Russian Dolls: Recap Episode 3 “Tough Russian Love”

Impossible Mom or Spoiled Brat?

“Tough Russian Love” is an episode about Anastasia and her relationship with her mother. But it also speaks to the impossible demands of Russian parents on their children and the fact that Russians, are in general, impossible to please.

First thing we hear is Anastasia’s bio, while they show her getting a fake tan a la Jersey Shore. Her family moved here from the Ukraine when she was three years old because they wanted her to have a good education. Her father was the director of a psychiatric facility and her mother was an actress and they both sacrificed their careers to come here. As these words come out of her mouth, in walk her friends and she is asking where’s the alcohol? They begins round after round of vodka shots with her friends. You get the impression that she doesn’t appreciate all they have given up.

Anastasia lives with Diana. Eddie is visiting. Anastasia says she is a political science major and wants to change to speech. She explains she has been indecisive because she has options and it is taking her a while to decide what career she wants to go into. Her parents pay for her education. They have told her that as long as she is in school they will take care of her. She says she is trying so hard to become something, to have a career, but she keeps switching majors. Her father told her that no matter what she chooses she needs to like it. But Aanstasia is 25 years old already. Most students graduate at 22. Private colleges cost close to 25 to 30 thousand per year. We don’t know what college she is attending, but at that cost, her extra three years may have added a financial burden to her family.

Over to the gym where Renata Krumer is working out. She says she is determined to live every day as a beautiful person. Her husband Boris looks like a Russian gangster, aggressive and tough. Inside he is her cookie. She has a lot of jobs: she hosts events, and she hosts one of the most popular radio shows of Brighton Beach. She and Boris will be hosting the opening of a new Russian restaurant, 1,001 Nights, and she is going to be singing for the very first time, so she is rehearsing and very nervous. Boris is coaching her as though he knows something about singing. She says, for a Russian man to feel like a man, he has to be in control. He wants her performance to be good so they will get more business and make more money. Even Renata says he is a terrible teacher, although his intentions are good.

Anastasia meets her mom for dinner. Her mom is always on her case about something, anything. Her mother asks how she is and asks about college and her current major. Anastasia tells her is switched to Speech Therapy. Her mother says that is the third major she has had. Her mom says that they have supported her, but they are getting old. They love her, but there comes a time when she has to be an adult and become responsible for her life. Her mother wants her to finish school, have a career, get married and have kids. Russian moms expect a lot out of their kids. Anastasia perceives her mother’s comments as having a lack of faith and confidence in her, instead of the concern that she is really expressing. Anastasia thinks her mother sees her as a loser. Then she announces she is 25! At 25 she is just starting a Speech Therapy major? I happen to know that this will require several more years of schooling. The Master’s Degree alone takes an additional two years after getting the bachelor’s degree. She tells her mom she wants to be independent and take care of herself and asks her mom to be patient with her. She needs more time. I think Anastasia is really taking advantage of her parent’s generosity.

Renata and Boris go to check out 1001 Nights before she has to perform. She says she feels like Barbra Streisand. As she rehearses at the restaurant, Boris is coaching her like we are at a sporting event. He is shouting instructions and bound to make her more nervous and less confident. He is too critical and it’s upsetting her.

Anastasia says her mom in a nag. She doesn’t accept that Anastasia is growing up and won’t let go. Because she switched majors a few times and is still torn, she decides to meet with a career counselor. She says she is double majoring in political science and speech. She wants to make sure that every decision she makes in her life is perfect. She just wants to make her parents proud. After hearing what Anastasia has to say, the counselor says she would advise her to lean towards law. Anastasia seems happy with her assessment. Now she is considering law school.

Renata meets with Svetlana to ask how she should deal with Boris. She explains about the restaurant opening and her singing. Svetlana tells her she can do whatever she wants to do. That’s when Renata reveals that Boris’ coaching is too aggressive like Russian KGB. Svetlana’s advice? Boris wants to be in control, let him be in control and then turn around and do what you want to do. Renata decides to tune out Boris for the sake of her performance.

