Categorize each plot by episode.

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Season 3 (2017)

 

Season 3 of Flaming Bros San Fernando was filmed from December 2016 to March 2017, aired from June to August 2017.

 

Returning to the main cast this season are Enrique Sapene, Jason Caceres-Lopez, David Ty Reza, Rafa Silva, Alastair Patton, and Aiden Lee-Halley.

 

Two newbies who join the main cast this season are CJ Niner and Matthew Frias. These two end up becoming just as essential to the show as Alastair and Rafa, going forward.

 

Joining the show as friend-ofs are fellow newbies Karlo Shigeo Ishibashi and Valentino “Tino” Padilla.

 

NO MORE CORY!

BYE BITCH!

 

Filming would've occurred earlier, if not for David's aforementioned comments about Rafa at the LATV interview with Humberto Guida. And as a result of David’s actions, as well as Enrique, Jason, and Aiden’s roles in last season being so toxic and ridiculous for Alastair and Rafa, Season 3 is best remembered as the most segregated season to date.

 

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Season 3 Episode 1 opens with Alastair and Zachary in their final months as fiancés. It’s a quiet Saturday morning in early December and Zach asks a worn-out Alastair (who is making coffee for both of them) about Rafa’s current whereabouts, and Alastair says to him, "Right now, he's still keeping a low profile focusing on his job and finals, and heading straight home." And Zach says, "Okay. I just hope nobody's bothering him about you-know-who." Alastair doesn’t say too much, except, “Me too. That’s the last thing he needs right now.”

 

Alastair's Confessional

Alastair: Rafa hadn’t seen or spoken to David since we filmed the reunion. He needed his space. He was really burnt out and needed to put himself first. But shortly after the reunion had aired in the summer, David was on LATV talking to Humberto Guida. When Humberto asked David about Rafa... you know, "Where do you guys stand? Is everything okay?" and all that... David basically let the world know that he never liked Rafa, called him a bitch, said that he and his family are witches, and all he does is cry like a baby and is not a man... and said that Rafa is a shitty friend who… [voice breaking] who shouldn’t be trusted. When I saw the interview myself, I just said... "It's over." David was never Rafa's friend. He used him.

*Flashbacks to David and Rafa's interactions in Season 1*

Alastair: A lot of us had things to say to David about what he did and we did not hold back.

*collage of social media posts from Alastair, Zachary, Christian, future cast member Calvin Seabrooks, and reunion host Ross Matthews, respectively, all expressing their support towards Rafa and disgust with David*

Producer: Before filming began, when was the last time you spoke to Rafa?

Alastair: Um, about 2 days prior to filming. We didn't talk about what happened, or David, or anything like that. And I didn’t wanna pry. [deep breaths] But I know that he was, um..., he wasn’t just hurt. He was embarrassed. He was angry. And he was done... with everybody. Especially David.

*Flashback to the Season 2 reunion; Rafa saying that he shouldn't have to babysit David, who is 12 years Rafa’s senior.*

Alastair: [inhales, cries] I'm not trying to treat Rafa like glass or anything. You know, this is someone that I met when I was in 12^th grade and he was in 10^th grade, and I've seen him go through Hell and back as a Brazilian in a predominantly Mexican town that he always respected... even when its people were so horrible to him. [takes another deep breath] I just want him to be okay. Because... [voice breaks] he's... my best friend. He's a brother that I was blessed to have. And I never want that to change.

 

Back in their kitchen, Alastair says to Zach, “I really wish things were different, you know?” Zachary says, “I understand, babe,” and hugs Alastair.

 

Alastair’s Confessional

Alastair: All I know is, this show - as it currently stands - cannot go on like this. Not anymore. Something's gotta give.

After the two dorks in love break their hug, Alastair eventually changes the subject when he says, “Well at least Rafa’s trying to get on with his life. Because in the meantime, Jason and Aiden are being harassed with questions about their obsessive friendship.” Zachary looks surprised when he says, “What? Really?”

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Aiden and Jason are as ruthless (and dangerous) as ever. They also love coming off sus to the viewers.

 

As a result, in Season 3 Episode 1, we hear from Jason that there’s trouble in paradise. After gossip blogs, reports, and chatrooms allege that either Jason is having an affair with Aiden, or Christian and Jason have an open relationship with Aiden and Aiden's husband Z Halley (the latter of whom we don't see this whole season), depending on the source, Christian is trying to get answers, and Jason is getting annoyed.

 

Viewers are not shocked to hear about these rumors because Jason and Aiden always seemed to have a friendship that always felt more FWB-ish than platonic. Plus, as hinted by this point, Jason has a reputation of allegedly getting around in San Fernando (which at this point, he doesn’t seem to fight against). And Aiden never seemed to care that he was flirting with someone else’s man. Neither did Jason, who hypocritically dislikes Christian's friendship with Rafa, who never appears in a single scene with Jason or Aiden this season until the reunion.

 

And now, the gossip duo that is Jayden/J&A/Jay&Aidencito is being bombarded by these rumors. KARMA.

 

Remember when David said in Season 2 that there was something oddly familiar about Aiden? And remember when back in Season 1, he accused Jason of cheating on Christian with someone who sounded and acted like Jason (“single white female much”)? Well, as soon as David heard about this tea, he felt vindicated. Of course he did. This is probably the only time any logical viewer was on David’s side, not because they like David (I mean, he literally fucked up when it came to Alastair and especially Rafa, so of course I don’t like David), but because a lot of viewers have suspected this. Even execs who watched the 2013 sizzle remember Jason and Aiden’s friendship being rather… well… too playful. Not that Christian ever saw the sizzle himself.

 

Christian, who we now know is not above speaking out against Jason or Aiden when need be, is now at the center of Flaming Bros drama, something that he never asked for. I gotta be honest: I feel bad for Christian having to deal with the backlash. He married Jason because he was in love with him and wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. And now there are plenty of people who clown him for marrying someone as controlling, vicious and manipulative as Jason!

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As a matter of fact, while we’re still on Season 3 Episode 1, it’s late morning. Enrique’s living room is messy with remnants of last night — empty beer bottles, takeout containers, and a half-played video game paused on the TV. Enrique, Jason, and Aiden are sprawled on the couches like they own the place. Enrique’s brother Carlos is kicked back in a recliner, eating leftover chips. The energy is cocky and dismissive, the classic B&S vibe.

Enrique is leaning back, gesturing with a half-empty bottle, and says, “Finally, man. It’s about damn time we get back to filming. That dumbass kid put the whole show on hold hiding like a little bitch. Deleting all his socials, ghosting everybody… acting like he’s the main character. Without him the last few months felt like we were in limbo.”

Jason is smirking, legs kicked up on the coffee table, and says, “No matter how much of an annoying pitbull David is, at least he shows up. Rafa’s the one who really fucked the momentum. Hiding after that interview like we’re supposed to feel sorry for him. Please.”

Aiden laughs while scrolling on his phone, and says, “Exactly. The show was built on us — the real ones who were there from the beginning. Now it’s time to remind everybody why we run this shit. Alastair will probably cry about his army trauma or whatever. David will be David. And if Rafa decides to crawl back into whatever hole he’s in… fine. More for us.”

Jason says in his confessional, “If Rafa is really gone, there is a God!”

Carlos asks the OG 3, “So do y’all think it’s just gonna be the same crew this time? No new blood? ‘Cuz that would be great in my opinion.” Aiden answers him, “Sadly, there *will* be new people this season, and I’m not happy about that.” Given his ‘rookie hating on rookies’ reputation, of course Aiden would say that. And he continues, “But we know what works, and the fans miss us. They miss Enrique hosting everything, Jason spicing it up, and me being brutally honest. Rafa’s miserable ass barely showing up just proves how much he’s not needed. And Alastair and David can fight over the scraps for all I care. We run this.”

Jason goes, “You said it, Aiden. Less crying, less history lessons about Brazil. Think about it: no more of that Brazilian shit. Like, we get it man, you’re Brazilian. You speak Portuguese or whatever. Nobody gives a fuck, dude. Always talking about horses and farms and “back home” like anybody asked. It’s boring.”

Enrique agrees and says, “Yeah, it seemed like every time he opened his mouth it was ‘Monteverde this, ranch that, I’m Brazilian so I’m special.’ Kid, you live in San Fernando. Deal with it. Without him constantly in our faces, we can actually focus on real storylines instead of watching him cry about everything.

Aiden happily says, “Amen, babe. I’m so tired of the victim card. ‘David hurt my feelings, everybody’s laughing at me wah wah.’ Meanwhile the rest of us actually show up and make shit happen. If he comes back, he better come correct or stay gone forever.”

Carlos chuckles while saying, “Y’all are so ruthless. But real talk — the show’s been boring without y’all to turn it up. This is *your* season now.” And Carlos raises his bottle and says, “To the real ones. Welcome back, gentlemen!” And they, along with Carlos, clink their bottles with Jason going, “Hell yeah!”

You know it’s really funny that Carlos (who’s REALLY showing his ass) has anything to say about Rafa given that Carlos was rejected from the show (for a reason) and largely forgotten (again, for a reason), while “the Brazilian” effortlessly became a thousand times more relevant and important than *all* of B&S combined. If anyone should go back into a hole, it’s Carlos Sapene. And I’m talking about the black hole. Sadly, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Carlos.

Switching gears, Carlos says, “Well anyway, enough about that Rafa kid. Jason, what’s up with you and your hubby? Christian still giving you shit about the Aiden rumors or what?”

Jason’s smirk falters for a split second before he recovers, taking a long sip from his bottle. And he says, “Man… Christian’s been on my ass nonstop. Keeps asking me to “just be honest” like I owe him a play-by-play of every conversation I have with Aiden. It’s exhausting. I told him it’s nothing, but he keeps complaining that I don’t talk to him when something has zero to do with him. That’s not true; we talk all the time.”

Aiden, with that sneaky playful tone, says, “He’s always been the jealous type. He doesn’t get that you and me are just… us. We’ve been acting like this forever; it’s nothing. Some friendships run deeper than marriage, I guess.” Jason bluntly says, “Well, I guess I shouldn’t expect Christian to understand since his only friend seems to be you-know-who. And that’s not a good comparison. Just gross.”

Enrique laughs at this, and says, “Well you guys better lock that down before Christian starts acting a fool. Last thing we need is more “marriage in crisis” storylines taking attention away from the real shit. Jason says to Enrique, “Oh, not a problem. He’ll be fine. I married him, didn’t I? But if he keeps pushing… I don’t know, man. Sometimes I think he forgets I’m a hot guy. I can’t help that guys be all over me. Shit.”

Aiden smirks at Jason, and says to Enrique, “Yeah, we got this,” and looks Jason in the eye and says, “Right, Jay?” Jason meets Aiden’s eyes before snapping out of it in less than a second, and goes, “Right, Aidencito.” Carlos and Enrique tease them and go, “Ooooooooh,” to which Jason laughs and says, “Ah shut up, you guys.” The tension between Jay and Aidencito is so fucking obvious. I just… I… I can’t.

Jason says in his confessional, “Christian doesn’t get it. Aiden’s been there through everything. The rumors are just that — rumors. I’m tired of explaining that to him.” And Aiden says in his confessional, “Jason’s marriage has been shaky for a while. I’m not gonna lie… part of me likes it that way. Jay and I work better when it’s just us. And if Christian can’t accept that, that’s on him for being jealous.”

GASP! Oh, God help us all.

But maybe Aiden’s right. Maybe he, Enrique, and Jason don’t need Rafa this season. At least, not PHYSICALLY, because they sure do talk about him, *A LOT*.

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As mentioned earlier, Rafa is not in Season 3 Episode 1. After David publicly humiliated him on national television, Rafa completely disappeared. Or so we thought, as he was never spotted filming for a large portion of the season. But what if we were wrong? Let’s put a pin on that, because it will come up later. In the meantime, here’s what we did know about Rafa’s disappearance from the public eye. He deleted all of his social media accounts. His Instagram page? GONE. His Facebook page? GONE. His Tumblr page? GONE. His YouTube channel? GONE. His Twitter account? GONE. His Google Plus account? GONE. 

And according to David via confessional, Rafa blocked his phone number. Here’s David’s non-apology rant via confessional in Episode 1: “I was drunk when I did that interview. My bad. I tried calling Rafa after news broke about what I said, only to see that the fool blocked me. I mean, what kinda man does that? He really thinks that life is all horses, and pretty little farm animals, and rainbows. Like, seriously, the bitch needs to wake up and stop being a coward.” Wow…

David: Hey man, how ya doin’?

Alastair: Well, I’ll be better once I never have to see you again.

 

That little exchange between David and Alastair during the Season 3 premiere get-together held at the San Fernando Mall (also attended by fellow cast members Enrique, Jason, and Aiden) tells you exactly what you need to know about David’s relevance in Season 3: without Alastair and especially Rafa, and as long as the B&S gang don’t rock with him, David has no place in the show; he can’t even buy a damn storyline. Not that he really had one outside the group, looking back.

 

And during their conversation, Alastair makes it very clear to David that the interview between David and Humberto Guida confirmed one thing: "You never wanted Rafa as a friend; you wanted him to be a yes-man. And that’s not who he is." David asks, “So why does he always agree with everything *you* say?” And Alastair says, “He doesn’t. And I don’t make him do anything. That’s what you did, and you know it.” David says nothing against that accusation, but silence does NOT equal denial.

In his confessional, David tells us, “Rafa has taken this pathetic-ass stance, as if *I* have been the one that started all this shit around here. Let’s not forget, Rafa: you were the one who accused me of needing a babysitter. You left me hanging in Las Vegas. And you stopped talking to me before and after the reunion. What the fuck have I done to you, other than say that you basically need to grow the fuck up? We’ll wait.”

 

Alastair takes his scathing conversation with David further by saying, “The fact that you used both of us makes you the real shitty person who shouldn’t be trusted. For someone who claims to keep it real *because you’re from Compton*, you are the fakest piece of shit I have ever met in my life. And you’re the one who needs to grow up.”

 

It doesn’t take a genius to notice that Alastair hit a nerve, because David looked absolutely pissed. David seemed quiet, as per usual, when confronted by Alastair, and seemingly looking down to his left and right. When that happens, that means the person being confronted is defeated or at least embarrassed. The last thing that David says to Alastair, very softly, is, “Alright,” before saying in his normal voice, “Well, next time you see Rafa, tell him I wanna talk to him alone.” Alastair’s response, “I’ll tell him that he can talk to you *if he wants to*.”

 

What else goes on during the premiere party at the San Fernando Mall is... NOT IMPORTANT. But Enrique has this lovely thing to say about Rafa via confessional: "You know, it's really typical of Rafa to not show up to this event because he knew that I would be hosting. Like, seriously, I invited you and you don't show up? You can’t hide from us forever. Either suck it up or get out of my show." Enrique, button your mouth and get over yourself. And yes, Rafa absolutely CAN hide from you forever if he wants to, so I wouldn’t jinx it.

 

Also, isn’t it ironic that the event is taking place at the San Fernando Mall – the VERY place where a then-unemployed 19-year-old (going on 20) Rafa was scouted for Season 1 back in 2014? It would’ve felt completely tone-deaf without Alastair confronting David. Meanwhile, the last remaining trio of B&S (Aiden, Jason, and Enrique), as well as David, respectively, are spending that entire event complaining about Rafa.

Time for some behind-the-scenes facts! Following the public trauma of David’s controversial interview, Rafa was nowhere to be found in the City of San Fernando. He’s still an employee at Monteverde Ranch and is still a CSUN student, so surely that meant that he was still living *somewhere* in the valley, right? But even strangers in the greater SFV hadn’t seen him anywhere. And no one (except his family and closest friends) had seen him in person for months prior to Season 3 starting production, leading many to believe that he might have also left the valley (or perhaps even California) indefinitely, with no plans to return yet, if at all. And with absolutely no social media anymore, Rafa might as well have turned into a ghost. And if he never left the valley, then he at least wore a good enough disguise to help him go from one location to another on a daily basis.

During the filming of Season 3 Episode 1, Alastair (along with Alastair’s fiancé Zachary, Rafa’s acquaintance-turned-close-friend Christian, Rafa’s close CSUN friend Calvin Seabrooks, reunion host Ross Matthews, and Rafa’s so-called "family of witches") kept Rafa’s whereabouts private from the public and production. So as long as Rafa was most likely done with the show, David, Jason, Enrique, and Aiden were going to have to get us to care about their existence. Alastair didn't need to worry about doing that since he's always been an open book. But the aforementioned four guys? Yeah, no.

Still, it was going to be rough without our Brazilian bridge guiding us through the misadventures of the Bullies & Snobs and the City of San Fernando. Not that he should, because he had been burned long enough.

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But back to Season 3 Episode 1.

After that stupid-ass get-together at the San Fernando Mall, we see Alastair talk to a therapist the next day (like he promised Zachary that he would) for the first time since returning home from the army. “As much as I try to be as transparent as I can with certain things on my mind, I still have a habit of stopping myself from truly being open when I need to be,” Alastair says via confessional.

 

He tells his male therapist, “In one way or another, I had always been a fighter since I was 20. And I don’t wanna be mad, or scared, or depressed all the time.” Therapist says, “Is that how you feel?” Alastair: “Yeah. All the time. I can wake up and be mad over the most trivial things known to God, and I know that’s not healthy at all. I still… harbor a lot of anger and fear, and… I just end up keeping my emotions to myself because I don’t wanna take it out on anyone.”

 

The therapist asks Alastair a very important question: “Do you know or remember why you started having these thoughts?” Alastair answers, “Yeah, I- I do. Growing up in a conservative Christian family, I didn’t always have a great support system, and was always taught to believe that being gay was immoral. Even when I came out to my family at 16, their reactions were very mixed. My mom and my sisters were okay with it, surprisingly, but when my dad said that he would accept me for what I was ‘becoming’ as long as he didn’t know about my… my ‘lifestyle,’ um… I- *exhales* I, I just didn’t know what to make of that. *tear falls* So, um… I never really told my parents or my sisters about anything important because I didn’t think I could trust them. Um… but fast forward to my short time in the Army. I’m 19 years old, constantly being sexually harassed and groped by an older male soldier in his 30s. And the last time he did anything to me, he jumped me, and almost raped me, but I kept fighting him off until I knocked him out. I knew that I had to report it, and they decided that their hands were tied, whatever that means. And I decided that my family had to know, and when I told them, my mom said that I needed to come back home, and my dad basically said that it was my fault for what happened to me, you know? Because I chose to be gay. The only other person who knew what happened to me was my best friend since high school, Rafa Silva. But no matter who asks me about it, I always keep it to a minimum because… I hate talking about it. *cries* I had never felt so angry and depressed and ashamed until my time in the army. It took me until last year to finally tell my fiancé about my traumatic experiences, and I still struggle to communicate with him about it. Up until that point, I was always trying to be strong and tough, and protect the people that I love from the world, as if I were untouchable. But even my fiancé and my best friend could see right through me. I think it’s starting to wear on them a little bit.”

 

His therapist tells him, “I can tell that you see yourself as a role model, and you’ll do everything you can to take care of everyone. Do you feel like you’ve been taking care of yourself recently?” Alastair thinks about the question, and then answers, “Well, besides taking my medication for my anxiety, PTSD, and depression… no, not really.”

 

In his closing confessional, Alastair tearfully says, “It was nerve-wracking talking to him, but it was really helping me. I do know that it’s going to be a work in progress, because… it’s still very painful and I really don’t like talking about it. But I have to. So… *voice breaking* one day at a time.”

This is sure to be a stressful season for Alastair: trauma, prenups, Rafa's initial isolation... no wonder David and the B&S crew no longer fit in his world.

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Speaking of B&S, the alliance has gotten incredibly smaller by now. With Carlos rejected after the sizzle reel, Estuardo given the boot after Season 1, Alex Caceres disappearing before the midpoint of Season 2, and Cory being iced out and edited out by the end of Season 2, the alliance that we have come to know as the Bullies & Snobs is down to three: Enrique, Jason, and Aiden. And it stays that way for the whole season. Viewers can’t help but just be like… wow. Even fans of B&S can’t believe how much the clique drastically changed by Season 3.

But it seems to be okay with the trio. They are now the tightest that they’ve ever been, meaning Rafa’s observation of them was correct. In Season 1, Rafa said to David, “Jason and Enrique, they love each other. They look out for each other.” And of course, Aiden got along with both Jason and Enrique. So, you could say that this is *THE* B&S Trio, although they would prefer to be called “The OG 3” because they were there from the very beginning (the sizzle days of 2013). Girl bye, they may have been there before Rafa and Alastair, but they will never be respected as the OGs. Plus, Estuardo, Carlos, and Alex Caceres were there from the beginning too, so… Yeah, we’re sticking to their most accurate name Bullies & Snobs aka B&S.

But either way, they are not without their issues, and they are as messy and unlikable as they have ever been. They are also the most watchable they’ve ever been because this is the season where they completely collapse without Rafa or Alastair.

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Season 3 Episode 2 starts a little differently. We’re taken to the San Fernando Fitness gym, where we meet one of our two new main cast members.

“Hey what’s up, everyone? My name is CJ Niner. I’m 21 years old. My family and I have been living in Foothill, Sylmar since 2013, but we’re originally from Auckland, New Zealand. I’m a pretty quirky, silly, bouncy and just plain weird dirtbag because I love being in the great outdoors, but I can also be a little rude and crude. And I’m bisexual.”

CJ is a refrigeration engineer, born on March 14, 1995, and is mixed-race; being Indian, Italian, Irish, and English. This makes him the first Asian cast member, the first South Asian cast member, the first Kiwi cast member, and the third White/European cast member. In addition, he is also now the second youngest cast member this season, only a few months older than fellow newbie Matthew Frias who was also born in 1995. And he is the first bisexual cast member.

He is the son of actor, producer, and singer-songwriter Antonio Niner, who is also of Indian descent and from Auckland. CJ is a comic book nerd and gaymer, which would NOT be a good fit for a typical reality series once built on nasty drama but is actually a welcomed addition to a show that desperately needed a transition from its horrible reputation as a show that broke Rafa.

But besides his race and background, what makes CJ stand out from the rest of the group is that he is openly bisexual and has a lovely and supportive girlfriend named April Burrows. And because this season was filmed in the 2010s, his bisexual identity and heterosexual relationship make CJ a target for backlash among the gay viewers. And even David and B&S, respectively, question his identity time and time again.

 

CJ is often looked at as a semi-replacement of David, as both are complex personalities. But CJ greatly dislikes this comparison, and dislikes David even more.

 

He also has a self-deprecating sense of humor which is very relatable, but (in retrospect) could be read as his way of coping with deeper issues.

 

What I really like about CJ is how natural it feels that despite being an outsider, it feels like he’s always been on the show from the beginning. CJ Niner may be new to us and to the cast, but the returning cast is certainly not new to him. Even if he didn’t know any of them personally, he knew of them from observations or word of mouth. As he and David are both Sylmarites, CJ has crossed paths with David a few times, after CJ and his family moved to Sylmar in 2013. But even from a distance, David never came off as someone that CJ would care to talk to, as David always seemed a bit... rude, standoffish, and seemingly against the world. He wasn't sure if Rafa or Alastair would be interested in getting to know him following what they each went through the last two seasons. He had seen Jason and his husband Christian quite a few times, with and without Aiden. And whenever Aiden was around them, or (even worse) whenever it was just Jason and Aiden, it was "pretty weird," as he says via confessional in Episode 2. Every time he saw Enrique, it was comical; as he says in his confessional in Episode 2, "If Enrique thinks he’s living like the Kardashians, honey, then he’s got another thing coming." And both CJ and Matthew attend San Fernando Fitness, where prior to the show, they were mainly acquaintances. So, they don’t really know each other like that, but this show allows them to truly get to know each other outside of San Fernando Fitness.

A little behind the scenes fact about CJ: one interesting move - LONG before the Flaming Bros franchise ever launched - has a lot to do with CJ’s name. Up until 2009, while still living in New Zealand, the then-14-year-old CJ had went by his first name Courtney-Jai since he was born. Meanwhile in Australia, there was an up-and-coming actor named Jai Courtney. When word started spreading about the actor, CJ was sure that the actor would become big-time famous one day, so Courtney-Jai eventually decided to go by his initials CJ to avoid confusion. So obviously, it was a personal choice to stand out, and boy does he ever, especially in this toxic-ass cast! Anyone who knows him personally is welcome to call him CJ, Courtney-Jai, or Courtney.

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Also introduced in Season 3 Episode 2 is our quieter new addition, Tejano actor Matthew Frias.

“Hi, I’m Matthew Frias. And I’ve been living in the city of San Fernando since 2013 after living in Dallas, Texas my whole life. I’m an actor, and I’ve mainly done Indie films. I’m perhaps best remembered for starring in the film Akron. But outside of acting, I’m also a waiter for La Bella Pizza Trattoria Italiana, and I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And if things were different, I would be a mama’s boy *chuckles*.”

 

21 years old at the time of casting, Matthew is the youngest one in the cast, being born on August 18, 1995 and only being a few months younger than CJ. And he has a bit of an "adorably awkward" vibe, and light Texan accent, which contrasts with the thicker Texan accent of Alastair’s fiancé Zachary.

Prior to being cast on this show, he had just wrapped up production for a movie he starred in called Bad Kids of Crestview Academy. But he is probably best known for starring in the LGBTQ indie film Akron.

Matthew is very sweet, warm, expressive, and eager to connect. And it becomes clear (even to CJ) that Matthew is carrying a lot of unresolved baggage.

In San Fernando, he lives in a shared apartment with three other people, and so far, it’s not a fun experience.

 

As a waiter, he eventually has the unfortunate luck of serving Enrique, who is such a horrible customer. More on that later.

Matthew has a complicated family history with his mother, hence why in his Episode 2 confessional, he said that interesting statement, “if things were different, I would be a mama’s boy.”

Matthew was already acquaintances with CJ as they both attend the San Fernando Fitness gym. They were never friends at the time, and they don’t start off as buddies when we meet them in Episode 2. But as we see throughout this season, they always manage to find their way back to each other, and by joining the show together, they eventually start getting to know each other, especially as the majority of the cast proves to be toxic and unbearable.

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After CJ and Matthew have been introduced, their first scene together in Season 3 Episode 2 is outside San Fernando Fitness where they have a first real conversation after finishing a fitness session. It’s a little awkward at first because before they were cast on this show, they were just acquaintances and didn’t really know each other that well, but always got along with each other. Now that they’re both on a show together where the cast dynamic is basically shit, it remains to be seen if the two new guys will be against each other by the end of the season. Neither knows what to make of this journey yet, but they were both aware of the show (which had become the talk of the SFV for two years straight, thanks to Rafa’s positive impact, and the local newspaper The San Fernando Valley Sun) – each having watched it in real time – and are WAY more than aware of what had transpired within the now broken trio of David, Alastair and Rafa, leading to and following David’s drunken stunt of an interview on LATV.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen between me and CJ, or how we’re gonna fit in this, uh… group? *nervous chuckles* But CJ and I go to the same gym, we’re both new to this show, and hopefully things turn out well between the both of us,” says Matthew via confessional, Season 3 Episode 2.

