Hello World,

So y’all this show was mostly about Erica and her 1,2,3,4 Dove Award nominations…and that is where is this episode of Mary Mary’s reality show begins…As Erica is cleaning up the backyard of her L.A. home, she gets a call from Warryn whom she addresses as “Husband.” After she answers the call, he asks if she is sitting down. Once she tells him that she has sat down, he gives her the good news that she has been nominated for 1,2,3,4 Dove Awards!!!…The reason why I’m writing 1,2,3,4 instead of four is because Erica makes a point of making sure it is known throughout the entire episode that she has been nominated for four separate categories…In other words, don’t get it twisted and think she has only been nominated for one or two or even three, it’s four…Okay, so back to what had happened…She screams and says, “This is so huge for my solo career.”

SIDEBAR: Even though I’ve been writing about this solo career saga for a few weeks now, I still don’t completely get why it’s so important for Erica and by default Tina to pursue solo careers…Even when they perform together, they still have the opportunity to shine separately so what is that much different when you’re performing as a solo artist except for being on the stage alone? I’m not a singer so maybe I cannot understand…

Okay, so back to what had happened again…Erica and Warryn congratulate one another for being a good team. “What had God has put together, let no man put asunder,” Warryn concludes. Amen.

Tina & Teddy

While Warryn & Erica are congratulating themselves on getting Erica’s solo career off to a strong start, Tina is still coming up with song ideas and discusses them with her husband Teddy…Just before she starts to explain what she is thinking, Teddy lets out a huge burp…What is it about men that make them think that loud body noises are okay? But I digress…After getting on Teddy about his loud burping, she tells him her idea to have the Atkins sisters sing background…Does she really think Erica will allow her to pull a Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child move? Teddy doesn’t think so and reminds her about her sister’s very busy schedule. He says Tina needs to be “realistic.” “Forget realistic, she’s going to have to find some time,” Tina declares.

Goo Goo

Mary Mary’s stylist and sister Goo Goo also known as Goo has opened up a showroom for her clothing and Erica, who has been nominated for 1,2,3,4 Dove Awards, stops by to check it all out and try on some clothing for the Dove Awards to be held in Nashville. Erica tries on a fitted red dress that doesn’t hide a single curve. Goo says that her clothing choices for Erica in Mary Mary are different than her clothing choices for Erica the solo artist. “As a solo artist, [she] is really wild.” Ironically, while Goo is helping Erica get her solo artist gear together, she gets a call from Donald Lawrence to help style another gospel sister duo – Tobbi  & Tommi. They will be having a photo shoot in Nashville, and as Goo will be in Nashville with Erica, the scheduling works out perfectly…a little too perfectly, but even “reality” television programming has to have some type of planning involved…

Nashville

Sound Check

Erica has arrived in Nashville and is hype because she will be performing her song “Help” with Lecrae at the Dove Awards…Sidebar: About a year ago, I was on a Delta flight from Dallas to Atlanta with Lecrae and his family. Although I had met him before at a movie premiere, I decided to talk to him since it was everyday life, and I was curious about how he would act. He was very nice so it was all good. Obviously, he travels a lot because all of the flight attendants seemed to know him and were joking around with him…So back to the recap. However, although she is performing, Erica is not allowed to go through the whole song in the sound check and feels disrespected as a result. But she is happy to find out that although Tina is not performing nor nominated for 1,2, 3 or 4 Dove Awards, she also shows up in Nashville anyway. “If she’s not singing, she’s not coming,” Erica says about her sister’s normal behavior. But then Tina explains that she is there because she has been asked to present one of the awards for which Erica is nominated. Erica takes that as a sign from God that she is going to win that award, but Tina puts in a pin in Erica’s ballooning head. “You sure are extra these days!” Tina says…

Sidebar: When it comes to “signs” and “wonders,” I have discovered that God sometimes uses them to give me a preview about what He is going to do, but sometimes what I think are “signs and wonders” don’t mean anything after all…Because He is God, I will never be able to figure Him out…Just thought I would share that revelation in my life :).

So later at a luncheon, Erica mentions the sound check again and how she felt disrespected to some people there…Even Warryn thinks she is doing too much…”We don’t need an Aretha Franklin,” he says…(Please Ms. Franklin, don’t come for me…)

Mitch

So Mitch is in another episode…As I’m watching this unfold, I feel like I have to suspend my disbelief again….No matter how it is presented, it’s hard to believe that Mitch would be allowed to be involved with Mary Mary, Erica and Tina in any capacity after what happened last season but since he is on the show, I have to report it so here it goes…Mitch is also in Nashville and meets with Donald Lawrence, who is the one that introduced him to Mary Mary in the first place according to this episode. Donald tells Mitch that Goo is styling Tobbi  & Tommi at a photo shoot at this very moment per his request…Mitch, who has no confidence in Goo’s styling skills, offers to stop by and see what’s going on…in other words, start some mess…

Pre-Dove Awards

It’s an hour before the pre-show and Goo has not arrived with Erica’s hair, makeup nor clothes. Erica is obviously in her feelings and feeling herself as she says about her sister Goo. “I will fire you like I fired Mitch.”

Speaking of Mitch

Mitch has arrived at the photo shoot, and Goo says, “It smells like something is old and dead in here.” Mitch checks out Goo’s style choices and criticizes her for dressing one of the women in horizontal lines as neither of them are petite women…And I have to agree…Horizontal lines aren’t flattering for every size and shape. No shade. Just truth. He says one piece that Goo chose looks like curtains. He finally calls Donald Lawrence, declaring a “fashion emergency.” I wouldn’t take it that far but hey drama must be created…Ultimately, Donald doesn’t buy into Mitch’s hysterics and the photo shoot proceeds as planned…

Goo, Erica, Mitch & Tina

Now that the “fashion emergency” is over, Goo is free to do what she originally came to Nashville to do: style Erica…Erica puts on the red dress and a wig that reminds me of Marilyn Monroe’s signature platinum bouffant bob. Very glamorous. And since Mitch has ceased meddling for the moment, he is also free. He ends up running into Erica before the awards show and apologizes for what happened at the wedding. He even says, “I hope you have a great night.” But Erica is not buying his “fake apologies” and says “when a person shows you who they are, believe them.” That is the gospel truth today, now and forever…In fact, Goo and Erica finally decide to tell Tina about Mitch’s shenanigans at her wedding and say that her new forgiving demeanor is going to cause her to be taken advantage of by Mitch. But Tina ain’t no dummy. “Don’t take my transformation for naiveté.”

Erica’s 1,2, 3, 4, Dove Awards Nominations

After all of that, the time has finally arrived to find out if Erica will win the awards for which she was nominated. One award goes by without Erica winning, and then another and even the one that Tina is presents is not awarded to Erica…Finally, Erica says, “C’mon Jesus, can I just have one?” The Lord answers Erica’s prayer and she wins the Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Song of the Year for her song “A Little More Jesus.”

And you know what Erica says after her sister wins the award? “I couldn’t be happier for her, but what about these background vocals?” She’s wrong for that, but it’s a perfect statement to set up the drama for next week’s episode – THE SEASON FINALE…

Any thoughts?

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