated as just an idea: "Space Otters Five". The name was just a random collection of words put together, because he liked science fiction, thought otters were cute, and joked to himself that 5 would be the magic number for a boyband, not that he was trying to be traditional. But he also shortened the name to S.O.5 because according to him, it was less of a mouthful and didn’t sound as childish. Plus, "S.O.5" looked like “SOS”, as if somebody was sending him an SOS for a safe space. And that “somebody” in this case could have been Wally, who needed to get out of G-Heartbreak as soon as possible. And with the help from TJ’s parents – his dad Miles Kippen being a lawyer – TJ was able to trademark the names "S.O.5" and “Space Otters Five” just in case. And any future member would also have equal legal rights to the name and the future music as well, not their future management or future record label. But TJ would keep the S.O.5 concept a secret until further notice.

 

In the meantime, during the 5th grade, Wally introduced TJ and Oscar to Cyrus who came to Wally’s house that day (still in his basketball uniform, after finishing practice), and all four of them clicked instantly. Cyrus told them about himself, his family, and his love of singing and dancing, and they were just impressed by Cyrus’ passion for music – and even blown away by Cyrus’ singing voice – to the point where all four of them (yes, including Cyrus himself) forgot that he was a full-time athlete and not pursuing a singing/musical career. They even loved his raw acapella cover of Eternal’s version of “Amazing Grace.” What a fantastic voice.

 

He didn’t really go into too much detail about his relationship with his parents because he didn't want to overwhelm them. But the others could tell that he was embarrassed (and even a little scared) to talk about them, so they didn’t push for clarity. But Cyrus did say that they were pretty strict and conservative, and don’t really believe in his potential.

 

He related to Oscar over their reluctance, Wally over feeling like you have to toughen up, and TJ over how whiteness could clash with their love of Black music.

 

It was also noticeable that he had more positive energy when he would talk about his Uncle Jake, implying (at least to his 3 new friends) that Cyrus doesn’t really get along with his parents at all.

Unsurprisingly, his parents don’t like Wally, Oscar, or especially TJ, the latter of whom Tobias quietly described as fruity during a "private" conversation with Jane, thinking that Cyrus didn't hear him.

 

But Uncle Jake knew instantly that Wally, Oscar, and TJ were the best people to ever enter Cyrus’s life, as he has never seen Cyrus so happy to be around kids his age until he met his 3 new friends. They didn't even have to attend the same elementary school.

 

After enough time had passed, and school was finally out for the summer vacation 2015 after completing the fifth grade and graduating from Stagg, TJ approached Wally, saying that he had an idea of starting a boy band from scratch, and told him about the S.O.5 concept. TJ wanted to form a group with boys he loved, boys he trusted, boys who wouldn’t tear each other down, boys who wanted to sing about real things, not just fake-girlfriend fantasies. And he asked Wally if he would like to join the group. Wally thought the idea sounded great, but was torn about joining, not wanting to go through what he went through with G-Heartbreak. His time in G-Heartbreak broke something in him — not his confidence, but his trust in the industry and in other kids. And TJ’s response was the promise that shaped the next decade: “It won’t be like that this time. I swear. Not with me or anyone else.”

 

After Wally eventually said yes, he and TJ both approached Oscar about it, with TJ explaining the whole idea behind it. Because Oscar trusted them and already looked up to them as his biggest inspirations personally, professionally, and artistically, it was easy for him to immediately say, “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” And just like with Wally, Oscar didn’t even have to audition. The boys heard him sing plenty of times and love the way he dances, and saw him as an equal in their dynamic, which made it that much easier to approach Oscar about it. And his foster parents were especially happy that his two best friends from school were giving him an opportunity to express himself in a way that perhaps certain managements wouldn’t have allowed him to do.

 

And during their summer vacation, Cyrus would see the other three again during their new student orientation for incoming 6th graders at William Mulholland Middle School, and after the orientation was over, the three friends approached Cyrus about maybe joining S.O.5. Cyrus found the concept very interesting and unique. He immediately said yes, ultimately shifting his focus away from basketball, which he was thankful for, and his parents were very upset about. More importantly, Cyrus didn’t know it yet, but S.O.5 would save his life, not once but plenty of times, later in life.

 

Fast forward to the sixth grade in Fall 2015. Oscar met his Math classmate Marcel Ortiz on the second day of school. And Oscar seemed like a really sweet and down-to-earth person, which was very refreshing for Marcel, who - because of his history of being bullied - was hesitant to be close with anyone. So, naturally, he did not mention to Oscar that he can sing. Marcel had seen Oscar hang out with Wally, Cyrus, and TJ a few times, and was actually starstruck when he saw Wally at the 6th grade new student orientation during the summer.

 

A couple of weeks later, after school, Marcel was in the school’s empty basketball gym singing to himself to avoid any unwanted attention or judgment. He was absent-mindedly singing Whitney Houston’s "You'll Never Stand Alone" (a song that meant so much to him). He thought he was alone because it had been over an hour since anyone was inside the gym, until he noticed Oscar walking in. He felt so embarrassed that he was about to leave the gym, but Oscar pleaded with him to stay, saying that he had a really lovely voice.

 

Now let’s go back to Marcel’s history to understand why it seems like Marcel has been keeping his singing abilities a secret. Known to use his head voice quite often towards the end of a bridge before ad-libbing with both his head and chest voice, our classically trained singer Marcel Ortiz was born and raised in Lake Balboa to Mexican-American parents Jesuso Ortiz and Emmy Serratos-Ortiz on August 26, 2004. And while most babies and toddlers get very fussy and throw tantrums when they don’t get their way, Marcel was the total opposite. He was very quiet, reserved, and shy, and if he didn’t get his way, he didn’t argue or ask why; he just simply said, “Okay,” and moved on.

 

But one way that he was able to express himself was through his growing appreciation of classical music, musical theatre, pop/R&B/rock balladry, Gospel, and even soap operas/telenovelas.

 

He found his voice through vocal powerhouses like Kina Cosper, Luther Vandross, Celine Dion, Cristian Castro, Jade Ewen, Audra McDonald, Adele, Whitney Houston, Il Volo, Yolanda Adams, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, and David Archuleta. And with enough vocal training, his voice became one of the strongest and most powerful, by the time he was six years old.

 

SIX. YEARS. OLD!

 

It’s actually amazing to know how far he’s come since he started singing. There’s a video footage from his parents of him singing Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” when he was only three years old. Marcel doesn’t like watching that because he was very off-key and pitchy. But his parents think it’s the most adorable thing ever. Besides, even the best singers in the world start off shaky.

 

His introduction into musical theatre was Audra McDonald, not via a theatre production, but through a film adaptation of the stage play “A Raisin in the Sun” in 2008. Her performance as an actress stood out to him the most, and online research led to Marcel realizing that Audra not only used to also be in the theatre version of “A Raisin in the Sun,” but is also a singer herself. And to this day, Marcel credits Audra for introducing him to Broadway.

 

During Marcel’s third grade year, his very first performance happened in a school talent show held in his elementary school Anatola Elementary School, where he got to sing “You’ll Never Stand Alone” by Whitney Houston, which received a standing ovation from adults (remember this) and earned him a first-place trophy, to his shock. He almost didn’t show up on-stage because he was deathly afraid to perform. Marcel needed the push from Jesuso, literally, as he was backstage with him, while Emmy was in the back audience taping his performance up-close (Marcel is prouder to watch that footage). He chose the song because it wasn’t a single, nor was it a well-known song, and he didn’t want to sing the same pop ballads that most would expect contestants to sing. So, no "Greatest Love of All" or "I Will Always Love You." And honestly? He made the right call. That song would end up being the soundtrack to his life and the lives of his four future best friends.

 

Unfortunately, because of his shyness and refusal to argue, he gained a reputation of being a pushover, which made him an easy target for bullying and seemingly incapable of standing up for himself. Marcel would constantly get mocked for being “too sensitive” or "too soft" with many blaming it on him being Mexican. He would even have relatives (around his parents’ age or much older) who are also Mexican complain about him looking ugly, unattractive, annoying, girly, curly-haired, and nerdy, and always tucking in his shirt even on very hot days.

