Last night’s episode of Flipping Out was about the boundaries between friendship and the workplace between Jeff and Sarah. After a slew of mistakes that have cost Jeff time and money are made, Jeff’s frustrations with Sarah reach a breaking point causing him to snap at Zoila and seek advice (yes, you read correctly) from Jenni.
In the middle of dealing with the Sarah situation, Jeff is saddled with two major re-designs one from a client he loves working with but who doesn’t like to get her bills paid on time and another who hoards baskets. Jeff is also in the process of hiring a new intern. And they better be hot.
Things start out with Jage reviewing potential interns; Jeff’s main concern – who is the best most stripper looking candidate! Um… is that legal? Is it discrimination? I guess Jeff simply can’t help if he feels better around attractive, fit people! Later Zoila gets to play Hot or Not with the potential intern’s photos. Zoila only wants a hottie of the male persuasion. Duh!
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Sarah is 30 minutes late for work and blames her dog for eating her homework parking. Jeff is really frustrated that Sarah just can’t admit she overslept and persists in lying about why she was tardy for the party. In the car on their way to the new site, Durand, Jeff confronts Sarah about her time management. Jeff is apparently incapable of riding in the car with another person without starting an argument. Do you think he yells at himself when he drives solo? I wonder if that qualifies as eligible for the car pool lane?
At the Durand site, new client Jeanne wants a major remodel for a house she is renovating as a rental. Jeanne is pretty much as spastic, crazy, and caustic as Jeff with a gutter mouth to boot. She’s like that friend from high school who sweet talks your parents and always gets you into trouble, but is the most fun person you know – and you will forgive her anything! It turns out Jeanne’s husband is a member of 80’s has-been metal band Styx. Wait – he needs rental income? I guess the royalties from “Come Sail Away” aren’t that lucrative after all.
Back at Jeff Lewis Design intern interviewing is hot underway and to prove they are up to snuff potentials have to spend a day in the office around the crazy. Candidate one, Natasha decides a Starbuck’s run is in order during her interview. Jeff asks a flabbergasted Zoila to step away from the Telenovela and cat care to make some coffee for Natasha who misses Jeff’s sarcasm when he tells her she can bring her laundry tomorrow and Zoila will iron her socks. Zoila’s take on Natasha: “bit-chee.” Um, yes – very.
Intern Two: Ashley. Apparently doesn’t know traffic is bad in LA and is 30 minutes late. She is offered minor redemption points when Jeff discovers her family owns a Tequila farm and he is envisioning how money he would save on liquor and THAT is a bonus for Jeff Lewis Design, however first impressions are everything and being late means she’s out!
Intern Three: May. I think she got the job simply because like Trace she barely talks. And came in on time. And seemed to know how to work spell check. Jeff uses her interview to further exemplify all the things Sarah does wrong by pointing out she isn’t hooked on phanics phonics, doesn’t cross things off to-do lists, or enter phone numbers correctly. Le sigh.
Jeff and Sarah are meeting at Sunshine Terrace for another remodel and after asking Sarah to bring floor samples she completely forgets and they show up to the sight without them. Maybe Sarah should pay more attention to her boss and less attention to re-applying her lipstick. Gage is called to run them down to the house since the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the floors. Oops! Jeff is really upset about the amount of money Sarah’s errors are costing Jeff Lewis Design and lets Sarah know he will be putting this in her file (which I am pretty sure is like 8 feet thick).
Once inside the home, they discover their client Stacey has a taste for faux flowers and hideous baskets and other expensive tchoke! She claims her decorator Pier One Imports purchased the um… accessories. Back at West Knoll talk is all about how the measurements were never taken at Sunshine Terrace so Jeff cannot complete the floor plan. I wonder whose fault that was (ahem, Sarah!) Jeff is frustrated that he feels forced to keep Sarah on the payroll due to his brother being married to Sarah’s sister. We’ve heard this concern before, Jeffrey Lewis (last season!)