 

“At this point, nobody likes each other. I don’t know if that’s gonna happen to you and me as well because… we’re both… literally stepping into a hostile situation,” CJ says to Matthew who says, “Yeah, like… I can’t promise that between you and me, it won’t be a ‘battle of the newbies’ kinda thing. But if your early impressions of David back in Sylmar are any indication, something tells me that neither of us are gonna leave this show liking him.” CJ, eyes open wide while side-eyeing on the floor inhales and says, “I think you’re right, dude.”

 

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Also in Season 3 Episode 2, the latest shift in Jason and Christian’s already rocky marriage is both revealing and painful to watch. Jason still hasn’t gotten over Christian refusing to defend him during last season’s reunion, which he sees as betrayal. Meanwhile Christian is desperately asking for direct answers about the rumors surrounding Aiden. Jason’s reaction, however, is a masterclass in deflection. Instead of offering reassurance or a clear denial, he evades the topic, shifts focus, and desperately asks Christian to “just leave it alone.” This frantic plea for peace over clarity strongly suggests that Jason has something to hide. Perhaps this has everything to do with what we already know so far: (1) Aiden – someone who dresses, sounds, and acts like Jason – was initially rejected from the show prior to Season 1 before finally joining for Season 2, and only execs who watched the sizzle reel knew why. (2) In Season 1, David accused Jason of cheating on Christian with someone who dressed and sounded like Jason. (3) During the Season 1 reunion, Rafa admitted to Jason that when watching the sizzle reel shortly after being scouted for the show, he realized that a certain cast member was left on the cutting room floor because of Jason. Rafa promised not to say anything beyond that (and Christian had never seen the sizzle reel himself) but he told Jason that he needed to start being honest for once. (4) In Season 2, Aiden got so brutally defensive towards Rafa and David, respectively, in response to what he claims to be untrue rumors. (5) We find out in Season 2 that Aiden never liked Christian and would openly flirt with Jason in a way that both Aiden and Jason claim to be harmless and platonic.

Jason's avoidant behavior highlights deep-seated insecurity and emotional immaturity. He has long tried to distance himself from his former soft, shy persona—traits that are ironically similar to those of Christian and Rafa. Aiden embodies the bold, provocative, and confident identity Jason built for himself. Because the current rumors threaten to shatter this facade and destabilize his marriage, Jason treats his husband's valid concerns as an annoyance. By begging Christian to let it go, Jason is attempting to enjoy the security of his marriage while completely dodging accountability. Furthermore, his inability to cleanly deny the situation implies that his connection with Aiden is substantial enough that he either fears lying outright, or worries Christian already possesses proof.

On the other side of the dynamic, Christian's long-standing patience appears to have finally run out. Rather than creating a massive scene, he is simply asking for clarity and confirmation (“Just tell me what’s true and what’s false”), making Jason’s stonewalling cut even deeper than the rumors themselves. Christian has always served as the anchor of their relationship; if he decides to enforce strict boundaries or emotionally withdraw, Jason’s entire world is at risk of collapsing.

Jason remains trapped in the same loop of self-doubt, defensiveness, and emotional distance that has plagued him since the show's premiere. The overarching theme of dealing with past ghosts is playing out vividly here; while Rafa’s disappearance forces others to self-reflect, Jason is facing a mirror that shows his marriage failing due to his refusal to own up to his alleged mistakes. Ultimately, this quiet, intimate friction between Jason and Christian is shaping up to be one of Flaming Bros San Fernando's most compelling and heartbreaking storylines.

Little does Jason know that while he never shares a scene with his sworn enemy Rafa until the reunion, an old friend returns for the upcoming cast trip to Bakersfield. And it’s absolute HELL for Jason.

But hey, at least Jason is slightly becoming more relevant this season after taking a noticeable backseat in Season 2. I still don’t like this racist piece of shit. But even when he’s not as important as he was in Season 1, Jason still ranks as the most important villain of the original cast. He would have to, especially now that the B&S side of the cast is now down to three: himself, Enrique, and Aiden. And on their own, Enrique and Aiden are not interesting at all.

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Then, still in Season 3 Episode 2, we see Matthew’s hectic life as one of four roommates and quickly see the complexities of his relationships with his roommates, who are very… obnoxious. And Matthew doesn’t have much of a healthy relationship with any of them. Matthew is not exactly happy about his living situation and has desires to move out one day and downsize, but can’t afford to do so at the moment. The last thing he wants to do, however, is move back to Texas with his mom. One roommate of his in particular, named Joren Michael Francisco (Filipino-American) comes off very thirsty, for a medical student, and seems to enjoy putting Matthew down because Matthew has no direction in his life outside of his “lame acting gigs, and should go back to living with your mommy.” Ouch. We also notice that Matthew is the quietest person in his shared apartment, and doesn’t really have the same social battery as his roommates, which probably annoys them. Luckily, we don’t see Joren or any other roommate of Matthew’s much during this season, and Joren, who was clearly thirsty for camera time, never actually becomes a cast member in any capacity. But that harsh comment from Joren foreshadows a future conversation between Matthew and CJ during the cast trip to Bakersfield.

Later on, all four roommates are having dinner at home, and of course Matthew was the only one who cooked. One important thing to note is that when Matthew is offered champagne, he turns it down, saying, “Y’all know I don’t drink alcoholic beverages.” Remember this, as it will be important later. And of course, it gives his roommates another reason to be annoyed with him.

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Still in Season 3 Episode 2, in a quiet, overcast afternoon. Jason and Enrique are walking a peaceful trail at Pacoima Wash Natural Park (yes, the same park where Alastair and Estuardo nearly got into it in Season 1) The park is mostly empty, with soft gray clouds overhead and the gentle sound of water nearby. Jason looks tense and… lost; Enrique walks with his usual confident swagger, ready to listen and enable.

In his confessional, Jason says, “There’s something alluring about walking in the Pacoima Wash park after we’ve had overnight storms. No one’s really there so it gives me an excuse to get out, and breathe that cold air. I just wish I was in a better mood.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Jason was influenced by his sworn enemy Rafa to get out of the City of San Fernando once in a while. Or maybe I’m just imagining things. Never mind.

Anyway, after Jason and Enrique stop walking and watch the surface water flowing through (a very out-of-character thing for a B&S person to do, but I appreciate the activity), Jason is talking to Enrique, telling him, “I don’t get it, Rick. Christian and have been married for two years, and he’s beating a dead horse. He should trust me by now.”

Enrique nods sympathetically, but with a sly edge, and tells Jason, “Yeah, exactly. I really don’t think Christian can handle someone as fun and confident as you. All he’s been doing is questioning everything instead of just going with the flow. No pun intended,” which makes Jason laugh since they’re literally watching water flowing. “You’re out here living your life and he’s being Nancy Drew, wanting to know every little thing that’s really none of his business.”

Jason sighs, and says, “Speaking of every little thing, Aiden and I are close. We can’t help that. We’ve always been tight. It’s not like we’re doing anything crazy. Meanwhile, Christian carelessly hangs out with Rafa, and I’m supposed to be okay with that? Hell no. That really pisses me off. For real.”

Enrique assures Jason, “Aiden gets you in a way Christian never will. That’s real friendship to me. Christian’s just insecure. When he first met you, you already had a glow up years ago, becoming the Jason we all know, and he can’t handle it. You deserve people who actually match your energy.”

Jason relaxes a bit, and feeds off Enrique’s validation. He says, “You’re right. I had changed before he and I met. I’m not the same quiet dude that I was when I was a kid. But instead of being happy for me, he’s always acting suspicious.”

Enrique pats Jason on the back, mentor mode full on, saying, “He’s weak, babe. Christian’s always been adjacent to our clique, but he’ll never be one of us. Don’t let him dim your shine. We got your back, as always. Let Christian stay paranoid in the corner. The real ones are out here living.”

They continue walking the trail, Jason looking visibly lighter after venting. Enrique walks with a satisfied grin, happy to have reinforced his influence over Jason.

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And then suddenly… we’re in for a surprise:

Rafa finally appears in the closing scene of Episode 2 (talk about a full circle, as his first appearance was on the opening scene of Episode 2 of Season 1), and naturally, he appears very grim when he visits Alastair who gives him a long overdue tight hug.

When Rafa asks Alastair, “Have you seen David recently?” Alastair says, “Unfortunately, I did see him during some… cast get-together thing; it was all bullshit, you didn’t miss anything. Anyway *clears throat* David wanted me to tell you that he wants to talk to you.” Rafa sighs and rolls his eyes, saying, “Great…”

Understandably, Rafa is annoyed. He does NOT want to speak to David ever again after that stunt, but he already knows that he can't keep avoiding other cast members, or so he believed at first.  Rafa says in his confessional, “I honestly had no intention of ever talking to David again because… I do not like him anymore.” OOOOH, DAMN! Alastair says to Rafa, “But I told him that it’s *your* choice to talk to him or not. He’s not your master, Rafa.” Rafa hesitantly asks, “What’s the catch?” Alastair mutters, “I don’t know, man,” and speaks up when he says, “He claims that he only wants to talk to you alone. But given that I was told the same thing last year, only to be ambushed, and David has lied to you and me multiple times, I wouldn’t be so quick to believe David, if I were you.”

 

In the end, Rafa reluctantly decides to accept David’s invitation, "but just in case it *is* an ambush, I think you should come with me." Alastair puts his left hand on Rafa’s left shoulder, looks him in the eye, and softly says, "You got it, buddy."

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Back to David, who was absent on Season 3 Episode 2.

 

If you remember in Season 1 Episode 1, David was the first “amigo” that we met. But he never had a solo scene on his own; he always needed to share a scene with someone for some reason. And the first person was his sworn enemy Enrique, who brought David on the show, only to spit David out on Season 1 Episode 4 (yeah, remember that?). And then after Rafa and Alastair showed up in Season 1 Episode 2, David stuck with them because he had already known them since 2012. And since then, that’s just how David was defined: his dependence on somebody (and private mission to *use* that person). This gave us no room to truly know who David is without someone else. We just knew that he was from Compton, had a homophobic family, had to stay in the DL while in Compton, and moved to Dronfield, Sylmar instead of San Fernando proper because Sylmar was more spread out and less claustrophobic. He had every potential to be the neutral presence that the show seriously lacks (Hell, so did Estuardo), and he blew it.

 

I guess the producers had decided that David just wasn’t interesting enough (or at least worth exploring) on his own, because fast forward to Season 3 Episode 3.

As Rafa and Alastair would find out, David’s request to talk to Rafa alone in David’s home was indeed a big fat lie. Because when Rafa shows up to David’s Dronfield apartment alone first, there's David alongside Enrique, which Rafa says, "I knew it.” “Knew what?” asks David. And Rafa immediately says, “If Enrique's gonna be here, so is Alastair," to which David says, "What? Why?" And Rafa says, "This is an ambush. And I'm not allowing that." So, Alastair, who was waiting for Rafa in the car, shows up and says to David and Enrique, "I'm not gonna say anything to either of you snakes. I'm just here to support Rafa and that's that." And with that, he lets Rafa speak to David.

 

The conversation doesn't go well for David, miraculously. But for Rafa, it needed to happen, now, not later, not never. David asks why Rafa blocked his number. Rafa doesn’t answer his question, and instead says, “You know why; I don't have to answer that question.” David is taken aback by what he thinks is Rafa’s standoffish attitude; “Well if you’re gonna be a smart-ass, go right ahead. I’m just trying to be nice—” Rafa cuts him off, "Why did you put me on blast as a bitch, a crybaby, and a shitty person who shouldn’t be trusted, and call my family ‘witches’? Do you have any idea what I went through after that? Of course not, you were drunk conveniently, and you were never my friend. So, why would you care at all?" And David, in a déjà vu moment, tells Rafa that he should have always been there for him, chastises Rafa about making everything about himself (which isn’t true, and implies that everything has to be about David and how wonderful David is), and accuses Rafa of always leaning on Alastair instead (confirming David's once-implied jealousy towards Alastair), and brings up the Vegas trip, AGAIN!

 

Then out of nowhere, Rafa just explodes, screaming at David, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME, DAVID?! DO YOU WANT ME TO DRAW BLOOD? SUCK YOUR DICK? READ YOU A BEDTIME STORY? FUCK, MAN! YOU ARE TOO GODDAMN OLD TO BE THIS STUPID AND IMMATURE! IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT NOBODY LIKES YOU!" Oof, that was cold, and I don’t care.

 

David was not ready for Rafa to explode at him like that and it made him jump. He attempts to argue, but couldn’t make it past, “Alright, you know wh—” because Rafa cut him off by yelling, “NO, *YOU* SHUT UP, RIGHT NOW! I let you talk; it’s my turn.” David scoffs and says under his breath, “And in my house,” while Rafa says, “I am so fucking tired, David. I’m tired of Las Vegas, I’m tired of fighting, I’m tired of crying, I’m tired of watching what I say, and I am *SICK* and tired of *you*! You are pathetic, manipulative, self-righteous, hypocritical, and annoying as fuck! And I'm not going to apologize for the damage you have caused. You don’t know what it actually means to be there for someone because you’ve never had any real friends growing up and you never will. Time and time again, you’ve disregarded the feelings of people who actually cared about you, because Enrique and your own family did the exact same thing to you, and you let them, because you secretly love to be punished that way. So, if you wanna dwell on the fact that you’ve lost me as a personal slave for the rest of your life, that's up to you. But you’re not dragging me into your bullshit anymore; I’m not having that. You don’t get to abuse me or take your trauma out on me anymore." As Rafa is saying all of this, a visibly tense Alastair is taking all of this in while wiping a tear from his eye, knowing how much David put Rafa through in such a short amount of time, and David looks down to his living room floor, clearly hurt and offended by Rafa’s words. Now heated and defeated, all David says to Rafa (without looking him in the eye) is, "Well then you can take your crocodile tears and witchcraft back to the farm," which is a very lame and insensitive thing to say to a Brazilian who has grown up being anything but a truly welcomed addition to the very Mexican City of San Fernando.

 

Rafa calmly says, “Hmph. And you can go crawling back to Enrique like you always do,” while taking off his mic and throwing the mic box so hard at David’s chest, literally hurting David instantly. Ooh, I know that had to hurt David. And Rafa storms out of David's home and Alastair follows him, neither hearing Enrique's compliment to David who is still in shock: "Wow… you are one mean bitch, D. I like that." David and Enrique have the weirdest dynamic that we will never understand, and I’m just so fucking over it. But Rafa’s right. David will always need Enrique, no matter how much the two hate each other. David says to Enrique, “Damn, bro, you see that? He came into my house and acted like that. I let him talk, I stayed calm, and he still threw something at me. That ain’t right. He ain’t never been the victim, period.”

 

After Alastair takes Rafa back home and softly asks him, “Hey… are you okay?” Rafa tells him honestly, “I will be. But I know one thing: I’m done with him.” Alastair nods, understanding what Rafa is saying, and Rafa makes the most meaningful decision that any reality show cast member can make: "And I'm done caring about people who don't care about me." Rafa is literally the Boundary King. But even *that* is not without its flaws.

 

For the rest of the season, Rafa and Alastair do NOT interact with David at all until the reunion, and that was their choice. And they do NOT participate in any group activities as long as they know that David will be present, which is pretty much every group activity and the Bakersfield cast trip. Basically, the two best friends are mostly isolated from the majority of the cast throughout the season.

 

Fans wonder if David is secretly intimidated by Rafa in particular. We may never know, but it’s not far-fetched at all, if you already understand what Rafa is capable of. After all, when Rafa threw that mic box with so much force, David flinched and was in shock, so there’s that.

And was it a low blow for Rafa to say that David will never have any real friends? Yes. But… it’s no worse than what David put him through. And in true fashion, Rafa saying that David will never have any real friends is… foreshadowing.

 

David is lucky that Rafa didn't put his hands on him and instead threw his mic box at him. Either way, Rafa is not just deeply hurt, he was angry. It’s clear that Rafa hit a nerve when he dragged David for the filth. David's decision to publicly humiliate Rafa in that interview leaves David’s fate on the show being a big question mark.

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The next morning, still in Episode 3, we’re back in Dronfield, Sylmar. Enrique pulls up to David’s apartment building in Dronfield, sitting in his car for a moment with the engine running before finally stepping out. He looks irritated, like he’s doing something against his better judgment. David is already outside waiting, still visibly shaken and nursing his chest from where the mic box hit him the night before.

In his confessional, Enrique says, “I have no idea why David wanted me to meet with him. Maybe he’s gonna tell me something intelligent. But knowing him… I doubt it.”

They start walking slowly down a quiet residential street lined with modest houses and overgrown sidewalks. The silence between them is thick at first.

Enrique has his hands in his pockets, and asks in a casual yet judgy tone, “So… you gonna tell me what the hell that was all about last night? Because from where I was standing, it looked like Rafa came in, ripped you to shreds, and you just… took it.” David keeps his eyes on the sidewalk, but sounds defensive when he says, “I tried to talk to him like adults; you know that. But he came in already in a pissy-ass mood. Started yelling about the interview, about me never being his friend… then he just snapped. Called me pathetic, manipulative, and all that other bullshit. He had the nerve to say that I’ll never have real friends, which is a fucking lie, because yes I do have real friends. Then he threw that damn box and it hit me. You saw it.”

Enrique nods slowly. But with a subtle smirk, he says, “Yeah, I did. The whole thing was pitiful. You let him walk into your own apartment and talk to you like you were some little kid who needed to be put in his place. And you just sat there like you were scared of him or something. After everything you’ve said about him over the last few months… that’s the best you could do?

David now sounds desperate when he says to Enrique, “Look, I didn’t expect him to go off on me like that. That ain’t like him. I thought maybe if I could just get him to listen—” And Enrique cuts him off smoothly, voice still calm but cutting, “Okay, see, that’s your problem right there. You keep thinking you can fix things with him. Like he’s ever gonna look at you the same way again. You burned that bridge when you lied to him for four years, took advantage of him, and went on LATV and said what you said. And now you’re surprised he doesn’t want anything to do with you? Come on, D. I know you’re not *that* dumb.” Ouch… David says nothing to that, but he is clearly hurt that Enrique would call him dumb. Not sure why David would be surprised since Enrique has always been cold and verbally abusive towards him since they met in 2001. But okay.

Enrique continues with, “You know what’s funny? You act like you’re so much tougher than Rafa. But the second he raises his voice, you fold. And now you’re walking around with a bruise on your chest like some kind of victim. It’s embarrassing. David calmly says, “I didn’t fold. I just… I never thought he’d do that to me.” Enrique shrugs, and condescendingly says, “That’s because you still don’t get how these people operate. You keep thinking he’s this sweet little farm boy who just needs to be handled with kid gloves. Meanwhile, he’s out here disrespecting you in your own living room. And you’re still standing here wondering why he won’t talk to you anymore.” They turn a corner onto another quiet street. Enrique lets the silence hang for a moment before continuing, “Look… I’m not saying you deserved to get hit with a mic box. But you did kind of ask for it. You poked the bear for months. And now the bear bit back. Welcome to reality.”

David quietly says, “He blocked my number. He won’t even look at me.” Enrique smirks and says, “Well… at least he has the balls to walk away, which is more than I can say about you. Maybe, now you’ll finally get the hint. You don’t need him. You never did, especially when you got me. Even when I can’t stand your ass. Just don’t let Rafa get back in your head. He’s done with you. So you should just move on.”

David pushes back on Enrique’s advice to move on, when he says, “It’s not that easy. I live in Sylmar and he works in Sylmar.” Enrique says, “Well then, good luck trying to avoid the kid. You’re gonna run into him eventually. And when you do… he’s gonna look right through you like you don’t exist.” David quietly says, “Yeah… I guess you’re right.” Enrique says, “Of course I’m right. I always am. Anyway, don’t you have to meet these two… new guys over at El Cariso in a couple of days?”

David sighs heavily, kicking at a pebble on the sidewalk, and says, “Yeah. Production set it up. CJ and Matthew or whatever their names are. I’m already over it. I don’t need more new people in my face right now. Especially after last night.” Enrique says, “Just what we need, huh? Another pair of fresh faces thinking they can just walk into this group and act like they belong.” David goes, “I don’t even know why they’re bringing new people in. And now I gotta play nice with these kids who probably already heard all the drama about me and Rafa. It’s gonna be awkward as Hell.” Enrique says, “Awkward is putting it mildly. You’re walking in there with a fresh bruise on your chest from Rafa throwing a mic box at you, like you’re some punk. They’re gonna smell the weakness on you from a mile away. But hey — maybe one of them will actually listen to you. Or maybe they’ll just see you as the guy who got bodied by a country kid. Either way, you’ll get over it.”

David looks over at Enrique, and says with a strange mix of resentment and dependence in his voice, “I don’t know why I still deal with you sometimes. You talk shit about me nonstop.” Enrique chuckles and bluntly says, “Because you need me. And deep down, you know it. The show needs drama, and you provide it. Even when you’re being a complete mess.” You know, the fact that Enrique says that David is a complete mess is hypocritical considering that Enrique himself and Jason were just as bad, and even worse.

Y’all, I can’t do this. Enrique and David’s dysfunctional dynamic is as confusing and unbreakable as always.

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It seems like David was never destined to fit into either orbit. And that would’ve been fine if David was a neutral figure who could somehow manage both sides while having his own views. But he was hated by B&S (and vice versa) and was a fake friend to Rafa and Alastair.

So, on Season 3 Episode 3 after his mic drop meeting with Rafa, we see David the next day with one of his so-called “real” best friends from Dronfield – Karlo Shigeo Ishibashi. Born on December 19, 1992, Karlo is another cast member of Asian descent, being half-Japanese and half-Mexican. He’s an actor, stripper, and go-go dancer. Do we see any of that onscreen? No. Does he have a Rafa-less storyline. Also no. Sigh… Karlo shouldn’t even be wanting to have a beef with someone, but evidently, he does and has decided that Rafa will be one of his main targets, even though we never see him actually interact with Rafa in person.  And he also tries and fails to have this stupid beef with fellow mixed Asian cast member CJ over the fact that CJ said that he didn’t know Karlo. Every time this go-go ho (lol, go-go ho) opens his mouth, I just wanna smack him upside the head. And then there’s Karlo and David’s fellow Dronfield bestie Valentino Padilla, aka Tino (born on January 3, 1987), who we also meet, later during Season 3 Episode 3. Y’all, Tino. Lord, that Tino. Hmm… This guy is a true definition of a desperate pick-me. And as you’ll find out very quickly, Tino has a bad case of malapropism. While Karlo and Tino may have apparently crossed paths with Rafa before, they never appear in a single episode with Rafa or Alastair until the reunion. And when you put Karlo and Tino together with David, they form a trio that is clearly an inferior version of the 3 Amigos, dubbed by fans as… the Sylmar Sinners. Luckily, CJ is not a part of this embarrassing trio despite being a Sylmarite himself.

Anyway, as the Sylmar Sinners are hanging out in Caruso's Italian Kitchen in Sylmar, David is telling Karlo and Tino about his meeting with Rafa, and of course his side of the story is meant to paint Rafa as the bad guy. “I invited him over to talk. One-on-one. I was trying to clear the air after the interview thing. And what he do? He shows up with his imaginary boyfriend Alastair in tow like I’m some kind of threat, then disrespects me in my own damn apartment. He yells at me, calls me pathetic, manipulative, all this wild shit… and then throws his mic box so hard at my chest. That ain’t right, man. That ain’t how you treat a host. Maybe they do that shit in Brazil, but in America, he’s an immigrant; shit like that can get you deported. I don’t give a damn how mad you are — you don’t do that. He crossed a line.”

Well, if that wasn’t xenophobic, then I don’t know what is. And David, sweetie… Rafa and his family have been American citizens for years since moving to California, so they can never and will never be deported, even in what is soon to be Trump-era USA.

Karlo and Tino are stunned by this news, Karlo says to David, “Goddamn… I thought Rafa was a weak-ass little kid, not fuckin’ Hercules.” And Tino says, “Clearly, ain’t nobody nice all the time, and Rafa’s living poof.” Um… I think he meant to say, “living PROOF,” but whatever.

And David says, “Yeah, I mean, I apologized to his bitch-ass,” which is a lie; he *never* apologized to Rafa. “But instead of forgiving me, he turns it into this whole attack on me. Like I’m the bad guy for having feelings. I swear he was acting like Angela Bassett with all this bullshit about, ‘I’m tired of this, I’m tired of that.’ Meanwhile, he disrespected me in my own space. I ain’t did nothin’ to deserve that.”

So, as you can see, David is stretching the truth as much as he can, to make himself the real victim and make Rafa the real villain, especially because he is fixated on Rafa taking control of the narrative in David’s own home and assaulting David in his own home. He is trying to rewrite history to feel big again, and while it may be working for the stans of trash TV and anti-Rafa viewers, it’s not working for viewers who are clearly ready to see something different and less toxic.

Karlo asks, “So whatchu gon’ do the next time you see him?” David says, “Damned if I knew. I wish he *would* see me again, because this shit ain’t over.”

“Rafa really thought he could attack me the way he did? Nah. Nah man, I was trying to fix things and he just exploded like a woman scorned. I ain’t chasing after nobody who’s gonna treat me like that in my own crib.” – David via confessional, Season 3 Episode 3

And yet, this whole season, all he talks about is Rafa; prepare to be annoyed by that. One thing worth noting as that he’s already implied in that LATV interview that Rafa scares him because he supposedly comes from a family of witches. But I also think that David is scared of Rafa because he knows that Rafa is actually capable of kicking anyone’s ass if provoked. The mic drop (as well as the Season 1 table bang) was a scare tactic that clearly worked on both David (in secret) and Enrique. But not only is David scared of Rafa, he and his minions are obsessed with Rafa. And they will do whatever it takes to get us to hate Rafa, which is weird because Rafa won’t be in town for a large portion of the season, spoiler alert.

This whole scene proves my original thesis: the villains are replaceable. However, David refuses to be replaced. He needs the conflict with Rafa to stay relevant. He also needs Enrique, of course. The fandom is now fully convinced that David’s entire Season 3 arc is just him failing to accept the fact that Rafa outgrew him and wants nothing to do with him; absolutely nothing. And they’re right. But it’s not just David, Karlo, or Tino who are obsessed with Rafa. Even the Bullies & Snobs can’t stop talking about Rafa, and it gets annoying real fast.

David says to Karlo and Tino, “Anyway, I’m supposed to see these two new guys later today, and uh… y’all, I’m so fucking over meeting new people, okay? Rafa and Alastair were new, Aiden and Cory were new, and now these guys CJ and Matthew…? Whoever they are, I’m… I’m over it.” Um, David, you were new, too when you joined the show on the very first episode via Enrique, and met his so-called friends, the Bullies & Snobs. And your friends Karlo and Tino are new, too! So, what is the difference?! I don’t know if David is delusional or has fake amnesia. Whatever.