 

He didn’t talk to his parents about anything negative going on in his life, because he was starting to believe that he was indeed annoying, and always felt like he was complaining too much or that he should just ignore it and move on, like he normally would. But make no mistake, by the end of his elementary school days, there were times when he would come home from school and walk to his bedroom, crying himself to sleep. He’d tell his parents that everything was fine, but they always felt like something was wrong.

 

One of those things was the backlash he received from schoolmates after his talent show performance. Although parents and staff members were blown away by Marcel’s singing voice, his manners and his youthful maturity (all of which earned him the “old soul” compliment), Marcel would often hear from classmates about how loud, irritating and “gay” his singing voice was. One female classmate (who would pass away in 2017 at age 13, may she rest in Hell) even said to him, "I liked you better when you were quiet." This really broke him as he loved to sing. And even his parents noticed that he had stopped singing by the fourth grade. He never told them what students thought of him, out of the fear that they would accuse him of being gay. They never said anything that implied that they may be homophobic, but Marcel was not taking that chance. So, he kept quiet, as always. And then came the news about Wally’s exit from G-Heartbreak.

 

Which takes us back to the basketball gym in the Fall of 2015. By this time, Marcel had started singing again, but only to himself whenever he was alone, to avoid any unwanted attention or judgment. So, for Oscar to praise Marcel's singing voice, it was shocking for Marcel because no kid before Oscar had anything nice to say about his voice. At this point, Marcel decided to tell Oscar about his journey as a singer, and his influences, as well as why he hadn't been singing for a couple of years. And Oscar tells him about a group that he's a part of called S.O.5 with Wally, Cyrus, and TJ, thinking that Marcel would be a good fit after meeting them.

 

He decided to give it a shot, but secretly hated the idea of being the new guy. He wondered, "Are they going to like me? What if I'm not the right singer for their group? What if I'm too boring?"

 

And when he finally met them at lunch, he told them about his background as a singer, and why he hadn't been singing consistently. They could tell from his tone that he was really nervous to speak to them, and a little shy, but knew that there was something special about him. And one Friday afternoon after school in the Lake Balboa park, when he sang "You'll Never Stand Alone" to them, they were all blown away, with Wally saying that he had chills and was almost in tears.

 

The timid Marcel asked, "Really? Does that mean you liked it?" And Wally said, "I love it!" Luckily for Wally, Marcel's powerful theatricality is one of the best and most controlled he's ever heard.

 

The rest of the friend group agreed, and Marcel was emotional and happy. Of course, since he was now stepping into not just a singing group, an established friend group, he knew that he would need some time to get to know everyone together and individually, which he did.

 

They understood that he had no experience as a dancer but is a fast learner. And Marcel was just happy that these 4 guys actually liked him, and were welcoming him into their world. And today, the others agree that he's the special gift that was missing in S.O.5.

Flaming Bros San Fernando - Season 4 (2018)

 

Season 4 (2018)

                                    

                                    

Season 4 continues the transitioning era that started in Season 3 following. Filming for this make-or-break season began in November 2017 and ended on February 2018, airing from June to August 2018, and consisting of 17 episodes.

Matthew Frias, Enrique Sapene, Jason Caceres, Alastair Patton-Garcia, Rafael Luis Silva, Aiden Lee-Halley, and CJ Niner all return as main cast members, and they are joined by new main cast member Rudy Martinez.

         

And joining as the lone friend-of this season is Junior Rivera.

With the Sylmar Sinners finally gone, the show can kindly carry on. Several more cast members are on the chopping block, too. But patience is a virtue. Rafa doesn’t have to worry about David’s presence anymore, and he can happily forget about Alex Paredes like he normally does.

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In addition to working as a stable hand and exercise rider at the Sylmar-based Monteverde Ranch Equestrian Center (where Alastair and Zachary Patton-Garcia’s wedding took place), Rafa has taken the opportunity to act in a new short film called “Narrator Syndrome (2018).” And we see Rafa in therapy in Episode 1 and learn that although he’s done a great job of setting boundaries with people who bring nothing but negative energy to him, he doesn’t know if he will truly get over what happened between him and David. Rafa doesn’t live in Sylmar; he lives in the City of San Fernando. But he *does* work in Sylmar because that’s where Monteverde Ranch is based, and he visits CJ who lives in Foothill. And as CJ confirmed about a month after David was reportedly fired from the show, David doesn’t live in Dronfield anymore, having moved back to Compton as he could no longer afford to live anywhere in the SFV. FBSF⛈️ - and more specifically Rafa - was literally what put food on the table for David. Enrique didn’t do shit for David, but that’s kind of on David for always needing Enrique in the first place given their decade-plus-long relationship as sworn enemies. But because Sylmar is a small neighborhood and the City of San Fernando is a small town (literally), Rafa dreads the possibility of crossing paths with someone else connected to David at any point (especially when you consider that last season, Karlo and Tino spent an entire season hating on Rafa and lying on Rafa), and given what happens to him a few episodes later, he was right to be worried, which brings us to our first newbie.

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David may as well live on because a new storm cloud refuses to let Rafa take shelter: Rudy Martinez, born on July 8, 1985.

“Oh God, what is Short Shit doing here?” CJ says about Rudy on Episode 9.

Introduced through Enrique during the midpoint of Episode 1, Rudy is a close friend of Enrique, and therefore an automatic addition to the Bullies & Snobs circle (of course), replacing the now-ousted Alex Paredes with very little effort. He instantly gets along well with Jason and Aiden who find him to be a breath of fresh air. I assume that they mean that he's a breath of fresh air by *their* standards?

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 Rafa after they meet in Episode 2 due to Rudy's own vulgar and insensitive personality – as Rafa puts it via confessional in Episode 2 – leading to Rudy giving Rafa two unfortunate nicknames: Blahfael and Blahfa. So, if you already thought Rafa was boring, you can thank Rudy for giving him those pitiful nicknames. He fails to make amends with Rafa, not that either party really cares.

And then past the midseason (Episode 9), there was the Granada Hills restaurant called the Odyssey. Enrique said that every main cast member is to attend, which The Amigos are not thrilled about *at all*. Before getting there, CJ whines about it, asking, “Do we really have to go? I’ve never even heard of the Odyssey. It already sounds bland.” Rafa -  because it’s gift and curse to be a Silva - unintentionally foreshadows later events by saying, “We may as well. Knowing Enrique, it’s bound to be a brunch from Hell, so we probably won’t stay there for too long.” And surprise, surprise, Rudy pulls his usual antics with Rafa, Alastair, Matthew, and CJ, being super annoying physically and/or verbally (depending on the target), which can get you brutally popped by Rafa, if you’re not careful. Ain’t that right, Cory Zwierzunski? Rudy’s childish antics brings joy from Jason, Aiden, and Enrique – the last of whom is STILL in the main cast giving absolutely nothing. After Rafa finally yells at him to “KNOCK IT OFF!”, Rafa storms out of the restaurant, leading to Rudy (acting confused) to try and follow him and say, “What, man? 🤷🏾” Immediately, Matthew runs to Rudy and blocks him from following Rafa, telling him “Hey man, don’t follow him, okay? Don’t even think about it; just leave him alone.” So, instead, Rudy just yells out to Rafa, "YOU KNOW WHAT, RAFA? THIS IS WHY DAVID HATES YOU!"

Lord, why did Rudy say that? Everyone is shocked.