Anastasia and mom meet again. She asks Anastasia how is everything. She is excited to tell her mom about the career counselor. Anastasia says the counselor asked her a lot of questions and told her to stick with law. Her mother thinks this is a serious decision because they have to consider how to pay for law school. Anastasia says she will take out loans. Her mother asks who will pay the loans. Anastasia says she will. Anastasia gets upset, she thinks her mother isn’t proud of her or supporting her and is just worried about the money. Her mother is struggling to communicate in English for the show, so maybe she cannot say everything she wants to say. Anastasia gets hysterical and lays into her mother before allowing her to say what her concerns are. Her mother is worried about how she will pay for her loans, which is legitimate, but Anastasia just curses her out. She tells her to leave and go home. The hurt expression on her mother’s face is heart breaking. “This is why I hate you and don’t want to be around you,” she says to her mother. It’s very brutal. She keeps complaining that she doesn’t support her, BUT she is 25 years old and still in school and her parents have been paying all these years already! Her mother reluctantly leaves, but not before telling her how much she loves her. Anastasia doesn’t get it, she doesn’t understand her mother’s concerns and never lets her talk. Law school is another three years after she gets her bachelor degree and more expensive. Any good mother would be concerned.

Anastasia tells Diana about her meeting with her mother. Because her mother is worried about the loans, the girls perceive that as seeing the bad in everything and always wanting more. Russian parents are tough and have high expectations. But, Anastasia needs to grow up. At 25 she should be out on her own supporting herself. I wonder who is paying her share of the rent for the apartment?

Renata gets ready for her event. Boris criticizes her dress as being too summery. Her boots don’t go with the dress. Renata decides she will not let Boris stress her out. They arrive at the restaurant where she will be singing with Boris for the first time. All the cast is there to support them. By the way, she did change her dress after all. And Marina shows up with her annoying high pitched voice! Renata announces the opening and starts singing while everyone is dancing. When they are done, she sees everyone is happy. Boris grabs her and says we need to talk. He says he tried so hard to explain to her what she needed to do. It’s mind boggling how great she did. He can’t stop complimenting her.

We end at Anastasia and Diana’s place. Anastasia has invited her mother over. She wants to explain to her mother why she reacted the way she did so she will understand. Her mother understands they have issues because of the loans. Her mother says she is proud of her because she is a strong person. Anastasia says she was so mad because she felt she wasn’t being accepted. She apologizes and says she is sorry. Her mother says it has never happened before and she was a little bit frustrated, and maybe she was wrong, and she thanks her daughter for the apology. Then she apologizes herself.

My two cents: Boris needs to ease up on Renata. He cannot control her every move. He should stick to his own business and let her run her own life. She is 46 years old and very successful lin her own right. She is nice enough to let him have a say or ask for his opinion, but he really takes the control issue too far.

Anastasia was very wrong to talk to her mother the way she did. Her parents have paid for her education and she is 25. That is three extra years of tuition. If she had decided on law school at 18 she would have been graduating already. Her parents should not be punished for her indecision and she should have seen a counselor a long time ago. The way she poke to her mother was simply unforgivable!

Is Anastasia’s mother impossible OR is Anastasia a spoiled brat? Let us know what you think.

Picture credit: Lifetime

Russian Dolls: Episode 1 “Mama Dearest” - Recap and Review

These are the only Russian Dolls I want to see right now!

I was looking forward to watching Russian Dolls, despite the bad reviews that it got from various newspapers, and it got plenty. I am sorry to have to say that the reviews all hit the nail on the head, in my opinion. If you missed the show, this is what happened and my review follows.

The episode opens with Marina complaining about her mother-in-law’s, Eva’s, “Grandma Pageant” and she pretty much does that for the entire show. She says, “I have no choice, but to go.” “Why do I have to waste my whole Sunday? It’s just a stupid, local Brighten Beach pageant!” she says. Renata disagrees, she thinks Eva can be anything she wants to be and if she sees herself as young and adorable, that’s what she is. The other woman, says that Marina thinks “she is the centerpiece of the universe and everyone should revolve around her.” Marina says of Eva, “she is just her husband’s mother, she’s nobody to me.” Then Marina talks about how the Russian culture teaches you to respect your parents.

There is a lot of skipping around to different cast members throughout the episode, maybe it’s the creator’s way of introducing us to all of them, but I found it to be a bit choppy. . We meet Diana, who is 23, but came to this country as a young girl. She is dating Paul, who is Spanish. In the Russian culture it is a big deal to date a non-Russian. The next scene is at the Russian bathhouse when Russians apparently go to relax, get together with friends and hang out in their bathing suits. There are a few shots of the younger cast members playing in the pool while the older members are at a table watching.

