The pregnancy saga of Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan continues on this week’s episode as the two have money issues prior to their child’s birth. Nikki Bella begins one of the most exciting WWE storylines of her career whilst dealing with her dog. And on top of that, JJ Garcia and his wife Lola deal with the implications of separation. Let’s get down to it!
Nikki Bella
After a fun night at the Oscars, a few days later we catch up with Nikki as she finishes her feud with Natalya. Once the match is over, she tells us how she is “praying” for a Wrestlemania feud to follow – so I guess it is happening now.
We then see Nikki and John Cena go to the Danielson home – let it be noted that this is the first time Cena has entered this building. Brie and Bryan point out that the two bedroom house is less than one third the size of his guest house… Yikes!
The twins discuss their two dogs Josie (belonging to Braniel) and Winston (belonging the Nena). Nikki expresses how Winston is her “first (and only)” child that she got when she was rehabbing her neck. And now that she’s busy, Brie and Bryan have taken over the parenting role.
When Brie meets up with Lauren, JJ and Kathy Colace at the Birdie Bee headquarters, the topic of Nikki is brought up. Brie feels bad over the fact that Nikki organized Brie’s bachelorette party and baby shower. So, to make up for it, she aims to throw her sister a “Woman Empowerment” party – because she can’t have kids or marriage, of course. JJ, Lauren and Kathy’s are the same as yours, don’t worry.
Later in the day, JJ, Kathy and Nikki have dinner together, and things get sour fast. JJ accidentally – but not really – reveals Brie’s idea for a “Women Empowerment” party, and Nikki is not happy. Bella sees it as a “pity party” for not having kids. And as much as I can’t help but side with Brie for her kind gesture, it’s difficult to not see it from Nikki’s point of view here.
Nikki confronts Brie the next day to discuss her discomfort with the idea. Despite Brie’s best efforts – and by “best” I mean moan-y and forceful – Nikki isn’t buying it. Before the two can really get into the conversation however, Winston puking on the floor interrupts them, and the two have a little disagreement about how to take care of him. Nikki then says that she’s going to take Winston back to her house as he “needs [his] momma.”
The next day John heads off to host the Kid’s Choice Awards, with Nikki on the carpet and presenting too. So when Brie calls to check in on her mother, she immediately finds out that Nikki has left Winston with her, instead of with Brie and Bryan. And although the dog belongs to Nikki, Winston’s home is with the Danielsons, so giving him to their mother isn’t exactly what’s best for a young animal. Brie insinuates that Nikki is only doing this to prove that she’s the boss/mother of Winston, rather than doing it for his own wellbeing. And the fireworks are out!
When Nikki returns to Kathy’s house after the KCA’s, she finds out that Winston is at Brie and Bryan’s house – oh no! Nikki explains that with John leaving her for work and with Winston being with her sister, she feels as lonely as ever. And although she’s understanding of why Brie and Bryan took him, she still feels upset about it, because he’s her “first born.”
So now let’s head to the house for some drama adult conversations! Brie explains that Winston needs to be in a consistent place if he is to feel safe, but Nikki insists that that is her decision to make. The two quickly get on the same page, and try to come to a mutual agreement. Nikki re-explains her loneliness, and her sister is immediately understanding. They agree that every decision needs to be based on Winston’s needs, rather than their own. Everything feels good again in the Bella fam at last! Nikki then quickly tells Brie to not do the party idea, and the two have a cute laugh about it in the confessional.
We then see an episode of SmackDown Live where The Miz and Maryse call out John Cena. After a bit of trash talking from The Miz and a slap on the face by the French Phenom, Nikki runs out to the ring. The It Couple then run away and Nikki tells Maryse that if she ever messes with Nikki’s man again, she’s gonna “break ya, b***h!”
Nikki expresses how excited she is to finally be in a storyline with the love her life, and the next few weeks are about to be some of the best of her career. But, let it be noted, that she feels there is still a lot more that she aims to accomplish within the company.
Brie Bella & Daniel Bryan
At the Danielson home, Bryan asks his guest John about his wife’s labour. As Brie may give birth before her due date, Daniel fears that she’ll give birth at Wrestlemania. And if Bryan is to attend the event, he’d be away from the mother-to-be for eight days, in which the flight is four hours away. Should he still go forward with the plan? Well, as much as Cena is happy to see Bryan at ‘Mania, the birth of his first child just doesn’t seem to be something that Bryan should miss, according to the 16 time World champion. So that’s that. But before the two depart, Daniel expresses his dream of being an 80s style YouTube gardener… He’s definitely a unique one.
Brie and Bryan then head to Babies ‘R’ Us to organize a registry for their child. Whilst Brie pretty much chooses almost anything she sees that is “cute” (which she also deems as necessities). Bryan on the other hand, only wants particular things that are necessities to him. So we know where tonight’s antics are heading… Bryan is very serious throughout whilst Brie is attempting to have fun. It’s not going well. The one item that Brie is determined to purchase however, is a $400 baby monitor. Bryan of course, is completely against it. This is gonna be fun!
The next day we see that the couple has received a few items from their registry – as well as Brie buying some stuff on her own. One of the things that Brianna purchases is a diaper bag. And Bryan being Bryan sees it as too much as he “could’ve just used [his] backpack” for that. He isn’t wrong, but the diaper bag is pretty useful with its… compartments… and stuff. Eh.