As soon as Rafa hears that, he walks back in Rudy’s face and dares him to say that again, which Rudy happily does with a smile on his face, and WITHOUT hesitation. This causes Rafa to grab a wine bottle and run to Rudy, but Alastair, Matthew, and CJ hold Rafa back, which does nothing to stop Rafa from THROWING THE WINE BOTTLE AT RUDY. That’s how Episode 9 ends, and then Episode 10 picks up where they left off with Rafa throwing the bottle at Rudy. We see that Rafa miraculously misses (barely), 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 respond to that, but of course Enrique immediately pulls his usual anti-Rafa antics, telling him that he should be in jail for what he did (not caring that Rudy started it), as if Rafa gives a flying fuck about Enrique's opinion at this point. Rafa doesn't say anything to Enrique *yet*, but Alastair says, "Enrique... shut the fuck up, and go back to your little Chihuahua [referring to Rudy]." Another quotable moment from Mr. Alastair. 🤠

Rafa is a work in progress, but if you really have a death wish, make fun of his trauma and abuse. And he will zap you with a lightning bolt if you let him.

But why did Rudy mention David? Has he spoken to David? Does he know David? Is he friends with David? Is he dating David? Nobody knows. And Rafa doesn’t know either, nor is he interested in finding out. He just wants Rudy to stay the fuck away from him, or else.

And when Enrique tries AGAIN to get Rafa to talk him, demanding an explanation for his childish behavior (typical Enrique being a fucking hypocrite while still being a non-factor in his own show), Rafa finally gives in, and tells Enrique what he NEEDS to hear:

Rafa: Okay, let me get something straight with you, Enrique. I never came on to this show to be a punching bag. And since joining the show, it has been Hell. Your so-called friends, who you DO NOT like, have always been determined to take me down because they think I’m boring. But the truth is, they need me. And so do you, otherwise none of you have a storyline.

Enrique: *shakes head* No.

Rafa: Don’t you shake your head at me, old man, because you know I’m right.

Enrique: *Gets closer to Rafa* Hey, watch it--

Rafa: Or what? You're gonna fire me? You can deny it all you want, but without me, you wouldn’t have a show, period. But nothing that you and your minions have done to me compares to what David has put me through. I thought he was my friend because at the time, he was always nice to my face. And I got so much hate for sticking up for him and trusting him despite his behavior; people still hate me to this day for not noticing his ulterior motives. I’m still paying that price today, just so you know.

Enrique: *bored and monotone* Well, I’m glad you’re finally owning your shit for once—

Rafa: I’m not done. With Rudy, who he is, as a person, made no sense. And yet, the way he’s been acting was strangely familiar, but louder. I took David’s bullshit for three seasons, and I’m not gonna do it again with Rudy. If you wanna keep being around Rudy, that’s your right. But starting now, you will not make me co-exist with him ever again. Have a nice day. *walks away*

Rafa has criticized Enrique’s questionable role before (calling Enrique garbage at the Season 2 reunion comes to mind quite often), but this was the first time he demanded anything specific from Enrique, and it was very satisfying to watch, despite what it took to get to that point.

There is one thing that fans are left wondering: if Rudy IS friends with David, what would that do to Rudy’s friendship with/alliance to Enrique, Jason and Aiden? Because they do NOT like David AT ALL, and the feeling is certainly mutual. If there is any connection between Rudy and David, it’s left unexplored. But one thing is definitely for sure: Rudy is a “team player” type of person. So, if he is indeed friends with David, then that makes him more of a replacement for David than that of Alex Paredes. And David (even off-screen) would end up having what Jason had in Season 1: too much power, which I and so many fans *DO NOT WANT*, for the sake of The Amigos, especially Rafa who has been through too much.

Anyway, Rafa does not engage in any conversation with Rudy for the rest of the season, which is probably for the best. And Rudy starts fading into the background, almost to the point of me forgetting about him until he reappears and it’s like, “Oh… you’re still here?”

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

In Episode 4, after so many rumors about Jason and Aiden’s friendship (dating all the way back to Season 1, in which David accused Jason of cheating on Christian (“single white female much?”) – or even the 2013 sizzle which visually made things even more clear, Jason and Aiden FINALLY come clean to their respective husbands that they were indeed not just best friends, but also friends with benefits. In fact, they first met in person via Grindr in early 2012, while Jason and Christian were already boyfriends, and Aiden and Z Halley were already engaged. I mean, really...

And apparently, they never stopped their one-on-one escapades, despite the fact that Jason and Christian were already seeing each other in 2011, and Aiden and Z were already engaged. Aiden knew that the other was taken but didn't care. Christian was never aware of Aiden and Jason's little encounters until the filming of this season. But we viewers called it from Aiden's debut in Season 2. And in retrospect, we had already put two and two together when Aiden came into the show and David said that something was oddly familiar about Aiden. And now we know that in Season 1, David was talking about Jason cheating with Aiden, before David even knew who Aiden was. We still don’t even like David, and we can honestly say that the (thankfully) former cast member was right about one thing: Jason is unfaithful, has always BEEN unfaithful, and does NOT care who he hurts as long as it’s not him OR Aiden.

And anyone behind the scenes who watched the sizzle will tell you that this is why they didn’t want Aiden on the show.

Man, for such a reality show, I can’t help but say, “Talk about a fucking telenovela!” Right, Enrique? But Televisa has nothing on these horny bitches.

And the whole time we’re finding this out, we can’t help but feel bad for Christian, a nice person with a horrible husband, who was initially a horrible boyfriend and fiancé. If Jason’s off-screen family (parents and brother) were aware of what Jason and Aiden were doing behind Christian’s back, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were all for it given how much they didn’t care for Christian.

But at least Jason and Aiden are getting their overdue comeuppance.

The only question remains: do they care that Christian feels betrayed?

I think the answer is almost assuredly “no.”

Because, believe it or not, there's more to Jason's complicated relationship with Christian than what we were barely allowed to see in the past 3 seasons. And Season 4 documents the two at their worst.

After Jason comes clean to Christian about having an affair with Aiden, Christian is torn on how to move on from this. He even says to Jason in Episode 7, "Your parents and brother always found me boring and not spicy at all. Did you always feel that way about me, too?" Jason hesitates to answer but eventually says no.

Christian wants to try and make their marriage work. It's clear that he really, REALLY loves Jason, but as the now-invisible David said in season 1, Jason doesn't care about Christian; never did, never has, never will.

Throughout Season 4, after many glimpses in previous seasons, we really start to see (or get confirmation of) how controlling Jason really is to Christian, often critiquing Christian’s clothes in Episode 1, shading his artsy appearance in Episode 12, and ironically complaining about his interactions with Rafa (yeah, we’re back to that) on Episode 2.

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

The breaking point between Jason and Christian occurs during Episode 16, which is the season finale, in a car ride on their way to Enrique's house, where a finale party is taking place. The core four is not invited, of course, just Jason, Aiden, Rudy, Junior, Enrique’s brother Carlos, and Enrique’s husband Danny. But Aiden’s not able to come to the party. Jason is driving and doesn't look like he's in the mood to talk.

Christian: *timidly* So, um... I- I know that Aiden can't make it to the party, so what better time than now to talk about what's been going on between you and me?

Jason: *rolls his eyes, clearly not in the mood to talk* Where should we begin?

Christian: Um, well um... is everything okay between us?

Jason: *says coldly* Well, I sure hope so. Unless there's a problem? *Christian looks like a deer caught in headlights*

Jason via confessional: *sighs* Oh my God, I already knew where this was going. And all I wanted to do was just shut it down. But I guess that’s not an option, so here we go.

Christian: *carefully and softly* Well, it's just... that... a lot people have been talking about you and Aiden. And I never really liked that he would openly flirt with you, even when I'm right in front---

Jason: Oh, okay, you've been talking to David. Okay, that's fine.

Christian: *looks down to his feet* I— I don't talk to David. He was always very mean to me.

Jason: Well, whatever. I know you've been talking to your friends about me and Aiden. You think I don't hear your friends say how much they think I'm a bad influence on you? How about how I feel? Does that matter at all?

Christian: *in shock, speechless, and confused* I'm sorry. But, Jason... you have to admit: we haven't been communicating properly or getting along. And I think it's gotten worse since you let Aiden come between us. And uh... *softly inhales* whenever we do talk, your parents, your brother, your friends, or... *voice breaking* and Aiden... get involved. And I end up looking... stupid.

