Flipping Out Finale Reunion with Interior Therapy & Jeff Yelling at Trace

It seems like the latest season of Flipping Out just started flipping and yet it is already over, including the Reunion Show.

Flipping Out seemed strange and truncated this time around. Was it the addition of Jeff's boyfriend, Gage that made it strange? I don't know.

At the reunion Andy Cohen asked Gage if he was a Lady Macbeth. I'm not all that well versed on Shakespeare. I assume Lady Macbeth got rid of people she considered a threat.

Gage denied being a Lady Macbeth. Yet he sort of was the lady behind the sacking of Sarah and Trace.

Getting rid of Sarah made sense. She should have been long gone.

The Trace firing seemed wrong. But, I think the Trace kid will be much better off being out of the Jeff Lewis orbit.

The idea that Jeff Lewis fires someone over some minor thing like Auto-cadding a personal closet, as being some violation of work ethics, while Jeff crosses the line over and over again in terms of proper work environment rules, including sitting silent when a client smacked Trace.

Or when that creepy woman, who's name I've already forgotten, repeatedly verbally abused Jenni, with Jeff, finally, putting an end to the abuse, after way too long.

At the reunion Jeff seemed to totally flip out during the confrontation with Trace, while Trace acted like the mature, calm one.

Previously it had been said that Cage was 26. I think at the reunion Jeff said something like Cage would soon be 26. How can that boy be only 25 years old?

Jeff seems to get on Andy's nerves at times, prompting a glare from Andy and an Andy admonishment that Jeff had gone to far, yet again, with his rude remarking.

At one point, in response to Andy's questioning, Jeff did quite poignantly admit how important Zoila, Jenni and some of the others were to him.

During the entire run of this latest season of Flipping Out we heard no mention of Casa Vega. Casa Vega was a prominent part of the previous season, which ended with the Casa Vega remodeling project unfinished.

I thought for sure Andy would ask Jeff about Casa Vega at the reunion. But, he did not.

I was thinking maybe Flipping Out may have come to its cancellation point, but after the reunion and future based questions from Andy Cohen, I think we will be seeing a season 5 of Flipping Out.

Andy also dropped the surprising news that there is going to be a Flipping Out spin-off called Interior Therapy, where, apparently, Jeff and Jenni spend a week in someone's home re-doing their interior, with appearances by Zoila.

On Flipping Out Jeff Finally Fired Sarah

I got around to watching last week's Flipping Out episode, last night, followed by last night's new episode.

The new episode ended with Jeff Lewis finally getting around to firing Sarah Berkman. Sarah took it well.

It the previews it appears that Trace is the next person on the staff to feel the heat from Jeff Lewis.

Trace did not endear himself to Jeff during the Las Vegas combo Bachelorette Party for Sarah/Speech Event for Jeff, when Trace, along with Sarah and Jett, did not manage to make it to Jeff's speech.

I don't know why Jeff would expect otherwise, what with leaving the trio drinking in Vegas, after taking them to a strip joint, much to the shocked horror of the increasingly amusing Gage.

Every season of Flipping Out Jeff seems to have at least one whacked out client. This season, so far, it seems to be this lady named Stacey. Stacey thinks Sarah is a ravishing beauty of great charm. While she thinks Jenni was not struck with the pretty stick. Among other things.

I found Stacey quite bizarre. She definitely was not struck with either the pretty or tactful stick.

For me the most amusing moments of the night came when Jeff went to do a consult in Venice in a house with a little girl. This was a cute, fun-loving little girl. The Sarah replacement intern was tasked with looking after the little girl while Jeff consulted. That went well.

Then when Jeff and the mother returned to the little girl, while the mother went to get the little girl milk, Jeff told her to quit talking, because she was having trouble swallowing her cereal. The little girl then started crying. When the sobbing stopped she told her mom she wanted Jeff to leave.

That was funny.

I must say, while I fast forwarded through most of anything to do with the massive rebuild job on Zoila, the results were quite amazing.

I am guessing next week Trace does not get fired.

Flipping Out in San Francisco With Jeff's New Boyfriend Gage

I did not realize Season 5 of Flipping Out was starting up Wednesday night, til my DVR remembered I record that series and thus recorded it for me.