And Tino says to David, “Well, you better show those two new guys who the fuck David Ty Reza is, ‘cuz apparently they’re as young as Rafa.” And David says, “Shit. I’ll remember that, bro. Thanks.”

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Still on Season 3 Episode 3, on the very next morning, we catch up with Rafa after that much-needed dragging of David. Rafa is hanging out with his CSUN classmate, close friend and future cast member Calvin Seabrooks at an empty Pioneer Park in a cool cloudy early morning, sitting in a shaded picnic table adjacent to a playground. Still quietly spiraling from his public humiliation, no thanks to David, Rafa tells Calvin that he has decided that he will be taking the Spring 2017 semester off from CSUN. Calvin asks, “Oh really?” Rafa softly says, “Yeah… after everything I’ve been through, especially this year with the cast, and other students and staff staring at me… it was just time to take a step back for now.” Calvin gets up from his seat in front of Rafa and sits next to him, putting his hand around his shoulder, while Rafa looks down at the table, and softly whispers, “Yeah...” In his confessional, Rafa tells us, “I never thought that I would make that decision. Ever. But, um… since the Fall 2015 semester of my sophomore year, after that fight in Santa Clarita… I was no longer able to fully concentrate on my studies. And it just continued to get worse for Fall 2016 after that… that interview that David just *had * to do. A lot of people on campus kept giving me these ‘that’s him’ looks, like, ‘Hey, that’s the guy from that Flaming Bros show.’ They were either gossiping about me or concerned about me, but I couldn’t tell you who was truly worried about me. Either way, they knew about the LATV interview. And it got to a point where sometimes, I would just skip class or skip school entirely, which almost had a negative effect on my grades and GPA,” and he says with a quiet but sad chuckle “But, hey, thank God for all-nighters, right?” Rafa says to Calvin, as a tear rolls down his eyes and his voice breaks, “Is it bad that I feel like a failure?” Calvin softly says to Rafa, “You’re not a failure, Rafa. Look, school will always be there, but life happens, and you had to make a decision.”

“So, yeah, I’m not on social media anymore, I’m not going to school, I refuse to film with David, Enrique, Jason, and Aiden ever again. What’s next, I hear you ask? Who knows?” Rafa via confessional.

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The very next scene in Season 3 Episode 3 shows CJ and Matthew in a car ride on their way to CJ’s favorite place to play – the El Cariso Community Regional Park. What happens on their way to the park is pretty hilarious. In the car, while CJ is driving, he accidentally lets out a loud burp from drinking two Coca-Cola bottles earlier, which causes Matthew to laugh out loud. An embarrassed CJ says, “Excuse me,” while giggling. Matthew jokingly says, “Well that’s attractive. It’s a good thing this ain’t a date.” CJ laughs out loud and says, “Oh shut up *laughs* April would kill me if I did that on a date,” and they both laugh together. Matthew asks, “Anyway, are you ready to see David?” CJ says with honesty, “No. You?” Matthew simply says, “Mm-mm, nope. He’s probably gon’ be rude as Hell.” And CJ says, “I just hope he realizes who he’s dealing with.”

And of course, David, who shows up to the park late, does NOT realize who he was dealing with.

“Hey guys! Thanks for waiting for me,” says David. And CJ says, “Sure, dude. If only we didn’t have to wait over an hour,” which takes David by surprise, and he says, “Um, okay,” in a tone that makes you think, “Oh! He sounds uncomfortable.” But in his confessional, David is all big and bad when he says, “Well that ain’t a good first impression, CJ. And nice to meet you.”

“So what do y’all do? Matthew?” David asks. And Matthew says, “Oh, um, I’m a waiter for La Bella Pizza Trattoria Italiana; 2 years and counting. And um, I’m also an actor.” David goes the snobby route and says, “An actor?” to which Matthew nods, and David continues by saying, "Huh, well that’s… interesting; I ain’t never heard of you.” Matthews gives a calm yet unimpressed side-eye, and David asks, “Any major films or TV shows?” Matthew answers, “No. I’m more of an indie actor like you. Which is probably why I’ve never heard of you either, until you got on this show… as a new guy.” CJ’s eyes open wide and fights back a laugh when Matthew says that last part. In his confessional, he says, “Ooooh… *chuckles*.” And Matthew says in his confessional, “Dude every actor isn’t trying to be an academy award winner or only known for a sitcom that they did 20 years ago. You do indie movies too, and local stage plays, last time I checked. And without this show, nobody really knows who you are.”

David has no idea what to say except, “Well damn… when I heard that you’re from Texas, I expected you to be a little nicer than that, but whatever. Sorry I asked.” Matthew calmly says, “That’s fine. Anything else?”

And David goes for the jugular, when he says, “Well yeah. Why you so damn skinny, bro? Do ya eat?” Matthew is taken aback by this insulting question, while CJ says to David, “Hey, uh, mate? I’m skinny too, and so are you. So what?” Matthew calmly says, “And yes, I do eat, if you must know.”

 

But David shakes off Matthew’s presence and says, “So, CJ.” CJ goes, “Mhm.” And David asks, “Don’t I know you?” CJ answers, "Not really. But we’ve crossed paths many times.” David says in a suspicious tone, “Mm, yeah, I thought so. Anyway, what’s special about you?” CJ says with a poker face, “Well… I’m bisexual, and I’ve been with my girlfriend for two years. And I’ve been working as a refrigeration engineer for about a year. So, there’s a good chance I may have to fix your refrigerator, if you can afford one.” David looks confused when CJ gave him that shady offer.

David says to CJ, “Okay… thanks, I think. Um, So, you’re Indian, right?” CJ says, “Yes, I am.” “But if you’re Indian, why do you look White?” Matthew gives a disgusted look to David and says, “Are you for real?” And CJ bluntly says, “Because my Mom is Italian, Irish, and English, while my Dad is Indian. What’s next on your interview list of questions? Why I don’t sound Indian?” David gets flustered when asked this question and says, “Well… yeah,” which leads CJ to scoff and say under his breath, “Of course.” David: “I mean… shit, you sound Australian.” CJ corrects him, “New Zealand.” David immediately shuts down the race and nationality talk by saying, “Oh, my bad, man. Never mind,” nervously chuckling. CJ and Matthew look at each other like they're over David already. Matthew says in his confessional, “Ooh, sweet Mother Mary. Please help us right now. This bitch clearly wants a reaction from CJ.” But then comes the kicker: David starts questioning CJ’s bisexuality, “I don’t get it man, like, why be with a woman if you like guys? Like, if you gay, just say that.” This shocks Matthew who says, “David!” CJ looks at Matthew and says, “It’s okay, Matt. He obviously wants an answer, so he’s gonna get one.” He looks back at David and says, “I’m not gay, David. Like I said earlier, in case you weren’t listening, I’m bisexual. Always have been.” David then sighs and says, “Okay, fine. But how do you know that you’re bi?” CJ hits him back with, “How do you know that you’re *really* gay?” Poor Matthew is drinking his water bottle like it is tea. Matthew says in his confessional, “Woah… the new guy firing back at a has-been. Get him. Get him, CJ. Get. Him.” Back in-scene, David tries to defend himself with the oldest and most inaccurate excuse in the book, “I’m sorry, man! I ain’t know nobody who’s bi or whatever.” CJ monotonally says, “Yeah, I don’t believe that. That’s like saying you don’t know anyone who’s gay, even if they’re not out. Because newsflash, David: queer people who are not gay are *everywhere.* Just like pathological liars, like you.” That was a dig at David's fake friendship with Alastair and Rafa. David opens his eyes wide at the dig, and Matthew calmly says between David and CJ, “Boom.” CJ takes it a step further when he asks David, “So, tell me, David: what was it like fuckin’ around on the DL in Compton? Even without Grindr, it still must’ve been some hot and heavy teenage years, huh?” This triggers David who says to CJ, “Excuse me?” and CJ says while staring at David, “You’re excused. Bye,” while waving at David. Matthew holds in a laughter at CJ’s response. David is not impressed and says, “You know what, fuck this I’m-I’m done. I gotta go.” CJ shrugs and says, “Cool.” CJ says in his confessional, “Normally in interviews, we stretch the truth because we need a job. In this case, however, you ask, I answer. And I will *not* tell you what you wanna hear. From one Sylmarite to another, don't come for me, David, because I *can* show you *ACTUAL* realness."

 

After David leaves, Matthew says to CJ, “Well then… that went well. You really went there.” CJ, still on his clapback high, says, “Yeah, I… I did. I’m just as surprised as you are, man. By the way, are you okay?” Matthew softly says, “I am. You?” CJ says, “Yeah. Look, um, what he asked you, I’m not gonna repeat it, and I know that you and I still don’t know each other like that. So, I just… wanna say that… you don’t ever have to talk about anything in particular if you don’t want to or if you’re not ready. Sorry, I’m rambling, I know.” Matthew’s voice breaks as he says, “Thank you. I… I—I appreciate that.” And CJ says to him softly, “You’re welcome, Matt.” That’s the first time CJ referred to Matthew as Matt, and apparently CJ’s also the only person who’s called him Matt. Normally strangers don’t refer to each other by nicknames, but because it came from CJ, who he’s seen almost everyday at San Fernando Fitness, it doesn’t bother Matthew at all.

 

CJ and Matthew both understand that it’s gonna take some time to trust each other, but it really doesn’t take long at all, as they always find themselves coming back to each other because they have that mutual understanding.

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Season 3 Episode 3 also shows us what Rafa has been up to since telling Calvin that he was taking a semester off from CSUN. While school is the last thing on Rafa’s mind, he still has his job as an exercise rider and stable hand at Monteverde Ranch. And luckily people in the ranch don’t ask him about David or the show. But lately Rafa has been feeling antisocial following the public humiliation from David’s LATV interview and the backlash he received for fighting Cory last season. So, he doesn’t really interact with people until he has to.

After his boss Thomas Hobson basically orders the intense workaholic Rafa to take his lunch break after being 15 minutes late to do so, Rafa reluctantly does so in the lounge, but it’s spent on his laptop doing wedding/bachelor party duties for Alastair and Zachary’s upcoming wedding, working out a plan for a short film that he agreed to be a part of, and reading an email from one of the producers reminding him that he has to meet with Alastair, Matthew, and CJ at the El Cariso Community Regional Park (which is only about a 10-minute drive from the ranch) after David is no longer there, of course. Not to mention, the table he’s using is nearly filled with printed copies of other things he has to do, and his notebook.

So… yeah… Rafa is not taking a real break from his job or anything else occupying his time. He’s not even making the time to eat anything for lunch. He’s only distracting himself by still putting others first before himself. You would think that his exit from social media, his decision to cut David out of his life, and his indefinite leave of absence from CSUN would be the first steps in the right direction, but it feels like he’s either going backwards or sticking to old habits. As the old saying goes, old habits die hard. And he really doesn’t want to meet new people after two seasons of being burned by cast members. He still hasn’t even made time to go to therapy!

Fellow stable hand 16-year-old Joaquin David Navarro (an openly gay kid from Sylmar Charter High School, born on March 27, 2000) walks in on Rafa glued to his laptop, and asks him, “Are you still working?” And Rafa says while still focusing on his laptop, “Sort of. I’m a very busy man.” Joaquin carefully says to Rafa, “ Well, um, you seemed kind of tired and out of it this morning. Is something wrong?” Rafa doesn’t really wanna talk about what he’s been going through up to this point (he doesn’t wanna talk to anyone, period) and just says, “No. I’m fine,” in a defensive tone. When Joaquin sees the workload Rafa is doing, he says, “Golly… I don’t wanna grow up anymore. Do you also have to go to Phenom Academy today?” And Rafa says to him, “Oh, um… no. Not today, thank God.” “Oh, good,” says Joaquin. When Joaquin grabs a bottle of Pepsi from the refrigerator (I’m getting major Pepsi PTSD from Jason) and is about to leave the lounge, he says, “Well I hope you get some rest when you get home,” and put his hand on Rafa’s shoulder as he exits the lounge. Rafa pretty much ignores Joaquin’s request and gets back to what he was doing on his laptop.

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Still on Season 3 Episode 3, Alastair picks up Rafa from work and they go to the El Cariso Community Regional Park to meet CJ and Matthew for the first time. David had already stormed off around the time Rafa kinda sorta not really took his delayed lunch break. So, Rafa didn’t have to worry about seeing David in the park.  It doesn’t take them long at all to get to the park, as it’s a roughly 10-minute drive from Monteverde Ranch.

CJ and Matthew are already waiting, still reeling from the hot-ass mess that was David, and looking a little hopeful but cautious.

When Rafa and Alastair show up, Matthew stands up first with a small, warm smile, and says, “Hey guys, thanks for coming. How was your day?”

Alastair says, “It was pretty good, thanks. I hope y’all weren’t waiting for too long.” And Matthew says, “Not at all, but a certain you-know-who kept us waiting for over an hour.” Alastair, “Oh yeah, he would,” and chuckles alongside Matthew and CJ. Rafa offers a small, polite smile, but doesn’t laugh. He keeps his arms loosely crossed, gaze drifting toward the grass or the trees more than the people in front of him.

CJ says to Alastair and Rafa, “Well, on that note, good afternoon, Rafa and Alastair. I’m Courtney-Jai, but you can call me CJ.” And Matthew says, “And my name’s Matthew.” Everyone shakes each other’s hands, telling each other that it’s nice to meet each other.

Alastair asks, “So, you guys live in Sylmar?” CJ says, “I do; in the Foothill area.” And Matthew says, “And I live in San Fernando Mission Blvd.” Alastair says, “Alright, nice. Well, I hope the San Fernando Valley’s been treating you guys right so far.” Matthew says with a chuckle, “Oh man, don’t jinx it.” Alastair goes, “Oops, hehe.”

Rafa nods, but he’s barely participating. His answers are short, distant. He keeps avoiding eye contact. The others are trying to include him. Rafa gives a small smile, but it’s clear that he was not ready to meet anyone new. He’s polite, but checked out. The conversation continues for a few more minutes — light questions about each other’s jobs and families — but Rafa’s responses grow shorter and quieter.

Finally, after a long pause, Rafa stands up slowly. Rafa says softly, almost apologetically, “I… I think I need to go. Sorry. I’m not… I’m not really here right now.” He doesn’t storm off. He doesn’t make a scene. He just gives a small nod to everyone and walks away toward the parking lot, shoulders slightly hunched. And he is taking deep breaths while saying to a producer who’s checking up on him, “I’m sorry. I just… I just don’t think I should be here right now.”

Alastair watches him go, clearly torn but respecting the boundary. He turns back to CJ and Matthew with a quiet (almost frustrated) sigh. “Um… he’s been through a lot. More than most people know. He’s trying… but it’s probably just not a good time for him right now.

CJ says, “It’s okay, Alastair. We get it.”

Alastair looks up and asks, “You do?”

Matthew says, “Yeah. We all know about what David did in the LATV interview. And… you’ll never guess how much of a bitch David was to me, and to CJ.”

Alastair braces himself as CJ and Matthew tell him about the insensitive things that David said to them.

“Wow, David is really showing his true colors this season. It’s almost like he’s asking to get fired, and doesn’t have the guts to just quit,” Alastair via confessional.

This meeting wasn’t a disaster; quite the contrary, actually. But it was honest. Rafa wasn’t rude; he was exhausted, busy, and protecting himself. CJ and Matthew showed maturity by not taking it personally. And Alastair was being the steady bridge, but knew that he would have to talk to Rafa about what he’s going through.

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Still in Episode 3, Alastair and Rafa go to Alastair’s house after their first meeting with CJ and Matthew, and Rafa jumps straight into best man duties, which throws off Alastair a bit. Zachary is still at work, so it’s just Alastair and Rafa. Alastair plays along, but he knows that he and Rafa need to talk about what just happened with CJ and Matthew.

After about an hour of wedding this, bachelor party that, Alastair is ready to have a serious talk with Rafa, and… it doesn’t go well. Alastair pulls a confused Rafa away from best man duties to talk to him in Alastair and Zach’s guest room, and they sit on the bed.

“I kind of have an idea of what Alastair wants to talk to me about, and I’m just… I don’t know what to say,” Rafa via confessional

Rafa: *softly* Um… so uh… how was the rest of the meeting with CJ and Matthew?

Alastair: It was good. They seem like really cool people. CJ’s hilarious and Matthew’s a sweetheart. I know a Southern gentleman when I see one, of course. But even they would’ve preferred that you stayed.

Rafa: They asked about me?

Alastair: Yeah. I didn’t say too much about you; just that you were going through a lot, and you’re a busy man.

Rafa: Oh… okay.

Alastair: Matthew did tell me that he and CJ were aware of what David did to you over the summer. And they said if you need space, they’ll respect that.

Rafa: Oh, no-no-no. I’m… I’m fine. I just… I was just distracted. I had a busy morning at work.

Alastair: Is that why you were crying on our way to my house?

Rafa doesn’t say anything, but looks tense and shocked.

Alastair: Do you think that Matthew and CJ have ulterior motives?

Rafa: *hesitates to answer and thinks about it before softly saying* I don’t know what to think.

Rafa proceeds to leave the room (and perhaps the house) but stops when Alastair speaks.

Alastair: They told me that before you and I got to the park, David was being very rude to them. Questioned CJ’s identity and mixed race, invalidated Matthew’s career as an actor, and commented on Matthew’s weight.

Rafa turns around to look at Alastair.

Rafa: He did that to them?

Alastair: Yes. And it’s on camera; I saw for myself when our meeting was done. They handled him as best as they could, but… they’re literally stepping into the lion’s den where nobody likes each other, Rafa. Nobody. Don’t you remember how that felt?

*flashbacks to the life coach worthless scene, and heated James’ Restaurant finale, *

Rafa: *voice breaking* Yeah. *a tear falls down his right eye as he looks down at the bedroom floor* Yeah, I remember.

Alastair: CJ and Matthew are not asking you to be their best friend, Rafa. And I’m sure the same applies to me. And they don’t know each other that well either; they go to the same gym and they’re still warming up to each other. But I really don’t think they have any agenda.

Rafa: *wipes a tear from his eye and says* Maybe not. *and says defensively and agressively* But I don’t know that, okay? I’m just not ready to let anyone in. I can’t make that mistake again, Alastair. I barely even interact with my coworkers anymore. I’m not even going back to school next semester because I can’t face anyone!

The latter revelation shocks Alastair.

Alastair: You’re not going back to CSUN next semester?

Rafa realizes that he just let that information slip

Rafa: *exhales* I decided to take a semester off. With people on campus talking about me and asking me about the show and what happened to me in the summer… I couldn’t concentrate anymore. *voice breaking and tearful* So I’m not going back next semester. I don’t even know if I wanna go back at all. *voice breaking and crying* And that was a hard decision to make because I love theatre. I love to act. It gave me a reason to get out of San Fernando for a few hours and just… breathe. And be myself without having to explain myself to anyone.

Alastair: *speaks softly* Rafael…

Rafa leaves the house in tears, and a tearful Alastair lets him and sits on the guest room bed.

In his confessional, Alastair says perhaps the riskiest thing you could say on reality TV: “This was a bad idea. Rafa’s not ready to come back to this show; he was literally FORCED to come back by production. I get that Rafa saved the show from cancellation, TWICE. But this is ‘Flaming Bros,’ not ‘The Rafa Show.’ He didn’t even wanna come back after last season. And… production should’ve respected that. I think Rafa needs a break from all of this. Better yet, he needs a break from the entire San Fernando Valley. He deserves it.” 

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

The final scene in Season 3 Episode 3 sees Rafa back in his house after walking a good 25 minutes from Alastair’s house following his tearful argument with Alastair about Rafa’s uncertainty about CJ and Matthew and accidental revelation about not going back to CSUN for the Spring. He hasn’t been communicating with his family either, so things have been pretty tense in the house.

When Rafa enters the house, he ignores his mother Lorena who says, “Oi, querido.” His father Ricky notices that Rafa is once again not speaking and asks, “Algo errado, Rafael?” And of course, Rafa – who does not give his parents eye contact – quickly answers, “Estou bem.” But his parents know him better than that. They know what David Ty Reza did to Rafa, they know that Rafa was struggling to get through university (and that he will not be attending CSUN during the Spring), and they know that theatre, acting, nature, horse riding, and taking care of animals were his escape, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

“Rafa… o que está acontecendo?” Lorena asks. And Rafa lets out a soft frustrated sigh, looks at his parents and says, “Aparentemente, não estou emocionalmente presente. Aparentemente, trabalho demais. Aparentemente, deixo as pessoas preocupadas.” Ricky says, "Bem, talvez você não queira ouvir isso... mas acho que você deveria considerar seriamente conversar com um terapeuta algum dia." Rafa is shocked by this and says, "Dizer o que?" Ricky explains, “Você tem passado por muita coisa. E eu não estou tentando te forçar a fazer nada, mas eu realmente acho que você tem adiado a terapia por tempo demais, filho. Me desculpe.”

Rafa is annoyed by this and says, “Ah, não acredito nisso. Não consigo ganhar!” Ricky slightly raises his voice at Rafa and goes, “Rafael—” but Rafa – who is fighting his hardest to not explode to his parents (he respects them too much to ever do that) – cuts him off and says with a harshly frustrated (yet shaky) tone, “Sabe, eu achava que sair do Brasil aos 13 anos tinha sido a pior coisa que me aconteceu! E desde que me mudei para cá, tem sido um verdadeiro pesadelo, cheio de gente me odiando por ser brasileira e cuidar da minha vida. Eu tento ser legal com todo mundo. Tento me dar bem com as pessoas. Tento agir com elegância. Tento dar o benefício da dúvida a todos. Tento estar presente para todos. E toda vez que faço a coisa certa, sempre tem alguém determinado a tornar minha vida um inferno. E agora meu chefe, minha melhor amiga e meus colegas de trabalho estão constantemente preocupados porque eu não quero falar sobre o que aconteceu comigo durante o verão e porque trabalho o tempo todo? Eu só quero que me deixem em paz!”

As Rafa is about to go to his room, Ricky tells Rafa sternly, “Não podemos evitar nos preocupar com você, Rafa. Nós te amamos, e muita gente também; o suficiente para dizer que você não está se priorizando. Você está mentindo sobre estar bem.” Oof. Yikes. I understand what Ricky is saying, and I agree. But I think the last thing you should do to someone struggling with depression is accuse them of lying about being fine. That never ends well.

Fighting back tears, Rafa is not trying to hear it anymore and says, “Não, pai. Não estou mentindo sobre nada. E cansei de tentar fazer as pessoas entenderem meu ponto de vista.” And with that, he walks to his bedroom, visibly angry and seemingly done with everyone.

Moments later that same evening, Rafa is laying down on his bed, still fully-clothed and staring at the ceiling, when his cellphone turns on because he received silent notification that Alastair sent a text message saying, “I’ll always be here for you no matter what, buddy. ❤️” Rafa doesn’t open the message, so he doesn’t leave Alastair on ‘read.’ And he looks at a 2010 photograph of himself at age 16 with 18-year-old Alastair at Alastair’s high school graduation, and another one in 2012 of himself at age 18 with 20-year-old Alastair at Rafa’s high school graduation. All Rafa could do at this moment is cry because he knows that the people care for him, and are worried about him. But he’s just not ready to talk. To anyone.

 

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Season 3 Episode 4 opens in the morning after Rafa’s argument with his parents about therapy.

"I didn't realize that I had cried myself to sleep until I just woke up at the crack of dawn... to the sounds of birds chirping outside. It was such a peaceful sound that I didn’t even want to get out of bed, to be honest with you. But I did stink, so I had to get up and take a shower because I never did when I got home. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts," Rafa via confessional.

After Rafa takes his shower, brushes his teeth and gets dressed in his farming gear - just in time to do his farming duties - he walks in the kitchen to make breakfast, only to find his older brother Dominic. Dominic moved out of the house prior to Season 2 (but still lives in the City of San Fernando). So, we haven't seen him since Season 1, until now.

"Hey Raf," Dominic says. And Rafa says to him, "Dom... what are you doing here?"

Dominic says, "Well... I thought we'd spend the morning together; get an early start."

Rafa sighs and says, "Thanks, but... I gotta do my farming chores after I eat breakfast."

Dominic quickly says, "You don't have to. Mom and Dad are taking care of that right now."

Rafa lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes.

Dominic - looking like he's bracing himself - continues, "They also told me about what happened last night when you came home from Alastair's house. You and Dad had an argument after he suggested therapy?"

Rafa cuts him off and says, "He doesn't believe that I'm fine. And neither does Mom."

Dominic says, "Look, bro, I know that everyone is getting on your nerves about what you’ve been going through. Are you embarrassed?"

Rafa keeps his tone composed (although he's getting annoyed) when softly he says, "Oh, damn it Dom, not you too. I don't wanna talk about it, okay?!"

Dom sounds like he's ready to give up when he says, "Okay, fine. Forgive me for wanting to hear your side of the story. You don't have to talk about last night." And Rafa immediately says, "Thank you," before Dom continues, "But if you’re not gonna talk to me or Mom or Dad or Alastair, or anybody else, then who exactly are you gonna talk to, if not a therapist? Hm?"

Rafa pauses, knowing that this is already going nowhere, and kinda deflects a little bit when he says, "Look, if you’re just here to say, 'I told you so,' because you warned me about David, just save it; I'm already paying the price." And Dom says softly, "I'm not gonna do that to you, Rafa. Maybe we don't know the whole story about him. But what I *can* tell is that you’re not waiting to find out. And I don’t blame you."

"You're not gonna leave me alone until I agree to roll with you, are you?" Dominic says, "That’s right. I will stay here all day and night if I have to--" And Rafa cuts him off and says, "ALRIGHT! Alright. Fine. God. Can I just eat something first? I'm really hungry." And Dominic chuckles while saying, "Go right ahead, stranger."

Fast forward to where Dominic has taken Rafa: the visitors parking lot of San Fernando High School. "Why are we here?" asks a shocked Rafa. "I thought maybe for your safety, you'd like to visit an empty school. Who needs a bunch of snot-nosed kids, right? Besides, it's Winter Vacation." Rafa is not impressed, saying his confessional, "The last thing I wanna do is go back to my high school and relive memories that I'd rather not remember."

With their visitor passes on them, Rafa and Dom walk through the empty hallways before making it to the auditorium where Rafa did his first play in the 11th grade: "Pippin," where he played Lewis. And we see a flashback footage of a 16-year-old Rafa on-stage performing as Lewis.