Jason: Alright. I'm sorry if they make you feel that way, but I don't know what you want me to do about that.

Christian: *softly speaks* Just... have my back.

*Jason says nothing*

Christian: *sniffs while fighting back tears* I love you. I've always loved you.

*Jason stays silent*

Christian: *shakingly inhales* And it's... not just your family or friends who talk about you and Aiden, or laugh at me. A lot of people in this town keep telling me that they feel sorry for me or that I'm dumb or desperate for staying with you.

Jason: Well then, that's the problem. You're basing your doubts about our relationship on what people think about us. And the real problem should be the fact that *you* never have *my* back.

Christian: *confused* What? Of course I do. All the time.

Jason: Okay, fine, whatever. You're not getting it.

Christian: Jason... you can't keeping shutting me down. This is why we don't communicate. I just want you to respect me the way I've always respected you.

Jason: *loudly* Oh, really? Really? You really wanna talk to me about respect?

Christian: Jason, please, don't yell. Just tell me what I've done to make you think that I don't respect you.

Jason: Oh, well, let’s see. Whenever I have conflict with someone and they react, instead of having my back or defending me, you tell me to stop provoking someone. First of all, I don't provoke. I don't make people react. They choose to react, and that's their own fault. Not mine. And I know you still talk to that *fucking* Rafa behind my back when you know that I don't like the bitch at all.

Christian: *defeated and tears fall out of his eyes*

Jason: So don't talk to me about not giving you respect, or having your back, or defending you, because you have never done any of that for me.

Christian: *crying and voice breaking* So every time I apparently don't treat you right, that's your queue to sleep with Aiden? Consistently since 2012?

Jason: *shocked* Wow. You really went there.

Christian: *looks away, shakes his head and says nothing during the rest of the ride to Enrique’s house, wipes his tears*

After finally making it to Enrique’s neighborhood, Christian and Jason get out of their car, but Christian clearly does not wanna go to the house. He contemplates just walking back home, but Jason stops him, by whispering, "Hey hey hey, wha- where are you going?"

Christian: I shouldn't be here.

Jason: Christian, don't be dramatic, okay?

Christian: *inaudible whisper, voice breaking* Jason...

Jason: *pulls Christian into a hug* Look, I shouldn't have snapped at you, okay? I was mad.

*Christian starts crying*

*When Jason breaks the hug, he notices that Christian is not wearing his ring*

Jason: Where's your ring?

Christian: *looks down at the sidewalk, not giving Jason eye contact* I left it at home. I haven’t worn it all day. *inaudibly says* It just didn't feel right.

Jason: *Sighs and mutters* Unbelievable. *in normal voice* Look, we're here now, so just don't make a scene, okay? Please? For me?

Christian: *another tears falls down as he softly sighs* Enjoy the party. *Starts walking away*

Jason: You're seriously leaving? What am I supposed to tell Enrique?

Christian: *stops walking, turns around and says the following* You can tell them whatever you want. I don't care anymore. *Turns away and walks away, leaving Jason annoyed and rolling his eyes*

Jason: Great. Just great.

This intense moment is a very raw, voyeuristic, and unfiltered look at a toxic marriage that we as an audience have known to be very one-sided. Christian loves Jason; Jason loves his ego.

Much later during the finale, Rafa gets a text from Christian, asking Rafa if he could meet Christian at the San Fernando Recreation Park because he doesn’t want to be alone and really needs someone to talk to, which Rafa does. When he sees Christian sitting on a park bench, crying, and looking like he should be at Enrique’s house by now (Rafa does know about the finale party, after all), Rafa is concerned.

Rafa: Chris? What's the matter?

Christian: *crying* My life sucks, man.

Rafa: *sits next to Christian* Why?

Christian tells Rafa everything leading to his argument with Jason in the car, and Rafa is heartbroken that Jason would make his own behavior Christian’s fault, causing Christian to walk away from him.

Rafa: My God... does Jason know that you’re here?

Christian: *shakes his head* No. I don't think he cares where I am.

*Rafa gives Christian a shoulder to cry on and is visibly angry with Jason.*

Rafa via confessional: Jason always wants to control things. That's why his own friend group is a revolving door, his friends can't think for themselves, his parents worship him like he's Jesus Christ, and his own brother has to depend on him financially. Christian never fell for Jason's mind games which is why his in-laws never respected him as an individual. Not even Jason.

Christian: *while crying* I don’t know what to do anymore, Rafa. I’m not even wearing my wedding ring. I don’t think couples therapy or marriage counseling will resolve anything. Jason’s made up his mind that I apparently don’t care about him. I’ve always tried to talk to him and tell him how I feel - *always* - and he just shuts me down and makes me feel stupid. And Aiden is no help at all. Jason knows how worthless Aiden makes me feel [an adjective that Rafa *hates* and remembers all too well] and just doesn’t care. And now that I know that they’ve been having an affair since 2012, it all makes sense why Aiden hates me so much. He’s been wanting to ruin my marriage to Jason this whole time. And I have no idea where to go from here. Every time Jason’s brother or parents show up, I lock myself in our bedroom or leave the house because I get anxiety or wanna regurgitate. And nothing I do will ever make them love me. *covers his face* I just… *inhales sharply*… I can’t live like this anymore.

*Rafa hugs him*

Christian: *buried in Rafa’s shoulder, whispering* I just want my life back…

*Rafa allows him to cry and let it out*

Rafa: *whispers* It’s alright. I’m here. *lets a tear roll down his face*

Rafa via confessional: *tearfully* This is ridiculous… here we are arguing about stupid shit, and one of my friends is suffering in silence. All I can allow myself to say at this point is, “Fuck Jason. And fuck Aiden.”

As of this season, Rafa is still the only Amigo that Christian has ever communicated with. Rafa’s also the only person who knows about Christian whereabouts, post-season finale.

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

While Rudy is a bully from head to toe, our next newbie is just a straight-up dick.

Let's talk about the lone friend-of for Season 4, an army vet and gay Jesus Jugs himself, Junior Rivera (born Raul Rivera Jr. on January 15, 1995), who makes his debut on Episode 5 and is introduced as a friend of Enrique. Despite his conservative ways making him a fish out of water within the slowly evolving dynamic, Junior is a slut in the City of San Fernando. He would ever admit it because he’s a God-fearing person, though of course Jason, Aiden, and Rudy would beg to differ.

Nobody really likes Junior. The Bullies & Snobs find him boring, and The Amigos always feel like they have to walk on eggshells when explaining themselves to him. Junior comes off as very rude and judgmental, having a tendency to fake-snore during what he thinks are long-winded stories (as he did in Episode 6, when Matthew was talking about his decision to participate in Muscle Mania), 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.

“It’s my dying desire to put these bitches in check,” says Junior via confessional. And boy does he fail miserably in that department.

Junior basically has this “I’m perfect; everything is great” façade that nobody buys (cast and viewers), which is so boring.

The person he has the most conflict with is Alastair, a fellow Christian army vet.

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Big Daddy Al returns to the show in Episode 4 after having his lovely honeymoon phase with husband Zachary Patton-Garcia. He starts off the season much lighter and having a new outlook on life. Their homelife together gives lighthearted sitcom which is always great and needed. He and Zach really bring the whack factor together, and I’m always here for it. His main arc begins in Episode 5, and largely focuses on his and Zach’s journey of finding a progressive church, which proves to not be very easy in the San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles is a liberal city, but certain areas in San Fernando Valley can lean more conservative. It’s a relatable story for a lot of people who grew up religious, conservative, or both, especially for those who didn’t grow up knowing that progressive churches actually exist. And there’s a reason a lot of people don’t know about progressive churches: as Alastair explains in his Episode 5 confessional, “Progressive churches are often looked down upon by conservatives and traditionalists primarily due to deep theological, cultural, and political disagreements.” But he and Zach are determined to find something, even if it has to be outside the City of San Fernando.