I was curious to see the current state of the Casa Vega Mexican Restaurant that we saw so much of in Season 4. But there was no mention made of Casa Vega. Did Jeff get fired from that project?

Jeff sold the house we've seen him living in for a couple seasons, I think the name was Valley Oaks. The new house is smaller, which Zoila is unhappy about because it gives her fewer places to hide from Jeffrey.

Jeff has added a business manager, I think that was the title, named Gage Edward. Gage is also Jeff's new boyfriend. Gage is 26 years old. Jeff was born in 1970.

Design Assistant, Sarah Berkman, appeared to have had some help in the makeover department. But her derriere is still way too big. And while the episode started off with Jeff seeming to be happy with Sarah's job performance, by the end of the episode there was talk between Jeff and Gage about the possible need to let Sarah find employment elsewhere.

Jeff's new boyfriend seems older than his 26 years.

Gage got Jeff a speaking gig in San Francisco. Jeff bristled at the planned meet and greet before the speech, but eventually agreed to it, but totally nixed the luncheon after the speech.

Then at the meet and greet the lady who was paying for Jeff's stay in San Francisco got on his case about nixing the luncheon. Jeff acted like this was all news to him.

This confused me.

In the end the lady called Jeff a "dick."

That is the "dick" confrontation taking place in the picture at the top, with boyfriend Gage trying to apologize.

I'm not sure, but I think "dick" may be a negative type pejorative term.

Jeff's speech went well, with the help of Jenni, who is no longer a full time employee, but apparently shows up because we've come to expect seeing Jenni on Flipping Out.

Trace is now a full time employee, stuck sitting next to Jeff, sharing a big desk. Trace was not happy with this arrangement.

Other than not finding out what happened with Casa Vegas, I enjoyed the first episode of Season 5 of Flipping Out.

Flipping Out: End of Season 4 with House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year, No Slapping & New Job Titles

It seems like Flipping Out just started up. But, apparently it has been on for a couple months, with last night's last episode of Season 4, that being Episode 10: Rock, Paper and the Kitchen Sink, being the final episode of the season.

Apparently there is no Flipping Out Reunion Show this time. I suppose that makes sense. What are they going to re-hash? The Chuck slapping of Trace? Jeff's various Flip Outs? Crazy Barbara and her phone calls to Monkey?

Last week's Trace Slap was heard around the Internet World. By those who watch Flipping Out. Jeff does not fare well out there in TV opinion land. Most seem to think he was a giant wuss for not putting Chuck in his proper place after assaulting Trace. Strangely, no one seems to make a federal case out of the mauling of Jenni, which took place prior to the Trace Slap. Maybe this is because Jenni is seen as a tough gal who can take care of herself, particularly in Deb mode, while Trace is just a delicate, fragile little thing.

Although, surprisingly, Trace really turned into a killing machine when no one else seemed willing to deal with the nasty infestation of white flys invading Jeff's home base. One would have thought this task would have been taken up by Jett, what with him being the Senior Manager of In House Operations.

The wrapping up of the various projects is always interesting. You can say Jeff Lewis is a big wuss, bravely yelling at his underlings, while watching helpless while his employees are assaulted, but no one can say Jeff Lewis does not design cool looking spaces.

Did anyone really think Jenni was not going to New York City for the Rockefeller Center House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year deal? I suspect Jeff had 1st class tickets all along, with Jenni sitting next to him. Jeff and Jenni are masters at producing some manufactured drama. Lost day planner. Bickering in front of Christy at Casa Vega.

Speaking of Casa Vega. That was the least impressive of the projects. Its completion will have to wait for Season 5.

Towards the end of the episode Jeff told us he can't afford to give his help raises, so he's giving them titles. That was sort of amusing. Zoila is Director of In House Operations. Or something like that. Zoila seemed pleased. I already mentioned Jett's title. I forget Jenni's title, but the initials are C.O.O. Sarah's title was something ironic, like Chief Communications Officer. Trace was not in the room when the new job titles were given.

We got a peak at Season 5, sort of, with the final episode of Season 4 having Jenni and Jeff check out a new big project, down in Newport Beach, remarking that the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year success was bringing them a flood of new business.

