the mother/daughter experiment

The Mother/Daughter Experiment Recap: Faux Death Becomes Her

On last night’s the Mother/Daughter Experiment, Dr. Debbie challenged the moms and daughters to participate in mock-funerals for each other. Oh goody! Most of the moms and daughters were deeply and profoundly moved by the experience – not Kim Richards

Courtney Stodden is back from the hospital, and she recognizes that she had a physical reaction to dealing with Krista Keller‘s chronically spewing BS

Heidi Montag and Natalie Nunn are treating therapy like a non-stop party and open the session with morning mimosas. 

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The ladies are forced to address times they’ve felt unappreciated or taken advantage of. Dr. Debbie calls on Shar Jackson to go first. She complains that she took Cassie Jackson to a Britney Spears concert, knowing Cassie loved Brit-Brit, even though Britney’s affair with Kevin Federline destroyed their family. Cassie was unappreciative. Cassie rolls her eyes because she was 14 and too young to understand the implications. Dr. Debbie points in the direction of Shar playing martyr. Ding! Ding! 

Over to Courtney and Krista, Courtney discusses emotionally supporting Krista since childhood, even while Krista was divorcing her father. Courtney even got into the entertainment industry to help fulfill Krista’s desires. Hmmmm… Courtney never felt Krista understood how hard this was.

Cue Krista rambling on and on and on about how she gets no credit for starting Courtney’s career as a child bride pedaled off into a modern-day rendition of a lurid medieval tale of being married off to a grotesque king to save a country. Krista goes on for ages about trying to get a teenage Courtney a local talk show, which Courtney did not appreciate. The rest of the mothers and daughters are exhausted listening to her delusion. “Again, it’s about business,” sighs Courtney, “not our relationship.”

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Jessica Canseco can take no more, her ass implants has fallen asleep and she’s sick of Krista’s voice, so she asks her to stop being so self-absorbed and “get to the point.” Interesting projection about being self-absorbed. Krista whines that she feels disrespected and invalidated. “This is what’s important to me,” she snaps. We’ve noticed! The equation of Krista’s life business < Courtney. An exasperated Dr. Debbie cuts in to instruct her to focus on feelings. Krista sulks while everyone else laughs. Whenever she’s upset Courtney’s boobs quiver like Jell-O – it’s disturbing. 

Kim and Kimberly Jackson are next. Surprise! They have absolute NO issues with each other – Kim is so loving and perfect; Kimberly cannot imagine being unsupported by Idol Mother Of The Year, the living incarnation of the selfless virgin.  Dr. Debbie cuts through their BS and suggests they stop being fake. She points out examples they themselves have given; like Kimberly feeling constantly responsible for Kim and Kim feeling slighted when Kimberly avoids her. Kimberly admits that sometimes dealing with Kim is so demanding that when Kim seems “good,” she celebrates her freedom by keeping her distance. Is anyone in Kimberly’s family gonna step up and save her!? She seems to have become The New Kyle

Dr. Debbie splits the ladies into two groups to announce they’ll be participating in a mock-funeral because life is too short to let things go unsaid. Shar freaks out because losing her children are her worst nightmare, which is why she’s so clingy and oppressive with Cassie

This is corny as hell. And COMPLETELY insensitive given that Karen Nunn‘s own mother passed away like 3 weeks earlier! C’mon Lifetime and Dr. Debbie!

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However, Karen handles the situation much more maturely than Kim – who has full-fledged meltdown in her room because she’s “superstitious” and cemeteries scare her. “I will not put Kimberly through this!” she whines, threatening to leave, requiring Dr. Debbie and Kimberly to emotionally coddle her and wipe her metaphorical butt until she accepts that Kimberly can handle it. Good grief!

Up first is Natalie who sobs about how mean she is to Karen. Listening in a van, Karen is really moved. They embrace and cry both for Natalie’s grandmother, and each other. Success!

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Up next are Kim and Kimberly. Non-success! First of all, Kimberly is taking this seriously. Kim listens from the van as Kimberly admits that since childhood she’s always worried about Kim, who is the most important person in her life, and she just wants Kim to be OK. When Kim joins them, Kimberly admits she just wants Kim to be healthy. Kim pretends to be moved. 

All seems well, until Kim believes the cameras aren’t rolling, then she rails at Kimberly for making it appear like Kim has had issues Kimberly’s entire life. Kim’s concern is not for Kimberly’s feelings, but because Kimberly is making Kim look bad by telling the truth about her addiction and selfish behavior. “Your childhood was not like that,” hisses Kim, thinking no one can hear. Kim continues railing into Kimberly because she wants to hold her head up high while she walks down the street but Kimberly is ruining that. Kimberly cries that it doesn’t matter, but to Kim it does – because Her image! Her career! Her friends! WHOA boy! Poor Kimberly is haunted by the living nightmares out of Kim. No wonder Kim avoids cemeteries, she turns into Satan mingling ’round the dead. 