There’s one point in Episode 6 where after Zach finds a Porter Ranch-based megachurch called Shepherd Church that he was told by Pastor Dudley Rutherford to be an inclusive one, he tells Alastair and they check it out the very next day. And boy, were they in for an unpleasant treat. During the sermon, Pastor Dudley is saying, “All you idiots need to repent. Get on your goddamn knees and repent before it’s too late. Obey God by obeying me. I am your God in this church, and you all must do as I say and as I do.” Alastair is in a state of horror as he looks at Zachary, who looks just as shocked. When they look back, they see Pastor Dudley slap a white teenage male churchgoer in the face while saying, “May the Devil set you free, boy. It is time for you to see the light. Alastair’s confessional just makes you wanna rescue him and his husband: “Wow, um… clearly Pastor Dudley’s way of, uh… ‘preaching’… is not for the faint of heart. And I’m more than happy to be the faint of heart, and I know Zach is, too. *nervous chuckle* Security?” The pastor continues, “Hell is your destination if don’t obey our lord and savior. That’s the end of today’s sermon, brothers and sisters. Have a heavenly afternoon!” The married couple are more than happy to get out and never come back. Later that day, when they are back home, Alastair says, “Well, honey, um… *chuckles* that was, uh… an interesting church.” Zach is embarrassed as says, “I’m sorry, Papi, he literally told me that Shephard Church was a progressive church. Maybe I shoulda done my research before running it by you, I don’t know.” Alastair stars laughing and kisses Zachary, and says, “Say… is it bad that I kinda wanted to laugh during that sermon?” which gets a loud laugh from Zach. Alastair continues, “Pastor Dudley sure was something good and crazy; I feel bad for that kid who got slapped though.” Zachary says, “Yeah, that was very alarming. But I guess that Junior dude deserves a slap his damn self.” Alastair sips his water like it’s tea and says, “You said it, not me.”

Socially, this is the first season where Rafa becomes Alastair’s protector instead of the other way around, mainly when a reviled friend-of by the name of Junior tests Alastair’s patience and sanity.

The conflict between the two is defined by Junior’s constant need to antagonize Alastair for the simple fact that Alastair is a liberal Christian instead of a conservative Christian. In fact, the friction begins almost immediately when Alastair meets Junior later in Episode 5, he realizes that Junior is a royal pain in the ass. Who else is dumb enough to jokingly(?) ask someone that they *JUST MET*, “Are you a ho? Because you kinda look like one.” Junior does, apparently. He’s clearly trying to get airtime and it’s embarrassing. “I’m sorry, but when I see you and your husband, I find you guys to be very… revolting. You guys just don’t seem like the wholesome type of family to me,” says Junior. Alastair is caught off guard by Junior’s… everything, and says to him, “Oh… but hooking up with churchmates in your congregation IS wholesome?” OOP!

Via confessionals, Alastair says, “I knew I wasn’t gonna like this guy. What I didn’t know was that this was going to be a ‘Battle of the Christians’ type of beef. Like, what is wrong with you dude?”

And one morning, in Episode 8, when the group is dining at James’ Restaurant, and Alastair is talking to the Rafa, CJ, and Matthew about how he sometimes pictures himself and Zachary as parents (they’re both already dog dads), and gives them an update on his and Zach’s quest to finding a progressive church within/around the City of San Fernando, Junior overhears the conversation and starts yelling “BORING!” at Alastair, “Read a bible, dude!”

That’s when Alastair finally reaches his breaking point with Junior. He demands that he and Junior speak outside the restaurant, “*NOW*.” Once they go outside, and Alastair asks, “What the Hell is your problem?” Junior immediately insists that he was just joking and that Alastair needs to “stop being so serious and have a fucking sense of humor for once.” But Alastair has literally had it and is scolding Junior, saying, “I don’t have *YOUR* sense of humor, okay? You were clearly trying to be mean and nasty. And you think that was funny? It was not, okay? You are just being very rude and fucking annoying, and you need to stop. TODAY. Now go twerk for Jesus already and leave me alone." That advice becomes yet another quotable moment from our Quote King Alastair! And all Junior can say when rolling his eyes and walking away from Alastair is, “Oh my God… you are so damn sensitive. I can’t do this anymore,” and chuckles while walking back into the restaurant. He says to Rafa, “Hey Rafa, you might wanna check on your friend, ‘cuz he is fuckin’ crazy.”

Rada does just that, but not before side-eyeing Junior. He leaves the restaurant to find an emotionally exhausted Alastair.

Alastair: *desperate tone* What is wrong with him? Why’s he always heckling at me?

Rafa: Basically, he thinks that you’re not a “real Christian.”

Alastair: *voice breaking* Why?! Because I’m not a Republican? Because I don’t live a conservative lifestyle? Who cares? I don’t tell him how to live his life. Like, what is the point- what- wha- *covers his face takes deep breaths, and then uncovers his face to reveal that he’s crying*

Rafa: *puts hand on Alastair’s shoulder* Al… I'm starting to think that he's not bothered by what you do or how you live. He just wants someone to bully because his life is that boring.

Alastair: *crying* God, this is ridiculous. Like, why won’t he just leave me alone? I’m just sitting here having a normal conversation with y’all and having pancakes. And now I lost my freaking appetite.”

Rafa: *smiles and tries not to laugh at that*

Rafa via confessional: Alastair and Junior are at odds for two TOTALLY different reasons. Alastair is fed up with Junior’s attitude, bullying, hypocrisy, and superiority complex. And Junior just wants somebody to pick on, even if he truly believes that Alastair is this 'fake Christian', or whatever, for being liberal.

It’s clear that Junior broke something in Alastair.

Alastair via confessional, “I grew up conservative, believing that homosexuality was deemed unacceptable and immoral. And I've been grateful to get away from that mindset because I'm not the same Christian that I used to be. I've come a long way from having internalized homophobia, which almost led to my first suicide attempt when I was 14, and actually led me to leaving the church I attended when I was living in Texas. And It’s people like Junior who make it difficult for queer people to maintain… some sort of relationship with whoever they believe in.

Rafa pulls Alastair into a hug and Alastair cries on Rafa's shoulders.

In Episode 9, Alastair’s conversation with Matthew lets us know the dynamic between Alastair and Junior. Matthew asks, “So, while your issue with Junior is his attitude and rude behavior, he thinks that you’re attacking his beliefs?” And Alastair says, “Pretty much. And don't get me wrong - Junior's hypocritical as Hell. But I grew up conservative, too, and I'm an army vet, so his stance isn't anything new to me. But you're automatically an easy target for him if you’re an agnostic, an atheist, or just anyone who doesn't follow *his* word, not God's word.”

In Episode 13, when the group (Rafa, Alastair, CJ, Matthew, Enrique, Jason, Aiden, Rudy, and Junior) goes on a cast trip to North Hollywood, Junior is mostly in his own world but makes time to bother the Amigos and put the B&S to sleep. And in the next episode (Episode 14), when everyone is at the gay nightclub Club Cobra, Junior is seen flirting with and making out with some random white guy. Let’s hope the random guy doesn’t attend the same church as Junior.

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Outside the group, throughout Season 4, we see Matthew (with help from CJ) embark on a high-stakes mission to compete in the Muscle Mania fitness competition, which begins in Episode 1. Throughout the season, viewers see Matthew try to attempt more self-discipline than usual as he navigates social gatherings with Tupperware meals while his castmates indulge. The journey reaches its climax in the season finale when Matthew finally takes the stage, not needing a spray tan (which he was thankful for) but rocking the fire-themed swim trunks. Despite the physical toll and the emotional strain of his sobriety, he secures first place in the Junior category.

 

"I've never been this committed to anything. I wanna at least try to stay motivated this time and stay committed to this competition." Matthew softly says to CJ in Episode 3.

 

While Matthew is training, Enrique is still on his "I Hate Matthew" era. Matthew has never been a fan of Enrique, and for good reason: the so-called EP is a bone collector who is still – as confirmed by Matthew via confessional – “bitter about the fact that ‘his show’ is never going to be about him, no matter what he does.”

