fear factor

The A-List: Dallas Recap: “I Am So Scared Right Now.”

It doesn’t take much for Chase to snatch Levi from Taylor’s clutches. All Levi really wants to do is keep on having sex with Taylor, which he clearly values more than any actual romance. But Taylor wants more, despite having deep-sixed their relationship the first time by moving too quickly. (There was some mention about cheating two episodes back, but it is not addressed here.) They share a deeply passive-aggressive and bizarre conversation where Taylor, having apparently learned nothing the first time around, tries to strong-arm Levi into being his boyfriend. Yeah, that always works. They decide they are “dating monogamously” but it doesn’t last. Yet another uncomfortably passive-aggressive conversation takes place between Levi—this is really getting old, people—and James out at the farm, where Levi has clearly been ordered by producers to stand and wait and engage in a bit of weird banter as James probes him for information about his dalliance with Taylor the Terrible. “Everybody is throwing their drama on top of it,” Levi complains. James, take a hint! James suggests Levi will come around one day and return to James’ arms and bed. He says something about how the “tree of their relationship” had burned down and now it’s growing again. “I’ve got to get out of here,” Levi replies. James, take a fucking hint. Levi invites Taylor, Chase and Neil, a handsome friend of Chase’s, to a poker party in an undisclosed location. Taylor plays the Jesus card yet again and gripes that gambling is “against my religion,” but he attends nonetheless. Levi immediately starts pounding the booze and baldly flirting with Chase, who encourages and aids him in openly antagonizing Taylor. Run, Neil! Run! Leave everything behind! Taylor has proven he is capable of lobbing his own firebombs but in this instance resorts to tears. Throughout this bizarre sequence stacked with hoary poker cliches, the editors hilariously cut to several shots of poor Neil looking terrified and/or confused. Levi, rather than comforting his ostensible boyfriend—or calling him out, for that matter—drunkenly falls out his chair and lands on the floor with a loud thud. Chase barely has to lift a finger to finish winning over Levi. They go out to dinner where Chase orders his steak rare—”I’d like the bloodiest one one on there,” and if that wasn’t a line fed by producers, kudos to you, buddy—and fakes his bafflement over why Levi and Taylor the Terrible are even together. Of course, it’s the sex, which Levi talks about with a gleam in his eye. Chase strokes Levi’s ego and coos that he thinks Taylor isn’t worth his time. Later, they work out together in a gigantic, empty gym and flirt like mad. To be honest, the sexual heat as they sweat and pump iron is palpable.   NEXT: Apparently Ashley is no Bruce Weber

Elsewhere, Phillip has been skillfully stirring the shit, as usual. He and James gossip at the salon as they sit under blow dryers like a couple of bored housewives (or is that Housewives?). James states in a confessional that he plans to keep his feelings about Chase and Levi under wraps, but Phillip reads him loud and clear. Later, he and Chase go shopping where he tries on underwear. Eww—you can’t try on underwear! Did those briefs go back on the rack?

Chase picks that particular moment to drop the bomb that Levi didn’t like the photos Ashley shot of Phillip modeling the Inch Wear swimsuits. Phillip promptly conveys this nugget of gossip to Ashley as they work out together in a near-empty gym. (Do the A:LD producers even try to make it look like every single encounter isn’t staged?)

Ashley’s pupils narrow and steam begins to pour from her ears: She claims she canceled a pair of jobs with paying clients for Levi’s volunteer gig. Who knew Ashley is so in-demand she actually had two paying shoots on the same day and that her schedule is so packed she couldn’t pick a day when she wasn’t busy. That’s a true friend. (End sarcasm.)

The cast, minus Taylor—who is handily out of town on business—converges at Levi’s Inch Wear pool party for their big showdown. All the usual suspects are in attendance, including several gays whose only apparent role is to gasp in shock at the antics of one castmate or another. (They’re good at it because they are provided plenty of opportunity to practice.)

Levi and Chase continue their flirtation; Ashley steams and whines. A group of male models strip off gorilla outfits—yes, that’s right—to reveal their bulging Inch Wear suits and then leap into the pool. The gorilla-models are meant to symbolize Levi’s career evolution and the big lug even uses a banana microphone to address the crowd and later hands out bananas as a parting gift. It’s very cute or painfully twee, depending on your tolerance level.

Ashley, in a spectacular display of bad timing that is obvious even to Levi, tries to pick a fight over why Levi never specifically told her that her photos were bad. He is already kind of drunk and understandably tries to put off the conversation for another day—perhaps, for example, when he is not trying to entertain buyers and impress the media. He makes a stupid joke about her breasts and she tosses a drink in his face.

There is an utterly hilarious moment when Ashley is whining to Chase as the gorilla-clad models shuffle behind her on the way to their strip number. The terror on her face when she notices them is priceless. “I am so scared right now,” she gasps. Props to the editors for including this moment.

Outside, as the guests are leaving, Ashley (aided by a gleeful James) gets into it again with Levi. She slaps him and dumps another drink on his head. He throws a banana at her. Chase appears and finishes reeling in Levi, who can barely remember Taylor’s name at this point. They share a passionate makeout session and drive off together into the sultry Dallas night. Ah love!

Next week: Phillip and his father butt heads! More passive-aggressive bitchery from Taylor! Ashley discovers Levi’s bird-dogging with Chase behind Taylor’s back! Drama, tears, assholery! Git ‘er done!

 

JC Adams is a Los Angeles-based writer, filmmaker and blogger of moderate renown. His first book, Gay Porn Heroes (Bruno Gmunder), was published in September 2011. Find him on Twitter @GPTimes.

 

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22 Comments*

  • Lucifer Arnold

    Scared for what?? I like what I saw.