Back at Durand Jeff Jr Jeanne has a lot of concerns about the budget and starts haranguing Jeff about discounts and sales and yada, yada, and all Jeff is hearing is nag, nag, nag cause he knows the b*tch has dough yet she STILL hasn’t paid her first invoice. Leaving BFE Hollywood Hills, Jenni discovers there is a bug in her hair and Jeff makes her get out of the car to shake her head out. Trace tries to help by smacking Jenni repeatedly in the head. When Jeff returns to Durand, he issues Jeanne a “final notice” for payment. Jeff makes a joke about taking her to collections – which isn’t reaaaaallly a joke, if you know what I mean. Other than her refusal to pay for services rendered, things are going really well (and fast!) at Durand.
Things are moving so fast in fact, Jeanne has turned her property into a sweatshop and Trace discovers she has some of the employees sleeping on air mattresses in the house as they are renovating. She has some hoses set up as showers and she graciously bought them a Mr. Coffee.
Back at West Knoll, Jeff takes out his frustrations on Zoila as he freaks out on her for not getting the mail from his grandmother’s house after Zoila drove an hour to visit her. His litany of complaints also include Saint Zoila being late, not cutting up chicken for the dogs who had to eat undercooked rice, etc. Jeffrey explains to Zoila there is “traffic every f*cking day in LA!” and she should be prepared! Jeff just wants everyone to apologize and accept responsibility, you guys – he’s not a bad guy – he’s just upset. Jeff decides he is going to write Zoila’s minor infraction for hanging out with his grandmother too long in her file. Zoila has that look in her eye, like I will cut you, Jeffrey Lewis. Or slip something very undesirable into your martini. I think it is safe to assume Jeff forgot to pick up his Xanax script this week!
Later as punishment for yelling at her, Zoila gives Jeff the silent treatment and reminds him he needs to respect her as her employer. Zoila threatens to quit, forcing Jeff to admit he wants Zoila to live with him forever and then he apologizes. Oh, Zoila I love you. Zoila admits she likes fighting with Jeffrey, because she knows how to win. AHAHA! BEST. SCENE. EVER was the smirk on her face after he apologized.
After his argument with Zoila, Jeff announces they need major changes in his office and since Trace is the only person there who was on time he is employee of the week. What an honor. Jeff explains he has had it with the disrespect and sarcasm, which he instills in the workplace.
While Jeff is away, Employee of the Month suck-up Trace, who is also like the Jeff Lewis detective, discovers Sarah has made yet another mistake and forgot to order floor samples he asked her for a week ago. After Sarah asks Trace to keep things mum, Trace puts her on blast by spilling the beans to Gage who texts Jeff ASAP. Gage warns Trace to let Jeff deal with it and deal with it he does by confronting Trace about what Sarah did – where else – in the car! As soon as Jeff asks, Trace immediately reveals he has asked Sarah at least 3 times for the samples to no avail.
On a light note, Jeff and his BFF Jeanne go look at fixtures for the remodeled bathroom. They mutually agree over a particular showerhead looking like a “limp d*ck” and have toilet wars when they test out toilets for her potential bathroom. Jeff doesn’t want to sit on any because he is scared of germs. Jeanne also finally writes Jeff a check after apparently the previous one got lost in the mail (riiiiight).
Further complicating his feelings about Sarah’s employment at JLD, Jeff receives a Save The Date card for her wedding. Jeff experiences a lot of guilt over how much he likes Sarah as a person and how he does not want her wedding to suffer as a result of possibly terminating her employment. Seeking advice on the Sarah situation, Jeff discuses things with the very missed, Jenni. Jenni listens intently as Jeff gives a re-enactment of Sarah in the workplace and points out the obvious, if she wasn’t family she wouldn’t be working at Jeff Lewis Design and advises Jeff to fire Sarah instead of stringing her along.
When Jeff finally confronts Sarah about her performance and explains she is unproductive for the company and wastes time. After Sarah begins crying Jeff does not have the heart to let Sarah go and gives her one final chance to redeem herself. Gage states he would have preferred if Jeff let Sarah go, simply from a business perspective. Jeff consoles himself by making a new sheet to chart infractions in Sarah’s file and let’s her know when its full – she’s OUT.
Next week – Zoila thinks about a boob job! Jenni gets crazy in NYC and Jeff is working with Chaz on the Salon opening in NY.
Do you think Sarah will be fired by the end of the season? Why is Jenni so absent? Do you think Jeff will have future problems collecting from Jeanne?