          

Enrique has always been dismissive of Matthew’s feelings, often mocking Matthew’s sobriety and fitness journey, claiming in Episode 1 that all Matthew talks about is his sobriety and fitness – “How many journeys do you have?! Shit, it’s all you talk about!” But actually, that is not true. It’s actually Enrique himself and the rest of the B&S gang who bring it up constantly and won’t stop talking about it, and Matthew reminds him that. The two openly hate each other and can hardly be in the same room together without a verbal spar erupting.

 

The friction primarily ignited last season when Matthew criticized Enrique for encouraging everyone to complain constantly about Rafa. And Enrique never got over that. The tension famously peaks in Episode 14 when the group goes to the North Hollywood based Club Cobra during their trip to North Hollywood. After Matthew is constantly being mocked about his decision to drink a soda instead of alcohol by Rudy, Jason, and Aiden, Matthew has had it and argues with them, and when Enrique catches him, Enrique retaliates with a series of not-so-classy insults, leading to a screaming match between Enrique and Matthew where Enrique shouts, "Honey, you're such a boring twig! Get out more!"

 

This comment is particularly cutting as Matthew is spending this season training for the Muscle Mania fitness competition. The insult sets the stage for a season-long feud, fueled by Enrique's need to provoke Matthew “the way he did me when we were in Bakersfield. Yeah, don’t think I forgot about that, you little bitch.”

 

If Enrique’s threat to Matthew in Bakersfield last season and his tattle-tale behavior towards Rafa in Santa Clarita in Season 2 gave away anything, it’s this: the classy EP façade that Enrique has been shoving down our throats since Season 1 never existed. And if it did, you’ve been watching the wrong show. But I’ll be nice to the B&S stans and just say that if the classy EP façade was ever existent, it’s officially *GONE* from now on. He doesn't even bring up that EP credit the whole season.

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In Episode 2, our Kiwi sweetheart CJ is stressed out. Prior to filming, his father Antonio was rushed to the hospital recently due to a severe infection caused by a bite that spread to his bloodstream. He spent over a week in the hospital, and although he is now out, the experience was a very scary time for the family. And if that wasn’t enough, his mother Susan Niner, who has previously battled and beaten cervical cancer twice, gets a cancer scare.

Meanwhile, CJ is going through his own inner battles. Despite being a genuinely confident person, as we’ve seen in Season 3, that wasn’t always the case growing up, and CJ describes the profound loneliness and self-doubt he experiences as a perfectionist, feeling that everything he does isn't good enough and constantly puts himself down. He struggles with feeling like a failure in all aspects of his life (and we see later this season the burnout that comes with being a caregiver).

Antonio (who’s recovering from an accident, more on that later) starts noticing a familiar pattern with CJ when CJ returns to a point his life where he is once again unable to speak his mind for the first time in a few years. It gets to a point where in Episode 4, Antonio, very carefully, reminds an exhausted sleepless CJ, “Back in New Zealand, you would come home crying and always you to just tell me and your mom what was wrong.” He reminds CJ how much he loves him and worries for him every day. He practically begs CJ, “If you can’t tell me or your mom or April what’s on your mind, then *please* just write it down and I’ll read it. You used to do that a lot, remember?” And CJ – because he doesn’t want to complain about how overwhelmed and overworked he feels – insists in a sad tone, “Dad… there’s nothing I need to talk about. I’m just tired. But other than that, I’m fine,” Antonio doesn’t believe him but doesn’t want to argue with him and just whispers, “Okay.”

That’s when we see the reverberation of this on the way CJ handled his depression in the past and expressed himself last season starts to make more sense. So, he’s fighting the side of himself who always wants to shut everything down, while also wanting to let out the part of him that feels deeply. He’s a sweet, compassionate, funny guy with a “fuck your feelings” side that’s only given to anyone who deserves it. Which unfortunately adds to the David comparisons, which CJ absolutely hates. Not even his career in refrigeration engineering or his love of comics and video games is enough to get him out of his funk.

And his sexuality plays a part in his inability to express himself the way he wants to. Even though Matthew, Rafa, and Alastair have no issue with CJ talking to them about April, CJ is still not too open to them about her, because he already knows that typically gays don’t really want to hear about straight couples, even if it's from a queer male’s perspective. It also has a lot to do with the show's ignorant biphobic audience. CJ became the show's very first bisexual cast member when he joined in Season 3 and immediately received a lot of backlash on his first appearance in Season 3 because he identified as bisexual instead of gay, with the most common responses from harsh viewers being, “Nah man you gay!” And even the non-queer Indian/Asian community were especially harsh on him. Bisexuality was still being treated as gimmick, trend, or entertainment trope rather than a sexual orientation. CJ is literally bisexual representation done right, which is a reminder of why he does not (and should not) fit in with trash reality TV's values.

Of course, in Episode 5 Aiden talks to Jason, Enrique, and Rudy about noticing CJ’s so-called “mood swings,” saying to them, “Who knew that CJ was such a Debbie Downer like Rafael?” Yeah, Aiden is not done messing with CJ.

During a dinner from Hell between B&S and the Amigos in Episode 11, the B&S are on CJ’s ass about how he’s been unusually quiet, with Aiden saying, “You would always run your big-ass mouth about us supposedly always talking about Rafa, and now you wanna get quiet because your Mommy and Daddy had an accident? Bitch, it doesn’t work that way.” CJ quickly defends himself by saying, “Aiden, don’t mock my parents. And I’m not Jason’s robot unlike you; my mood changes, that’s just what it is.” Aiden in particular goes in on CJ, calls him a bitch every five seconds, to which Matthew, Alastair, and Rafa are talking over Aiden in CJ’s defense. CJ – not wanting to have a meltdown – raises his voice to Aiden when saying, “Aiden, *stop* calling me bitch! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Aiden’s response? “Bitch. Bitch. And more bitch, bitch,” which had the B&S laughing. “You want me to respect you, CJ? I will, when I feel like it. How about that?”

And to the shock of Aiden, CJ goes OFF on him, banging on the table as he shouts, “WHAT?!” Uh-oh “Excuse me? You’re going to respect me when you feel like it? You know what? You don’t have to like me, because you’re too stupid to like me at all. But you *WILL* respect me if I have to kick your ass to make you respect me [FORESHADOWING].” The B&S are shocked by CJ’s threat, which is another reason for them and haters to compare him to David. “You are NOT gonna keep calling me ‘bitch, bitch, and more bitch,’ and expect me to not say or do anything, okay?! FUCK YOU and your homewrecking ass! *accidentally knocks over a glass when he says 'homewrecking ass'* We’re done here.” And CJ walks away along with Rafa, Alastair, and Matthew. Enrique gets up and blocks CJ, and says, “Uh, no we’re not.” CJ gets in Enrique’s face and says, “Uh, *yes*, we are. I dare you to fire me, ‘EP’! You ARE an EP right? RIGHT?!” Using air-quotes when calling Enrique an EP the first time. Enrique appears tough but looks slightly nervous. “Don’t test me, Enrique, or you *will* end up needing physical therapy. If you’re lucky.”

David would have *never* had the balls to threaten Enrique at all (especially not the way CJ just did), which is how CJ and David are different. And Predictably, things don’t get better between CJ and Aiden.

CJ says to Matthew in Episode 12, “Aiden’s not gonna push me out. Nobody is. I’m here for a reason, and if that bothers anyone who wanna hate on us, they can leave.” Little does CJ realize, only one of those haters ends up staying on the show.