The Silva brothers sit down on the auditorium seats, and Rafa couldn't feel any more tense and irritated. Dominic asks Rafa, "Do you remember your first acting role here in high school?" And Rafa, who really doesn’t want to relive his teenage years, softly says, "I was Lewis on 'Pippin.'" Dom simply says, "Yeah. And I remember that you auditioned for all the male roles, which was very smart. You were worried that you wouldn’t have a great audition for any of the roles because you didn't think you were a good singer. But flaws and all, you never gave up. And you eventually took the role of Lewis; not just because it was offered to you, but because you connected to him the most. And even with limited vocal ability, you gave it your all, and people loved you. It was the happiest I had ever seen you--" Rafa chimes in, "I'm guessing Mom and Dad also told you that I'm not going back to CSUN next semester?" Dominic sighs in frustration and calmly goes, "Yeah. They did. And... I was surprised because I knew how much you loved theatre and acting." And Rafa sarcastically says, "San Fernando's a small town. Word flies fast."

Dominic desperately says, "Rafa... I just... I can't help but wonder what happened to that optimistic aspiring actor." Rafa bluntly says, "He grew up and had to work." Dominic says, "That doesn't mean that you had to give up on your dreams." And Rafa says, "It's not exactly giving up if I'm still doing short films, is it?" Dominic realizes this and goes, "Right. Um, you're right. It's not."

And Rafa says to Dominic, "Anyway, it's not like I was ever popular in high school, even with Pippin." And Dom says, "So? You were never in it for popularity or fame. You're an artist, Rafa. And you’ve always had the substance, education, passion and raw talent that most popular celebrities lack. And you didn't have to explain yourself to anyone."

Next, we cut to the brothers slowly walking back to the hallway, and they see a VPA (Visual and Performing Arts Academy) display, which honors the high school class of 2011 who attended the academy. Rafa sees Christian’s senior picture with the caption “Most Likely to Succeed,” and a quote that Christian said in a school newspaper interview from 2011, “Wherever life takes me, I won’t live with regrets.” Reading that quote makes Rafa sad, remembering how Christian’s life turned out since then: Christian met Jason shortly after graduating, they quickly became a couple, got married in 2014, and has been treated unfairly by Jason, Jason’s family, and Jason’s friends. And Christian is forced to just take it. “Looking at Christian’s display makes me wish that things were different for him. Much different,” Rafa says via confessional.

And then Rafa looks at another VPA display which honors the high school class of 2012 who attended the academy. Rafa’s senior picture from when he was 17 years old is featured with the caption, "Best Smile and Best Spirit," and a quote he said in a school newspaper interview from 2012, "It's not the end of the world. It's the start of a new chapter."

In his confessional, a producer asks Rafa, "Do you remember saying that quote?" And Rafa inhales and says, "Yeah. I-- I do. When I said that, I was trying to be as optimistic as I could be. But the truth is, I didn't know what I wanted to do after high school, and I was hoping and praying that the end of the world wouldn't actually happen. I was doing plays and short films here and there, but... I didn't think I was good enough to pursue acting full-time. So, I just never took it seriously. And that’s why I did my first regular 9 to 5 job at Rite Aid instead."

Rafa, with sad glassy eyes, asks Dominic, "So... what's this about Dom? Are you trying to tell me that I made a mistake leaving CSUN?"

Dominic says, "Not at all. I know why you're taking an indefinite break and I totally understand." And Rafa softly says with his voice cracking, "Dom, you couldn't possibly understand what I had to put up with for two years."

"But we’ve both been at the receiving end of it for almost 10 years, Rafa" Dominic reminds him. "I was angry, too. I know you were not proud of fighting that racist asshole last year in Santa Clarita. And I wanted to kill David for what he said in that interview... about you and about our family. And I wish everyone at CSUN would just mind their own business and respect your privacy. My only hope is that you're taking this break for you, and no one else. You're not wrong to leave university, Rafa. Life happens... and sometimes... school is not where you need to be."

Rafa doesn't say anything, but looks away, not wanting to cry. But Dominic softly says, "Rafa... look at me," which Rafa does while fighting back tears. "This is a transitioning period for you, and I can feel it. That's not a bad thing for you. As you know, I'm visiting Brazil in a couple of weeks... and I think you should come with me. But I'll leave that up to you. Whether or not you decide to join me, just remember: I'll always support you. And I love you."

Dominic gives Rafa a hug, and Rafa hugs back tightly while burying his face in Dominic’s shoulder and crying. While still hugging, Dominic asks Rafa softly, "Aren't you glad I brought you here?" And Rafa says in his brother's shoulder, "No," and they both chuckle.

Rafa and Dominic’s brotherly relationship is something that we would've never seen from Enrique/Carlos or Jason/Alex C. Not necessarily because Dominic isn't a cast member or even queer, but because he never enabled Rafa or vice versa.

Enrique/Carlos and Jason/Alex C had a history of doing that A LOT, hence why Carlos was rejected after the sizzle reel and Alex C was phased out before the midpoint of Season 2.

But Rafa and Dom give a more authentic dynamic. They listen to each other. They love each other. And like pretty much all brothers and sisters, they fight/argue with each other.

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Later in Season 3 Episode 4 in the late afternoon, we are now at the Brand Park Memory Garden. It’s quiet and peaceful, shaded by mature trees with the historic San Fernando Mission visible in the distance. Golden light filters through the leaves. Alastair is already sitting on a bench near the fountain when Matthew walks up, looking a little unsure but trying to smile. He’s still in his waiter uniform shirt, having come straight from a shift.

“Our first meeting was fine, but perhaps we should have taken baby steps. Alastair and Rafa were still very raw from what happened between them and David. And the rest of the group is in shambles. But I’m glad that Alastair agreed to meet me at Brand Park. No biggie; just two Texican bulls butting heads,” Matthew laughs and jokingly says in his confessional.

Alastair sees Matthew and says, “Hey there, Matthew,” and gives him a handshake. And Matthew says, “Hey… thanks for meeting me here. I wasn’t sure if this was too last minute. I just… after yesterday, I figured it might be good to talk one-on-one. If that’s okay.” Alastair says, “Oh don’t worry about that; it’s all good.”

In his confessional, Alastair says, “I’m really glad that Matthew reached out. I remember seeing him around a few times at his job, and he is a total sweetheart.”

Alastair says to Matthew, “So, um… how you holdin’ up after that whole thing at the park? I know that yesterday was a lot. David being… well, David. And then meeting me and Rafa on top of it…”

Matthew sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, and says “Yeah, um… I’m alright. I mean… I’ve had worse days waiting tables, believe it or not. You’ve seen me at my job, so you already know.” Alastair says, “Oh yeah,” and Matthew says, “CJ and I both kinda expected David to be an asshole, but damn. Still. I’m more worried about how Rafa’s doing. He seemed… real tired.” Alastair nods and says to Matthew, “Yeah. He’s got a lot on his plate right now. But he’s a tough cookie. We don’t have to talk about him today though. I’ll let him open up if he wants to.” Matthew respects that and says, “That’s totally fair, dude. You’re a very respectful person.” Alastair blushes over that compliment, and softly says, “Thanks. Anyway, um… You said you just moved out here from Texas a few years back?”

Matthew goes, “Yeah, Dallas originally. I moved to San Fernando in 2013 after finishing high school for a fresh start and to just see where life would take me. It still feels weird sometimes. The City of San Fernando sure has its own rhythm compared to other areas in the San Fernando Valley, you know? Truly interesting.”

Alastair smiles and has genuine interest on the conversation and say, “Totally. I was raised in Arlington, specifically, and actually moved there from Ciudad de México when I was like… five? Lived in Arlington till I was seventeen, when we came out here to San Fernando in 2009. I guess, you and I - and even my fiancé who’s also from Dallas - are basically representing the ‘Tejano Invasion?’”

Matthew and Alastair laugh at the “Tejano Invasion” coincidence, and the tension in Matthew’s shoulders are easing. And Matthew says, “Yeah, but who’s the cowboy?” And they both laugh. He continues by saying, “One thing’s for sure: Dallas, Arlington, and the City of San Fernando are all hot as *Hell*… Thank God it’s still the winter.” Alastair quickly agrees and says, “Oh I know, man,” and they both laugh.

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

We also see in Season 3 Episode 4 David is having brunch with Karlo and Tino in Panorama City the very next day. They are hanging out in the Panorama Mall's food court, and they're talking about David’s meeting with CJ and Matthew, as well as talking about Alastair and of course RAFA! Their conversation is skippable and boring. But during that conversation, what stands out is that Karlo tells David and Tino that “Rafa ain’t shit but a horny little trick,” which had me gasping. Karlo is determined to be the next baddest bitch, sacrificing likability, no matter how stupid his lies about Rafa (and future conflict with CJ) are. He clearly has a death wish.

At this point, viewers are wondering, “Are these three guys just gonna be talking about Rafa every time they're filming together? And is it always gonna be in a food establishment? Do these new guys even know Rafa? What is going on?! WHY AM I EVEN ASKING THESE FUCKING QUESTIONS?!” Hopefully Rafa is watching this season in time for the reunion so that he can confront the Sylmar Sinners about their behavior, because this right here cannot go one for another season.

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Season 3 Episode 4 is also the first time we meet CJ’s family, and it becomes very clear how close they are.

We see that CJ is a caregiver for his younger brother Noah who has Dextrocardia, and a babysitter for his much younger sister Savannah. But what really stands out is his refreshing relationship with his dad, Antonio Niner. What's unique about their father-son dynamic as Indians is that CJ didn't grow up traditional because his dad didn't believe in the typical Indian traditions, including the need to have an arranged marriage, saying that he met his wife and cancer survivor Susan (CJ's Italian, Irish, and English mom from Rugby, Warwickshire) after he had stepped away from his parents' (CJ's grandparents) box.

CJ maintains a healthy relationship with Antonio and the rest of their family, and was raised by both parents to always be open about his feelings. I'm sure a lot of Indian viewers (and Asian/South Asian viewers in general) who grew up in a strict traditional upbringing wish that they had this type of dynamic with their family. But this is where we start to see a crack in CJ’s seemingly fearless personality, as CJ reveals in his confession, “I still struggle to open up to my parents about anything I go through. I’m very aware of the homophobia and biphobia within the Asian community. And mental health is still taboo in the community, too.” Underneath his fearless (and sometimes cocky) personality is someone who bottles things up for so long that it’s amazing that he has yet to explode, which I’m sure concerns his parents and his girlfriend April.

 

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Still in Season 3 Episode 4, Christian visits Rafa, who is still processing the emotional previous day with his brother at San Fernando High School. He’s sitting on the couch in his overalls, flipping through an old photo album absentmindedly. There’s a soft knock at the door. Lorena lets Christian in. Christian looks exhausted and relieved to be somewhere safe, and is softly hugging Rafa, as he says, “Hey, Raf. Thanks for letting me come over. I know it’s been a rough and busy week for you, too.”

Rafa says to Christian, “Of course. You’re always welcome here. You want something to drink?” And Christian says, “Yeah, you still got fruit punch?” Rafa answers, “Say no more. Coming right up.”

Rafa says in his confessional, “When Christian texted me that he wanted to see me and just talk, I had an idea of what he wanted to tell me. But I didn’t ask any questions;  I just said, ‘Yeah come on over.’ Whatever he wants to tell me, I’m always all ears.”

So yeah, as you can tell, Rafa is still there for his friends, but later this season, we do see how everyone navigates a season without Rafa to varying success, and you’ll see what I mean later.

In the meantime, after Rafa gives Christian fruit punch in a Brazilian flag cup – which is so cool, by the way – and pours some punch for himself, Christian thanks him, and they sit around the dinner table. And Christian slowly starts to look visibly relaxed, possibly for the first time in days; maybe even weeks.

When Rafa asks, “So what’s up, Chris?” Christian answers, “I just… I needed to get out of the house. Jason’s been on edge ever since the rumors started blowing up again. The Aiden stuff, basically. He keeps deflecting, telling me I’m overthinking it, but I’m not stupid, Rafa. I see how they act every time they see each other. There’s no way that a platonic friend acts like that with his friends.”

Rafa is listening carefully, and not judging Christian at all. “I’m really sorry that you’re putting up with that, Christian. You don’t deserve that. You’ve been…” exhales and says, “You’ve been nothing but loving and loyal to Jason since you both met. Even when he didn’t make it easy. And even if what’s being said about Jason and Aiden is false, Jason’s not doing you any favors by shutting you down.”

Christian rubs his face, and softly goes, “Yeah. I married him because I was in love with him. And I still am, but… now he’s mad at me. He hates that I defend you. He hasn’t even forgiven me for not defending him at all, especially in the reunion. He hates that I’m friends with you, period. You’re literally the only person on this show I can talk to about this. The only real friend I have here. Everyone else is either in Jason’s circle or doesn’t trust me because I’m married to him.”

In his confessional, Rafa tells us, “More than ever, Christian is caught up in all this mess. Jason treating him like this… it pisses me off. At least Chris is trying to communicate with Jason. He doesn’t wanna jump to conclusions, which I completely respect, 100%.”

Rafa wraps his arm around Christian’s shoulders and says, “Jason *has* made it crystal clear how he feels about me since I met him. It’s funny — or sad, really — that the one person he hates the most is the one you can actually trust. I’ve never been in a relationship, so I’m probably not the best person to give advice. But I know what it’s like when someone you deeply care about treats you like a doormat,” which was a clear reference to David’s treatment towards Rafa, “You deserve someone who chooses you every day and loves you enough to not disrespect you. Not someone who makes you question everything.”

Christian gives a small, grateful smile while looking at his cup. “That’s exactly why I’m able to talk to you. You don’t sugarcoat it or try to fix people, but you don’t make me feel stupid either. Most people would tell me to just leave him or take Jason’s side because of his looks and privilege, or whatever. And you’ve been through enough with David. So, I thought maybe it was a bad time to vent.”

Rafa softly says to Christian, “I might not have relationship experience, but I know pain. And I know you. You’re a good man, Christian. Whatever you decide, I’ve got your back, no matter what.”

Christian thanks Rafa and says, “That means a lot; more than you know.” Rafa says, “No problem, buddy. Just… promise me you’ll take care of yourself too, okay?” And Christian says, “I will. I promise.” And two clink their cups with Rafa saying, “Cheers to that,” and they take a much-needed drink (not sip) of their fruit punch.

After a comfortable silence, Christian switches gears. “Um, I’ve been wanting to check up on you, too. How are you really holding up?”

Rafa leans back on his seat. He carefully says, “Honestly… I don’t know. I tore David a new one for the very last time and threw my mic box at him. I feel like I was being very rude to two new guys. And I had an argument with Alastair and my parents. Dominic took me to San Fernando High yesterday. Showed me the auditorium where I did my first play. *Pippin*. Remember that?” And Christian says, “Yeah, you were Lewis.” And Rafa says, “Well going back to that school was… a lot. Dom reminded me of how excited I used to be about acting and theatre. Then he reminded me that he’s visiting Brazil in a couple of weeks. He thinks I should go with him.

Christian is surprised but supportive, “For real? Like… going back home to Belo Horizonte?

Rafa nods slowly, voice thoughtful but uncertain, and says, “Yeah. I haven’t been back since we left when I was thirteen. Part of me thinks it could be good. Get away from everything here —David, the staring on campus, the backlash, all the noise. Just… breathe. See family. Maybe try new things...” He pauses, and Christian says, “But?”

Rafa fights back tears, while softly saying, “But a bigger part of me is scared. What if going back just makes everything feel heavier? What if I get there and realize I don’t belong there either? I already feel like I’m failing at being here. Taking a semester off from CSUN, hiding from the cast… now running away to another country? It feels like I’m just… constantly running away.”

Christian gently says to Rafa, “Rafa… you’ve been carrying the weight of a lot of negativity. If going to Brazil with your brother gives you some peace, I think you should go for it. You deserve that, Rafa. You’ve been there for everybody else. Including me.”

Rafa reluctantly but gratefully says, “Thanks. I just never thought I’d be the one considering leaving the City of San Fernando. This place has been home for so long, even when it’s been hard. I just don’t want to feel like I’m giving up.”

Christian assures Rafa, “You’re not. And if you go, I’ll always be in town when you get back. We both need people who actually have our backs. No matter what Jason, or David, or anyone else thinks.”

Rafa clinks Christian’s cup and says, “Amen to that.”

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Still in Season 3 Episode 4, it’s midday. Alastair is on his lunch break from his usher shift, still in his black Regency Theatres polo and name tag. He meets Zachary at an empty IHOP across the street, and the two sit close together.

After their lunch is served, the two talk and Zachary says, “I figured you could use something decent after dealing with kids sneaking into R-rated movies all morning. Alastair smiles tiredly, and says, “Thanks, babe. You always know what I need.” He pauses and looks down, and he says, “I’ve been thinking about Rafa a lot. The meeting with CJ and Matthew… I pushed him to stay and talk. Then at the house I kept pressing him about opening up, when all he wanted to do was his best man duties. I think I made him mad.”

Zachary listens attentively, and tries to assure him, “Babe… he’s been through hell with David. You’re just trying to help him.” Alastair’s voice is soft and vulnerable when he says, “Yeah, but… Do you think I’m forcing Rafa to open up when he may not be ready?” Initially, Zachary hesitates to answer that question but eventually says, “Honestly… yes I do.” Alastair inhales calmly and looks down on his lap, while Zach continues, “I love how much you care about him — he’s practically the brother you never had. But he’s shutting down right now. Pressing him might be making it worse.”

Alastair nods slowly, and is not surprised. “Yeah, I… I thought so, too.”

Zachary squeezes Alastair’s hand while Alastair is saying, “Therapy’s been helping me see it. All that stuff with my dad — how he basically said the Army assault was my fault for being gay. How I had to be the strong one who never asked for anything. I think I overcompensate now. I try to fix everyone so I don’t have to sit with my own stuff. But now I’m pushing my own best friend away.” Zach says, “You’re not a bad person for caring, Al. You’re working on it. That’s what matters. Your dad… that’s deep pain. You don’t have to carry it alone anymore. And with Rafa — maybe just let him know you’re there when he’s ready. No pressure.” Alastair nods in agreement.

In his confessional, Alastair says, “It’s never my intention to make people do things they don’t wanna do. But I keep forgetting that I’m… pretty much a control freak. And now I’m pushing my own best friend away. Therapy is showing me how much my dad’s words still live in my head. I don’t want to be that person. I have to do better for Rafa. For Zach. For myself.”

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

The very next scene of Season 3 Episode 4 takes us back to Monteverde Ranch in the same early afternoon. Rafa has just finished his shift for the day, and decides to take a small but meaningful step.

“After talking to Dominic and Christian, I realize that I’m pushing a lot of people away. And I’m taking it out on people who have nothing to do with what I’ve been through. And Dom’s right –I have to talk to somebody sooner or later. So, I reached out to CJ and asked if he would like to meet me at Monteverde. Maybe we could start over, and… just see what happens?” Rafa says via confessional.

“I was surprised to hear from Rafa. But I would never turn down the chance to talk to anyone one-on-one. I don’t think he was ready the last time. You know, so much was going on, and it just wasn’t the right time. It’s never too late to try again,” CJ says via confessional

The ranch is peaceful in the breezy afternoon light, with horses grazing and the smell of hay and leather in the air. Rafa is waiting near the main stable when CJ arrives. Rafa looks a little nervous while CJ looks determined.

When CJ approaches Rafa, he says, “Hey Rafa, how’re you doing?” And Rafa says, “I’m good, thank you. And Thanks for coming out here.” While looking around the ranch with genuine interest, CJ says, “Yeah, no worries. This place is beautiful. I’ve driven past it a few times but never actually been inside.”

In his confessional, Rafa tell us, “I think it’s good that our second meeting in a row is in Sylmar. Compared to San Fernando City, Sylmar is a very spread-out neighborhood at around 12 square miles. So, you don’t really feel claustrophobic. And the chances of running into your enemies on a daily basis are much smaller in Sylmar. But if you’re living in Foothill, and the person who proudly disrespected you lives on Dronfield… yeah. You’d better hope that the enemy stays in his apartment.” Oop! Now that was clearly shade thrown at David. Damn, Rafa! That was pretty funny though lol. Clearly, by the time the cast had to do their confessionals for this season, Rafa was in a much lighter mood, was still in his recovery era (I can’t wait to elaborate on that recover era when we get further into this season), and must’ve said to himself, “Whatever happens, this pushover character that certain people want me to be is GONE, from now on.”

Anyway, CJ and Rafa start walking slowly along one of the quieter paths near the stables. Horses can be seen in the distance. Rafa seems a bit tense at first, choosing his words carefully. And then he says, “Hey, um… I’m sorry for how I was acting at the park the other day. When we first met. I wasn’t… in a good headspace. I was still dealing with everything that happened over the summer, and… I just kind of shut down. You, Matthew, and Alastair didn’t deserve that. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I was just… overwhelmed.”

CJ nods understandingly, keeping it light, and says “Hey man, it’s all good. We could tell you’d been through a lot, and it just wasn’t the right time for you. Matthew and I were both kinda nervous too — stepping into all this drama without knowing anybody, or understanding the situation fully.” Rafa gives a small, and relieved smile, and thanks CJ. Then he says, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to move forward. Taking time off from school, figuring out what I even want right now… it’s been a lot. But I don’t want to keep pushing people away. Especially not the new guys who didn’t do anything wrong. So… I figured we could start over. Baby steps, maybe?”

CJ likes the sound of that and happily eases off the tension by saying, “Baby steps, it is!” He offers his hand for a proper handshake and says, “Hi, I’m Courtney-Jai, but you can call me CJ. Nice to officially meet you.” And Rafa chuckles at CJ’s greeting and shakes CJ’s hand while saying, “Hey CJ, I’m Rafael aka Rafa. And it’s nice to finally meet you too, CJ. For real.”

They continue walking, the conversation shifting to lighter topics. Rafa shows CJ around a little — pointing out some of the horses and explaining what he does at the ranch. CJ asks curious questions, genuinely interested. CJ says, “Wow, so you actually ride and take care of them every day? That sounds very relaxing to me.” And Rafa says with a smile on his face, “It really is.”

CJ says in his confessional, “I’ve never been around horses much myself. New Zealand has sheep, not so much horses. But growing up watching an Australian/Canadian-ish kids show called The Saddle Club made me a fan of the Equestrian culture.”

Rafa tells CJ, “It was actually Alastair’s fiancé who suggested I apply to Monteverde, during a time when I was struggling to find a new job for over a year. And I’d actually visited the ranch plenty of times as a kid. And my boss recognized me and… somehow, he just felt in his heart that I would be a great fit.” CJ says to Rafa, “It’s always great to have a boss who believes in you. We all need that.” And Rafa says, “Totally.”

“So, CJ,” says Rafa. And CJ says, “Yes, Rafa.” Rafa asks, “What’s it like being a refrigeration engineer?” And CJ answers, "Well it’s certainly not glamorous, but I like it anyway. I mostly work on commercial systems — walk-in coolers, freezers, ice machines for homes, restaurants, grocery stores, that kind of thing. One day I’m in a 110-degree mechanical room, sweat dripping into my eyes while I’m trying to get a compressor running, the next I’m in a walk-in that’s -10°F, fingers going numb as I troubleshoot why the fans stopped.”

Rafa is shocked and goes, “Oh my. Do you ever get called out in the middle of the night?” And CJ responds, “All the time. Emergency service calls are part of the job. A restaurant loses their walk-in at 2 a.m. and suddenly I’m the most important person in the Valley. The smell of spoiled food hitting you when you open the door… it’s stressful when it’s happening, but there’s a satisfaction to it. You diagnose it, fix it, and something that was broken starts working again. The hum of the system kicking back on — that sound never gets old. I even had to go to the restaurant that Matthew works in, at the San Fernando area, in the middle of the damn night.” CJ and Rafa laugh at this fact and Rafa says, “Small world, indeed.” CJ says, “For sure. Still, the job keeps me grounded, and pays the bills,” which makes both of them laugh

Rafa proudly says in his confessional, “A job is a job, no matter what you do. It doesn’t matter what somebody else thinks of it. CJ and I each have a job that some would say is a ‘dirty job’. But hey… everyone has to get their hands or clothes dirty someday, right?”

Rafa softly yet hesitantly says, “Hey, um… I hope I’m not prying too much because we don’t know each other like that, but… it’s about what happened with you and David. He really questioned your race and sexuality?” CJ looks down to the ground says, “Yeah, he… he certainly did. And that… really pissed me off. He even lazily mistook me for an Australian, asked me why I look White if I’m Indian, and basically said that it makes no sense for me to be gay if I have a girlfriend. And before he made that stupid gay comment, I had already told him and Matthew that I’m actually bisexual. It got to a point where I basically went below the belt by questioning his homosexuality and mocking his DL past in Compton, because I knew it would hit a nerve, and I was right.”

“Wow… I can’t believe how cruel he was to you,” Rafa says to CJ who says, “I can. People already have their ideas about my mixed race and what they think bisexuality means. Basically, I’m either too much of one thing or not enough of something. You ever feel like that?” And Rafa says, “Many times, yeah. Being growing up in San Fernando as non-Mexican myself, I never feel Latino enough because I’m from Brazil and I speak Portuguese. It really sucks.”

CJ understands, and then Rafa says, “Actually… I’ve been thinking about something.” CJ calmly asks, “What?” “My older brother Dominic came to visit me they morning after Alastair and I met with you and Matthew the first time. And he reminded me that he’s going to Brazil in a couple of weeks. He even suggested that I go with him. I haven’t been back since I was thirteen, when we left. I’m still thinking about it; I do miss the country… a lot, actually. Dominic says he’ll support me either way.”

CJ softly exclaims, “Whoa! Yeah, that’s a big step. Going back home after all this time. Have you told Alastair?” And Rafa says, “No, not yet. I will when I see him later. I just hope he’ll still wanna talk to me. I snapped at him over my hesitation to meet new people.” CJ says, “I may not know him like you do. But I can tell that he doesn’t hate you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I know he’d support you 100%.”

Rafa asks, “Yeah?” And CJ answers, "Yeah. When my family moved from Auckland, New Zealand to Sylmar, it was a fresh start, but it also meant leaving a lot behind. Some good memories, some really painful ones. Going back to Brazil could probably be a good thing for you in the long run. It can allow you space to figure out who you are without any of us being around you constantly.”

Rafa says in his confessional, “I definitely appreciate CJ’s perspective. I sure have a lot to think about, and not enough time.”

Rafa says to CJ, “Well… before I left Brazil, I used to be very carefree and optimistic about almost anything. I don’t know if going back will help me get any of that back… but staying here and doing the same thing every day isn’t working either.”

CJ warmly says, “Whatever you decide, it sounds like it’s coming from the right place. If a trip home helps you breathe, then maybe that’s what you need right now. And if you go… bring back some stories. I’d love to hear about it when you’re back.

Rafa gives a soft grateful smile, and says, “Thanks, CJ. I really appreciate that.” And CJ catches him by surprise when he initiates a hug and goes, “Oh, come here.” And they both hug it out and it feels nice. Yes, they’re strangers, but for whatever reason, it just felt right.

CJ says in his confessional “Rafa’s got a lot going on. Going back to Brazil could be huge for him. I’m glad he felt safe enough to tell me. And hopefully he talks to Alastair soon.”

