Ready To Love: Season 9/ Episode 4 “Black and Beautiful Hoedown” – Recap and Review

General Information

This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.

Release Date (OWN)	July 28, 2023
Previously Noted Characters and Cast
Himself	Red
Herself	Lee
Herself	Eunik
Herself	Janelle
Himself	Quinton
Himself	Chris
Herself	Jessica
Himself	Herbert
Herself	Sierra
Herself	Aries
Himself	Phil
Herself	Kat
Himself	Maurier
Himself	Marvin

Plot Recap

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Doing This Old Dance – Red, Lee, Eunik

Red doesn’t appear to learn from his mistakes or past criticisms. Lee invites him on a date, and rather than show his fun or comedic side, he is dry and runs down his resume of past job positions. He doesn’t even tell funny stories, just talks about where he worked and what he did, with his point of view being that he wants to be around someone who doesn’t need for him to be on. This is understandable, but he isn’t past the point where people know both his fun and chill side, making it seem like he didn’t learn from the last elimination.

Case in point, he tries to engage with Eunik again, as if he doesn’t understand she isn’t into him, and nothing good can come from them engaging in conversation. But, once again, he talks with her, tempers flare up, and this time they have an audience which makes it seem Red is at the point of willingly committing self-sabotage.

Attraction vs. Connection – Janelle, Quinton, Chris, Jessica, Herbert, Sierra, Aries, Phil, Kat, Maurier

For Janelle, the question is, with all the matches going on, though specifically hers, is there just attraction or connection? For example, she likes Quinton and Herbert, and they are neck and neck in her mind, but what’s the long-term potential here? Yes, Quinton puts on that pressure, but Janelle seems to recognize that for many contestants on “Ready To Love,” that pressure gets light once the cameras go away and the season is over.

Yet, even with that in mind, that doesn’t mean people aren’t enjoying the attention. Jessica escorts Chris around to make sure he does some minor flirting and seems available, despite her wanting him for her end game. And honestly, considering he had to leave early, as much as it lowkey looked like she was kind of pimping him, this might be the first time that a woman didn’t wait until the lounge to advocate for her man.

Beyond her? Kat and Sierra are loving the grown-man energy of Phil and Maurier, as is Aries.

But What About The Real You? – Marvin, Red

When it comes to the bottom two, it’s Red still being boring vs. Marvin’s interest and how passionate he is about it, but it still being weird. Never mind, some, meaning Keyra, feel like he is saying what some want to hear than his total truth. Unfortunately, as before, things end for the male elimination on a cliff hanger but between Red being boring, public spats with Eunik, and not taking any of the feedback he was given vs. Lee not into Marvin’s sexual fantasies and Keyra not feeling his desire to live in the Caribbean? I’d say Marvin is safe, for now.

Predictions

Next Eliminated (Men)

I firmly believe Red will be eliminated thanks to his outburst combined with being boring. However, I think Marvin is still next to go, and the one who may join him at the bottom is Christopher. Originally I was thinking Maurier or Phillip, but with the note that Janelle dropped interest and he, similar to others, relies more on his resume to impress than just being confident, social, and knowing how to communicate? That is going to make things a challenge for him going forward. Not enough to keep Marvin from going, but put him next in the line-up.

Next Eliminated (Women)

The next episode’s preview has Keyra up, and honestly, I think it would be right for her to go. Compared to the other women, something about her maturity level feels very high school or college freshman while everyone else comes off grown. As for who could join her? I think Eunik hasn’t adjusted much since her last time in the bottom 2, but with Red gone, she won’t have someone to bad mouth her, which could keep her safe.

Final Couples

Let’s be ambitious and optimistic, and give more than three for our prediction: I believe we may end up with Janelle and Herbert, Lee and Quinton, Jessica and Chris, and Aries and Phil. I’m still not 100% sure about the final matches since I feel like only Janelle gets any notable screen time to learn about who she is and who she is compatible with, but Jessica and Aries are growing on me, and I think they could have found a good match. Maybe not someone they marry, but they can date for a while and say it was an enjoyable experience.

Generally speaking, I think this season more so has couples who can last a few months, maybe a year or two, but as for their forever person? I remain highly skeptical and don’t think my feelings may change.

Review

Notable Performances or Moments

Lee Giving Red Real-Time Feedback

While Lee’s feedback during her date with Red was in vain, I appreciate it wasn’t just awkwardness, her confession commentary, and Red just looking like a fool as the editors show him going on and on. We see her try to hint, sometimes without being subtle, that he isn’t doing well on this date at all. To me, that is what a lot of the people, men, and women, need. To be given, before in the bottom two, or surviving elimination, feedback and an idea of their blind spots that are keeping them single – Because it isn’t just Red who seems oblivious to what’s not clicking with other cast members.

Highlights

A Group Date = Transparency

I always appreciate when the show has group dates, for it keeps everyone honest and helps them know where they stand. Often, in past seasons, who was in each other’s top was a mystery, a question that would often be dodged, but in recent seasons, that is much harder to do. It seems everyone gets together every three or four episodes, and makes it clear where they stand. The only question usually is, now, is someone wasting their time considering the effort being made for someone else, and I appreciate it.

Does this cut down people like Quinton seeming jealous when they can’t make a move? No. But, as shown by Janelle, it is something to keep in mind when you’re attracted to multiple people but don’t know who is in it to win the game because there is a connection or, based on the way some flirt, if they just want to hit and move on.

Jessica Keeping Chris Around

There was something about Jessica parading Chris around, because he had to leave early to ensure he didn’t get eliminated. I can’t recall any other woman doing that, and I genuinely appreciate her effort. For, as noted above, in previous seasons, there wasn’t much of an effort to keep your top person in the game until it was time for elimination or even help someone out who maybe wasn’t playing the game as it needed to. So between Lee trying to help Red and Jessica making sure Chris talked and flirted so that he wouldn’t end up in the bottom, it’s nice to see people show they care, whether there are romantic feelings or not.

On The Fence

Red Even Bothering Talking To Eunik

I’m getting flashbacks of last season when Jeffri and Blake had a beef, and it seemed the producers kept trying to egg it on, but Jeffri wasn’t taking the bait. However, in this case, both Eunik and Red are allowing themselves to be played for entertainment, and like Blake, Red doesn’t realize he isn’t making himself look good by keep going back for some type of resolution that is not being offered.

Now, let me be clear, Eunik doesn’t have the comebacks and nicknames Jeffri had to make this fun. However, Red is making it real easy for her to embarrass him in front of everyone.

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