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On the cast trip to North Hollywood on Episode 15, Aiden can no longer contain his anger with CJ. And when Aiden and Jason find him sitting by himself in the patio of the coffee shop (located adjacent to the LA Metro North Hollywood Station), CJ says, “Oh my, God, what do you guys want now?” That is when Aiden takes it upon himself to get verbally aggressive towards CJ. “Alright, CJ, Courtney, whatever the fuck your name is… I’ve been holding this in. I was gonna leave you alone let you be your boring-ass self as always, but the “high road” shit is not working for me today. So, I’m just gonna make it clear for you so you can understand. When you threatened me and Enrique that night and called me a homewrecker, I had never felt so embarrassed and disgusted with your behavior. And you need to think real hard before you open your mouth. Because you don’t even know a damn thing about me. So, for you to call me a homewrecker, bitch, you may as well be cheating on your girlfriend, with your fake bisexual ass.” This hits a nerve in CJ who says, “Excuse me?!” Aiden goes, “Yeah, you didn’t like me saying that, did you? You’ve been free to state your own opinion but get so butthurt when someone talks about you being bi or your fake-ass depression. And let me tell you something: I’m not the bitch that you wanna start with.” CJ bluntly asks, “Are you done?” An enraged Aiden says, “No, I’m not fuckin’ done, bitch. And that’s another thing; I’m not gonna stop calling you a bitch, ‘cuz that’s what you are. And I’m gonna say whatever the fuck I wanna say to you. You need to respect who the fuck you’re dealing with. Nobody is gonna respect you because all you do is talk behind other bitches’ backs, talk big shit behind everybody’s back, and can’t say shit to nobody’s face—” CJ cuts him off and says, “Yes I can and I have. Especially to you. Multiple times.” Aiden gets even more threatening by saying, “Oh okay. Well, if you wanna go off on me right now, bitch, here’s your chance! You got two minutes. Go!”

CJ via confessional says, “When Aiden started talking to me with his attitude and moving his head around, trying to just be a bitch to me, I was just ready to get away from him, and bail on this trip. I can’t do it anymore; I don’t have the patience. He’s acting a fool, as always. And yes, I called him a bitch because clearly, he doesn’t believe in boundaries until it’s convenient for him.”

Jason’s confessional is very, um… well, I’ll let you be the judge: “Aiden is pissed the fuck off. CJ never should’ve taken him to that place by calling him a homewrecker and threatening him. You don’t get to call someone that name and expect them to stay quiet. It doesn’t work that way, CJ. Next time, keep your big mouth *shut*.”

CJ says to Aiden, “I ain’t got nothing more to say to you, Aiden, so you’re just wasting your time.” And Aiden yells over him, asking, “OH, SO YOU’RE GONNA LIE TO ME NOW?! NOW YOU’RE A FUCKING LIAR?! SO, I GOTTA CLASSIFY YOU AS A PUNK, A RAT, AND LYING-ASS BITCH ALL AT THE SAME TIME! YOU SCARED OF ME NOW?!”

CJ ends up leaving the patio despite feeling tempted to scream and Aiden and beat his ass. And even though CJ doesn’t admit it, he wants to cry. And as CJ’s walking away, Aiden yelling, “Why you wanna walk away from me now? You wanna stay calm and cool all of a sudden? You really *are* like David. One minute, you big and bad and wanna fight. Next minute, you wanna cry to your lapdog [referring to Matthew]. You know, why don’t you just kill yourself already, and leave us all alone?! I don’t respect you bitch! And I bet you won’t say nothing else, if you know what’s good for you. So go on and walk away, you fuckin’ pussy, And go back to Australia or wherever the fuck you came from.”

CJ says via confessional, “I have no desire to be around Aiden at all. But I can promise you this: I *will* see him again. He better stay ready.”

After CJ has disappeared from “Aiden-View”, Aiden says to his friends, “Can you believe that? All bark, no bite. Can’t even stick up for himself. *laughs* If he ends up leaving this trip early, good, because nobody wants him.” Jason approaches him, places his hand around Aiden hand (Oh, God, he’s not even hiding it anymore) and softly says, “Hey… you alright?” in a way that makes you go, “How come Jason is never this caring or affectionate with Christian?” Aiden shakes his head, and silently says, “No.” He starts crying and asks Jason, “Jay, what the fuck is wrong him? Why is he such a dick?” Jason pulls him into a hug and starts whispering in his ear, “It’s okay, it’s over now. I got you Aidencito.” Now, you would think that production would’ve destroyed this portion of the Groundwork patio scene. BUT… they did not. The fact that they kept this portion of the scene tells me that production doesn’t like Jason or Aiden, and that they were determined to make this toxic duo look as bad as humanly possible. That was enough to confirm to us that either they didn’t care that the cameras were rolling or they got so lost in each other that they forgot about the cameras. Either way, David was right. And that’s the last time I will give David any type of positive feedback.

Anyway, back to CJ. When Matthew, Rafa, and Alastair hear from CJ (who is now emotionally exhausted), they are devastated. He tells them that he is done with the trip and heading back to Foothil; “There’s no reason for me to stay here any longer. If Aiden wants to check that off his list, like, ‘Yeah, bitch, I made you leave the trip, hee-hee haha,’ and that makes him feel good, then I will give him that because I am *done*. With him and his buddies.” They decide to leave with him, too, as they don’t want him to have to go through anymore of this alone, and they’re tired of arguing as well.

CJ says in his confessional, “This trip has been a disaster for all four of us. Junior won’t stop attacking Alastair just because Alastair’s a liberal Christian. Alongside Jason, Rudy is the latest person to constantly complain about Rafa, who’s actually done a great job of not interacting with either of them this whole trip. And Enrique insists on bullying, berating, and disrespecting Matthew. There is no way that we can continue carry on like this. I certainly won’t accept that; I refuse.”

Rafa, who has miraculously managed to keep the peace, and be there for his friends say in his confessional, “Overall, this trip was a waste of time. We were supposed to stay for a whole week, and only managed four days. That’s how bad it was. But it’s a reminder that we don’t have to take any of that bullshit. But at least we’re only about nine miles away from home, instead of halfway around the world with people like that.”

And because the four most important people on the show left early, the cast trip is cut short for the rest of the Bullies & Snobs, because nobody cares what those monsters have going on, which is mostly nothing outside of Jason, of course.

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Season 4 Reunion Seating Arrangement

Left - Right:

Rudy Martinez (fourth chair) – Jason Caceres (third chair) – Alastair Patton-Garcia (second chair) – CJ Niner (first chair) – Ross Matthews (HOST) – Rafael L Silva (first chair) – Matthew Frias (second chair) – Aiden Lee-Halley (third chair) – Enrique Sapene (fourth chair) – Junior Rivera (fifth chair)

After Aiden’s dismissal

Segment One Left - Right:

Rudy Martinez (second chair) – Jason Caceres (first chair) – Ross Matthews (HOST) – Enrique Sapene (first chair) – Junior Rivera (second chair)

Segment Two Left - Right:

Alastair Patton-Garcia (second chair) – CJ Niner (first chair) – Ross Matthews (HOST) – Rafael L Silva (first chair) – Matthew Frias (second chair)

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One of the most ridiculous moments in the reunion is all thanks to the truly revolting Junior Rivera.

Junior: I mean, shit, Alastair, for a so-called "Christian," you really suck. You questioned me being a conservative. 

Alastair: I did not question you being a conservative.

Junior: Oh really? You accused me of hooking up with people from my church and I had to leave my church because of you. Do you have any idea how painful that was?

Alastair: *monotone* Well I'm sorry, Junior. *normal voice* But karma is a bitch to bullies. I wouldn't have revealed anything about your escapades in your church, if you didn't start talking shit about my marriage, and accusing me and my husband of cheating on each other whenever I was deployed. First of all, I had never met Zach until *after* I was discharged, okay? So, you already got the timeline wrong; all the way wrong. 

Junior: Man, you are *really* having a voice this season Alastair. And here I thought you were just Rafa’s bodyguard. 

Alastair: *You're* gonna need a bodyguard your *damn* self, if you don't stop playing with me. Now, as I was *saying*-- 

Junior: You've said enough, political police.

Alastair: Okay! That does it. Since you've been wanting me to criticize you as a conservative gay guy all season, allow me to do just that: stop letting the bible tell you what to do - since there's so many versions - and use your brain for once in your Goddamn life. Satisfied?

The audience’s oohs were just deafening. And of course, Junior’s feelings were hurt.

Junior: Fuck you, Alastair.

Alastair: Yeah, okay.

