Love was in the air–or something was, at least!–on last night's Preachers of L.A., Deitrick Haddon was reveling in newlywed-dom, while Noel Jones tried to figure out what keeps him from being the marrying kind. Wayne Chaney was worried about how his marriage would be affected if he made his wife his second-in-command at church, and Ron Gibson? He was just as smooth as ever! I can't say I missed Clarence McClendon (I didn't), but I sure missed a second week without Jay Heazlip! Let's get started, shall we?
Noel is traveling all over the world, and Loretta is manages to pin him down for the few days that he's in L.A. She wishes that he was around to spend more time with her, but she's happy to help him throw his annual Fourth of July party. Loretta gets uneasy when she hears that the guest list consists of the ladies who lunch and like to interrogate.
Speaking of shindigs, Wayne is preparing for a family barbeque complete with both he and Myesha's grandmothers…even though his granny turns up her nose at eating the feast out of the aluminum containers. She also wonders what Wayne's grandfather, who started his church, would think if he heard Wayne complaining about being pulled in so many different directions.
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Deitrick is beyond impressed with Bishop Jones' digs. He's visiting his mentor and whining about how he was shunned for being the divorced guy with a baby out of wedlock. Geez, enough already! The men joke about all of the beautiful women that surround Noel, and Deitrick is curious to see if Loretta will be able to reign him in at his party. At the shindig, Noel is surrounded by family, friends, and security detail while Loretta cooks up a storm. The wives swoop in and Ron heads straight to the piano, which he slays, not plays. He needs to warm up before he reminds Noel that he can have a monopoly on monogamy. This man's one-liners are amazing!
Loretta can cook and she's pretty? Check and check! Ron is convinced that Noel needs to put a ring on it, and he bets him his bachelor-hood in a game of pool. Ron (did I mention he's dressed like he's on his way to Diddy's white party?) wins, but Noel still isn't sold on marriage. As all the couples gather to watch the fireworks, Loretta feels like she's missing out as she watches the other wives cuddle with their husbands. LaVette and Myesha compliment Loretta profusely on her hostess skills, and while Loretta is tired of the women cornering her about marriage, she kind of agrees with them. After their guests leave, Loretta starts to pressure Noel about their where their sixteen year relationship is headed. Noel realizes that he's a commitment-phobe, but he reminds Loretta that she's known that from the start. Touche, Bishop.
After Wayne expressed a need for an executive pastor, Myesha is determined to prove that she's the right candidate for the job. She assures her husband that she feels called to being the second in command, but he's concerned about the appearance of nepotism and the pair not being able to separate their work from their marriage. Meanwhile, Deitrick and Dominique are heading to New Orleans so he can perform at the Essence festival. I can't even focus on her chat with her mother over Deitrick losing his church because she is channeling Whitney Houston circa 1986 in her interview. In New Orleans, Dietrick is ready to make good use of the honeymoon suite.
Walking around New Orleans, Deitrick and Dominique are soaking up the culture when then come across a homeless woman who is ministering to people on the streets. As Deitrick prays over Donna, he also blesses the community who helps her. He is convinced that the ministry needs to get away from entourages and Bentleys and get back to the basics. Amen! Back in L.A., Wayne is speaking with his board about who will fill the position of executive pastor. When he suggests Myesha, he's met with some opposition. Some of the board has an issue with Myesha getting the job because it would appear to be favoritism while others are concerned that the elders wouldn't respect a woman in such a position of power.
Noel joins Deitrick and Dominique in New Orleans, and he wants to know when Deitrick will start preaching again. Deitrick wants to be able to balance a ministry and his gospel career. He reveals to Noel that he and Dominique have tied the knot. Noel is excited for the couple, and Deitrick questions why Ron is so concerned about him marrying Loretta. Noel explains that he failed in his first marriage because he was traveling so much, and now he thinks he is running from it actively through his work. He needs a psychologist.
As part of the Essence festival, Noel is being interviewed by the Reverend Al Sharpton. Even though I don't necessarily agree with his personal massage therapist and the rest of his entourage, I could listen to him talk for hours. His voice is so soothing, and he is so cute when he gets excited. After Noel preaches, Deitrick takes the stage. He has quite the passion for performing, and he's content sharing ministry through music instead of preaching again. Wayne shares his staff meeting with Myesha. His main concern is the position having a negative impact on their family. A teary Myesha just wants to prove that she's got the best interests of the church in her heart. Wayne knows that she's the most qualified person for the job, but he wants to set boundaries where they agree not to bring work home.
Ask and you shall receive…Noel is meeting with a therapist. Noel has abandonment issues thanks to his mother, and he tells the therapist that Loretta is always the one pursuing him in the relationship, and sometimes he lets her catch up to him. He and the therapist both believe that Noel puts women on the defensive, never getting too close to them so it won't hurt as badly if they leave. They decide that Noel needs time apart from Loretta…could the therapist be sweet on Noel and trying to make her move? Needless to say, when he breaks the news to Loretta that evening she isn't totally on board…but she's willing to hedge her bets that it will work out in her favor. Or not.
TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE? SHOULD LORETTA JUST CUT HER LOSSES AND MOVE ON?
[Photo Credit: Oxygen]