We then find out that an unknown member of Braniel’s circle has purchased the $400 baby monitor. Bryan is immediately upset with this, although Brie insists that as somebody else has purchased it, so it’s nothing to worry about. On the contrary, Bryan sees it as somebody buying something with their hard-earned money that they don’t really need. He later exemplifies the fact that as he grew up with very little money and was still happy, he doesn’t deem it necessary for his child to be showered in items. And although Brie expresses her worry of her child not breathing – and thus requiring the monitor – she ends up caving in and letting Bryan have his way here. Oh, and Bryan gets uninvited to the shower, so there’s that. The road is already rocky for the parents-to-be, and it could easily get worse…
Anyway, onto the baby shower!
Brie and Nikki sit down and have a quick chat, and then, Bryan decides to show up with Winston and Josie! And despite just recently uninviting him, she doesn’t seem to displeased to see her husband crash the event. Bryan then takes Brie aside to give her a gift that only they can see (as well as us). Daniel gives his wife the baby monitor that she desperately wanted, and admits that although he isn’t a fan of it, his wife’s happiness means too much for him to not give it. Aw, Braniel as we love them!
To end the lovely event, Brie announces that they named their child. And – as you may know – the child is called Birdie! Hooray for happy endings!
JJ & Lauren Garcia
The pair decide to visit Brie at Birdie Bee HQ, alongside Kathy. Although this scene isn’t very poignant for the couple, we do see JJ tell Kathy to sit away from him. So things are somewhat awkward here.
Our main point of interest with these two is when Brie shows up at the couple’s house. For the past few weeks it’s just been Lauren and her baby Vivian, and the mother is not aware that the rest of the family knows about the separation. So, things are pretty awkward for Brie right now. Lauren says that she feels “pretty stupid” that she has to “act like everything’s okay” around the family, which makes it even more awkward. Poor girl. Fortunately Brie is taking her side, though!
The pair discuss the idea of therapy, but Lola admits that despite her being okay with it, JJ isn’t a fan. Brie then asks about whether she’d want to take a divorce, Lauren makes it very clear that that isn’t the option for her. However, if he isn’t there to make an effort, then she will have to go forward with it. At this point she’s in tears, and Brie encourages her to force him to go therapy as it’s the best thing for them.
Later on, Lauren confronts JJ about whether or not the family knows about their issues. JJ admits that Nikki is the one that told everybody, and an argument ensues. The two then discuss therapy and JJ is still not okay with it. He says that when he went as a child to overcome his parents’ divorce, it didn’t work, so he doubts it will now. And despite not needing it then, Lauren insists he needs it for their current issue. However, as the break isn’t working for them, JJ considers “other options” – so therapy is definitely on the table.
When the two arrive at the therapists’ building, they use the “talking stick” method to give their views about the relationship. Either of them say a sentence at a time, revealing how JJ feels like she wants to be “friends [over] lovers” and how Lauren feels “ignored” on the couch. The therapist tells Lauren to climb in his lap when she feels ignored, and JJ is all for it. So, that felt quick. They may not be quite there yet, but they’re headed for the right direction, at least.
Thoughts: An episode dedicated to the whereabouts of a dog and what to buy an unborn child doesn’t exactly sound appealing. But somehow, Total Bellas makes it work.
This season is definitely taking a different turn, and it’s for the better. Something that’s pretty noticeable is the lack of John Cena. As much of a fan I am of his, he never quite suited either of the reality shows. It’s fairly obvious that he hides his true self – which he lets out on some of the dinner dates – and that’s what is holding back the show. Last season was so focused on Cena and his house rules that we didn’t get much of a chance to see a real glimpse into the family’s life. Now that the Cenation leader is taking a backseat, we see a more natural feeling show. The other characters aren’t so afraid to be honest, whacky and dramatic, so all of the right tropes of reality TV are shown here. And that’s why this season definitely feels better than last.
Allowing Kathy and Johnny Ace take a backseat this season also helps. Whilst their relationship is engaging, the show does need to focus more on the youthful audience. Their stories are funny and entertaining, but the audience isn’t going to relate much to them. It’s great that they aren’t being blacklisted completely, as next week’s story seems to focus on them. But for the beginnings of the season, it’s good to see the others be at the forefront.
What is so enticing about this episode in particular is the fact that Nikki and Brie share an intimate bond that we don’t usually see in other episodes. We typically see the twins butting heads or having sisterly banter, but there’s a special moment when they discuss Winston and we see them try to understand each other better. It’s really nice when the moments on the show feel raw, as that tends to be quite a rarity. And when it comes from our main stars, it’s especially adorable because well, we adore them!
Something that the show gets right is Brie’s pregnancy. Last week we got the chance to see Brie understand her husband’s point of view, whereas this week the tables are turned. Pregnancy isn’t just about one parent, it’s about both. And to see Bryan and Brie learn more about one another is a nice thing to witness. The couple are probably the most natural and adorable one the show has offered, so to see them going through normal things that parents-to-be deal with is sweet. Nothing feels manufactured, nothing feels fabricated, and both members are represented as real, and not perfect. Which is exactly why we adore them!
The progression of JJ and Lola’s story is quite intriguing. It’s clearly staged, but it has me wanting to know where they’ll end up next. If you follow Lauren’s YouTube recaps of the show, you’ll know how the story finishes. But regardless of that, it’s great to see the two deal with problems that real couples face, and for them to not handle it immaturely. They deal with it like adults and don’t hate on one another to their friends/family. Instead they acknowledge the issue, have a mini argument, and find the best solution. It’s really refreshing to see on this format.
This episode touches on many things, but its biggest takeaway is the natural feel of it all. Obviously everything is scripted, but the show makes it feel otherwise. Overall, it’s a good episode to sit back and watch, without feeling stressed.
How do you find the episode? Do you think Bryan is overreacting? Is Lola and JJ’s drama entertaining to you? How do you feel about John’s inclusion this season? Let us know your views in the comments below!