Anna says there are no decent guys out there. Anna is a model and has her own modeling school. She wants to be married at around 33 years old and freeze her eggs for later use. Anastasia, Diana’s friend and roommate, is not ready for kids. Eddie makes a wise crack to Albert, “Russian girls like to flirt, but never give it up.”

Eva gets ready for the grandma pageant. It’s a talent contest and she wants to do a belly dance. She has many outfits to choose from for her performance. Marina feels that once you are in your 50’s you do not wear revealing clothing. She says that Eva is embarrassing the whole family.

Diana gets advice from her friend Anastasia about her boyfriend situation. Her parents want her to be with a successful Russian man. Diana is 23 and wants to have a baby by the time she is 25 so she can be a “hot mama.” Diana, who is very beautiful, says she likes plastic surgery and botox. Diana’s parents are strict and very traditional. Anastasia doesn’t think she should tell her parents about Paul.

Back to Marina! She is still concerned about Eva embarrassing her at the pageant. The we hear Eva’s point of view. Eva is a 56 year old grandmother, who was once a Russian engineer. It was always her dream to be on stage and perform. She says she is so happy she has this opportunity to make her dream come true.

At Diana and Anastasia’s house, Diana’s mother drops in to pay a visit and help her make borsht. It looks like Diana doesn’t even know her way around her own kitchen. As her mom makes the borsht, she drops a few “hints” for Diana. A woman has to be “all,” a housekeeper and a cook. Diana asks how her mother would feel if she brought home a Spanish guy. Her mother has no clue Diana and Paul have been seeing each other a few times a week. Her mother says she would be upset. She tells her daughter that at 23, she needs to be thinking about her future. She wants to see her with a Russian man of the same culture…culture is very important. She tells her not to hurt her or the family.

Finally, the “Grandma Pageant!” Marina makes critical remarks the entire time. Eva does her belly dance and it was a real crowd pleaser. Marina is complaining that the pageant is too long and “it went on forever.” Her daughter is tired and cranky, so she leaves. Marina says, “It was horrible, 5 hours of torture.” But, Eva wins the contest for best talent and says it broke her heart that the family left. Marina says she would never go back again (to another pageant).

The episode ends with a dinner between Diana and Paul. They are eating tuna tartar, Paul hates it. She wants to talk to him about being Russian. She enjoys spending time with him, but asks if he thought there was a future for them down the road, like marriage. Paul says yes, he wouldn’t be going out with her otherwise. Then she bluntly says she can’t be with him because he isn’t Russian. Her family wants her to be with a Russian man. She breaks up with him, says she feels bad and that’s the way the cookie crumbles, but she has to be with a Russian man.

Now for my two cents! The short review is “Oy Vey!” If you are tired of reading, end here. This goes especially for Marina, who doesn’t like “long” things.

I hope that this episode is not a reflection of what is to come. Marina’s incessant complaining about the pageant and her disrespect of her mother-in-law was hard to listen too. Apparently she has learned nothing from her own culture about respecting parents. Eva is nothing to her??? Really? She made her opinion known at the very beginning of the show, was it necessary to keep it up the entire time? She wasn’t at all supportive of Eva, knowing full well that this was a dream of hers. Her husband, Michael, never once tells her to knock it off. Wasn’t the pageant held at their restaurant? Weren’t they making money from all who attended? Come on, give me a break. Her behavior was rude, disrespectful and obnoxious.

Anna doesn’t need to freeze her eggs just yet. She is young and 33 is still young enough to have children the old fashioned way. I know because that’s when I had mine. I have to agree with her comment that there are no decent guys out there. I felt the same way at her age. All guys seemed like immature jerks. My advice to her is not to think about guys as marriage material right now. Pursue your career and goals. If the right guy comes along, she will know it. Otherwise, she can focus on finding the right guy in eight years or so. If that doesn’t work, go to a sperm bank and be a successful single mother.

Diana, hmmmm, she knew full well that a Spanish guy was not going to be her family’s first choice for her as a husband. It’s part of the culture and ingrained in these women from birth. This is why they live in an ethnic community. They want to keep their culture and traditions preserved. Diana knows this, so what’s up with Paul? In my opinion, I think the show went out and got her a “Spanish boyfriend” actor just so they could make a point of addressing this issue. I think this was a little too scripted. The Russians, at least on this show, want their children to marry Russians, period end of story. We all know that; Diana should have known that. The way she breaks up with her boyfriend is cruel and thoughtless. She is dismissive. “Oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.” Really Diana? Do you expect guys to line up to take you out knowing at any time you might announce their unsuitableness; maybe they aren’t Russian or Russian enough, maybe they don’t make enough money, maybe they aren’t good looking enough? Where do you draw the line? When does a person’s character count for something?

