Ready To Love: Season 2, Episode 1 “Ready, Set, Mingle” [Season Premiere] – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

Ready To Love officially returns, and while we got new people searching for love, you may recognize people and problems similar to what we saw in season 1.

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Network
OWN
Air Date	10/12/2019

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Recap

For Some, While Ready To Love, They Aren’t Ready To Compete: Nina, Devyne, John, Chika

As Nina makes clear, it is one thing to have a show like this help you find someone. However, it is a totally different thing to make it so you are forced to take the initiative, even be aggressive. Especially since you are left to your own devices. Nephew Tommy isn’t having it where each person meets each other, and then you can freely roam. You gotta snag who you can, talk them up and make a connection.

Which for some, it is hard for either you are shy like Nina or, if you are like John, you operate under the impression you know you’re going to be disappointed. So while you think you are trying, you’re really setting yourself up. Mostly by saying or doing things that many will say is just you being direct, but even those who like to be upfront and honest know there is a time and place for everything.

Making one of the saving graces, early on, is that Devyne and Chika know each other. Not due to being exes or anything like that, but through mutual friends. Thus creating a bridge between the men and the women, which currently is supportive and hopefully won’t lead to them discussing what the other heard during Nephew Tommy’s private sessions.

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A Man Is Eliminated: John, Jimmy

Two men are up on the chopping block for starkly different reasons. John is because he is kind of weird, he is openly celibate, and says he won’t have sex until marriage. Also, let’s be real, he seems lowkey misogynistic and corny, but not in a good way.

Then, when it comes Jimmy, his problem is he is a little too good at playing the field. For many of the women, this brings on player vibes, and as shown in the casting special, more than one have dealt with cheaters and ass****s. So weeding out someone who floats more than hones in on one, maybe two or three women, that’s a serious red flag.

However, at least Jimmy got game, and the women are buying what he is selling, even if some say he is selling used cars. Hence them eliminating John and having the FAKEST “Oh no!” when he got eliminated. As if one, throughout the whole episode, seemed like they’d give him a chance.

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A Woman Is Eliminated: Nina, Christina, Ashima

To make things more equal this season, there are ten men and ten women, and the eliminations are going to be balanced, rather than women or men getting the power for multiple weeks. So when it is time for the women to be eliminated, the issue is whether to remove Nina, who clearly isn’t for this format, Ashima, who has accidentally put herself in the homie zone, again, or Christina?

Now, with Christina, the main issue here is what we have this season are either alpha men or men who don’t want women who may try to dominate them. This isn’t to say the men don’t like a woman with personality, but they seem to want a woman who can take the initiative but won’t outright try to take over.

As you can imagine, that ideal balance isn’t easy to do, and while you could say Alexis is kind of doing that, Christina isn’t for all that. She is direct, came on the show since she knew what she wanted, and expected the men did, and it didn’t match up. So she got eliminated.

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Review

Highlights

Equal Playing Field

Season 1 was a bit lopsided and more of a competition than a show about people finding love. An issue you can say continued this season, but the competition part seems like it’ll be more so an issue towards the middle or end, than in the beginning. Especially since, with 10 men and women, alongside both sides having a back and forth in eliminating, it seems the ones who really aren’t invested in, they’ll go.

Case in point, none of the men were interested in Christina, but Darrin likes Ashima, so the brothers seemed to agree not to put her on the chopping block. But let’s be real, sooner or later, on this show, you know a man or woman is going to get eliminated and whoever was feeling them will take themselves out since they thought they found the one. I can’t foresee a Pastor Chris and Stormy situation again.

Devyne and Chika’s Friendship

The reason I have to point these two out is because, in the pursuit of relationships, the whole element of friendship seems to be sped right through on dating shows. So to have two people who aren’t interesting in each other, but looking out for one another, it’s cute. Especially since Devyne, while flirty and charming, is kind of awkward. At least she sees herself as awkward, and with Chika, she is honest. There is no front, and it’s nice to see behind the façade, and it not be packaged in an interview segment.

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Plus, with the way men and women are on this show, seeing the two sexes interact, without an agenda, is nice to see. Also, as noted above, it does make you wonder if they may look out for each other and scheme. Maybe plan a double wedding.

Low Point

You Gotta Wonder, While They Look For People Ready To Love, Do They Look For People Made For A Show Like This?

All jokes aside, including the ones on Twitter, when it comes to people like John, and I’ll add Nina and Christina in there too, is it considered this might not be the show for them? John is the type who needs a show filled with conservative women who won’t be shocked or appalled at the idea of celibacy. Never mind don’t mind them a corny guy.

Then with Nina, speed dating is not for everyone, and a lack of structure, like this show has, in terms of meeting the other people, as she notes, is overwhelming. And that’s not to say Nina isn’t ready to love but having to compete with other women to get someone’s attention, dating like that requires breaking the idea that the process to finding the one usually involves focusing on one person. That is hard to break since, playing the field, getting to know multiple people, what does that breed beyond jealous, indecisions, and broken hearts?

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Then with Christina, honestly, while it is nice they got ten men and women, there is a need to question did they choose some men who would mesh with her? That would like this woman who knows what she wants, isn’t shy about it, and would be direct with these men? I get the show doesn’t necessarily have a matchmaker, therapist, or some of the people Nephew Tommy could use to help him on these people’s journeys, but they could at least make it where people don’t feel like they wasted their time.

On The Fence

You Can See Women Being Triggered Already By The Men Knowing How To Play The Field

That casting special made it clear that a lot of these women have been cheated on, and you can already see signs that some are not going to like the way this game is played. Between seeing the guy they like, in the open, seeing another woman, to them talking, maybe doing more, behind their back, it is going to be drama. The kind that makes for good TV but in a way that makes you feel guilty since here you are laughing, shaking your head, yet still attentive, while this woman is really in her feelings over this man. Someone who may like her, but is having way too good of a time with all the attention he is getting.

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