  • spider_orchid

    I don’t know if the writer has changed for these AList round ups or what, but I enjoyed this one a lot. I’ve decided to just calm the fuck down and enjoy this for what it is: Empty Television Carbs. Good in moderation and necessary when you’re feeling down. Also, Levi is not cute enough for all these dudes to want to fuck him.

  • CBRad

    I still think the writers will make one of the characters confess to throwing the rock through the winshield, or the “victim” will admit doing it himself. Something like that. Unless they write a murder into the show.

  • Ray

    Yes, apparently there is at least one store in Dallas, I think on the main gay drag, that encourages you to try on the underwear from what I’ve heard. I have not been there. I will not be going there. I do not know if they charge extra for the skid marks.

  • Marie Cohn

    These empty-headed young’uns didn’t realize that one of the stylists-producers is a big ol’ Dietrich “Hot Voodoo” fan and plagiarized the gorilla suit strip act from an ancient movie.

  • Cam

    This show hasn’t been cancelled yet??

  • timncguy

    In Ashley’s defense on her photo ability…. when Levi asked her to take the photos, she did suggest doing them in a studio where she could control the lighting. And, she also was hampered on the outdoor shoot because Levi kept demanding that she shoot pics where he wanted them shot instead of where she suggested for optimum lighting.

  • timncguy

    Please promise me that the odd blonde plastic faced thing with the weird surgically enhanced lips identified as “James’ friend” will not be making any future appearances. It scares me.

  • Amber024

    How can Chase be proud of himself?? He always has this disgusting smirk on his face, like he’s sticking it to Taylor. At the end of the day, Chase, you have Taylor’s sloppy seconds!! You’re kissing a guy who had Taylors d*ck in his mouth a week before. This week’s episode really showed how pathetic crooked-nose Levi and elf-eared Chase really are. #TeamTaylor!!!

  • Fitz

    Every time you watch an episode of this show, you loose another 1/2 inch of dick.

  • shannon

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LEVI IS DISGUSTING~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  • Jake

    Taylor is getting everything he deserves. He’s the queen of talking out of both sides of his mouth and makes himself look like a two-faced immature idiot. He says he wants to be exclusive with Levi and then turns right around he tells the camera that Levi is not that bright and is easily manipulated. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, you don’t talk that way behind your boyfriends back. Well Taylor, not so hot now at ya! You thought you were the bitch when the real bitch was actually karma.

    And James, I’m sincerely concerned for your mental health! You ARE a nice looking guy, stop saying you’re not and work on your self-esteem. You have a self-calibration problem, big time. Dial it back a bit and your dates won’t go running and you’ll eventually find a nice guy. Just calm down and be patient and not so spastic. You’re scaring guys away with this behavior.

  • divkid

    it’s just a shame the show doesn’t foreground more of dallas itself ;
    i’d love to see the cast shot by a grassy knoll, or book depository.

    otherwise can’t fault the show. it’s rightly attained its position at the very apex of high culture.

  • Jason

    I’d like to see them all being forced into a life of indentured servitude by really mean butch dykes.

  • Glenn

    This nut house pathology of a show is horrifying in its ability to fascinate

  • J

    These people are just actors. I actually know the real “Levi Crocker”. Even his last name was taken by producers off of Chris Crocker, the gay youtube celebrity. People are so dumb if they believe this show is real.

  • J

    These people are just actors. I actually know the real “Levi Crocker”. Even his last name was taken by producers off of Chris Crocker, the gay youtube celebrity. People are so dumb if they believe this show or any “REALITY” show is truthful or real. Do you think any of these people are using their “real names”. Ha.

  • J is for Jabroni

    Oh “J”‘
    Sure honey, you know the REAL Levi. You’re as delusional as James is in thinking he and Levi had a relationship when in reality they just tricked once, and James was horrible according to Levi. Perhaps some portions of the show are scripted but these people are not actors. If they are, I would be demanding a refund from the acting schools they attended.

    Let me guess, you tricked with Levi too and you’re bitter that he won’t return your phone calls. How do you explain Levi’s DUI mugshot if that’s not his real name.

    http://www.bustedmugshots.com/texas/dallas/levi-crocker/3417372

  • REAS

    I don’t see the attraction in ANY of the cast members. They are supposed to be somewhere in their twenties but act like they are about 12. I know the cast is scripted, but it’s like watching a train wreck. You have to stare, avert your eyes and then look back again to be sure of what you are seeing. I think most “reality” stars sell themselves very cheaply. But these guy better better be getting a little ‘extra’ in their paycheck. They will need it.

  • william ocariz

    I am so disgusted with this show. It is full of queer little sissy southern girls that give your city the worst possible name
    except for Levi, I would fire each and every one of them and get some real representation of what a southern man really
    is. The first to go is that butterfly Phillip who turns my stomach every time he comes on. Then that girl Taylor and finally
    Shane, a girl with hair on his chest. The butchest person on this show is Ashley. I will never visit Dallas if this is what I
    should expect to see. Did you cast on money? Me & my friends have more money than all of you put together and you
    would never see such flamboyant queerness, ever. You give gay ;people a bad name and this show should be removed
    immediately from the airways. Poor Dallas, they are probably dying of embarrassment. Have the show revolve around Levi and get rid of everyone else, they I’ll watch, otherwise count on me switching the channel. if you could get James to stop waving his hands around you could probably keep him. Ty his hands together and stop with the broken wrist look
    It’s ridiculous seeing such a big guy with such loose wrist. Come on, be a man, drink all you want but be a fucken man.
    Levi, you disgust me when you lay down with these faggots. Is there not real man in all of Dallas? Sad.

  • FarleyNY

    @Marie Cohn: How very correct.

  • FarleyNY

    @divkid: <3

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