Unfortunately this was especially poignant given Kim’s battle with addiction. Instead of supporting Kimberly though these very real fears and emotions, Kim shamed her for expressing emotions and turned it all around, even blaming Kimberly for making it so she can’t hold her head up high. No accountability Richards strikes again! 

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Kim’s rampage continues at the house where she threatens to leave, ranting at Kimberly for embarrassing her and lying about her. Kim storms around, packing her things. Kimberly refuses to go. She points out that she’s an adult and reveals that she rearranged her entire life to be there – to appease Kim – who wants to “look good” on reality TV! Kim continues berating Kimberly for dragging up reality from the grave they’ve buried it under (right next to Kim’s vodka bottles) which made her look like an irresponsible mother. Poor Kim. #Sarcasm “All you care about is yourself! yourself! yourself!” wails a frustrated Kimberly. 

A sobbing Kimberly eventually flees the room, but pulls herself together and puts on her ‘Everything’s fine!’ face to the world – just as she was trained to do. I hate to say it, but I wish Kimberly could go call Kyle. Later Kim admits to calling Enabler No. 1 Kathy Hilton – of course she did. 

Back at the cemetery, Josie arrives to mourn Jessica, looking like revenge from the great beyond! Jessica is ecstatic that Josie wore a cut to the crotch skirt at her funeral. Priorities! Upon seeing Jessica’s fake headstone, Josie breaks down and promises to let Jessica in a little more. “She’s all I have,” she bawls. Jessica runs from the van to embrace Josie and begs her, “Let me be a mother to you.” Josie agrees. Breakthrough!! 

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Next up are Shar and Cassie. Shar completely falls apart while Cassie hides her eyes and ears inside the van. Shar presents herself as really chill, but at home I imagine she uses histrionics and guilt trips to control Cassie. She can’t even look at the tombstone and Dr. Debbie has to escort her. Shar beseeches Cassie’s pseudo headstone to forgive her for being so clingy. When Cassie arrives, Shar promises to give Cassie more space. Shar needs to realize that she’s sucked Cassie into a twisted pathology, Cassie is both Shar’s ‘spouse’ and her best friend. Shar thinks she’s merely being overly motherly to Cassie, but she’s not actually mothering Cassie at all! Shar realizes she’s been pushing Cassie away with her needy behavior. 

At Courtney’s gravesite Krista campaigns for an Emmy, sobbing that she realizes she hasn’t been a mother there for Courtney. She wants to take back the last six months of not speaking. Dr. Debbie is shocked Krista didn’t list out all the things she’s done for Courtney’s career and have paparazzi invited to the mock funeral. TMZ probably blocked Krista’s number! When Courtney emerges, she is relieved her mom let down some walls. “This is about being vulnerable,” she explains. “I think this is the start of a breakthrough with my mom.”

How did Courtney end up so insightful? By spending her entire life being the adult to the adults in her life – including Doug and Krista. Kimberly and Courtney need to escape together, like Rainbow Bright flying over the rainbow on her magical house – they should escape to a faraway land to be 21-year-old girls in peace. The pot of gold at the end of their rainbow is probably freedom and happiness. 

Finally, Heidi and Darlene take their turn. Heidi loses it, recognizing that through chasing fame and shallowness she was selfish, hurting her mom the most. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so loved,” sobs an overjoyed Darlene. They embrace sincerely and it was so sweet. In confessional, Heidi is remorseful about how stupid it was to go so long without talking over a TV show and plastic surgery. You can’t make your heart plastic and full of silicone, Heidi! You may wanna look like human blow-up doll, but you’re not one!

At the house, all the mothers and daughters are more connected than ever, except for Kim and Kimberly. Kim is still thrashing around her room cursing Kimberly for being honest. Well, Kim accuses Kimberly of lying to make her look bad, just like everyone else in Kim’s life. It’s all a conspiracy! Call YouTube! 

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Dr. Debbie joins the ladies for dinner, but Kim refuses to come to the table. Kimberly has to go ferret her out, begging her to come to the table so Kimberly doesn’t have to endure a big scene. Kim only relents because – and she admits this – she doesn’t want Dr. Debbie to think badly of her. At the table, Kim pretends everything is fine as she passes the lasagna. Kimberly asks if she can sit next to her mom, and Kim stonily allows it, holding Kimberly’s hand while her eyes glower cold and dead as stones. 

That night everyone is emotionally exhausted and wants to go to bed, but not Natatlie. She pours herself some drinks and starts yelling and screaming in the hallway with Courtney. Most of the women are in Jessica and Josie’s room talking. Kim joins them explaining she can’t sleep with Natalie yelling and Courtney giggling. Karen, trying to monitor, tells Natalie to keep her voice down. 

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Except Natalie thinks she hears the other women talking about her in Jessica’s room and storms in to confront them. To be continued… 

TELL US – WAS KIM’S TREATMENT OF KIMBERLY COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE? WILL SHE LEARN ANYTHING FROM THIS SHOW?

Photo Credit: Lifetime

 

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