Rafa feels a bit more comfortable talking to CJ now, and says, “So, um… I know you and Matthew are still getting to know each other, and I’d like to start fresh with him, too. But what do you think of him so far? CJ glows when Rafa brings up Matthew, and immediately answer, “Oh my God. He is such a sweetheart, a little quiet at first, but once he opens up he’s got this warm, steady assertive energy. We started off as acquaintances at San Fernando Fitness, and we just clicked instantly before we were ever cast on this show. He just shows up with a good heart, and doesn’t let any bullshit ruin his day. I like him. A lot, actually. Feels like he could be a real friend. And I think he’d be open to starting over with you. He’s not the type to hold grudges or make things weird. We’ve both been kind of thrown into the deep end with all the existing drama. Having someone else who’s just… normal about it would be nice. For all of us.”

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And later that peaceful chilly evening (still on Season 3 Episode 4), Rafa visits Alastair. He shows up to the doorstep of Alastair’s house and rings the doorbell. And Alastair opens the door, shocked but not unhappy to see Rafa, and he softly says, “Hey you,” while giving him a hug. Rafa hugs back and says, “Hey you,” back to Alastair. Zachary is out running errands so it’s just Rafa and Alastair against the world.

Alastair says in his confessional, “I hate it when Rafa and I fall out. It never feels good, even when it comes from a place of love. I’m really glad to see him because… I don’t wanna lose him.”

When they break the hug, Rafa softly says, “Um… I hope this isn’t a bad time. I was in the area and figured I’d stop by. I miss you.” Alastair fights back a tear and says, “I miss you, too. Come on in, have a seat.” They enter the house and sit in the living room furniture. Neither of them says much, until Rafa with a shaky voice breaks the ice: “Alastair, um… I owe you an apology.” Alastair asks, “For what?” Rafa inhales softly and says, “For how I’ve been – distant, snappy, not answering texts especially after everything that happened over the summer. I know I’ve been hard to reach. And I know you’ve been worried. I’m sorry.”

Alastair takes in what Rafa tells him, and assures him, “You don’t have to apologize for needing space. But… thank you. I appreciate it. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry too. I’m starting to think I’m pushed you too hard sometimes. I just never like seeing the people I love get hurt. I didn’t know how to help without making it worse.”

Rafa nods slowly, and goes, “I had a pretty bad argument with my Dad after I came home from your place, actually. He suggested I talk to a therapist. And I just… lost it on him and Mom. I just got so defensive. Kept assuring them I was fine, and that everyone needed to stop worrying about me. What triggered me was when he said that I was lying about being okay. But he wasn’t wrong. It was scary to hear that from him, because I knew he was right. But also… kind of relieving? Like, someone finally said it out loud…” When Rafa pauses, Alastair says, “But?” And Rafa hesitantly says, “But I’m not ready to go sit in some stranger’s office and talk about my feelings. I wish I had that bravery to just do that, like you’ve been doing recently.” And Alastair tells Rafa, “No one’s saying you have to do it tomorrow. Or ever, if you don’t want to. But it’s okay if part of you knows you probably should.”

Rafa nods, and while looking down on his lap, he tells Alastair, “Thanks,” and sighs before saying, “The morning after, Dominic came by out of nowhere after Mom and Dad told him what happened. He didn’t push the therapy thing, but he wouldn’t let me off the hook either. He ended up… dragging me to San Fernando High School.” Alastair opens his eyes wide as he says in shock, “What?” And Rafa says, “Yeah. I didn’t even feel old yet. As we walked around, we went to the auditorium where I did Pippin back in eleventh grade. He reminded me that I used to actually like acting. That I gave it everything even when I didn’t think I was good enough. It was just… so weird, Al. Being back there, remembering how optimistic I sounded at times… I don’t even remember believing that I knew what I wanted. Thinking about my love for acting as a kid… really makes me feel like a shell of my former self. I love doing short films and stage plays. But to actually try auditioning for commercials or small TV roles, just… the idea just felt so scary to me.”

Rafa says in his confessional, “If you were to tell me that I would be in a prime time show one day, I would absolutely not believe you. I’m just being honest.”

Alastair jokingly says, “Well Rafa, Dominic’s always been good at snapping you out of it.” And Rafa acts fake-hurt and tosses pillow at Alastair. They both laugh as Alastair says, “Am I wrong?” And Rafa says, “Sometimes, I wish you were,” while chuckling. “Dom is also someone I couldn’t really face, following my, uh… public humiliation. But he never stopped calling or texting me, even when I didn’t respond or call him back. It’s… nice. I didn’t realize how much I missed having him around until he just showed up.”

Rafa goes quiet for a second, then adds, almost like he’s testing the words out loud: “As you know, um… Dom’s visiting Brazil soon. And he thinks it would be a great idea for me to come with him.” And after nodding, Alastair asks him, “What do you think? Do you wanna go?” Rafa pauses for a few seconds, and then softly says…

“Yes.”

Alastair’s eyes get watery as he puts his left hand on Rafa’s right shoulder. The two look at each other for a minute.

In his confessional, he is asked by a producer, “Did you know that Rafa was going to say yes?” And Rafa says, “Yeah. I knew. And… I personally thought he should do it. He hadn’t been back to the country in nearly a decade; it was time. *voice breaking* And as much as I was gonna miss him… *lets out tears and inhales*… he needed to do it.”

The front door opens with the familiar jingle of keys. Zachary steps inside, arms full of grocery bags, humming something under his breath. He stops short when he sees Rafa sitting in the couch with Alastair. “Oh hey, babe. Hey Rafa,” says Zach. And Rafa says, “Hey Zach. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna be here for too long.” And Zachary says, “Ah, don’t worry about it buddy. I’m just glad that you two are still talking. We missed you.” And Rafa says, “I missed y’all too.” Alastair is quiet for now but has a soft smile on his face.

Alastair and Rafa help Zachary unpack the groceries, moving around the kitchen with easy familiarity. “So, everything okay, Al? You two look… serious. In a good way, I hope.” Alastair says to Zach, “Yeah, totally. Rafa was just catching me up on some stuff with his family.” Rafa says, “Yeah, and um… I’ve just decided right now that I’ll be visiting Belo Horizonte, Brazil with my brother.” Zach is taken by surprise and says, “You’re returning home?” Alastair says with full support, “He sure is, babe. The time is now.” And Rafa softly smiles at them.

Switching gears, Zachary says, “Well speaking of families, Alastair and I finally sat down with our lawyer yesterday about the prenup.” Rafa says, “Yeah? How’d that go?” And Alastair answers, “Better than I thought it would, honestly. We kept it pretty straightforward. Neither of us is trying to protect some massive fortune or anything. It’s more about making sure things stay fair if… you know. Life happens.” Zach says, “It actually helped. Talking about the worst-case scenario made the “what if we actually make it” part feel more real. We’ve been looking at venues too. Nothing huge — we’re thinking something small, maybe outdoors. Alastair and I don’t want anything too fancy.”

“Yeah,” says Alastair, “We’re trying to keep it simple. But… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still carrying some stuff around it.” He glances at Zachary who already knows where this is going. “I keep thinking about my dad. About the possibility of him showing up one day. Or even just… hearing about it. I know I don’t have to invite him. I don’t owe him anything. But there’s still this part of me that’s scared he’ll find out anyway. That he’ll show up and make it about him. Or worse — that he’ll just stay gone and I’ll have to live with knowing he chose not to come.” He lets out a short, humorless laugh. “It’s stupid. I’m almost 25 years old. And I’m still scared of my own father showing up at my wedding like some kind of ghost.” Zach calmly says, “No. Babe, he hurt you. That kind of fear doesn’t just disappear because time passes.” And Alastair says, “I guess not.”

Rafa says to Alastair, “You don’t have to decide anything about your dad right now. And you don’t have to invite him just because he’s family. But if part of you is worried he’ll show up anyway… maybe that’s something worth talking about with someone, just so it doesn’t keep sitting on your chest.” Alastair says to Rafa, “I guess I just figured if I didn’t think about it, it wouldn’t matter. But… it’s starting to matter more the closer we get to actually planning things,” he looks at Rafa and goes, “Oh, Rafa. If there’s one thing I’ll miss about you not being here, it’s your hectic duties as our best man,” which makes Zachary and Rafa laugh. When Zachary calms down, he assures Alastair, “We don’t have to figure it all out tonight. But you don’t have to carry it by yourself either.”

Alastair says to Zach and Rafa, “Y’all, thanks for letting me vent. It was only a matter of time.” Rafa says, “No offense to you two, but it feels kind of nice to worry about someone else’s family drama for a change,” which causes himself, Zach, and Alastair to laugh.

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Season 3 Episode 4 marks the first time CJ and Matthew meet with the rest of the cast in a meet-and-greet event (which obviously does NOT include Alastair or Rafa) in a local Denny’s. And yes, it’s hosted by our favorite asshole Enrique Sapene, who calls the event the Share Affair. Um… okay. Whatever. Enrique is trying his hardest to erase that ‘bully’ label that he has earned since Season 1, because he is tired of being accused of bullying Rafa and instigating the bullying towards Rafa.

“I tried reaching out to Alastair and Rafa about the event after they didn’t RSVP. I guess they had better things to do? I mean, Rafa’s got his horses, and farming shit, or whatever. And Alastair’s got family drama. But they couldn’t make time for the Share Affair? Typical,” Enrique says in his confessional. Shut up, Enrique, you did NOT reach out to Rafa or Alastair, NOR did you invite them. If you don’t stop lying…

Enrique shows up with Jason and Aiden. CJ and Matthew show up next. And before they made it to the event, Matthew and CJ were walking, and Matthew said to CJ, “Girl, listen, if I wasn’t trying to stay sober, I’d be begging for a drink right now because I don’t wanna see David again.” He and CJ laughs at the comment, and CJ says, “Oh man, I know. And to hear that he’s bringing two friends over to this Share Affair? Stupid name, by the way.” Matthew laughs and says, “Well I’m gonna be on my best behavior, I already know that.” And David finally shows up LATE alongside Karlo and Tino. And when David notices that Rafa and Alastair are absent, he says in his confessional, “Oh… so Alastair and Rafa are refusing to film with us. Aww, that’s too bad. They would’ve been great companions to Matthew and CJ; always wanna take themselves too seriously, always gotta police freedom of speech. And now they’re in hiding. [laughs] Man, them bitches really said deuces.”

So, everyone is shaking hands and greeting each other, and it’s awkward as Hell…

And then Enrique asks, “So who in here lives in Sylmar?” David, Karlo, Tino, and CJ all raise their hands. And Aiden – being the first rookie to make it past his first season – asks, “And how many of y’all are new to this show?” Karlo, Tino, CJ, and Matthew all raise their hands. And Aiden asks the one question that manages to set off half of the newbies: “Okay, and do all four of you guy know each other?” And CJ answers, “Not all of us. I’m getting to know Matthew, and I don’t know Karlo or Tino, except that they’re buddies with David who I know enough about.” And the “I don’t know Karlo” moment was apparently enough set Karlo off. Or maybe it didn’t and Karlo just wanted a reason to fight with CJ, a fellow Asian.

“What do you mean you don’t know me?” asks Karlo and CJ says, “I mean exactly that: I don’t know you. Never seen you or Tino before, never knew of you previously. Hell, I didn’t even know David still had any friends left.” Jason takes a sip of his Pepsi (a little Easter Egg from Season 1’s Tidal Wave Round One) when he hears this. In CJ’s confessional, when a producer asks CJ if he's seen Karlo and Tino during his time in Sylmar prior to joining the show, he bluntly says, "I've never seen them. You would *think* that I've seen them, since I live in Foothill and they live in Dronfield, practically making us neighbors, but... no.” He laughs and continues, “Noooo..."

Karlo says to CJ, “Okay, well, you don’t have to get funny about it,” which Aiden softly says, “Oop, catfight,” and Karlo says to CJ, “Yeah, so relax. Don’t play with me, man.” And a confused CJ says to Karlo, “Try telling *yourself* to relax *first* before giving me that kind of advice. Okay?” Karlo gives CJ a “talk to the hand” gesture and says, “Well okay, anyway,” and says defensively, “So, we’re having an event where we’re gonna get to know everybody and stuff like that; no funny business goin’ on, *CJ*, you know what I’m sayin’? So who wants to start first?” Everyone – minus David and Tino, of course – is thrown off by Karlo’s defensive attitude, while Matthew says to Karlo, “I… thought this was Enrique’s event?” And both Matthew and CJ start laughing out loud while Karlo is getting even more heated, and turns his attention back to CJ and says, “Straight the fuck up, man, you’re not gonna get funny with me.” And CJ says nonchalantly, “You’re the funny one for being so offended that I don’t know you.” Karlo runs out of things to say, only saying, “Whatever, don’t play with me, bro. I don’t got time for that. So let’s all get to know each other, ‘cuz that’s what I came here for.” And CJ says, “Okay mom.” And Aiden says while laughing with Jason and Enrique, “Damn… I’m sorry for asking if you guys knew each other.”

“Actually, David, I gotta say. All that stuff you said about Rafa and his family? Valid, but you *really* have diarrhea of the mouth,” says Aiden. David’s response? “I was drunk.” And Aiden says, “Yeah, but you woulda done that shit if you were sober anyway, and you know that.” David is visibly uncomfortable talking about the LATV incident. And Aiden asks, “So, are these two uh… friends of yours… supposed to be replacements for Rafa and Alastair now?” And David says, “No, Aiden. They’re nothing like Rafa and Alastair. Karlo and Tino are my real friends.” Aiden says nothing else after that but gives David the side-eye and goes, “Yeah…” while sipping his tea, and immediately says softly, “I think we all heard that one before.”

The table goes quiet for a beat. Enrique chuckles under his breath. Jason raises an eyebrow, clearly entertained. Karlo and Tino look mildly uncomfortable. And CJ and Matthew look surprised by Aiden’s shade. Aiden sets his tea down and leans back, locking eyes with David with that signature smug, knowing look. David is defensive when he asks, “And what is *that* supposed to mean?”

Aiden - casual but cutting - stirs his tea slowly when he says, “Come on, D. You said the same thing about Rafa and Alastair back in the day. ‘They’re my real friends. They get me,’ and blah blah blah. Then you go on national television and called Rafa a bitch and a crybaby with witches for a family. Now all of a sudden, Karlo and Tino are the real ones?”

Jay smirks at Aidencito’s messy observation, saying to David “He’s got a point, babe. You do have a type when it comes to ‘real friends’: the kind that last until they don’t.”

David gets heated and says to Jason, “Says the guy who fucked over Estuardo and jerks off to Aiden behind his own husband’s back,” which gets a gasp from Enrique, Tino and Matthew, wide eyes from CJ and Karlo, and dirty looks from Jason and Aiden. Then he turns his attention back to Aiden, and says, “This is different. Rafa turned on me. He left me hangin’ in Vegas, talked shit at the reunion—

Aiden cuts him off smoothly, and says while still calm, “Or maybe you just burn through people until they get tired of your shit. Either way, we’ve heard the speech. ‘These are my real ones.’ Cool story. Just don’t be surprised when Karlo and Tino end up the same way.

Tino says to Aiden, “Bitch, fuck you.”

David looks visibly annoyed and a little embarrassed. Aiden takes another slow sip of his tea, clearly satisfied with how the conversation turned out, and says “Now… what else is going on?”

And then out of nowhere, Tino decides to play the weak-ass follower and pick on Matthew. “Yo, Matthew, I gotta know: are you ho? Tell me the honest truth?” This question shocks everyone. And even viewers – myself included – are like, “Huh? Where did that come from?” Matthew asks, “Am I a what?!” And Tino says, “A ho. You just got this fake pretty-boy thing going on. And I don’t deal with hoes, boo.” And Matthew shuts Tino down very quickly when says, “Well Tino, to answer question, no I’m not a ho. And also, if I was as ignorant as you, I could ask you and Karlo the same thing because you do burlesque, and Karlo does porn, strips, and go-go dances.” Karlo and Tino are disgusted by that comment. And Tino says in his confessional, “Really, bitch? Don’t go there. Burlesque is art. But I wouldn’t expect you understand that since you’re a nobody from Texas.” Tino says to Matthew, “Okay, now you’re about to piss me off. You don’t wanna do that,” to which Matthew bluntly says, “You did this to yourself. Who in the Hell asks a stranger if they’re a ho? Don’t ever address me like that again, and don’t make up stuff about people you don’t know, *stranger*.” Tino gives up and rolls his eyes at Matthew’s “stranger” insult.

Matthew’s confessional opinion on David’s friends is definitely accurate: “David’s friends are just… too in-your-face. Karlo is already starting a beef with CJ, and Tino just randomly asks if I’m a ho. Where did David dig up those two? And for Karlo to get on CJ’s case about not knowing him… Y’all I have no interest in getting to know Tino or Karlo. I’ll be nice to them. I won’t be mean. If I cross paths with them, I’ll probably say, ‘Hello,’ or say nothing at all. But if they really wanna know who I am, they’ll just have to either Google me or watch the show for themselves.” – Matthew via confessional.

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Later in Episode 4 (a couple of days after that stupid Share Affair), conflict between waiter Matthew and customer Enrique begins the minute Matthew realizes he has to serve Enrique, Jason, and Aiden. This scene had to be a setup; it just had to. There is no way Matthew knew this was going to happen. You could even tell that Matthew was caught off guard as he wasn’t aware that the B&S brats or camera crew were going to show up to La Bella Pizza Trattoria Italiana. It had to have been set up by either a crew member or at least one of the B&S dicks. Even Matthew agrees.

“Wow… If I knew that I would be serving those three messy, messy guys, I would have taken the day off. What are they doing here?” Matthew via confessional.

Matthew reluctantly approaches the infamous trio and greets them, “Hello guys. Having a nice day so far?” Enrique looks at Matthew and says, “Why, yes. And it just got even better now that you’re here, *waiter*.” Matthew goes, “Um… okay. Can I start you guys off with drinks?” Jason and Aiden ordered Corona beer, and Enrique said, “And I’ll have a Pinot Grigio,” before immediately snapping his fingers and saying, “Make it snappy; we don’t have all day.” Matthew is thrown off by Enrique barking orders and is visibly uncomfortable. Jason and Aiden giggle at Enrique’s exchange, with Jason saying, “Damn, Rick. You turning Matthew into a slave?” You know Jason would say something like that. And Aiden jokes, “Yeah, man, you’re doing my job!” And Enrique goes, “Can’t blame a guy for wanting to give the weakest newbie some pointers.”

Matthew returns with their drinks, exactly as they wanted it. But then Enrique says, “You know what? I changed my mind. I don’t want Pinot anymore; I want water instead.” Matthew – who looks like he knows what Enrique is trying to do – asks Enrique, “Are you sure?” to which Enrique responds, “Are you questioning your customer? Or are you doing your job, waiter? Do as I say, or you’ll never work in this town again.” Matthew starts to look pissed and bitterly says, “Water coming up,” takes the Pinot Grigio away, but not before muttering, “You bastard,” and walks away as Enrique shouts, “What did you say?!” Matthew returns with a glass of water for Enrique.

When Matthew takes their food order, Jason and Aiden are sharing Lasagna Della Mamma, while Enrique goes for Pugliese Pizza, “and it better be fresh and hot, or I will give you an even harder time. Got it?” Matthew just says, “As you wish.” And before Matthew leaves the table to give the order to the kitchen, Enrique says to him, “You’re from the South right?” And Matthew says, “Yeah.” “Well show some Southern hospitality next time. Nobody likes a boring waiter.” This pisses Matthew all the way off, but as long as he’s working, there’s really nothing he can do.”

“I swear to God, if I wasn’t a waiter right now… I mean who does Enrique think he is?” Matthew via confessional.

When Matthew gives Jason, Aiden, and Enrique their food, Enrique sarcastically says, “Good boy.” And Matthew walks away from them without bothering to ask if there is anything else that they’ll need. He is over it. And minutes later, when he comes back with the check, Enrique – who promised Aiden and Jason that he would pay for the food – is shocked by the amount they have to pay. What would have been $67 plus tax which would’ve equaled to $74.25, has been doubled, to Enrique’s shock. Instead, it’s now $134 plus tax, which now equals to $141.25. DAMN, Matthew! It turns out that the last time Jason, Enrique, and Aiden dined in this restaurant… well, I’ll let Matthew explain it in his confessional: “The last time those three… things… dined in this restaurant, they ordered the exact same thing, and Enrique – who promised the other two to take care of it – failed to pay.” And we see a LITERAL receipt from a previous date as a useful reality TV receipt. And Matthew continues in his confessional, “So this is Enrique’s punishment. Conveniently, I just happen to be their waiter this time. If Enrique wants to complain about this he’ll have to take it up with my boss, not me or the previous waiter who had to deal with Enrique the previous time.”

Matthew bluntly says to Enrique, “Don’t forget the tip. I’ll be standing here until you do *your* part, *customer*. You * can* afford it, right?” This shows us that Matthew is not a pushover just because he’s naturally calm and collected. He mostly stays out of conflict that has nothing to do with him, yet proves to be quite a careful and strategic person when dealing with his opponents.

Anyway, that exchange takes Enrique, Aiden, and Jason by surprise, with Aiden saying in his confessional, “Wow. That’s the most Matthew has spoken since we met him.” And Jason – who just had to include Rafa’s name – says in his confessional, “Rafa would’ve poured water on Enrique’s head, that’s for sure. This Matthew guy is just… there. Like, where was this side of Matthew at the Share Affair? As far as I’m concerned, the man was invisible.” Very ironic that Jason would mention a hypothetical scenario of Rafa pouring water down Enrique’s head, when that’s exactly what Jason did to David in the Season 1 reunion.

Enrique pays for the food and gives Matthew a tip, saying “Happy?” And Matthew says, “I would’ve been happier if you choked on your food. But alas…” Which earns a gasp from Jason. “Have a nice day. Or don’t. I don’t care,” says Matthew as he walks away for the final time.

“Oh, Hell no. You think you can talk to me like that when I’m your customer? This is clearly not over. And he will feel my wrath. Just watch,” Enrique via confessional.

“There’s an old saying that the customer is always right. But most of the time, that is some straight-up bullshit,” Matthew via confessional.

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In Season 3 Episode 5, the Sylmar Sinners were just being filmed in the Carbón Grill, based in the City of San Fernando. And you guessed it – they’re talking about Rafa, again. This time, Tino is saying to Karlo and David that when he first met Rafa, Rafa was being very mean to him and 'condensing'. I think he meant to say, “condescending.” But either way, he also described Rafa as ironically being a 'soft-ass bitch' and alleged that Rafa called him a “never-was” actor…

Listen, we all have our moments that are petty and completely out of character of us. But I just don't see Rafa being mean to anyone, even if he may not like the person, unless you deserved it or gave him the same energy already.

Restaurants, *please* lock your doors to these Sylmarite troublemakers!

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Also in Season 3 Episode 5, there's a second attempt at a cast get-together thingamabob. This time, it takes place in Enrique’s house, so once again it's hosted by Enrique. Seriously, can y'all stop shoving Enrique down our throats? But I guess as long as Rafa and Alastair are not involved, the rest of the returning cast had to really work for their checks. The name for this new game is… “This Is Me.” Whatever, I’ll take it.

Anyway, the following cast members are here: Enrique, Jason, Aiden, David, Karlo, Tino, CJ, and Matthew. Remember, Rafa and Alastair were not going to be there as long as Enrique, Jason, Aiden, and/or David were gonna be there. 

When David and his minions Karlo and Tino show up late YET AGAIN, they greet everyone with those fake-ass hi's. And when CJ gives Karlo, in particular, the cold shoulder, Karlo says this in his confessional: "I walk into the room, and CJ ain't speakin' to me. Whatever, I don't give a fuck; I don't like CJ's ass anyway." Well, if you don’t give a fuck, why did you bring it up?

Enrique suggests that they all play a game called “This Is Me.” OH, GOODIE! A GAME! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?! Bitch...

"I figured that since we’ll be going to Bakersfield soon, we each take turns talking a little bit about ourselves,” Enrique couldn’t find a better way to announce that the cast is going to Bakersfield? Anyway, Enrique continues, “Let's each take up to 30 seconds talking about ourselves. For example, I'll start first. Hi, I'm Enrique. I love everybody. I'm misunderstood. And I hope we can all forgive and forget, because there's only so many times I'm willing to apologize." Jason chuckles and says under his breath, “Well, damn.” David gives Enrique the side-eye at that introduction. And David even asks in his confessional, “Why do I keep giving this guy chance after chance?” I don’t know David; you tell me. Though to be fair, anyone who has tolerated constant abuse and toxicity would eventually ask themselves that question.

Anyway, everyone else takes turns, and when it's Karlo's turn, he says with a sinister smirk on his face, "So, what's up? I'm Karlo. I'm very loud and outspoken. I'm very honest and blunt; always speak my mind. And I hate liars. Like, I can't stand a lying-ass bitch." This catches everyone by surprise. But of course, David doesn't count as a liar in Karlo and Tino's world.

Jason says, "Woah, shit just got real aggressive." Aiden - who looks like he has ulterior motives - asks Karlo, "Did... somebody piss you off today? Like, a certain fellow… Asian, perhaps?" Wow… Aiden really had to be racially specific, didn’t he?

CJ looks mildly shocked at Aiden’s question because he knows that no other person, other than himself and Karlo, is Asian. And CJ looks back at Karlo, who says, "Well, yeah. CJ, this is actually geared towards you." CJ says, "Me?" And Karlo nods while saying, "That’s right." 

CJ frustratingly says in his confessional, “Oh Jesus, what did I do now?”

"Wait, so just so I'm clear, mate, you're referring to *me* as a lying-ass bitch?" CJ asks. And Karlo answers, "Yeah, pretty much, boo."

CJ has had it, and goes, "Wow, unbelievable. See, that's the type if shit I don't like from people like you,” which catches Karlo by surprise and Karlo says, “What do you mean, people like me?”. CJ continues, “This is the second time you're comin' at me, and I ain’t done nothing to you. What the Hell is wrong with you?" 

Karlo says in his own defense, "I'm just saying that I don't like lying-ass bitches. That's all I'm saying." 

CJ rolls his eyes and says under his breath, "Oh my God," and says in his normal tone, "Okay, well here's what you can do from now on: just roll with whoever you wanna roll with and leave me out of it, 'cuz I ain't interested in your bullshit anymore, capisce?" Remember, CJ is mixed with Italian, too.

Jason says in his confessional, "I've heard of battle of the newbies, but battle of the Asians? I'm seated, bitch." It can't be authentically Jason if he didn't say something racially stupid.

CJ says in his confessional, "You know... it's taking everything in me to not come up there and slap the dogshit out of Karlo in the face. Karlo, stop playing with me, or we *will* have a problem sooner than ya think." 