I have to end with Marina and Eva. Marina seems very selfish and self centered. This pageant is all about her and how embarrassed she is going to be of Eva. She already acts like the “diva” of the cast, but she has a very long, long way to go to be considered a “diva” in the entertainment field. Having an attitude, jewelry and designer clothes does not make you a diva, it makes you a diva “wanna be” at best. Diva’s have some kind of talent to bring to the table. I saw no talent in this episode, at least not from Marina.

Eva is another story. She is very likable. Her reason for doing the show she says is to show other, older, divorced women that they can still follow their dreams. Their lives aren’t over. Find something you are passionate about and pursue it. That is the message that Eva sent and it was well received by me. I am glad she won her pageant and I am looking forward to seeing more of Eva. The most touching moment of last night was, after the pageant, when Eva said that it broke her heart that her family left. Eva, all I can say to you is, don’t let Marina break your spirit! You keep pursuing your dreams!

Finally, the cast members all consider themselves reality show stars already. But I want to question another “star,” why was the “star of David” not mentioned? By that I mean, we are only getting part of the picture, the Russian part. The reality is that many, if not all, these cast members are Jewish. This is still a reality show, is it not? Did that piece of reality slip someone’s mind? Don’t you think we should know that? Are they trying to send a message that the Jewish element is irrelevant? I’d love an explanation for that. 


What did you think of the show? We'd love to know!

Watch entire episode here: Whole episode

Picture credit: GreatRussianGifts.com



Jersey Shore: Going to Italia

The first episode of Jersey Shore in Italy was off to a slow start in my opinion. Hopefully once the dust settles, it will be a lot more entertaining than it was last night, because it was kind of a snooze.

In any case, the episode opened by catching up with each cast member, and watching them model for their passport photos as they prepare for Italy. Some chose to look up some phrases that might be useful. Sammi practices saying "I have cramps," while Vinny opts to learn "no grenades." That one is definitely going to come in handy, as Vinny brags about how good he looks with his new beard. "I don't think anybody's gonna recognize me with this beard," he says. "I'm so much more better looking."

And there he is, in the middle. What a beard it is. Vinny says he needs to find out the age of consent before he takes off. His uncle tells him, if the girl has hair under her arms, she's good to go.

J-Woww and Roger are still together after becoming ~exclusive at the end of last season. Snooki also has a new man, Jionni, who she's been with for 6 months. Ronnie, on the other hand, is referring to himself as "Single Ronnie," and his friends threaten to kick him in the nuts if he hangs out with Sam or cries on tv. Again.

All the girls will be flying over together, as will all the boys. Both sides want to arrive first, because they want to have the pick of the good rooms. Vinny thinks the guys could get to Italy a day late, and still be there before the girls.

And he's right about that, because the trip for the girls is a FIASCO. Snooki struggles to lug around the 8 bags she packed. After a layover, the girls end up landing in Milan instead of Florence. At the airport, Snooki realizes she needs to exchange money, and she sees a kiosk. She asks if that's where she can get pesos. She's only a few thousand miles off the mark.

J-Woww has her own crisis to deal with, as one of her bronzers exploded in her bag. Now she only has 8 bronzers left, which she says is only enough to last her for 10 days.

The girls start running through the airport to get somewhere, but Deena doesn't know where she's going, she's just running aimlessly. That is, until she falls right on her face. She wonders aloud if "the boys are having this much problems." Well the boys are not, their plane has already landed in the correct city, whereas the girls have to drive 45 minutes to get to the house. 45 minutes, that is... until they get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Snooki announces that she feels like crying. Everyone tells her not to cry, and she responds that she isn't really going to cry. BUT SHE FEELS LIKE IT.

As the boys drive through Florence, they discover that the streets are very narrow. Pauly D says that when they go out walking around, Ronnie isn't going to be able to fit through the streets without walking sideways. The boys arrive at the house and get their pick of the rooms. Pauly D and Vinny pick a nice room with 3 beds, and Ronnie and Situation share a room with 2 beds. Ronnie figures it's best not to share a room with his ex-girlfriend Sam, because he figures, if they do, they'll inevitably "smush."

