Welcome to Season 7 of Summer House, Good Vibe Tribe, where the vibe is off and summer is not exactly off to a fun start. Which is a bummer because summer — as we all know by now — should be fun.
The dynamics within the house have certainly changed. Not least of all because there are now eight girls and only three guys on the show. (We miss you already, Luke Gulbranson. Though I take solace knowing that sweet, sweet Andrea Denver will show up as a guest sometime this season. Less enthused about Winter House newbie Kory Keefer.)
Even the house itself has changed, as well. It’s now filled with locked rooms. Bizarre bed arrangements. And antiquated zoning requirements. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though.
Summer House Rules
Like I said, the trusty Hamptons house is the same…but different. Apparently the owners, whom we’ve never actually met or seen, got in trouble after last season because of the Long Island enclave’s strict zoning laws. Turns out it’s harder to get away with having nine bedrooms in a house when it’s being broadcast on national TV. So the roommates arrive to a completely new set-up. Some bedrooms have been transformed into pointless sitting rooms that will probably never be used. Others are completely locked. And walls have been knocked down to create one massively gigantic bedroom. With two king beds facing one another from across the room. So…that will be fun.
Meet the Newbies
Luke, Andrea and Alex Wach may be out, but they’ve been replaced by a trio of new faces we’ll be getting to know this season. Paige DeSorbo has invited her friend Gabby Prescod to join the share house. The girl loves astrology. Samantha Feher is an…influencer? Used to work in fashion media but is now taking the Instagram route. And Chris Leoni is a veteran of the Marines who’s already giving two-pounds-of-ground-turkey-every-morning energy. If you know, you know. Immediately, Chris and Samantha take a liking to each other. But it’s hard to get invested when they’re both newcomers. And when the likes of Danielle Olivera and Ciara Miller pull a classic “Luke” and don’t even show up for the first weekend of filming.
Carl + Lindsay 4Ever??
Oh, have I mentioned that Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard are in love? Like, moved in together in the city. Call each other “babe” every 15 seconds. That kind of love. Maybe I buried the lede. But trust me, you’ll be hearing all about it this season. Personally, it’s only been one episode and I almost can’t stomach it. And I say that as someone who deeply loves and respects the person Carl has grown to become over the last seven years. Endlessly proud of him. Endlessly supportive of him.
But the pair can’t wait to prove their love for Bravo’s cameras. It’s real, even if Lindsay was maybe possibly making moves on other Bravolebrities last fall after declaring her love for Carlito at Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula’s wedding. That doesn’t matter now! They’re in love, OK? And nothing is going to stop them from being the stars of the show this year.
A Family Feud
While the newbies are getting settled in, some of the vets arrive with scores to settle. Because drama doesn’t just happen during the summer, remember. The longer the show goes on, the more famous these New Yorkers get. And between seasons, a few of them got to film a celebrity episode of Family Feud. Which is where Lindsay decided to let the possessive, territorial demon that inhabits her body out and inform Mya Allen she could no longer speak to Carl. Basically.
Considering Carl and Mya developed quite a special bond last summer, the latter is heartbroken. But is it a surprise that Lindsay wants Carl all to herself and will stop at nothing to control who he can and can’t be friends with? Mya tries to pull Carl aside to talk out the issue. But turns out, he’s not even aware it happened. And he recites the party line that Lindsay is all that matters to him now. So sorry, Mya. It’s no use.
Bros Before Loverboys?
Mya‘s not the only one who needs to confront Carl, either. Apparently, his new relationship with Lindsay has put strain on his working relationship with Kyle. A.k.a. his best friend. Who just so happens to be his boss. It’s become a tricky situation, but from Kyle’s perspective, Carl’s not really pulling his weight over in Lindsayland.
And Carl senses the tension. Both of the OG guys vent to their respective partners about the growing rift. But as they finally break the ice for a sit-down, the episode ends with the season’s first cliffhanger! We’ll have to wait until next week to see how the drama between the boys shakes out.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE PREMIERE? WHAT’S YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE NEWBIES? DO YOU LIKE CARL AND LINDSAY TOGETHER? DO YOU FEEL BAD FOR MYA? ARE YOU TEAM CARL OR TEAM KYLE?
[Photo Credit: Sasha IsraelBravo]