And CJ drags the hell out of Karlo by saying, "You've been real foul since we met, and it's already getting old. We're supposed to be grown adults, and for someone who's three years older than me, you're acting like a fuckin’ child--" Karlo cuts him off, "Excuse me, I'm a grown-ass man." And CJ quickly says, "Not from what I've been seeing, you man-child. Grown men don't have beef with strangers," and Karlo keeps his mouth closed and looks dumb.

"And how am I a liar, exactly?" CJ asks Karlo. Karlo's answer? "Well, you said that you didn't know who I was." CJ response? "Because that's the truth, you idiot! I don't know you at all because I've never seen you before. And due to your shitty attitude, I don't care to know you, period." Oh, damn. Karlo puts his hands up in defeat, "Alright, whatever, man. You don't wanna know me, you ain't gotta know me." And CJ sticks his tongue out at him and rolls his eyes.

And CJ turns his attention to Aiden when he says, “And you know what, Aiden? You got your fucking nerve calling me out like that. You just love throwing people under the bus, don’t you?” Aiden quickly uses this excuse: “Girl, I was just trying to get you to be honest—” CJ cuts him off by saying, “No, *you* are just being a messy-ass rat, okay? It is so obvious to anyone with common sense that you don’t like new people, so you’re gonna do whatever it takes to make sure that every new guy is a one and done. Why do you think Cory Zwierzyński’s not on the show no more? And that guy was trash, anyway.” Aiden is offended by CJ’s observation; OFFENDED, I tell you. And he says to CJ, “Okay, first of all ‘CJ’ or whatever your real name is,” using airquote when he says CJ’s initials, “you can come in this room and accuse me of not liking new people when you don’t even know me—” and again CJ cuts him off, “You didn’t know me at all to throw me under the bus. And for your information, ‘Aiden Lee-Hally,’ assuming that you’re still married, I know you well enough.” Ooh, not “assuming that you’re still married,” and using air quotes around Aiden’s name. Aiden shakes his head while scoffing in disgust.

Via confessional, Karlo says, "I'm starting to see CJ for who he really is: an overreactive, manipulative, ugly, jealous bitch." Ugly? Why is CJ “ugly”? Because he's a slightly tan 1/4 Indian and you're half-Japanese? Maybe, maybe not. But one has to wonder Karlo’s intensions, given the fact that Karlo (who is half-Japanese) has now gone after CJ (who is ¼ Indian) TWICE so far.

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In the beginning of Season 3 Episode 6, Jason and Aiden hang out late at night a gay nightclub in Reseda called C-Frenz, and it’s… whatever.

“It’s been a minute since group filmed together, and we just heard that Rafa is gone. HE’S GONE, BABY! HALLELUJAH! He is done with the show, meaning Alastair’s all by his lonesome, and David is stuck with those two other guys he’s been hangin’ out with. Meanwhile, my boo thang Aiden is here in C-Frenz, and it’s always great to hang out with him outside the group. And these four new guys… their level of fun is not mine. And Aiden and I are just really brutally honest with each other, which I always love,” Jason via confessional

Aiden asks Jason, “So Jay, how do you feel about Rafa basically leaving the show?” And Jason says to Aiden, “Ooh let me tell you something, Aidencito… I am happy as FUCK that he’s gone. He can go back to Brazil and STAY there forever, for all I care. I hope he can handle the humidity. It’s been 10 years.” And Aiden tells Jason, “And he don’t have to kick it with your husband anymore,” to which Jason says, “Exactly. My friendship with you was never the problem; it was always Christian and Rafa.” Aiden tells us in his confessional, “With Rafa gone, maybe Christian can stop betraying Jason, and just admit to him that Rafa was the real problem. And if he can’t do that, then fuckin’ goodbye Christian!”

Gee-whiz, the fact that Jason and Aiden are framing Christian and Rafa as the reason Jason and Christian are not working out is just… gross. Instead of admitting that the “friendship” between Aiden and Jason is the ACTUAL problem? Rafa, you better say something to both of them at the reunion because this right here CANNOT continue.

And Aiden says to Jason, “Well anyway enough about that stupid-ass Silva kid. What do you think of those four new guys?” And Jason says, “Well *clears throat* I’m sure outside of this show, they’re *slightly* tolerable, but right now as cast members, they’re just… unbearable. Tino’s looking like some washed up video vixen who has no fucking idea what he’s doing, Karlo is so moody and bitchy. Matthew – the only newbie this season from San Fernando – is real quiet like a judgy church lady. And then I have no idea what to make of CJ. Do you?”

Aiden gets excited when Jason asks about CJ and says, “I’ll admit, CJ is starting to stand out to me the most, out of all of them.” Jason, “Really? How so, Aidencito?” “Well even though these new bitches are still too new for my taste, CJ definitely stood out as the wannabe ringleader. Like, he be on some shady shit. He’ll throw out these petty comments about not knowing someone and get defensive when someone calls him out for that. And this has happened TWICE so far. Twice. The thing about CJ is that he can dish it, but refuses to take it, and that ain’t right. CJ started that shit by revealing that he didn’t know Karlo or Tino.”

“I’ve been noticing CJ’s attitude. I don’t know if it’s the Indian side, the Australian side, the Italian side, whatever the fuck he wants to be that day. And it’s really annoying the Hell out of me. CJ pokes the bear and throws the stick. If he doesn’t get it together, he can find himself another show, where he doesn’t visually stand out, if you know what I mean,” Aiden via confessional.

Uh, what is THAT supposed to mean? And newsflash, Aiden: CJ is Kiwi, not Australian.

Jason goes, “You know what, A? When I found out that all of them, minus Matthew, were from Sylmar, I knew it was gonna be a fuckin’ disaster. Like, is everyone from Sylmar an asshole, or what? Like, ‘CJ what the fuck are you even doing here. And David, what were you thinking bringing your dumbass new friends?’”

“I’m not feeling these new bitches. I don’t know what their deal is, but CJ needs to cool it and claim his shade,” Jason via confessional

“Do you think that Karlo and Tino are supposed to be the new Rafa and Alastair?” Aiden asks Jason who says, “Oh God, absolutely. But I *really* hope not. I can’t take anymore crying and everyone making everything about race for another season; I can’t do it! But maybe David will put those two guys on a leash, since he couldn’t do that to Alastair or that fucking Rafa, wherever he is.” And then we get flashbacks to Rafa’s terrifying fight with Cory in Santa Clarita.

Wow… just brutal of Jason to say such a thing. For someone who swears that he isn’t racist and doesn’t make anything about race. He continues to show otherwise, time and time again.

At this point, Aiden has built this gatekeeper reputation. What I mean is, after making it through Season 2 as a newbie to the show (despite being a big part of the 2013 sizzle reel) against fellow newbie Cory Zwierzynski (who was such an awful and volatile addition, and someone that Aiden clearly couldn’t stand and shaded the Hell out of), Aiden felt untouchable, and was willing to run any newbie off the show by all means necessary. And this season, those newbies would be CJ, Karlo, Matthew, and Tino. Basically, without actually saying so, Aiden’s whole thing is, “There’s only one successful rookie in this bitch, and it’s always going to be me; nobody else.”

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In the next scene of Season 3 Episode 6 (the very next day), Matthew is visiting CJ in his Sylmar house during the daytime, and it’s the first time he meets CJ’s family and realizes how lovely and funny they all are.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen all the cast members, but I’ve stayed in touch with CJ who I see a lot. And it’s really nice to come to visit CJ while I’m at Sylmar. I’ve seen David a couple of times at Sylmar. I mean, that was bound to happen, right? But Karlo and Tino… no. I wonder if it’s because CJ lives in Foothill and the other three live in Dronfield. But both areas are very close, so… I don’t know,” Matthew via confessional Season 3 Episode 6

Matthew’s a little shy at first, but CJ’s parents, siblings, and girlfriend April make him feel welcome, with CJ’s 5-year-old sister Savannah saying, “You’re really cute!” which makes Matthew blush and CJ saying, “Oh God. I’m sorry Matt. So, uh, was it hard finding my neighborhood?” Matthew says, “No, not at all. It was easier than I thought.” And a relieved CJ says, “Oh, good. Good to know, mate.”

“Isn’t it obvious that we’re transplants? *Laughs* Matt and I haven’t lived in SoCal for that long. But what I’ve learned is that if you’re a transplant or tourist anywhere in Los Angeles, you just have to act like you know where you at, even if you don’t really know. It sucks asking for directions, for real,” CJ via confessional

Matthew says to CJ, “Dude your family’s really cool.” CJ says, “Thanks. And uh, sorry about my sister. She’s a handful, verbally,” which makes Matthew laugh. Matthew asks CJ, “Were you a badass kid growing up?” CJ doesn’t sugarcoat and says, “Yes I was, mostly with my mouth. I can be very brash and opinionated,” to which Matthew says, “Oh, I know,” which leads to a loud laughter from both of them. CJ says, “Honestly though, I envy you, mate.” Matthew says, “How come?” “Because you’re one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met at San Fernando Fitness, and I bet you’ve always been that way back in Dallas.” Matthew says, “Oh, well, yeah I always tried to be nice. But what shocks a lot of people is that if you give me a certain type of energy, I’ma give it back to you, good or bad. And my roommates know that all too well,” CJ says, “Oh snap. That’s actually a good thing, if you ask me.” “I sure hope so, buddy,” says an amused Matthew.

“I love that Matt came to visit because it gives me the opportunity to show him around in Sylmar and show what the neighborhood has to offer and just hang out, no matter what we do. And since we’ll be going to Bakersfield soon, why not do what Enrique, Jason, and Aiden refuse to do with us: connect,’’ CJ via confessional

“It feels really good to talk to CJ outside the group, and outside of San Fernando, honestly. I think he and I are getting better every day at just communicating with each other. And learning about our similarities and differences. Here’s hoping that our dynamic stays the same or even better when we go to Bakersfield. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen,” Matthew via confessional

CJ and Matthew later go to “THE BASEMENT: A Live Escape Room Experience,” which has now been open for over two years. Neither have been to an escape room before and are up for the challenge. We see them actively enjoy the challenges and experience a thrilling, immersive adventure where they work together to solve puzzles and beat the clock.

CJ grins as they receive their briefing from the game master, and says to Matthew, “Alright, Matt. First time for both of us. No pressure, right? We’re either gonna be legends or complete disasters. And Matthew chuckles and says, “Oh stop it. How hard can it be?

They’re led into a dimly lit, atmospheric room designed like an old abandoned basement — flickering lights, dusty props, hidden compartments, and a ticking clock on the wall. The premise is that they’ve been locked in and have 60 minutes to find a way out before “the power goes out for good.” The game master gives them their final instructions and shuts the door.

CJ is looking around, eyes wide, and says, “Whoa. This is actually kinda creepy.” And Matthew, already scanning the walls, says, “Okay, we should split up and look for clues. You take that side, I’ll take this one?

They start working together immediately. At first, they’re a little awkward and overly polite — “You got anything?” “No, you?” — but the energy quickly shifts into playful teamwork. CJ finds a hidden key behind a loose brick and lets out a loud, triumphant yell. Matthew decodes a series of numbers on an old padlock that opens a drawer full of more clues.

CJ says, “See? We’re actually good at this! Teamwork makes the dream work.” And Matthew agrees saying, “This is way more fun than I thought it would be. I was kinda nervous we’d just stand here confused the whole time.”

They hit a tougher puzzle involving a series of colored lights and a Morse code message. They get stuck for a few minutes, bickering lightly in the most wholesome way possible.

CJ goes, “No, no — the red light has to go with the number three, I swear!” And Matthew goes, “No, it’s gotta be blue. You’re gonna get us killed in this fake basement. They finally solve it together and burst into cheers when a hidden door clicks open, revealing the final room. With only eight minutes left on the clock, they scramble to find the last key and escape just in time. The door swings open and the game master congratulates them on a successful escape. CJ pumps his fist as they step out into the bright hallway, and goes, “Hey, we did it! First escape room ever and we beat it with time to spare! We’re legends, Matt.” And Matthew says, “Man, That was so much fun! We should do this again sometime. And CJ says, “Absolutely. And next time we’re bringing backup snacks. I was starving in there. They high-five and head out, still buzzing from the adrenaline and the shared win. The experience has clearly brought them even closer — two guys who are still figuring each other out but already make a solid team.

After the excitement and chaos of the escape room, they dine in Ameci Pizza & Pasta (located in San Fernando Road, Sylmar) which serves NY-style Pizza. “We hear that the East Coast has the best fuckin’ pizza. But until I go to New York, Rhode Island or New Jersey, this is the closest to the East Coast I’m ever gonna get *laughs*,” says CJ via confessional. As Matthew eats his pizza the usual way people do, CJ asks, “That’s how y’all eat your pizza?” And Matthew chuckles, saying, “Yeah. How do you eat yours?” CJ folds his before eating as he’s laughing and goes, “You don’t eat it like this?!” And Matthew giggles when saying, “No. But that’s cool. Where did you learn to do that?” “From my mom, when me and my family went to Italy. I saw a lot of people do that and I just took that habit back to New Zealand and then California, my friend.” Matthew smiles in awe and says, “That is so awesome, CJ.” CJ blushes at Matthew’s appreciation.

CJ takes box of pizza for his family to go when he and Matthew are done eating and say thank you to the employees as they’re leaving. And Matthew says, “Ooh, I got a big tummy now,” which makes both men laugh.

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In Episode 7, just as he’s getting ready to go to Bakersfield, Jason is annoyed that Christian won’t come to the Bakersfield trip with him. His whole thing is, “Rafa won’t be there, so I thought you’d be able to pay attention to me for a change.” Of course, Jason. Police your husband while you get to freely play around with Aiden, allegedly. Christian, being the only reasonable B&S-adjacent element who makes sense, looks at him when he makes that selfish comment, and carefully says this to Jason: “I’m gonna let that slide. But Jay, I can tell when I’m not wanted. In case you haven’t cared to notice, your friends don’t like me. So, why would I go? And also, I don’t even think you guys like each other, so why are *you* going?” And of course, Jason doesn’t have an answer to either question, though many viewers are right to assume that he’s going because Aiden will be there. And it’s not like Christian HAS to go on the Bakersfield trip anyway because he’s not a cast member (though somehow, that doesn’t stop Enrique’s brother Carlos or Enrique’s husband Danny from tagging along, so whatever). Without saying so (because he knows Jason will jump to conclusions), he’s following Rafa’s example of avoiding people who bring nothing but drama, negativity, toxicity, stress, anxiety, gossip etc.

 

Also, notice that Christian referred to Jason as “Jay.” That has apparently never happened before until Christian reminded Jason, “I can tell when I’m not wanted.” We’ve always thought that Aiden was the only one who called Jason “Jay.” Jason even cringed when Christian called him “Jay,” but when Aiden does it, it’s a totally different mood, as if Aiden makes him feel special (and maybe even aroused). Yeah, I’m starting to see why Jay and Aidencito never have any scenes between the two of them during the Bakersfield trip; they are always with somebody else. That’s the best producers are *willing* to do. This is why Aiden never should’ve joined the show, even if he was a better addition than Estuardo.

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Also in Episode 7, we see that CJ is in the living room of the Niner family home in Foothill, Sylmar, packing a duffel bag on the couch. Clothes, comic books, snacks, and a small journal are scattered around. His dad, Antonio Niner walks in carrying two steaming mugs of chai. The house smells faintly of spices from breakfast — leftover aloo paratha and chutney. In the background, CJ’s mom Susan and younger siblings are moving around.

Antonio hands CJ one mug, sitting down nearby, and says, “Here, beta. Extra ginger and cardamom, just how you like it. Strong chai before a long trip — it’ll keep you grounded.” CJ smiles at him, takes the mug and thanks him. “You always know. I’m almost packed. Matt and I are riding together. Should be fine.”

Antonio is happy that CJ is going to Bakersfield with someone he gets along with, but he can’t help but worry for his son. “Excited is good. But I’ve been keeping in mind that you and Matthew don’t get along with most of the cast, and the only two that you and Matthew *do* get along with – Alastair and Rafael – are not going. Why put yourselves in a house with toxic people for several days? This isn’t some old village panchayat where you have to prove you belong.”

CJ looks uncomfortable when his Dad asks this question, and says, “I know, Dad. It’s not ideal. But that’s just how it is on reality television. Matt and I talked about it, and we’re just as nervous. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

CJ says in his confessionals, “My parents have always been protective of me and my siblings our whole lives. Ever since I came out, my Dad assured me that I didn’t have to hide anything from him or Mum. Before I was ever born, he stepped away from the old Indian traditions — the arranged marriage expectations, the ‘log kya kahenge’ pressure his parents put on him — for a reason. He didn’t want me or my brother and sister to be stuck in that box. But he still worries about me, and it makes me nervous. That’s why I still haven’t told him or Mum or my siblings about… certain things I went through.”

Antonio tells CJ, “Queer boys, especially ones as bright and open as you, need their fathers in their corner. I’m in yours. Always. I just don’t like the idea of you walking into a place where people already don’t respect you. It reminds me too much of the aunties and uncles back home who whispered when someone didn’t follow the ‘proper’ path.”

CJ softly sighs, and sits down properly, and tells his Dad, “I know you do, Dad. You and Mum both. That’s why I can even do this show. Most guys back in Indian guys like me don’t get that kind of backup — no judgment, no forcing me to hide who I am. It means everything. But I have to be honest: if I keep avoiding every uncomfortable situation, I’m never gonna grow. I’ll text you every day if it makes you feel better. I Promise.”

Antonio lightly squeezes CJ’s shoulder, with a small proud smile breaking through, and says, “You’ve always been the bouncy one, Courtney. The one who charges into things like it’s a Diwali fireworks show. Just promise me that you and Matthew will be careful.” And CJ says, “I promise, Dad.” And Antonio continues, “And if it gets too much, you call me. I’ll come get you myself, no questions asked. Your mother would make me sleep on the couch for a month if I didn’t. And just remember—" CJ cuts him off by softly saying, “Dad?” Antonio says, “Yes, son?” And CJ softly says with wide eyes, “You’re making me nervous.” Antonio says, “Oh. Sorry,” and grins. He pulls his son into a quick hug (which makes CJ a little tense), and says, “I love you, Courtney-Jai.” CJ relaxes a bit and hugs him back and says, “I love you too, Dad.”

 

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Let’s talk about Bakersfield.

 

The majority of the cast (Enrique, Jason, Aiden, David, Karlo, Tino, Matthew, and CJ), as well as “non cast members” Carlos (Enrique’s brother) and Danny (Enrique’s husband), go on the trip to Bakersfield (which lasts Episodes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11) and they share a big beautiful house. But much of the on-screen focus is on the bonding between CJ and Matthew, and a certain old friend I briefly mentioned when discussing Jason’s arc in Season 3 Episode 1. Yeah, Jason ends up having a very miserable time because of this old friend.

Normally, cast trips are meant to bring cast members together for bonding and activities (not just drama), and so far, no one is really doing that with each other. Or, at least, no one is doing that with CJ or Matthew. So, in a way, the two main newbies are pretty much iced out from the very first day onwards, which would've made for a miserable trip for both of them. David’s friend group is rude as fuck, and Enrique’s friend group is messy, but even CJ says in his confessional, “What’s the fuckin’ difference?” But actually, without those toxic-ass groups constantly in their ear, CJ and Matthew are able to get to know each other, for real. By this point, the two newbies had warmed up to each other, and always found their way back to each other. They just understood each other in a way that most didn’t, which made their communication much easier by the time they went to Bakersfield.

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Case in point, on Season 3 Episode 7, past noon, CJ and Matthew are the first ones to enter the house that the cast will be staying in, and it looks so beautiful and homey. Matthew lets out an “Oh, wow!” and CJ says, “Hi honey, I’m home!” In his confessional, Matthew says, “This house that production rented for us is just amaze-balls. The view is amazing, guys. The birds flying outside look so carefree. The overall vibe just feels so peaceful. The only downside is that we have to share the house with a bunch of assholes.” CJ and Matthew immediately pick a room to share. “The rest of the cast is gonna have to find rooms of their own. Sorry if that makes me and Matt childish,” CJ freely says to the cameraman.

The next people to show up are the Bullies & Snobs.

Now, remember when I briefly mentioned an old friend when discussing Jason’s arc in Season 3 Episode 1? Well, if you thought I had a bad case of APML, you are absolutely wrong. But it means that you noticed that I did not mention Alex Paredes at all when I mentioned earlier which cast members are in, who’s out, and who’s returning.

So, if – for whatever reason – you’ve been wondering where the Dumb Pussy has been since storming out of the Season 2 reunion, look no further than Season 3 Episode 7. About thirty minutes after Matthew and CJ show up to the house and pick a room, Jason, Enrique, Aiden, Carlos (Enrique’s brother), and Danny (Enrique’s husband) show up and are joined by Alex Paredes. Yes, y’all Alex P is back, and Alex is still Alex. Just boring. Just blah. Just a blank sheet of paper, okay? Just nothing. Just gullible. And just a dumb pussy who now STRUGGLES to think for himself.

When Enrique’s B&S cult makes it to the house, and both Matthew and CJ see them show up, the two are just as confused as the rest of us. Matthew’s confessional response to Carlos, Danny, and Alex P is simply, “Um… why do we have plus ones? I thought this was supposed to be a *CAST* trip.” And CJ says in his confessional, “Seriously? The dumb pussy is back? [Flashback to the Season 2 Reunion where Alastair called Alex P “a dumb pussy who refuses to think for himself”] And who are the other two?!” And a confessional producer tells CJ, “Carlos is Enrique’s brother, and Danny is Enrique’s husband,” to which CJ says, “Wow. I guess that shows how much we know about Enrique.”

Enrique starts yelling at CJ and Matthew, “HEY, BITCHES, WE’RE HERE! THIS HOUSE IS AS BIG AS THE JACKSON ESTATE IN ENCINO! GODDAMN! WHOEVER BUILT THIS HOUSE OUGHTTA PAT THEMSELVES ON THE BACK, AM I RIGHT?!”

CJ says in his confessional, “But what I *do* know about Enrique is that he is loud as fuck! I mean seriously, mate, your mouth is bigger than mine. Hell, it’s bigger than your fucking personality. Shut it, dude.”

And Enrique makes a big fuss about CJ and Matthew already picking a room, yelling, “WHAT?! Y’ALL ALREADY PICKED A ROOM? Y’ALL COULDA WAITED, YOU KNOW?” And Matthew says, “Yeah, we didn’t wanna do that. Sue us.” Yeah, the Matthew/Enrique feud continues, even in small doses.

Jason and Alex Paredes share a room of their own, Aiden and Carlos share one, and Enrique shares one with his husband Danny. “So, production doesn’t want me and Aiden to share a room together, and I don’t know why,” says Jason in his confessional. “Christian must’ve had something to do with that because he doesn’t like my friendship with Jason,” says Aiden in his confessional. And Jason says in his confessional, “I have to share a room with Alex instead, and I really don’t want to. But whatever.” The fact that Jason is no longer hiding his dislike for Alex Paredes proves Rafa’s point in the Season 1 finale that B&S don’t all like each other.

 

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Still in Season 3 Episode 7, Karlo and Tino have a field day with CJ and Matthew as soon as the Sylmar Sinners finally show up to the house, LATE. Karlo calls CJ a “disrespectful cunt” for bringing up David’s past (a reference to Season 3 Episode 3 meeting between David and CJ/Matthew at El Cariso Community Regional Park). And Tino says to Matthew that he’s a “scary little bitch” for supposedly not having the balls to stand up for himself. SIDENOTE: it really irritates me when somebody says “scary” when they really mean “scared.” If they’re trying to say that somebody is a coward or afraid, the correct word is SCARED, not SCARY. But then again, this is the same Tino who said that Rafa was being CONDENSING, when the correct word is CONDESCENDING. Illiterate ass. Even Matthew gets confused and says to Tino, “Okay, you had me at ‘bitch,’ but ‘SCARY’? First of all, girl, it’s SCARED not SCARY. Go back to elementary school.” Tino says, “oh, you callin’ me stupid?” “I didn’t have to say anything, Tino,” says Matthew, “You called your own self stupid.”

 

"Those two clearly learned from the best: David, spelled D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E; desperate. And the problem with Tino is that he says a lot of nonsense but never gets to the point. It doesn't help that he speaks really bad English, confusing a word with another. Malapropism; yeah, there's a new word for you, Tino. Spell it." says CJ via confessional, Episode 7.

And Aiden, the gatekeeper, says in his confessional, “Wow. I didn’t have to do anything this time.”

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Later in Episode 7, in a beautiful partly cloudy early morning, CJ and Matthew open up to each other in a bedroom that they are sharing together in the Bakersfield house, while the rest of the already-fucked up group is still sleeping like logs. The setting is very peaceful and quiet with the only background noise coming from birds chirping outside. They speak with their low indoor voices to avoid waking up anyone else.

Matthew tells CJ, “You know, CJ, I really don’t wanna do anything with any of those guys if we’re just gonna fight all the time.” CJ says to Matthew, “I couldn’t agree more, Matt. If I’m being honest, I’d rather spend this trip with you, whatever we end up doing.” Matthew softly says, “That would really be nice. I’ve never really bonded with anyone in my life. Not even with my mom.” And CJ asks, “Really?”

And this is when CJ (and we, the viewers) learn about Matthew’s strained relationship with his mom. According to Matthew himself, growing up in Dallas, Texas, he has always had a lack of motivation, direction, or control, "as if I couldn't do anything right," which put a strain in his relationship with his mother Lori Frias for years, who he hasn't seen or spoken to since leaving Dallas, Texas and moving to the City of San Fernando in 2013. He has never met his father to this day, and none of his mom’s past boyfriends have ever been nice to him. In fact, one of them was actually physically abusive towards him when he was 12 years old. But no matter who the boyfriend was at the time, Lori would always take their side because she couldn’t stand the thought of losing another boyfriend. Although Lori always saw Matthew as the real problem in private, she always paraded Matthew as this perfect golden child in public, which he struggled to maintain for her. The stress over that became too much for Matthew, that at one point he had a panic attack, which she saw as him being "dramatic as usual." And when he was 14 years old, he told his mom was that he was gay, which she and her boyfriend at the time did not take well. And he knew that he couldn't control how his mom felt (and apparently still feels as of this season). He actually started drinking when he was 15 years old to cope with his family drama, religious trauma and abuse trauma, and feeling like a disappointment. After nearly dying from alcohol poisoning at 17, Matthew went to rehab during the Spring 2013 semester of his senior year in Dallas High School. He’s been sober since then, but still attends meetings in San Fernando, and still finds it hard to fight the temptation as of right now, sometimes affecting his job as a waiter where he sometimes has to serve alcoholic beverages. He’s still trying to figure out his purpose in life. He's not very consistent as an actor, and wonders if he was just doing it for the desire to be famous. He didn’t have any real friends back in Dallas, and he didn’t have any friends throughout his short time in the City of San Fernando. He wouldn’t even consider his roommates to be his actual friends. But the many rare times he’d speak to CJ at San Fernando Fitness prior to their casting on FBSF gave him some hope. “Yeah… and right now, that’s my life in a nutshell.”