When the girls arrive, Deena volunteers to take the extra bed in Pauly and Vinny's room. Last year Deena was into Ronnie's type, as evidenced by her bringing a Ronnie doppelganger, who had all of the looks, but somehow even less of the charm of that abusive coke fiend... allegedly. This year though, Denna is into Pauly's type and she thinks they could become friends with benefits. Pauly should be careful, because if things don't go well, she might stalk his whole life in the piazza.

Ronnie celebrates being the tannest one there, which is quite a feat. Even Sam admits he looks really good. Pauly doesn't know if Sammi is going to play the field now that she's single. All he knows is her boobs have gotten bigger. Interesting he should mention that, because moments later, Snooki, Sam and Jenni talk about fake boobs, and Sam and Snooki both want a pair. They find it really gross that their real boobs move to the side and stuff when they lay down, as nature intended. GROSS.

Everyone comes to the living room to sit before they explore on their first night in Italy. Ronnie sits down in a chair and it immediately collapses under his weight like it was made from pieces of cardboard held together with scotch tape. Pauly. Goes. Nuts. He says over and over, "That was the best thing of my life!" And hearing Pauly say that, was the best thing of mine.

Deena talks to Mike about how much fun the single people in the house are going to have, everyone except Jenni and Snooki. Mike says he thought Snooki was single. Deena says she isn't, but Mike says, trust me, she will be here. Sam is DISGUSTED, as she often is. She thinks Mike wants to ruin Snooki's relationship, because he's a serial relationship ruiner. Just look what he did to her and Ron!

The next morning, Pauly gets up bright and early and wakes everyone up by blowing his new grenade horn. He doesn't want the day to go to waste. He asks Vinny if he and his beard both slept well.

The roommates discover that only Pauly D and Snooki know how to drive stick, so any time they need to drive anywhere (which will be always) those two are the only ones who can drive. Jenni is already dreading it, she has no confidence in Snooki. To make matters worse, the navigation system in the cars is Italian-only, but Vinny doesn't think it makes a difference, since the girls wouldn't be able to understand it in English either. Snooki gets in the car and tries to move the seat up, so her short little legs can reach the pedals. As she does, the car jerks around several feet. Snooki asks in a panic, is the car on??? Um... I sort of hope so... or else you have some pretty interesting problems on your hands.

The girls and boys get separated in their travels when the girls get lost. They have to go back to the house where they are attacked by pigeons that Snooki thinks are trying to bite their ears. Yeah, those ferocious pigeons with their pointy teeth and stuff, how scary!

It's their second night in Italy, which means they need to get their club on! Jenni doesn't think the house has enough outlets, especially after they blow the fuse in the bathroom. They have to do their hair in the kitchen. Deena uses Sammi's flat iron, and it's set so high that it burns her hair clean off.

Meanwhile, Situation confesses to Ronnie that he and Snooki hooked up 2-3 months ago. If you'll recall, this is a problemo, because Snooki's been with Jionni for 6 months. Mike tells Ronnie that he might actually be starting to like Snooki. Ronnie think Situation is full of crap, because Snooki calls Jionni three times a day, and he doesn't think Snooki would cheat on him.

Vinny teaches Pauly D how to translate his catchphrase into Italian. TAXIS SONO QUI!! It... doesn't have the same ring as "The cabs are here," sadly. The Situation sends out a warning: "Padres, you better lock up your bambinis."

The club they go to looks sort of amazing. It's really colorful and there's fire flying all over the place. Deena says this club is better than DJs in Bellmar. "And DJs is my best club, just sayin."

The guys now realize that in order to spit game to these Italian chicks, they need someone to translate for them, and Vinny is the only one who speaks any Italian. So that means Vinny will probably have the chance to get Situation back for pulling robberies on him in Jersey.

Ronnie sees that Mike is trying to hook up with Snooki at the club, which is very gross and disturbing, but the most distracting thing is that Ronnie keeps calling her SH-nooki. That's not her name. Not even her fake name. In any case, Ronnie says he hopes Shnooki won't hook up with Mike, and when Mike tries to kiss her, she's not havin it.

Deena and Pauly on the other hand, quite a different story. The episode ends with a makeout so sloppy, it can't possibly be real. And yet, it is. Not really a parting image that makes me want to tune in to the next episode though.