I hope Jeff rids himself of Sarah by the time Season 5 starts filming. Out there in TV Forum Land there is heavy duty dislike for Sarah. Pretty much all the things I find annoying. The slathering on bad makeup job, with weird eyebrows. The constant gum smacking. The stupid things she says. The stupid things she does. And the worst of it all, adding "sie" to just about any word. "Sweetsie," "Funsie," "Drinksie," "Oopsie." It just ain't cute, charming or remotely clever or amusing.

Whilst watching Flipping Out there was a preview of the soon to start Real Housewives of Beverley Hills. I did not like the look of this one. Not at all. I'll likely watch.

Flipping Out: Zoila Gets a Car

Last week's previews for this week's Flipping Out led me to believe that Jeff's constant criticizing of Zoila had her break down in tears.

We did see Jeff being way too picky about Zoila's housekeeping in Jeff's immaculately kept house.

But, the tears came when Jeff told Zoila that she could now have Sunday's off, that she no longer had to go clean his grandma's house on Sundays.

Near as I could tell Zoila's tears were due to feeling guilty about wanting that day off, but after so many years of Sunday's at Jeff's grandma's, Zoila had developed a relationship with the grandma. I think.

This episode, in addition to Zoila's tears on two occasions, I'll get to the second tearful Zoila occasion later, but, in addition to Zoila's tears, we were treated to scenes of a painter named Jesse being gaga over gag-worthy Sarah. And other workers enjoying staring at Sarah's plus-sized, ultra-round, rumpus area, which Sarah seemed to be wiggling on purpose. It was all very unpleasant.

So, back to Zoila. Jeff tells Zoila he is talking her on a field trip. Jeff tries to make Zoila think this will be on a plane. Instead Jeff drives Zoila to a car dealer where he presents her with her very own new car, wrapped in ribbons. As Zoila sat behind the wheel Zoila had her second tearful moment of the episode.

We did not visit Casa Vegas on this episode. We did visit the barber shop salons that are taking 3 years to re-do. Chaz? Is that the name? All the fussing over preserving one mural was sort of amusing, particularly when some random guy spray painted an X on it, which had Jeff giggling and Chaz horrified.

We heard a trace from Trace this episode. He opined that the Jeff/Zoila relationship was disturbing, like Norman Bates in Psycho type disturbing. I did not think the analogy was all that apt. It's more like Jeff & Zoila are a very odd version of The Odd Couple.

If the previews are to be believed, next week it is back to Casa Vega where that inept contractor finally gets axed. I'd be nervous axing that guy if I were Jeff. The Russian Mafia likely has a bureau in Los Angeles.

Flipping Out: Zoila's Birthday in New York City

Two episodes in a row of Flipping Out with no trace of Trace. This week Jeff flew Zoila and Jenny, first class, to New York City. It was Zoila's birthday present.

Jeff was in NYC to present his plans for a kitchen for some magazine, to be constructed at Times Square or some other well known New York City location that I've already forgotten.

Jeff and Jenny's meeting with the magazine people was strange and awkward. And then got stranger when they were told they were heading to the penthouse of the incredibly futuristic Hearst Building (I remember the building, but not where the kitchen is going to be).

Jeff was a bit nervous, but then got in the Jeff zone, making a joke about the only reason they asked him to do this was because the guy who contacted him wanted to meet Zoila.

While Jeff and Jenny were doing their meetings, we cut back at times to Zoila having fun in New York City.

Or we cut back to California to watch Sarah run the projects for Jeff. I find nothing amusing or interesting about Sarah. I can't get past her strange eyebrows. Or her equally strange, very bulbous butt. Why do they have to show Sarah's bulbous butt so much?

Towards the end of the episode, or maybe it was the end, Zoila, Jeff and Jenny were in a restaurant, in a scene we've not seen much of before. As in Jeff being real nice to Zoila, making clear how much he appreciates her, asking her if she'd help raise his baby, saying he'd hire a new housekeeper and all Zoila would have to do is take care of the baby. It was all strangely touching.

Now, what has become of Trace? I suppose I could go read his blog. I hope Sarah screwed something up real bad and Jeff fires her. But, from the previews it appears Jeff screws something up real bad at Casa Vega. That should be interesting.