An overwhelmed CJ tells Matthew, “I’m really glad that I gave you some hope. And I’m really sorry about what’s happened to you,” and his voice breaks, “I know that must’ve been difficult to talk about for years.” Matthew softly goes, “Definitely. And… I don’t know when or if I’ll ever see my mom again. But as of right now, I just need my space.”

CJ carefully asks Matthew, “Did you know that, um… you’re the first queer friend I’ve made in a very long time?” Matthew looks up to CJ with wide eyes and says, “No. Am I?”

 

This is when Matthew (and we, the viewers) learns about CJ’s first love and heartbreak back in New Zealand, which he experienced with a childhood male friend named Corey, who was also the first person that CJ ever made love to when they were teenagers. He met Corey at age four, and they grew up together, sharing many memories and a deep connection. Their relationship evolved from friendship into physical intimacy and emotional exploration, where they planned a future together. But despite their strong bond, they never explicitly labeled their relationship as "boyfriends," but CJ considers him his first (and to date, only) boyfriend because of the depth of their connection and shared experiences. CJ had realized, by the time he was 13, that he was bisexual, but was very sure that what he was feeling was wrong, disgusting, and abnormal because that's what he grew up believing as a South Asian. The relationship ended when Corey started year 11 (which is 10th grade in the United States) and Corey’s new friend group disliked CJ, leading to him being pushed away and bullied by the friend. The heartbreak culminated in a distressing incident where his friend physically pushed him down and verbally abused him and called him a faggot. CJ explains to Matthew that experiencing this heartbreak while closeted was particularly difficult and depressing, as he was still in the closet and couldn't share the true reason for his sadness with his family. He had to "bottle it up," and believes this contributed to him being in denial and in the closet for a long time and refusing to be with the same sex ever again, as he didn't want to have those feelings for real. Eventually, at 18, he decided that he was tired of hiding and wanted to be honest about himself. And he did just that on his 19th birthday on March 14, 2014, coming out to his mother first, and then his father (whose acceptance CJ prayed for, the most). Thankfully both parents accepted him, and CJ had never felt so relieved to finally be honest with his parents and his siblings. He makes note that his dad started to understand the depth of CJ's feelings, especially regarding CJ's depression. CJ admits that even though he never hid from April that he is bisexual, he still doesn’t feel comfortable talking about men (or his experiences with men) with her because of the negative stigma that comes with being anything other than “just straight or gay.” Still, he never felt love again until he met April, who CJ refers to as the best thing that ever happened to him, no matter the gender. But he tearfully admits that he’s never truly accepted himself or recovered from that heartbreak, “despite my apparent confidence.”

Matthew asks CJ, “Have you ever thought about what could happen if you ever saw Corey again?” CJ says, “All the time. And honestly, I think the only thing I would feel is… anger. Because… he basically abandoned me and was homophobic. I just don’t know what I would say… or do… to him. Wait… I just realized something.” Matthew asks, “What is it?” And CJ tearfully says out of relief, “You’re also the first person, I’ve verbally opened up to about anything this heavy instead of writing it down for you.” Matthew smiles at this with watery eyes.

After about a minute of silence, CJ softly says, “Well then, what a lovely way to start our morning, huh?” which makes Matthew chuckle quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else up. They give each other a long hug. “If I had died from alcohol poisoning, I would’ve never gotten the chance to meet someone as strong as you,” Matthew says while still hugging CJ, who whispers, “We were both given a second chance.”

What many viewers appreciate about this scene is that there are no confessionals in-between the entire scene. From this point on, viewers no longer see a pair of strangers when they see CJ and Matthew interact. They started this season not even knowing if they can trust each other at all, especially in a fucked-up cast, and immediately chose each other, and continue to do so.

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Later in Episode 7, after eating breakfast with the rest of the group (which, by the way, was super awkward and tense), CJ and Matthew start exploring Bakersfield without them (all of whom mainly just stay in the house the WHOLE trip), and it’s really refreshing to see just the two of them away from the others. In his confessional, Matthew says, “If we stay in the house all day, all we’re gonna do is fight, and I’m tired of that. We need fresh air, damn it.” They visit the Flight Adventure Park, a trampoline park that they instantly find irresistible! And boy, do they have a blast!

They’ve had enough of the passive-aggressive vibes and decide to actually enjoy being in Bakersfield. They drive a short distance to Flight Adventure Park, a large indoor trampoline park full of bright lights, loud music, and massive foam pits. Neither of them has been to one quite like this before. As soon as they walk in and see the enormous interconnected trampolines, dodgeball courts, and soaring walls, their eyes light up.)

CJ (grinning wide, already bouncing on his heels): Dude… look at this place. We are definitely doing this.

Matthew (laughing, a rare big, excited smile breaking across his face): I’m in. Let’s go!

(They quickly pay, change into grip socks, and dive in. The music is pumping, and the energy is infectious. At first they’re a little tentative, but within minutes they’re fully letting loose — jumping, flipping, racing each other across the trampolines, and launching into the foam pits with loud laughs.)

CJ (mid-jump, yelling over the music): This is insane! I feel like a kid again!

Matthew (doing a clumsy but enthusiastic flip attempt, landing in the foam): I haven’t had this much fun in years! Watch this— (he attempts a bigger jump and belly-flops spectacularly into the pit, coming up laughing)

CJ (howling with laughter, jumping in after him)

(They spend the next hour or so fully immersed — playing a chaotic round of trampoline dodgeball, racing each other on the running walls, and seeing who can do the most flips. The competitive but good-natured energy between them is palpable. For the first time on the trip, they both look completely free and happy.)

Matthew (out of breath but beaming, sitting on the edge of a trampoline during a quick break): I needed this so bad. Back in Texas I never really did stuff like this. Too busy trying to keep my head above water. This is… this is really nice.

CJ (sitting next to him, still catching his breath): Same. New Zealand had some fun spots, but nothing like this.

(They high-five and jump back in for another round, the laughter echoing as they continue having an absolute blast. After a solid couple of hours of pure joy, they finally head out sweaty and exhilarated, already talking about what to do next as they walk back to the car.)

 

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And by Episode 8, everyone minus CJ and Matthew, can’t stop talking about Rafa. There was a lot of tension between B&S and the Sylmar Sinners. But rest assured, the Bullies & Snobs are always gonna complain about Rafa’s absence, how Rafa is a drama queen, how Rafa is boring, how Rafa runs away from his problems, how Rafa should stay off the show because he’s ghetto and violent. Meanwhile you got the Sylmar Sinners (which CJ wants NO part of) who complains about how Rafa is fake, how Rafa is a coward, how Rafa is mean, how Rafa is a terrible friend, how Rafa can’t get a man…

 

I was just like, “OH… MY… GOD!”

 

You guys, if CJ and Matthew didn’t go on this Bakersfield trip, I would not be discussing the events that go on during the trip. I hope y’all realize how much I love y’all. But even CJ and Matthew have had it with these people. “This is why CJ and I almost didn’t go on this trip,” says Matthew via confessional, “Every time we turn around, nobody else is truly bonding until Rafa’s name comes up. I realize that I’m not the right person to bring this up, because I don’t know Rafa at all. But everything they’re saying about him just sounds SO made up because they *have* no substance. They are nothing without him. Why can’t they just say that and be done with it?”

 

CJ rolls his eyes when they start complaining about Rafa again. In his confessional, he says, “If these people start complaining about Rafa one more time… I mean… WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS?! WE’RE ON A WEEK-LONG VACATION IN BAKERSFIELD! WE SHOULD BE HAVIN’ A GOOD-ASS TIME AND BONDING AND WHATNOT. Instead, we got Jason complaining about Rafa, Aiden complaining about Rafa, Enrique complaining about Rafa, David complaining about Rafa, Tino complaining about Rafa, Karlo complaining about Rafa… I don’t know why *Alex* is complaining about Rafa, since Rafa doesn’t even remember that recycled-ass loon. And Karlo and Tino don’t even *know* Rafa. It’s literally just me and Matthew who are trying to have a good time. All these other people? They are so obsessed with Rafa, it’s kinda scary. Or, I’m sorry, the word is *scared*, you know, if you speak the *Tino* language. *rolls eyes*”

And how about that? Two insufferable alliances (B&S and Sylmar Sinners) hate each other. It doesn't matter that they have shared hatred towards Rafa and Alastair; they are not thinking about that, and they are NOT pretending.

Word on the street is that by this time, production regretted their decision to bring back Jason, Aiden, Enrique, and David, instead of just firing them. But hey, drama sells, and nobody cares about growth, accountability, authenticity, or fun silly moments, right? RIGHT?!

They oughtta be glad that CJ and Matthew agreed to go on this trip, or the old guard and the fellow newbies Karlo and Tino REALLY would've been screwed.

 

Luckily, CJ and Matthew don’t stay in the house for too long because they take tours of the Fox Theater at Downtown Bakersfield, visit the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and go to the BLVD for dinner and bowling. And again, they just really enjoy each other’s company, and STAY out of the house until late at night. They needed it.

(Around 11 a.m. CJ and Matthew slip out of the rented house again, tired of the constant bickering and Rafa-obsessed conversations inside. They drive into Downtown Bakersfield and park near the historic Fox Theater, a beautiful old movie palace with grand architecture. They’ve signed up for a public tour and are clearly excited to do something cultural and low-drama for once.)

CJ (looking up at the ornate building as they wait for the tour to start): This place is gorgeous. I saw pictures online but it’s even better in person. Feels like stepping back in time.

Matthew (nodding, taking it all in): Yeah. I love old theaters like this. Reminds me of some of the spots in Dallas where they used to show indie films.

(The tour guide begins, leading the small group through the grand lobby with its chandeliers, vintage ticket booth, and restored details. CJ and Matthew stick close together, listening to the guide.)

Tour Guide: Built in 1930, the Fox Theater is a prime example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. It originally screened films and hosted live performances. Notice the intricate tile work and the beautiful ceiling murals…

CJ – Confessional: The theater looks amazing. Imagine premiering a movie here. All dressed up, big crowds… way classier than the multiplexes we have now.

(They continue through the balcony seats and backstage areas. At one point, the guide lets them step onto the stage. CJ does a dramatic, silly pose while Matthew laughs and snaps a quick photo on his phone.)

CJ (striking a theatrical stance): And the Oscar goes to… Courtney-Jai Niner!

Matthew (laughing hard): Lord, more like Golden Razzie. (both Matthew and CJ laugh)

(As the tour wraps up, they step back outside into the bright Bakersfield sun, both buzzing with the experience.)

Matthew (still smiling): That was really cool. Thanks for suggesting it. I needed something like this today.

CJ (nodding, sincere): Of course. We’re making the most of this trip whether the other guys like it or not. Next up — lunch?

Matthew: Hell yeah. Lead the way, tour guide.

(They walk off toward the BLVD area, chatting animatedly about their favorite parts of the theater as the camera pulls back, emphasizing their independence and growing friendship amid the larger group chaos.)

Matthew – Confessional: The Fox Theater was such a vibe. Beautiful building, great history. And CJ’s very easy to talk to and down for anything. I’m really glad we ditched the house again.

(After their inspiring tour of the Fox Theater, CJ and Matthew decide to keep the cultural momentum going. They head a short distance to the Bakersfield Museum of Art, a modest but charming venue with rotating exhibits and a peaceful sculpture garden. The building is bright and welcoming, with natural light pouring in through large windows. They pay the small admission fee and wander in together, still riding the high from the theater.)

CJ (looking around the airy main gallery with genuine interest): This is nice. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s actually really chill in here.

Matthew (nodding, pausing in front of a large abstract painting): Yeah. I love places like this. Back in Dallas I used to sneak into free museum days when I had a little extra cash.

(They move slowly through the exhibits — a mix of local California artists, some contemporary pieces, and a small section on Bakersfield’s history. They point things out to each other, sharing quiet observations and the occasional joke.)

CJ (stopping in front of a vibrant, colorful landscape painting): This one’s cool. Reminds me of home a bit — the hills and the light. New Zealand has some crazy landscapes too. What do you think?

Matthew (tilting his head, thoughtful): I like it. The colors feel hopeful. A lot of the art I saw growing up was more… serious. This feels like it’s actually enjoying being alive. (he smiles a little)

Matthew (lightly bumping CJ’s shoulder): So… next stop? Food? Or are we going full tourist and finding another museum?

CJ (laughing): Food first. I’m starving. Then maybe the BLVD for some bowling or something. We’ve earned it.

(They stand up and head out of the garden, still chatting easily as they walk back toward the car. The scene underscores their growing friendship and deliberate choice to enjoy the trip on their own terms.)

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The Bakersfield scenes involving the rest of the group could be described as Bad Boys Club when the attention is off CJ and Matthew (and even Rafa and Alastair who do not attend the trip).

Case in point, in Season 3 Episode 8, while CJ and Matthew are still pretty much M.I.A. from the house during the late afternoon and enjoying their time in the Bakersfield Museum of Art, we catch up with Alex P and Jason, and tensions are at an all-time HIGH between the two.

We see that Alex P was still sticking with Jason's story about Alastair wanting to have sex with Alex P’s husband Peter Monn (for the last time, you dumb pussy, that is NOT what Jason said), while the viewers simply DO NOT care about or believe the accusation at all.

 

Seriously, nobody cares about that stupid story. Even Jason has moved on from that story. Fuck, so has Alastar, who does not share a single scene with Alex P this season.

When Jason enters the kitchen, he sees Aiden, Danny, and Carlos, he sees that the overall vibe is very tense and weird, and asks. “What’s wrong guys? Did Rafa show up uninvited?” which makes the others laugh. And Carlos says, “No, instead we got bad news.” Jason is nervous and says, “What is it?” And Carlos tells him, “Alex is talking to Enrique in the backyard about what you said last year about Peter and Alastair.” This shocks Jason with his mouth agape, and he says, “What? Why?” And Carlos says, “I don’t know dude.”

“Is Alex *still* dwelling on what I said about Peter and Alastair? Dude, that’s over and done with. You formed your own opinion on what you thought I meant by Alastair making a move on Peter. You crumbled under pressure because you couldn’t handle Alastair’s mouth. And the universe kindly moved on. What else is there to talk about at this point, besides the fact that nobody remembers you? Don’t try to turn my friends against me just because you were being the gullible one,” Jason says via confessional.

Jason interrupts Enrique and Alex P’s conversation with, “I have a question, Alex. Did I offend you in any way?” Alex P says, “No, but as long as you’re here, you and I should talk because this is actually about you. What you did really hurt me, Jason. I mean, you’re telling me that Alastair wanted to sleep with my husband. Meanwhile, people are saying that you’re screwing around behind *your* husband’s back.” Enrique and Jason get shocked by Alex P’s jab at Jason. Dang, even in Bakersfield, Jason can’t escape what he claims to be rumors. “Well, first of all, I’m not screwing around behind my husband’s back. And second, I didn’t actually say that Alastair wanted to sleep with Peter, I just said that Alastair *tried to make a move* on Peter. You just assumed what you wanted to assume, and I didn’t say yes or no.”

 

Well, damn, Jason! Just petty! 😜🤪

 

Enrique is trying his hardest to not laugh. But in his confessional, he says while laughing out loud, “Oh, Jason! Buddy! You didn’t have to do Alex like that! But yeah, I mean, what’s done is done. There’s really nothing more that Jason can say at this point because… nobody really cares. Sorry, Alex.”

I think at this point, Alex has to know that Jason doesn’t have any empathy for him. And the fact that they have to share a bedroom together… oh my God. I would’ve been like, “Absolutely the fuck not, bitch.”

But hey, at least the gang took a break from talking about Rafa… and talked about Alastair instead…

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Meanwhile, still in Season 3 Episode 8, as the sun begins to set, CJ and Matthew make their way to The BLVD, a lively outdoor promenade area in Downtown Bakersfield filled with restaurants, shops, and entertainment. They’re both still buzzing from their day of independent adventures. They find a casual spot for dinner with outdoor seating overlooking the street, then plan to hit the bowling alley afterward.)*

**CJ** (looking over the menu, excited): This place is perfect. I’m getting the burger. You?

**Matthew** (smiling, relaxed): Same. With fries. After all that walking and jumping around today, I’m starving. This whole day has been really fun. I didn’t expect to actually enjoy Bakersfield this much.

*(Their food arrives quickly. They eat and talk easily, the conversation flowing from the day’s highlights to lighter topics.)*

**CJ** (between bites): The theater was classier than I thought it’d be. And the museum? That sculpture garden was peaceful as hell. Felt like we were actually tourists instead of cast members stuck in drama jail.

**Matthew** (laughing): Exactly. I loved the art. Some of those pieces reminded me of the indie film sets I’ve been on — raw, but with heart. It’s crazy how much better the trip feels when we’re not locked up in that house. I think we made the right call ditching them again.

**CJ** (nodding, sincere): One hundred percent. You’re easy to hang with, Matt. No pressure, no hidden agenda. Just… good company. I needed that.

**Matthew** (warmly): Same. You make everything more fun. Even when we were getting roasted by the group earlier, you had my back. Feels good to have a real friend out here.

*(After finishing dinner, they walk a short distance to a nearby bowling alley on The BLVD. The alley is lively with music, glowing lanes, and the clatter of pins. They rent shoes and pick a lane, clearly competitive but in the best way.)*

**CJ** (tying his shoes, grinning): Alright, best of three. Loser buys the next round of snacks.

**Matthew** (laughing as he picks up a ball): You’re on. Don’t cry when I win.

*(They bowl several frames, cheering each other on and playfully trash-talking. CJ gets a strike and does a ridiculous victory dance. Matthew surprises himself with a strong spare and teases CJ about “beginner’s luck.” Their laughter echoes as they enjoy the game without any of the usual cast tension.)*

**CJ** (after a particularly bad gutter ball, still laughing): Okay, okay — you’re better at this than I thought!

**Matthew** (grinning, lining up his next shot): Told you. Texas boys know how to bowl. Your move, Kiwi.

*(They finish their games, sweaty and happy, with Matthew narrowly winning the final round. They grab snacks and sit at a table near the lanes, still riding the high.)*

**Matthew** (softly, sincere): Best night of the trip so far. Thanks for doing all this with me.

**CJ** (bumping his shoulder): Absolutely. We make a good team.

*(They clink their soda cups in a mock toast as the scene fades out on their easy camaraderie, a bright spot amid the larger group chaos back at the house.)*

 

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But Episode 9 starts off stressful, and here’s why:

 

When CJ, Matthew, Karlo and Tino (basically all the four newbies of Season 3) are sitting down in the living room the next day, there is a lot of tension. Basically, when CJ asked Karlo and Tino, “So are y’all ever gonna explore Bakersfield or are you just gonna stay in this house all day like you’ve done for the past few days?” Tino says, “Well there ain’t nothing in this city that I wanna do.” CJ side-eyes that response while Matthew says, “Well, um, CJ and I traveled and went to all these different places like, the BLVD, the Museum of Art, and Flight Adventure Park. It was really fun and we got to stay active during those few days.” CJ adds, “Yup, and we also went on a walking tour of the Fox Theater at Downtown Bakersfield; it was so surreal. I think everyone in this group would’ve enjoyed those activities. Great distractions, if you ask me.” Karlo gets a bit negative when he says, “Hmm, maybe. Although Alastair and Rafa would probably be sulking,” which makes him and Tino laugh. CJ covers his face and lets out a muttered, “Oh my God…” Matthew says via confessional, “Yeah… I think CJ and I both know what – or rather *who* – Karlo and Tino are gonna be *talking* about for the rest of this trip. So much for bonding.” CJ wastes no time expressing his frustration via confessional, “Here we go again. I mean seriously. I can’t stand this group anymore, and I know Matt feels the same way. But at least he and I are making an effort to see what Bakersfield – a city that we’ve never been to – has to offer for tourists. And at least Enrique was paying for this trip, so thank you, Enrique, for making yourself useful. That doesn’t happen very often, mind you.”

 

CJ asks Tino and Karlo, “So you guys are just gonna stay here and be moping all day about Rafa and Alastair? Is that what it is? Because I know one thing: I did not come into this trip to be moping about drama that has absolutely nothing to do with me.” The rest of the group (David, Jason, Aiden, Enrique, Alex P, Danny, and Carlos) shows up just as CJ says to Karlo and Tino, “You guys and, really, *everyone else* – not you, Matt – have been going on and on and on about Alastair and *especially* Rafa. It is driving. Me. Crazy. Talk about something else! Talk about Donald Trump being our new president, for all I care. Just anything will do; anything but the same ol’ drama that you’ve been whining about since you got on this show. Please! Because this shit is getting ridiculous, I’m sorry.”

 

David butts in and goes the misogynistic route by saying, “Man, calm down. You on your period or somethin’?” CJ quickly says, “No but I know you’re always on *yours* when it comes to Rafa and Enrique,” which shocks both David and Enrique, and gets an “OOH!” from Matthew. CJ is not intimidated by David’s posturing the way a few others have been.

 

Matthew says, “Look, the point is this: Rafa and Alastair are not here. So, stop talking about them every five seconds.”

 

In his confessional, CJ shakes his head and says, “I can’t wait till Rafa and Alastair see this for themselves, mate. Lord, have mercy.”

 

Matthew looks at Enrique and challenges him by asking, “What do you think Enrique? Hm? You’ve been encouraging this behavior for three seasons now. And now none of your so-called friends can go a single minute without talking about two people who refused to film with y’all.”

 

Enrique has heard enough and says, “You know what, bitch? You and CJ don’t even know the story to be having an opinion about this?” Matthew argues back, “Neither do Karlo or Tino. And the only reason you’re not saying anything to *them* is because they don’t like Rafa or Alastair either. Don’t be a hypocrite.” Enrique says, “Well Matthew, I’m getting really tired of you and CJ complaining about what we do, when you two didn’t even have to come here with your foul-ass attitude, okay? We were doing just fine whenever you weren’t around, and I don’t appreciate you questioning my role as the leader of this show.” Matthew says, “The fact that we weren’t around when you had your conflict with Rafa and Alastair is irrelevant when you allow outsiders - who weren’t there either - to share your opinion on Rafa and Alastair, and agree with everything that you say! That’s not fair!” Enrique deflects by saying, “Well, look, if you don’t like our ‘behavior,’ then I suggest you do something about it before I do. Okay?” Matthew is taken aback by this threat and says, “Really? You wanna go there?” Enrique yells, “YOU DAMN RIGHT I WANNA GO THERE!” Matthew says, “Girl… I mean if we’re gonna be talking about things that happened when we weren’t there, I’m reminded everyday of why Rafa said that you were garbage. Because that’s exactly what you are.” Enrique angrily walks closer to Matthew and says, “Bitch, you wanna get smart with me? You wanna do that to me? ‘Cuz I can do so much worse to you, *and more*. Alright?!” While CJ is visibly disgusted with Enrique’s threat and blocks him from getting any closer to Matthew, Matthew exhales in disbelief, and softly says to Enrique, “Wow. Now who’s ghetto?” Oooh… Enrique is ANGRY.

Aiden says to CJ, “So… are you done bitching about us talking about Rafa and Alastair?” CJ – already frustrated - says to Aiden, “Aiden, stop, okay? I know you’ve been wanting me and all the other new guys to fight each other all season. You don’t want any of us to like each other, and you know it.” Aiden is determined to make CJ look crazy and says, “Well babe, if that’s what you wanna believe, then you’re dumb as fuck.” And CJ says, “Just mind your own business, White boy!” and walks away from Aiden who says, “Excuse me? You're White too, dumbass!” And CJ quickly says, “Exactly, so I can call you a White boy, dumbass.”

 

Don’t worry, CJ and Matthew excuse themselves out of the house to see what else they can find when in Bakersfield. Matthew was right to say that they needed air. And they end up going to the entertainment park MB2 Entertainment, in which they got to play mini golf and arcade games, but most excitingly laser tag and go-kart race against each other. They’re having so much fun that they almost don’t ever want to leave. But this is where their competitive edge really shines and they can forget for countless hours that they’re still filming a show.

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On Season 3 Episode 10, CJ and Matthew are unfortunately not the main focus during the Bakersfield scenes. Instead, the Bullies & Snobs, Sylmar Sinners, and the leftovers (Alex P, with a tiny dash of Carlos and Danny) dominate a great portion of the episode. The biased part of me wants to say that those scenes are unbearable, but actually, it was quite satisfying to watch. Without CJ, Matthew, or even Rafa or Alastair to save the day, everybody else is left to crash and burn.

While CJ and Matthew are out exploring Bakersfield again in this episode, the rest of the group is going absolutely nowhere as a unit.

Alex starts shouting Jason’s name from their room, “JASON! JAY-SAAANN!!” David is in the kitchen with Karlo and Tino going, “What the fuck is Alex yelling for?” Jason walks into the bedroom and asks Alex P, “What? I can’t have a drink?” Alex aggressively says, “Yes, baby boy, you can die of alcohol poisoning.”

“Alex is getting on my last nerve. He’s being all loud and aggressive, and I just wanna do something with my friends. I don’t wanna be arguing with Alex because I already know what it’s really about,” Jason via confessional.

“I can’t sit here and fake the funk, bitch. I can’t do it,” Alex P says to Jason while clapping his hands. As Jason is trying to talk, Alex talks over him, saying, “I’m not gonna sit up here and pretend like everything is cool between us.”

Tino says to David and Karlo, “Don’t worry guys, they just havin’ they’re little arrangement. It’s all good.” Karlo laughs and says, “Oh, of course!” By the way, ‘arrangement’???? I… think Tino meant to say, ‘ARGUMENT’. Girl…

Meanwhile, Enrique, who’s in the living room with his husband Danny, along with Aiden and Carlos, shouts out, “COME ON, ALEX, LET’S GO! WE SHOULD ALL BE TOGETHER. WE’RE ALWAYS SEPARATED!” Enrique walks in Jason and Alex’s room while Jason is saying to Alex, “Look man, you said you wanna have fun on this trip, so why are you fuckin’ turnt up?” And Alex P is not trying to hear it and yells, “Ohhhhhhhhh my Gaaaaawd!” Enrique finally enters the room and says, “Alex… why are you naked, babe?” Yes, we see that Alex Paredes is naked. His reasoning? “I’m about to get in the jacuzzi ‘cuz I need to soak away the bullshit.” Enrique is just… over it, scoffing and going “Okay, um…” And Alex cuts him off and says, “Yeah, I’ma just be quiet, ‘cuz I can already see I’ma little turnt up according to your little friend,” pointing at Jason as the little friend.

Jason asks, “Why are you so mad, Alex?” Alex P says, “I’m not mad! I deal with a lot of shit! Being called a dumb pussy by a bunch of strangers is one of them. You don’t understand what the fuck I’ve been through since that humiliating reunion, alright?! Meanwhile, you’re skipping in a field of flowers with Aiden like nothing happened!” Jason’s eyes get wide and he says, “What did you just say?”

Aiden, who was hanging out in the living room with Danny and Carlos, hears his name and goes, “Please hold,” and walks to Jason and Alex P’s shared room.

