This week’s episode was full of surprises. For a season finale, it was really surprising that none of the problems that have arisen in the past couple of weeks were resolved. On the contrary. In fact, all they did is bring in new surprising plot twists, and left them all hanging, presumably to be resolved next season. And the fact that enough people watch this horrible show to warrant it going on for another season? Well, that’s the biggest surprise of all. Check out the full recap for all the details.
The episode starts off where last week’s ended, with Paige telling Alicia that she lied about wanting to marry her loser boyfriend Kevin. Paige confesses that she doesn’t want to get married or commit to anyone just quite yet. She struggles with how she is going to be able to tell him.
The girls are still on their Mexican vacation, and back in the kitchen, Nattie licks Paige, which on paper sounds like the greatest thing that’s ever happened in any season of this show, but is actually quite lame. Paige then tells all the girls what she told Alicia. They all tell Paige that she needs to be honest with him, and she agrees to do so when she gets home from vacation and he gets back from his tour with his lame band.
Back home, Nattie goes to the eye doctor to get checked up, because one of her eyes is wonky. After she fails her eye test miserably, the eye doctor suggests she see a specialist because she’s at risk of a retinal tear and may need surgery. Getting surgery, however, means that wrestling again would be too risky. After her appointment, she calls TJ to get some advice, and he tells her not to worry about it unless and until she gets the specialist’s advice.
The Bellas and Daniel Bryan are out for dinner with the Bella Family (which can’t be nearly as fun as going out to dinner with the Wyatt Family, one would think), when who should appear at the restaurant by sheer coincidence and scripted plot contrivance but Nikki’s former beau, Dolph Ziggler and his girlfriend. The two of them reminisce about their dating days, boring everyone with Del-Griffith-like pointless anecdotes. In the bathroom, Nikki and Brie talk about how weird is this whole situation, and will Bryan stooge Nikki off to John Cena, that she’s having dinner with her ex. After dinner, Bryan does indeed stir the pot, suggesting that Nikki’s actions bordered on flirting with Dolph.
Before a show, Rosa asks Paige about her engagement, so Paige explains the whole situation. Paige worries that if she tells Kevin the truth, he may leave her.
At the show, TJ is in a match, but takes a bad bump. After being informed of the situation (Johnny Ace sighting!), Nattie breaks down in tears, worried, because TJ needs to go to the hospital. They take him to emergency where he’s put into a neck brace while he awaits the diagnosis.
Eva Marie makes her return to the company after her private training sessions with The Brian Kendrick. She checks in with the NXT writers, and they tell her they’ve got a storyline in place to get her back in the mix. She’s grateful and says as long as the crowd reacts to her, she’s going to love it.
Backstage, Paige – who’s carrying a kid that she grabbed from the parking lot – runs into the Big Show who asks her about her engagement, and she tells him about the whole situation. Show jokes around with her about it, and how great would a reality show be if it was just Paige and Show running a daycare.
Elsewhere, Ziggler meets up with the Bellas, and flirts with Nikki again, inviting her to drinks when they’re back in Phoenix for the weekend. It’s life imitating art, as this is exactly like his T-shirt catchphrase about stealing girlfriends, in this case, John Cena’s. The next weekend, Dolph meets up with the Bella Family poolside at some resort. They start talking relationships, and Dolph keeps needling Nikki about being in a relationship with a guy who doesn’t want to get married or have kids, things that Dolph knows are important to Nikki. She’s clearly bothered by the conversation, but stands by her man.
Nattie takes TJ home from the hospital, but he’s still in the neck brace. They say they’ll wait to see what the doctors say before they worry too much about when – or even if – he’ll be able to get back in the ring.
Backstage, Dolph throws some more compliments Nikki’s way, prompting Brie to call him out for his flirtatious ways. She puts the question to him of whether he’s trying to weasel his way back in, and he doesn’t really deny it, but says that his overtures are innocent and only in fun. Sha-right.
Eva has her first match back, and the crowd is split on her – some love her, others hate her.
At dinner, Nikki brings up to John Cena the fact that all her friends are getting pregnant. Cena tries to divert the conversation to other topics, because he knows if they start talking about that kind of stuff, Nikki’s just going to get upset.
The next night, Kevin shows up backstage to surprise Paige, who’s now scared because she’s going to have to tell him the truth. Before she can, Big Show makes her feel even more awkward by congratulating Kevin on the engagement. She uses the distraction to defer the talk.
Nattie is out driving around with her mom, and she gets the call about her eye. The doctor says that she has to get the surgery or else she could have complications in the future. Nattie’s torn, because with TJ on the shelf as well, this is a major setback for the couple.
At catering, Alicia and Rosa ask Paige when she’s going to tell Kevin the truth, but she says she doesn’t want to do it at work. They offer to help her practice her telling him through some role-playing, but that only makes her more scared of losing him.
At home, Nattie lies to TJ about her eyes, telling him that the doctor told her that both eyes are 100% perfect. Out of his earshot, Nattie’s mom calls her out on the lie, and Nattie explains that she’ll consider getting the surgery later, but right now she wants to focus her energies on TJ’s health issues. Nattie’s mom is upset, but Nattie tells her to drop it.
Driving around, Kevin notices that something’s up with Paige, but she keeps mum. She figures the truth can wait until she returns from her next tour.
Backstage, Dolph approaches the Bellas again, and continues the flirting with Nikki. Brie calls him out on it, and he admits that he still has feelings for Nikki, which freaks her out. Sick of Brie c-blocking him, Dolph asks Nikki to speak with him privately. They go out to the parking lot and he repeats what he said. Nikki says that his words are disrespectful to Cena, and that she doesn’t want to hear it again. He pleads his case, saying that he is willing to give her the married with children life that she wants, so she should consider that, over the childless spinster life she’s doomed to have with John. He leans in for the kiss, and cue the Journey, because the screen goes black, brining the season to a close.
Bob Kapur appreciates all the messages he’s received from the readers of this season’s recaps. E-mail him your thoughts at bobkapur@hotmail.com.
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