Season 5 Episodes
513:PICTURE IMPERFECT
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513:PICTURE IMPERFECT
Noah and Natasha part lips for good when the Roadies receive a clue sending them to Harlem, New York for a challenging photography mission.
This week, when we say 'tension develops between cast members,' we really mean it!
The Rulers roll into New York City and Roni is nearly bursting with anticipation -- "we're 15 minutes away from my house!" Roni confesses she's excited because her cast-mates will finally know the heart and soul of the real Roni when they meet her dance-troupe friends and her mother. The Roadies check into their tidy hostel suite and Anne immediately throws open the window. She leans out into the bustling city and screams, "I want to rock!" Excited to be in the Big Apple, Anne? Dan, on the other hand, is not excited. He privately confesses, "I couldn't live like this every day." The people! The noise! I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto...
The Roadies unpack their bags and climb into the Winnie for a quick ride over to Roni's house. Soon, the Bago is rolling past Harlem landmarks: The Cotton Club, The Apollo Theater, 125th Street. Roni explains, "I am Harlem, Harlem is me." The Rulers roll up to the curb in front of a plain brick high-rise -- this is Roni's house. Roni dashes into the building and takes the elevator up to her mother's apartment. Mom greets daughter at the door and suddenly Roni is sobbing uncontrollably. Tight hugs. Roni offers, "Come out and meet everybody and see our nasty Winnie!" It's love all around as Mom greets everyone. In a flash, Mom offers a fabulous spread of food on her kitchen table for all to enjoy. Turns out Roni's mom is a talented photographer -- the Rulers examine some of her photos hanging on a wall in the living room. Mom offers the next clue – go to the Leroy Neiman Photo Lab at Columbia University and ask for Laura. And don't worry, I'll be there to help you! Smile! Click!
The next morning, the little shutterbugs roll over to the School of the Arts at Columbia. In the darkroom, Roni's mom demonstrates how to print pictures. It's an emotional time warp as images of the Roadies from the last two months appear like liquid ghosts when blank photo paper is dropped into the trays of chemicals. A hush falls over the room as the Roadies realize how lucky they are to have been a part of the ROAD RULES miracle. And now it's almost over...
The Rulers roll back to the hostel, where a large black box is waiting for them. Taped to the lid is a note that instructs the Roadies to fill the box with 30 difficult questions they will later ask each other. Anne is thrilled -- this could be really kewl! But Tara is cautious -- this could be a disaster!
The next morning, the Roadies examine the photos they've developed as they try to decide how to present them in a photo album. Roni explains that her friend Keesha has taken the evening off from work and we should all go meet her tonight around 8:30. Now it's all about cut and paste as the photo album starts to take shape. After a few hours, Roni announces that she is going to go visit her friends at the dance company. None of the Roadies responds; instead, they continue to concentrate on the photo album. As Roni is walking out the door, Noah asks if he may join her. Smiling, Roni tells Noah to hustle his butt.
As they walk through the tough New York City streets together, Roni confesses to Noah that she is freakin' furious! No one (except for Noah) was interested in meeting her friends at the dance company. Noah nods his silent understanding. The couple arrives at the dance company, where Roni is mauled by her best buddies. These are not bear hugs, these are all-encompassing hurricane hugs -- this girl is loved! Roni and Noah watch a bit of the day's rehearsal, transfixed by the incredible, talented bodies of the members of the company.
Back at the hostel, Tara, Anne, Jon, and Dan are getting hostile. They're still clipping and pasting photos and they're pissed. Noah and Roni bailed before the work was done -- before the mission was completed. Suddenly, Dan receives a page from Noah and Roni: "Are you going to join us or should we stop paging you?" Tara instructs Dan to page back and tell Roni and Noah, "We're going to a bar." Dan does, and they do. What we have here is a disastrous lack of communication. Look out...
The next morning, Roni and her mother slip into the hostel after Roni spent the night at home. Mom checks out the photo book and the verdict is in: great job, mission accomplished. It's hugs all around as Mom departs. Now it's time to load the luggage into the Winnie – and look! There's a clue hanging from the rearview mirror: defend your honor at the ROAD RULES GAMES in Lake Placid. Throw out your Olympics, this is ROAD RULES OLYMPICS! The Rulers pile into their fringe-free surrey and roll out. Anne is inspired to cover Jon's face with makeup. Our buddy is perfectly comfortable in girl drag. He confesses that Anne's attention is rekindling that little "crush feeling" he sometimes has for her. So does Jon act on his feelings? Well, he asks Dan, "if you could only see my mouth, would you kiss me?" Dan is all game.
This light-hearted romp comes to a violent halt when Roni articulately confesses that she has something to get off her chest. The Roadies prick up their ears.
Barely able to hold back the welling tears, Roni explains in a rush of emotion that she is furious that her travelmates chose not to experience her world -- you ditched me and my friend Keesha when she had rearranged her schedule to meet you. Tara explains that she and the others felt like Roni ditched out of her mission duties. Roni quickly counters, "it's not just about missions! It's about getting to know each other! You put no effort into meeting my friends -- you're all fake and pretentious -- you say you want to get to know me but you really don't want to!" That's strong stuff, but Roni isn't finished: "I erase all of you from my mind, heart, and soul!"
There is a long, terrible silence. Wow. This is really bad. Dan is the first to speak. He apologizes and quickly admits Roni is completely correct. Tara adds to the apology, "We just dropped the ball." Privately, Roni confesses that the memory of her cast's insensitivity will never leave her. But she doesn't want to hold a grudge. She admits, "my wounds will heal." Give it some time...
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