“Alex is being loud and obnoxious, and I see it as another way for Alex to get everyone on his side. I’m not gonna allow that. Jason’s my friend, and I’m not gonna let anyone disrespect him. Just chill out, Alex. You’re killing the vibe,” Aiden via confessional.

Aiden walks into the bedroom and asks Alex P, “Excuse me, Alex, but why am I hearing my name?” Alex doesn’t answer the question and says, “Aiden stay out of this. I’m talking to Jason.” Aiden tries to argue back, but Alex talks over him, “Me and Jason are TALKING! Stop being his fuckin’ chihuahua, bitch! Just get out of here already! Fuck!” Jason has had enough and walks with Aiden out of the room, “Come on Aidencito, let’s go. I’m done with this shit.”

After Jay and Aidencito leave the room, Alex says to Enrique, “Now do you understand what these bitches have put me through? They do not fuckin’ like me, They talked so much shit about me. And they have laughed at me,” pretty much confirming Rafa’s accusation that B&S is a group of people who don’t like each other. Enrique is quiet, for once, thank God. He also looks overwhelmed. I bet he’s thinking that he’s created a monster out of Alex Paredes.

And isn’t that something? Alex P literally said, “They do not fuckin’ like me, They talked so much shit about me.” Enrique is left looking triggered by Alex P’s accusation that Aiden and Jason don’t like him. And immediately, we are shown a flashback of the Season 1 finale in James’ Restaurant, in which Rafa – after banging on the table and demanding that Enrique shut his “big-ass mouth” – said to the B&S Crew (that consisted of Jason, Enrique, Alex P, and Alex C at the time – Estuardo was absent and Aiden wasn’t on the show YET), and I quote, “Y'ALL DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER! You guys talk so much shit about each other ALL THE FUCKING TIME!” Alex Paredes is literally quoting Rafa’s speech and proving Rafa’s point!

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

Later in the evening on Season 3 Episode 10, CJ and Matthew still have not returned to the house (YET). In the meantime, the rest of the crew – Enrique, Jason, Aiden, David, Tino, Karlo, Alex P, Carlos, and Danny – are all in the living room having a slumber party-ish setting, with their jammies on (or really, t-shirt/tank tops and underwear; you’re welcome queer viewers), so yes, Alex P is no longer naked.

This is yet another attempt at Enrique getting everyone together (this time, without CJ and Matthew), and it certainly goes according to plan. And yes… I’m being sarcastic.

“So I have a bowl full of questions,” says Enrique, which makes Jason mutter, “Oh, shit.” Enrique continues, “And each person has to pick just one. When it’s your turn to read the question, you have to answer, and then everyone has to answer it, too.” After Enrique passes a question to everyone – and gets himself a question as well (he is a cast member, after all) – the game begins. It’s the usual blah blah blah with David’s question being “Pick two people you have to banish. One to Hell, one to Heaven.” When it came to the Heaven portion, that was difficult for everyone to answer, even David himself. But the Hell portion was super easy, because the easy targets were the ones who were not present: CJ, Matthew, Rafa, and Alastair. The only exception was Alex’s Hell answer, which was, “Jason.” Jason didn’t say anything to that answer, but held his head down and shook his head in annoyance.

Next up, Jason reads his question, “If you could change two things about yourself, what would they be, and why?” And his answer is… interesting, “I would change my… relationship with God, ‘cuz I’m not as close with Him as I think I should be. And I’d also change my empathy, which is still a little bit off with people. I don’t know when it’s time to feel bad or good. And I kinda run away from my problems and other people’s problems.” Hmm… I’ll get into a tangent about this momentarily. Enrique responds to that answer with, “That was very amazing, Jason,” and Jason softly says, “Thank you.”

Okay, tangent time: Jason’s answer – real or fake – shows how little we truly know of Jason when you take away the Bullies & Snobs, his parents, his brother, his husband, and the now-broken alliance formerly known as the 3 Amigos. The fact that he waited until this Bakersfield trip to finally acknowledge his problems gives me “too little too late” vibes. Is it meant to imply the problems within his marriage to Christian? Does it have anything to do with his own insecurities? I don’t know. And I don’t know if he’s sincere. Okay, tangent over, though I’m sure Alex P is not buying Jason’s answer, either way.

Anyway, Enrique (being the instigator that he is) says to Alex P, “Alex, what’s your answer to Jason’s question?” Alex P says, “Um, I feel like I’m a hothead. It takes a lot to piss me off. I don’t give a fuck if you feel some type of way. I’m just gonna say it, and I feel like that’s not always right in every occasion, but oh well.” David goes, “You mad?” Alex says, “No, I’m okay. Like, I don’t know, I’m just—” A bored Jason cuts him off asks, “Dude, what are you mad about now?” Alex P says, “I’m just, I’m tired of this whole shit about what happened to me last year. It’s been bothering me. Like I don’t give a fuck if you think I’m a dumb pussy or not. What happened to me was very unforgiving, and if anybody has a problem with that, it’s nothing but space here and opportunity.” The entire crew is flabbergasted, to say the least. Enrique asks, “I love a good clean fight as much as the next Venezuelan, but who exactly are you calling out?” As if you don’t know, Enrique. “I’m calling out everyone who has a problem with me. It was never supposed to be anyone’s problem but mine and my husband. And the main person I’m calling out is Jason.” And it’s a lot of overlapping yelling between Jason and Alex P.

“He keeps bringing up this stupid-ass subject about my Queerty interview. And he’s starting to turn me into the Incredible Hulk, because… he’s really pissing me off tonight,” Jason via confessional

Jason makes the biggest mistake by saying to Alex P, “You know what, Alex? I’ve been real nice with you, but at the end of the day, you’re the fucking liar!” “OH, I’M THE LIAR?!” yells Alex P. And Jason says, “Yeah you are.” And immediately, as Alex is yelling at Jason, Alex picks up a glass of water and throws it on the living room table that the group is surrounding, which causes everyone to jump and get off their seats. Jason and Alex get up in each other’s faces and start yelling and screaming. Aiden, Carlos, and Danny are trying to break it up by pulling Jason away from Alex and blocking Alex. The Sylmar Sinners are just stunned by what they’re witnessing (we can easily deduce that David gets easily triggered by people throwing objects that they use as weapons, as evidenced by Rafa throwing a mic box at him, and Alex throwing - and ultimately breaking - a glass on the table, and even round one of the Tidal Wave Trilogy in Season 1 when Jason threw his empty cup of Pepsi to David's head after spilling the drink in David's face). The security jumps in. And Enrique is trying and failing to regain control, and yelling “HEY! HEY! HEY! WAIT A MINUTE! THAT’S ENOUGH!”

“Alex is calling *EVERYBODY* out. It was only a matter of time before he exploded at Jason in peculiar,” Tino via confessional. And the producer asks, “Did you mean to say, ‘in particular?’” And Tino says, “OH! My bad, dawg.”

Enrique looks furious as he says, “What the fuck is going on? We were having a great conversation.” Alex says, “What’s going on is that this bitch is the *REAL* liar!”

“He keeps saying that I’m a liar. He’s really messing with the right bitch tonight, I promise to God,” Jason via confessional.

Jason yells to Alex P, “I AIN’T NO LIAR, BITCH!” And again, they start yelling over each other – and really, everyone is yelling at this point; it’s a fucking brawl. A BRAWL, I TELL YOU! Alex and Jason are back in each other’s faces. And Enrique is being a loud mouth again: “OH, MY GOD, WAIT A MINUTE!” And he gives an even *louder* “WAIT A MINUTE!” as Alex pushes Aiden (who tries once again to get in-between Alex and Jason) to the floor, and spits in Jason’s face. This immediately causes Jason to try to lunge at Alex, but the security grabs him and won’t let him go, causing Jason to yell at them, “GET THE FUCK OFF ME, BITCH! LEMME GO! LET ME GO!!!!!!”

Enrique has absolutely no control anymore, and David calmly says to him, “Bitch, that’s your friends, right? Remember, you wanted this.” And Enrique says, “Oh, my God, David, shut up.”

“I don’t know where in the world Alex got these balls all of a sudden. But when you break a glass during an argument, there are no boundaries, period!” Enrique via confessional.

David goes, “Enrique, look where you at! You gotta put your friends on a leash, homes!” Enrique goes, “No, stop! I don’t wanna hear it, David! Now Aiden, are you okay?”

Aiden says, “I *will* be when Alex leaves.” Alex goes the fuck off on Aiden, and points his finger in Aiden’s face, to which Aiden shouts, “BITCH, DON’T PUT YOUR HAND IN MY FACE!” and slaps Alex’s hand away. A brawl happens again, and as a result… Enrique gets punched in the mouth by *somebody*. Whoever it was, we never know. But… oooooooohhh! Enrique is fucking pissed… OFF! “GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT! SOMEBODY PUNCHED ME IN THE FUCKING MOUTH!” Thankfully, he didn’t lose any teeth, but still… Lord have mercy.

“My lip is busted and I can taste blood. I have fucking had it,” Enrique via confessional.

Enrique gives up and tells a security guard, “You know what? Fuck this. I’m out of it. I’m not gonna stand here and deal with this shit anymore. Whatever.”

Alex P yells at Enrique saying, “Yeah, just stay where you are Enrique, ‘cuz that’s what you like to do!”

Enrique yells at Alex P, “NO, DON’T PUT THIS ON ME, BITCH! THIS IS ALL YOUR DOING! WE’RE SUPPOSED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AS FUCKING ADULTS!”

Alex walks away goes, “Whatever, I’m not trying to hear you right now. I’m bleeding from the broken glass; I need a first aid kit, fuck all y’all.”

“Don’t disrespect me again, Alex. Because one of these days, you’re gonna get fucked up real bad,” Jason via confessional.

“Oh, you need someone to take care of your little booboo, Lexi Poo?!” Jason mockingly asks Alex P, who turns around and says, “What did you say, bitch?” Jason yells, “You heard me!” Alex gets louder, “What did you just say to me?! DON’T FUCKIN’ COME AT ME!” And the two finally SCUFFLE! And Alex is screaming, “DON’T FUCKING COME AT ME, YOU BITCH!” The security manages to pull them away from each other, but now Jason has Alex’s blood stains on him and now he has to take another shower to wash that off and wash his tank top and underwear. Alex P is shouting “BRING IT BITCH! BRING IT! I’M FUCKIN’ READY FOR YOU, YA LITTLE PUSSY!” while being taken outside by the security, one of whom has the first aid kit on him lol

The whole time that Jason and Alex are bucking up and scuffling, the Sylmar Sinners are just looking at the whole thing like, “What the fuck?”

“Enrique’s stupid ass got what he wanted, didn’t he? A bunch of thirsty-ass hoes fighting over nothing. There’s no way Rafa woulda lasted a minute on this trip with his sensitive ass,” says David via confessional. Why is David even on this show, at this point? What exactly did he bring, that was actually Rafa-less? Nothing. By this point, David has become increasingly irrelevant. His fellow sinners are pretty much taking over for him while he mostly sits it out.

A fuming Jason is not quite done with Alex Paredes. He knows that Alex was taken outside to the driveway to get treated and (with Alex’s blood stains on his tank top, undies, and bare arms) rushes outside through the backyard, and shouts, “I’LL FUCKIN’ KILL YOU, MOTHERFUCKER! I’LL BEAT YOUR GODDAMN ASS RIGHT NOW!” How the Hell did Jason sneak out of the house without security? Man, Jason still got that spice that allows him to get away with almost anything!

And Alex can clearly hear Jason’s loud voice and shouts, “YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?! HEY BRING IT, BITCH! I’M FUCKIN’ RIGHT HERE! FUCKIN’ COME HERE! COME THE FUCK HERE! I’M THE ONLY ONE WHO’S BEEN THERE FOR YOU!” Enrique (who’s holding an ice pack on his mouth) and Aiden walk out the front to the front porch of the house to see Alex yelling out for Jason. “Wow, I never thought Alex would say this much because most of the time his mute button is on,” says Enrique via confessional. Alex yells, “YOU KEEP THAT MOTHERFUCKER AWAY FROM ME! YA HEAR ME, ENRIQUE?! I’M NOT FUCKIN’ PLAYING!” As Alex is hyperventilating and crying, Enrique and Aiden look so bored and over it. Alex keeps going: “WHAT THE FUCK?! FUCK YOU! FUCK! YOU!” Aiden says to Enrique, “Okay, I’m waiting for that bitch to turn into the Hulk, seriously,” which gets a laugh out of Enrique, who says, “I know right? I’m just like, shut up already.”

Alex P finally stops screaming, he’s crying hysterically, and security takes him back to the backyard.

“Well at least it’s not Rafa or Alastair crying this time. ‘A+’ for growth, I guess?” Aiden says via confessional

“What the fuck is wrong with Alex? Is he on steroids?” Enrique asks via confessional. From getting shoved by Rafa during Rafa’s fight with Cory in Season 2, to getting punched in the mouth by... someone in Season 3... I'm sure part of Enrique is secretly regretting his choice to create the concept of FBSF.

Minutes later, while Jason is in the shower, washing away Alex’s blood stains from his body, and his tank top and undies are in the washing machine, everybody’s back in the house trying to process what the Hell just happened. And CJ and Matthew FINALLY return to the house, with CJ singing, “Hello, hello, hello!” and says with his normal voice, “We’re back, and we didn’t miss y’all!” which makes Matthew laugh out loud. And they are shocked to see a messy living room, and Matthew says, “What the Hell? Was there a tornado?” Aiden, who is unamused, sarcastically says to CJ and Matthew “So glad y’all could make it back, at 11pm.” CJ and Matthew are confused until they hear Alex P in the backyard shouting again about how he always had Jason’s back, with CJ going, “Is that Alex yelling?”

“Matt and I were having a blast exploring more of Bakersfield and made it a point to just do whatever we wanted until late at night. And by 10:30pm, we were finally ready to go back to the house… only to find that everyone looks shaken and half-naked in their shirts and undies, Enrique has an ice pack on his mouth, Jason is apparently washing Alex’s blood stains off him, Alex is outside screaming ‘Fuck you, Jason! You lied to me!’ Do I even wanna know what happened?” CJ says via confessional.

Security takes CJ and Matthew back to their bedroom, and fills them in on what exactly happened, and the two new besties are in shock. And Matthew says, “You know what, CJ? It’s a good thing you and I didn’t unpack or pack too much.” And in his confessional, Matthew holds his hands up in defeat and says the realest thing known to God: “I’m done.” Matthew says to CJ, “You and I are getting our stuff and sleeping somewhere else for the rest of the trip.” CJ is relieved by this decision and says, “Good, ‘cuz this has gotten ridiculous, and I don’t wanna fight you, mate.”

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In Season 3 Episode 11, after coming into the house only to witness the aftermath of a ridiculous altercation, CJ and Matthew decided that they would stay in a motel for the final day of the trip.

They’re spending the final day of the trip just resting and hanging out in the motel after traveling to various places in Bakersfield. Despite having to share a house with the annoying cast, the two gym besties did have a great time together every time they ditched the group. But they both agreed that the house was cursed by what CJ calls, “the negative nutjobs.”

 

As they’re each laying down in their beds during the beautiful breezy midday morning, CJ asks Matthew, “Hey, do you think it’s boring that we’re spending our final day in Bakersfield in a motel?” And Matthew jokingly roasts CJ, saying to him, “Well, as long as you’re here, with a mouth as big as yours, ain’t no way this is gonna be boring for either of us.” CJ laughs out loud while saying, “Oh Damn, Matt! You do realize there’s a double meaning behind that sentence, right?” which makes Matthew let out a laugh of his own.

 

 

“Truth be told, yes, we wanted to stay in the house; it’s beautiful as Hell. Lovely views, sexy jacuzzi, and our bedroom was so comfy. But CJ and I had enough of everybody over there. And we really have to watch our backs. From a distance, Alastair and Rafa were looking out for me and CJ when they each warned us that the rest of the cast were most likely gonna be complaining about them – especially Rafa. Oh well. Now we know,” Matthew via confessional.

 

“I don’t know how much longer the remaining cast on this trip have left to live on this show. But I’ma tell you one thing: Karlo and Tino are easily the weakest parts of the show. They serve absolutely no purpose beyond their association with David, and that is *literally* it. Also, I do have a big mouth, don’t I? Well, I’m gonna try to work on that, I swear *laughs*” CJ via confessional.

 

CJ gives Matthew an unforgettable offer: “Well, Matt, I’m gonna give my mouth a rest. We’ll see how long that lasts *giggles*. I wanna know what you think of each person who was on this trip.” Matthew says, “Oh, shit,” and CJ goes, “Break a leg, mate. I’m ready when you are.”

 

And Matthew’s observation of each participant of the Bakersfield trip is spot on and earns a few oohs, oops, and laughs from CJ. “Well, alright, here goes nothin’. Tino… outside of his tendency to mix up words, when something doesn’t have anything to do with him, he kind of goes wherever the wind blows. And I guess that would’ve been fine if he wasn’t crazy as cat shit. Karlo is delusional as Hell, and aggressive as fuck. David is so rude and sexist. He has unresolved insecurities that stem from trauma, family drama, his past, and Enrique. Enrique is a cunt; no proof needed to support my opinion. Jason is a very hard person to read. But one thing that remains easiest to understand about him is that if he doesn’t like you, neither does Aiden. And Aiden is the biggest reason why a lot of us newbies have not been getting along with each other. And then I have no idea why Alex or Enrique’s husband and brother, whatever their names are, were even there to begin with. And that’s everyone.”

 

CJ is stunned by Matthew’s criticism of the Bakersfield participants. “Geez. How do you really feel, Matt?”

 

Matthew joyfully says, “And together, they are all really boring. Girl bye,” which gets a laugh from CJ.

In his confessional, Matthew says, “If CJ and I didn’t ditch the others to actually have a real Bakersfield experience, this trip would’ve been a total disaster for the two of us. Instead, we consistently removed ourselves from that disaster and it became a bloodbath for the rest.”

One baffling thing about this Bakersfield trip is that Carlos (Enrique's brother) and Danny (Enrique's husband) were part of the trip as Enrique's plus ones (or plus twos).

They didn't have to join that trip because they're not cast members, hence why Christian (a fellow non-cast member) refused to go (but the larger reason was that the old B&S guard never liked him, and bring nothing but negativity and hate, so he saw no point in going anyway).

Anyway, now that Matthew has already roasted the rest of the Bakersfield crew, he lazily points at CJ and goes, “And as for *you*...” CJ’s eyes widen and he says “Me?” Matthew chuckles and says, “ Yeah, you. Don’t get cocky now. Here’s the thing… you have the confidence that I wish I could have. You got that loud, bouncy Kiwi energy and you don’t hold back when somebody comes for you. I respect it. But it can be pretty risky to hit below the belt. Like with Karlo — you sure went full savage every single time, even if he deserved it.

CJ is shocked and laughs, when saying, “Oi! He started it!” Matthew is still grinning, and says, “Yeah, he did. And you were right to end it. But you also got a big heart under all that. The way you checked on me after David was rude at the park… the way we actually talked real shit in the Bakersfield house… that meant something. You’re the first real friend I’ve made out here who didn’t feel fake. You just don’t always have to prove that you’re the toughest one in the room.

CJ thinks about it for a second, then smiles genuinely, and says, “Damn. That’s… fair. I guess I do run my mouth when I feel attacked. Comes from growing up different, I think. But hearing that from you? Means a lot. You’re the only one who calls me on my shit without making me feel like trash.”

Matthew says to CJ, “We’re in this mess together now. Ride or die, right? And CJ chuckles, tosses a pillow at Matthew and says, “Ride or die. Just don’t let it go to your head that you roasted me better than I roasted everyone else.” They both laugh, and the easy chemistry between them is very clear. The scene feels hopeful — two newbies who found something real amid the toxicity.

Matthew says to CJ, “Okay, CJ. What’s your take on me? Go on.” He braces himself a little, half-joking but with real uncertainty in his voice, “I can take it.” CJ laughs at this and says, “Alright, alright. Fair’s fair. You asked for it, mate. You’re a sweetheart, Matt. Like, genuinely one of the kindest people I’ve met since moving to California. That Southern charm thing? It works. You’ve got this quiet, steady energy that makes people feel safe. But you’re not a pushover either. At the same time… I’m worried that you carry a lot, bro. All that stuff with your mom, the drinking, feeling like you don’t have direction. You’re still figuring out who you are outside of surviving all that. And that’s okay. I just hope nothing but the best for you going forward. You’re my ride-or-die on this trip. I see you, man.

Matthew softly and genuinely says, “Wow. Thank you, CJ. For real. That means a lot coming from you. CJ says, “It’s my pleasure, Matt. So… we good? Or do I need to sleep with one eye open tonight?” Matthew laughs and says, “Oh, we’re good, for now,” and winks at CJ who goes, “For now?!” And Matthew playfully goes, “Shhhhh…”

CJ says in his confessional, “Ooooooh… I know I’m messy with my words. But that damn Matthew has the potential to be strategic. He ain’t playing.”

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Meanwhile, still on Season 3 Episode 11

And Alex says to Jason, “Well, then leave.” And Jason says, “I don’t have to leave. You can leave. Nobody invited you here; you invited yourself.

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In Season 3 Episode 12, it’s been a couple of days since everyone has returned home from the Bakersfield trip.

CJ and his girlfriend April are in the Wilson Canyon Park in the early morning, a public park located in the western San Gabriel Mountains, in the neighborhood of Sylmar in the northeastern San Fernando Valley. They are riding jogging in the trail that leads them almost up to the top of one of the mountain trails ten minutes later, and it’s a really beautiful view of Sylmar, San Fernando, and a large portion of the San Fernando Valley. “Wow, April,” says CJ, “I’m actually glad that you talked me into this. This view looks so awesome.” And April says, “Yup, I told you so. Now pay up.” And CJ rolls his eyes and scoffs, saying “Fine. Here’s your $20.” And April chuckles, takes the $20, and says with a smile on her face, “Thank you, Courtney.” CJ shakes his head and smiles at April and looks back at the Valley.

“Bakersfield was so much fun when it was just me and Matt. The times that he and I spent together away from the group made me realize that there are people out there who will accept me for me. But I thought a lot about Matthew’s feedback about me, and he’s right. I don’t have to be tough, hard, or cocky to be confident. I just have to be honest the way I was always honest with him. And it makes me think of April. Um… I know that sooner or later I have to try to open up to April about my same-sex experiences. I just hope that it doesn’t make her feel uncomfortable,” CJ says via confessional.

While they’re still up in the mountains and still taking a break from their jog, CJ drinks ice cold water from his canteen, and appears to be quieter than usual. April notices this and reaches out. “Hey honey, you okay? You’ve been quieter than usual since you got back from Bakersfield.” CJ gets too scared to give April eye contact and slowly looks away back to the view of the Valley, while saying to April, “ Um, well. I’ve had better days, but… I guess… being in Bakersfield forced me to really, um… get to know myself. I always come off as this cocky badass that nobody can intimidate. But honestly… it feels like a façade. An armor. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m saying.”

CJ says in his confessional, “Gosh. I didn’t realize how hard it was gonna be to just… be honest with April about what I’ve internally gone through,” tearfully, he continues, “She’s my girlfriend, for Christ’s sake, and I can’t be honest with her about something that affected for so fucking long. It sucks. Where’s my white board when I need it?”

April can tell that whatever is on CJ’s mind is very heavy. She says to him, “Well… the way you described the trip when you were around the other guys, it sounded… intense. But… I’m starting to think that it’s not really about them. You don’t have to tell me everything if you’re not ready, but I’m here if you want to talk. You know that, right?” And CJ says with a broken voice, “Yeah. Yeah, I-- I know,” as a lone tear rolls down his face.

After about a minute of silence, CJ slowly says to April, while still facing the Valley, “Being around the other guys while in Bakersfield was… a lot. The house was straight chaos. Old drama about scandalous rumor, new drama over misunderstandings, everybody complaining about Rafa and Alastair. Matt and I were the only ones who actually explored the city because we wanted to, and we wanted to just get away from everyone. But coming back to the house to find broken glasses and blood stains just had us being like, “That’s it. We’re leaving this house.” But honestly? The best part was getting to actually talk to Matthew. Like, really talk.”

April nods, encouraging CJ to continue, reluctantly. “There’s something I’ve never really told you about. Or even my family. Back in New Zealand… I had this best friend growing up. We were thick as thieves from when we were like four years old. His name was Corey. We were so inseparable. Shared everything — comics… games… secrets... And when we became teenagers… it turned into something more. He was my first kiss. And, uh… I lost my virginity to him… I was in love with him. We never really called it “boyfriends,” but that’s what it felt like to me. We even talked about the future like it was really gonna happen. Then year 11 hit. He got new friends who didn’t like me. So he started ditching me and pushing me away. One day he just… shoved me hard and called me a faggot. Told me to stay away. That was the end of it.

April’s eyes widen with worry, and she reaches for his hand, and says, “Oh, CJ…”

CJ – shaky voice and all – pushed through the conversation, “I was still struggling to come to terms that I was bi. But I couldn’t tell my family why I was so messed up. So, I just… bottled it up. Buried it deep. That’s why I was in denial for so long. Even after coming out to you and my parents, I still don’t talk about guys much. It felt safer to just be with you and pretend that part never happened. Matthew, Alastair, and Rafa are literally the only queer people that I have gotten along with on this show. But so far, Matt’s the only other one who knows my past. And the idea of losing my friendship with them really scares me.”

April squeezes his hand tightly, and gives him a hug. CJ hugs her back while April says to him, “I’m so sorry you went through that alone. But in retrospect, it makes so much sense now — why you sometimes get quiet or change the subject when certain topics about men come up. Thank you for telling me. I love you exactly as you are. All of you. The goofy parts, the annoying parts, the deep parts, the parts that are still healing. Everything.”

CJ cries in relief and softly says, “I love you too.”

CJ says in his confessional, “Telling April about Corey was scary as hell. But it felt right. She’s been my safe place for a long time; a time when I wasn’t interacting with queer men, period. I wouldn’t say that I’m completely comfortable with… myself, let alone talking about myself. But it’s really making me reflect on my personality and delivery. I dealt with a lot, and I don’t wanna take it out on anyone.”

And we get a beautiful shot of the Valley from the mountains. As it’s still early morning, it’s gorgeous to have aerial views while the sun is still rising.

This scene (along with his private conversation with Matthew back in Bakersfield, and his conversation with his father Antonio prior to the Bakersfield trip) reminds us that there is a side to CJ that is still hurting. He has an infectious personality that makes him approachable, but his past with Corey, and his later defensive asshole side – which ignites when B&S or the Sylmar Sinners haze him – make it very clear that before joining the show, he could not trust himself to be around other queer people, especially queer men. And that really sucks because it is so relatable in so many ways. But so far, he feels the safest and most relaxed when he’s around Matthew, Rafa, and Alastair, and to know that he’s scared of losing that, is so understandable.