It's weird to think that the couples of Newlyweds: The First Year have only been married for three months. It seems like ages, doesn't it? Blair Late and Jeff Pedersen exchange vows before rocking out at a chic reception, while Kim and Alaska Gedeon don't see eye to eye on…well, anything. Kathryn Bougadis is happy to be running a tanning salon, although John Lagoudes worries that they shouldn't be business partners. Tina Sugandh creates a very unsexy sex calendar for a frustrated Tarz Ludwigsen .
Jeff and Blair head to historic Savannah, Georgia for their ceremony, and the couple is hosting a red, white, and blue party. For patriotic Blair, the Fourth of July is almost as exciting as Christmas. Friends toast the happy couple, and uptight Jeff is trying to enjoy the evening while having a touching talk with Blair's mom.
Tina and Tarz head to the gynecologist to talk about fertility. Tina is disappointed that her doctor seems so young, and she is perplexed that the gynecologist isn't buying into her theories about how to up her chances for having a girl. The doctor is extremely intense, but I can't tell if she's joking when she tells Tina she's on the verge of being very old. She instructs the couple of the three times they should have sex each month. Only three? Tarz is disappointed.
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Alaska and Kim are still adjusting to living together, and she's upset that he's such an early riser. They begin their day on the wrong foot after Alaska's morning music interrupts Kim's slumber. She's not as upset about waking up before she'd planned as she is frustrated that Alaska won't give her any time. He locks Kim out of the bathroom so he can have more "me time" in the shower. It's nothing that Kim and a hanger can't fix…or not.
John owns retail space, and he's recently purchased a tanning salon from one of his former tenants. He's considering letting Kathryn run it so that she can get out of the house and feel more independent. Plus, when Kathryn's at work, she's not able to be out spending John's money! He's a tad hesitant to go into business with someone he's only known a year. Marriage is one thing, but starting a business together is an entirely new level of trust. Yeah, I don't follow that logic…
Back at home, Tina is making a fancy sex calendar complete with glitter puff-paint. Tarz isn't keen on following such a strict schedule. Tina is adamant about sticking to the three distinct days a month, but Tarz is concerned that will wreck their sex life. Per the usual, they end up in an argument.
Seeking advice from his mentor, John wants to know if it's a good idea to be business partners with his wife. His mentor, who is also in business with his own wife, give some very sage direction. He needs to trust Kathryn and let her make her own mistakes. The pair needs to compartmentalize the business away from their marital relationship. This kind of thinking is easier said than done for John. He's too concerned that any slip-ups by his wife are going to cost him revenue.
In Savannah, Jeff and Blair are gearing up for their commitment ceremony. The event looks amazing, and I want to hang out with Blair's mom. While he's disappointed that his family isn't there, he is happy to have the support of one of his closest childhood friends. She wishes that Jeff would believe he's worthy of all the good things in his life.
After a harried morning, Alaska and Kim are still battling it out over the tufted antique sofa. It's a stunning piece of furniture, but it isn't practical at all. They compromise by putting it in their bedroom where it's overshadowed by the hideous red shag carpet that Alaska had to have. At the gym, Tarz is trying to get in shape while chatting with his trainer about the stress brought on by the sex calendar. Sex now seems more like a chore.
Kathryn is excited about the opportunity to run the salon, and she's trying to get the teenaged employees to take pride in their job as "skin consultants." John pops in to check up on his wife, and he admits that he considers her to be more of an employee than a partner. John doesn't trust Kathryn to do the bookkeeping, and she is miffed that he won't give her a chance to learn.
Tina shares far too much information about her lacking sex life with Tarz with her choreographer. Due to his long hours and busy work schedule, Tarz isn't even excited about the prospect of having sex on the three days he's allowed to do it. Tina has tried everything, from outfits to porn to no avail. She's hoping that maybe sexy dance moves will motivate him to do the deed.
After their constant bickering, Kim and Alaska decide to decompress with a Haitian cooking lesson. Alaska needs to know that Kim is willing to cook some of his mother's native dishes. When one of the chefs says something about cooking for his mom, he makes uncomfortable jokes about her death. I totally understand where he's coming from, because I tend to do the same thing. Kim knows that death is a hard subject, but she wishes that Alaska would face his emotions regarding his mother's passing.
After a very sweet and special commitment ceremony, Jeff and Blair are celebrating at an amazingly posh reception. Jeff is getting very tipsy, and Blair is loving every moment of it. Blair invites all of the guests to come dance to the song he's recorded for Jeff. Poor Jeff dances like I do while Blair is treating the dance floor like a Dancing with the Stars routine…he even splits his pants thanks to his crazy moves. They recap their amazing night in a shared bubble bath.
Kathryn and John are making a spreadsheet so they can figure out how much money they received from their wedding guests. Remind me to invite Kathryn's godfather to my own wedding. When all is said and done, they are $40,000 richer after saying their "I dos."
Kim isn't happy to see Alaska leave again for L.A. Alaska is peeved because he believes that Kim knew exactly what she was getting into when they wed.
Next week, Tina tries to entice Tarz with belly dancing, and Alaska and Kim continue to butt heads. John and Kathryn head to an ultrasound.
TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE? WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO MAKE IT?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
