Television: "Real World DC" - Episode 7 Review

By our guest blogger, Gita Gupte

This week's "Real World DC" was a lesson in conflict resolution. We saw the claws come out with Erika and Ashley, and the possible end for Mike and his new love interest, Eric. The episode covered the gamut of jealously, bratty behavior, sexual ambiguity, cat fights, and cleanliness--just your typical day in the "Real World" house.

The majority of the episode focused on the deterioration of the Erika/Ashley friendship. What was once a chummy bond quickly turned into mutual hatred. When I realized that I was about to watch yet another episode of Ashley engaging in warfare with one of her roommates, I rolled my eyes and thought--when will it end? When will I finally not have to listen to Ashley spout off about her hardship-ridden life and her propensity to snap at people? Clearly not this week.

The difference this week was that Ashley finally met her match. Erika was not going down without a fight. She called Ashley out on being mean and harbored a grudge against her for calling her a "spoiled brat." She also spent the episode dishing out sarcastic comments, exhibiting passive-aggressive behavior and whining about how no one understands her. As irony would have it, Ashley, the girl ever claiming to be the victim, accused Erika of dishing it out without being able to take it. Long drama short, Erika poker-faced an exit from the house, but obviously did not go anywhere. Instead, she called a truce with Ashley that ended in a hug. Playing nice is fine, but I am certain these two will come to blows again. What makes me laugh is how much these two hate each other when they are so similar in nature.

Moving on, after dating Eric for a few weeks, Mike finds out that Eric is ready to get serious. This forces Mike to confront his sexuality, something that he's been running from all his life. Instead of committing to Eric, Mike decides to toy with the idea of hooking up with girls and blatantly flaunts this in Eric's face. The two have an argument over their issues but eventually land right back at where they started from--which is just having fun. Not sure how long things will stay happy though, the previews for next week promise a steamy makeout session between Mike and Callie.

Bless Andrew's heart for being the only one in the house with a sense of humor. We learn this week that Andrew is a mess who leaves apple cores around the house, which gives way to ant infestations, and that he does not know how to clean a microwave, which leads to a hilarious scene in which his roommates have to keep from laughing. His goofball antics do not go unnoticed this episode; instead, they serve as comic relief to all the drama ensuing around him.

Between the fights about duck tours, shopping and telephone privileges, I am excited to see that the previews for next week promise an episode without an Ashley conflict. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Mike/Callie makeout is going to affect Mike's relationship with Eric.