And Junior stayed quiet after that, but if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that he really wanted to cry tears of pain, which is weird because he finally got what asked for: Alastair criticizing him as a conservative gay.

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One of the more shocking moments in the reunion is between Rafa and Jason.

We (and the cast) learn in the reunion (Episode 17) that Christian had separated from Jason indefinitely, and ran away without telling Jason anything, leaving the City of San Fernando. Strangely enough, the reunion is the only time we see Jason (who hasn’t seen Christian since the car ride to Enrique’s neighborhood) “caring,” freaking out over Rafa refusing to tell Jason where Christian is and only saying to Jason, “Just know that he’s okay, Jason.” But I’m convinced that Jason is trying to save face because he and Aiden had already received backlash for the way they’ve treated Christian for years. If anything, he’s not upset that his husband has ran away; he’s upset that personal punching bag has ran away. Rafa’s the only cast member who currently knows where Christian is staying and refuses to tell Jason.

When Jason accidently lets it slip in the reunion that he hasn’t seen or spoken to Christian since Christian walked away from him, Rafa is confused and asks, “Well have you tried calling him?” Jason says, “Well no, I wanted to give him his space because he clearly needed to calm down.” This shocks Alastair, CJ, and Matthew (and even Ross Matthews). They don’t know Christian like that, and even they’re thrown off by Jason’s revelation. Rafa is hit with the realization that Jason has apparently not tried reaching out to Christian. “Wait… you mean you never *wanted* to try?” Jason stammers when he says, “No, I—I mean, YES! But, uh- I—” Rafa, in shock, asks, “Not even social media? I don’t have social media anymore and even *I* know that that’s another way to stay in touch with someone.” Frustrated, Jason says, “Rafa, listen, just stay out of my relationship—,” which angers Rafa even more, to the point where he says, “DAMN IT, JASON! Do you *not* care at all that your husband – who clearly loves you – ran away?!”

Jason demands one more time that Rafa tells him where Christian is, Rafa says, "I'm not telling you," and reminds Jason, "Christian loves you, Jason. But you will lose him sooner or later. If you *really* care about Christian as a person and as your husband, reach out to him. And stop worrying about what I do.”

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Another frustrating moment is when Enrique was trying to gaslight his way out of his beef with Matthew. But luckily Matthew was not going to let him change the narrative.

Enrique says, “Matthew here’s the thing. When you were in Bakersfield, you were being so rude and disrespectful to me—” Matthew starts talking over him, loudly repeating multiple times, “No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t! No I wasn’t!” And as Matthew is repeating saying that, Enrique blows up, yelling, “MATTHEW SHUT THE FUCK UP, AND LET ME TALK! FUCK!” But Matthew does not stop, so Enrique yells, “MATTHEW LET ME FINISH! YOU TALK SO FUCKING MUCH! SHUT THE FUCK UP!” And still, Matthew doesn’t stop, leading to Enrique to admit defeat for once, saying to Ross, “Alright, you know what? I’m done. I’m not answering anymore questions about Matthew.” And Matthew says, “You better not.”

Yikes lol

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But what stood out the most in the reunion was definitely CJ vs Aiden. CJ makes it very clear that “anyone who mocks someone’s mental health struggles is dead to me. And for you to tell me to kill myself because I refused to talk to you, that says everything about you and zero about me.” Aiden is quickly on the defense, saying, “Whatever. You already made that situation completely ugly between us. I will say this—my delivery in North Hollywood? My bad. That was very disrespectful and I shouldn’t have gone off that way. But the message, I’m not apologizing for because I don’t like you and you don’t like me.” Host Ross Matthews, who – without saying so – is mentally done with the Bullies & Snobs – says under his breath, “Well that was a pretty lame apology,” which made the audience laugh and the Amigos crack a smile. CJ says to Aiden, “If that’s how you apologize to people that you don’t like, apology not accepted. Stop apologizing while you’re ahead.” Aiden deflects and gaslights by saying, “Okay, fine. You don’t wanna accept my apology? I don’t give a fuck. Why don’t you start acknowledging what the fuck *you* have done… okay? I would’ve not reacted the way I did if you didn’t call me a homewrecker.” CJ says, “Well that’s what you are. Jason, too. You’re both cheaters and homewreckers. And everyone in Los Angeles has said or thought that before I did. The bottom line is, you are an insensitive bully.” Aiden argues, “No, the bottom line is, I am *not* a bully, and you are not going to label me as such—” CJ cuts him off and says, “Too late. I already did. Now what?” which gets and “ooooh…” from the audience. Aiden hits below the belt when he says, “Well, maybe you feel bullied because your mind has been playing tricks on you since the day you were born.” CJ gives Aiden a chilling message when he says, “You have one more time to make a comment about my mental health.” Aiden starts rambling, “Well, bitch, at least I know how to speak my mind when I’m upset, and if you wanna call me a bully, go right ahead. I’ll be the bully all day, and I’ll look good being your bully. But that’s not what I was being in North Hollywood. I was emotional because of you. I was hurt because of you. But I was not a bully, you were.”

While Aiden is saying, “But I was not a bully, you were,” CJ is seething and says, “Bullshit.” Aiden says, “It’s not bullshit, honey, it’s the truth.” CJ can’t take it anymore and yells, “You are a lying sack of dogshit!” And immediately, the two are yelling and screaming at each other, it is so hard to hear what each person is saying, but you can hear CJ yelling out “YOU ARE FUCKING TRASH! YOU’RE TRASH!” and you can hear the hurt in his voice. A few “fuck yous” from both men. And Aiden yells “YOU MAD BITCH?! THEN GET OUTTA HERE AND SUCK ON YOUR DADDY TIDDIESS!” The audience is shouting in shock from that insult. And that insult did it for CJ who gets up and walks to Aiden who gets up too (and yells, “WHAT, BITCH?! WHAT?!”) and the audience is screaming. The security is trying to separate them, and the rest of the cast gets up from their seats. And Matthew, Rafa and Alastair are trying to pull CJ away, but CJ has had it; he is not calming down. CJ manages to run around the security and lunges at Aiden, beating the living SHIT out of Aiden (remember that foreshadowing, when CJ demanded respect?). A tormented and bruised Aiden starts shouting swear words at CJ while being taken backstage, and when the cameras stop rolling during commercial break, the audience is asked to leave.

The last 10 minutes of the (thankfully 1-part) reunion is... grim. One segment has Enrique, Jason, Rudy, and Aiden. And the other segment has Alastar, Rafa, CJ, and Matthew. Aiden (after getting his face checked out) was dismissed from the reunion immediately following the fight with CJ.

When the Amigos are asked back to the stage, CJ is understandably unsure of how to cope with what just happened. While fighting back tears, CJ says to Ross, “It just hurt me so deeply because, like… I’m still dealing with so much. Everyone knows about what I’m going through with my parents, and my siblings, and my mental health. And all I want to do is make everyone proud of me. I never wanna give anyone a reason to dislike me. The fact that someone could be so heartless and evil, it’s just… *sighs* I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”

Ross asks CJ, “Is there anything that you could say to Aiden to make him understand where you’re coming from?” CJ softly says, “No. He’s made up his mind. He’s stuck in his ways, and that’s just how he’s always gonna be. At this point, he should worry about his marriage falling apart.” When CJ says that, the other Amigos and Ross have an ‘oop’ face over that funny shade.

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Like I said, y’all: work in progress.

Season 4 was another strong season for the core four, which is now referred to by fans as 🥁🥁🥁 The Amigos. But it’s another bad season for the dark clouds better known as the Bullies & Snobs.

The only complaint from fans was that David Ty Reza's name was brought up a lot. Even David sarcastically said on social media, "I love that my name keeps getting brought up, and I ain’t even on the show no more. Crybaby still needs me," as if Rafa was the ONLY one who brought him up. But to fair, considering a lot of events happened this season, and Rafa is asserting his independence and safety, it makes sense that David's name was brought up.

And fans of the mess who wanted more toxic drama are in for quite a rude awakening.