The Real World: Philadelphia - Episode 5 Summary

'Men Behaving Sensitively' By Skiver

The episode starts with a recap of Karama's brush with the cops and then his hissy fact directed at MJ over the fact that MJ didn't do enough to 'get his back' and wasn't 'his boy' enough. There is a shot of MJ saying to Karamo that he can't say anything to him because all Karamo can do is run his mouth 'and now you've pissed me off'. He stalks off, leaving Karamo looking frustratedly after him, experiencing painful drama-interruptness. MJ shows more dignity in this small action than he shows in the entire rest of the episode, during which he will be reduced to mooning over Karamo like a lovesick puppy who wants to be fed.

It is either early morning or twilight, and MJ and Sarah are returning from the gym. Apparently there was a little drama on the boys return to the house the previous night, and MJ feels bad about it. Sarah is reasonable about the whole deal, saying that Karamo 'needed to put it in perspective'. MJ opens a little window into his traumatic childhood, when he says that Karamo was acting like a kid who says 'Hey mom, fvck you' when she tries to help the kid. For once, there is no confessional from Sarah saying that she feels 'chemistry' with MJ, and he should just give up and give it up right there in public. MJ is carrying an immense jug of dark liquid which he is probably planning to throw over someone. He certainly isn't drinking from it. Perhaps he's planning to stockpile his urine for any drug tests he might later be faced with.

Karamo is on the phone to someone who yells 'what!' in response to everything Karamo tells him about the events of the previous night. This person is outraged by Karamo telling him that the rest of the housemates think that he, Karamo, should 'get over it'. The phone person then tells Karamo that 'Karma, man' is going to come "right back around, and they're gomma feel exactly what you're feelin'."

MJ and Landon are out walking somewhere in Philadelphia. Someone in a passing car throws something that looks like a CD at them and yells 'you suck'.
"Thank you!" calls back Landon. "Nice meeting you!"
"Some of the people in this city are not showing a lot of brotherly love," confessionals MJ. "It's a very uncomfortable situation." Someone else yells an obscenity at them before they reach a bar. "It's obvious that a lot of the people in Philadelphia don't want us here, or they're envious or something," says MJ. While Landon is at the bar, one of the patrons decides to see if MJ has superpowers by throwing a chair at him. MJ manages to use his super speed to deflect the chair harmlessly into a crowd of women. MJ confessionals that security apprehended the assailant, and there is a blurry shot of said rent-a-cops dealing with someone or something.

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MJ and Landon leave the bar. It is not shown whether they stayed and drank their beer beforehand. (After all, what are the odds of there being two people in the same bar who dislike the Real Worlders enough to throw furniture at them, at the same time?)
Okay, wise move. On the way back to their digs they are yelled at agan. It seems that word has got around about the decadent, do-nothing layabouts who are enjoying several months of luxury on MTV's dollar. Or perhaps all this hatred is a result of the alleged rape of a (possibly drugged) woman that took place in the Real World house during the shooting of the series. If that is still to happen in the Real World chronology, the housemates ain't gonna be getting more popular. They could find themselves in the situation where they could lose a popularity contest in Philly pitted against Muhamed Al Zaquari.

We see Sarah (aka 'Puppies' - thanks, Vols) lying full length on Landon. How she got there and why she is doing that, we are not told. Perhaps she fell off the balcony above, and taking the brunt of her fall caused Landon to be temporarily paralyzed and unable to throw her off. But it seems more likely that she is just looking for a bit of attention from the only straight man in the house who is willing to engage in frottage with her, now that MJ has apparently convinced her he is only interested in women who have no idea where he lives. Landon is telling the girl about the evening's escapades. "We got four CDs thrown at us tonight," he says. "Oh, really?" says Puppies. "Which ones?"  no, not really. It would have been good if she had, though.

Landon tells Karamo aout the chair incident. The not very 'empathetic' black man can only laugh. "Really?" he drawls, delightedly. In confessional, Karamo says that "right now I'm finding it hard to be empathetic or sympathetic". When soon after MJ tries to get some sympathy from him, he smirks "Karma's a b!tch, man."

MJ asks a couple of times what he said, so Karamo is forced to pretend he said something about strawberry jelly. Plausible as that is, MJ doesn't seem convinced by this subtle verbal trickery. But being already in the doghouse with Karamo, can't call him on it.

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