Rubbernecking: Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, Season Four Premiere

To recap; when we last peeked in on the lives of Tori and Dean, they were having a baby girl (Stella), Tori had published her book (Storytelling), they'd put their new house on the market and bought a bigger, newer house so they could fit their two babies and Jack, Dean's son from a previous relationship. We learn at the top of the season premiere that Dean's been getting movie roles and Tori is writing Book 2 - Mommywood (published last month). She also has a clothing and a jewelry line and is planning a Donna Martin comeback on 90210. Gotta pay for that bigger, newer house, ya know!

So as we join them again the cute couple are in bed having a martial chat - in other words, they each seem to be having a conversation that only relates to themselves and not the other person. The final topic in this convo is sex (of course) and Tori sagely notes that "Anytime a woman wants to cuddle a man just wants to poke her."

As the Southern California sunshine pours down, Tori's in the backyard writing her new book on a laptop computer as well as watching the two babies (yeah, right - this is possible. not). Her publicist calls to schedule a creative call with the producers of the 90210 remake and Tori expresses her wish that Donna should still be quirky and funny, like in the olden days. Plus of course, she wants to carry on her father's legacy (for those who don't know - who raised you, by the way? - Tori's father Aaron Spelling created Beverly Hills, 90210, among many other TV hits of yesteryear). Meanwhile Dean marvels at her ability to multitask and calls her Wonderwoman.

Throughout the show Tori moans about having to work and not being able to be a stay at home mom. She doesn't want her kids to have bad parental relationships. Her dad was a workaholic, never home except on weekends. Her mom - well, we won't go there but suffice it to say that Tori has fonder memories of her nannies.

T&D take the kids to the park because the realtors are having an open house and they need to get out of the way. Before they leave, Tori leaves fresh baked brownies on the kitchen counter. Which nobody eats, and by the way, nobody buys the house (at least not on this episode). Later on Dean reveals to Tori that he has been offered the lead in a TV movie and they start shooting next week - coincidentally, his first day on the set is their moving day. After a bit of unhappiness over this development, Tori puts on her Wonderwoman hat and declares she will be fine. Which of course she is.

Tori's got a great support system around her as it happens. She has two best friends - Jenny, a stay at home mom, and Mehran, her self-described best friend slash gay husband. She has a baby nurse for Stella. She's got some peeps. So while Dean is away playing actor-dad, her friends help Tori move and when Dean comes home from a hard day on set, she's got the new place looking pretty damn good.

However, even though Tori's given her blessing to Dean's acting job, she's very resentful and jealous about it and also about his new obsession, motorcycles. "Where's my guilty pleasure? Where's my hobby?" she says to Jenny. You see, Tori wants it all - and there's the rub. She wants to raise the kids and not have to work, she wants her book career, she wants her acting career, she wants to be an entrepreneur, she wants to design clothing and jewelry, and she wants a beautiful big house. Most people would conclude that something's got to give. And most people, at least those who participated in the text message question (read on), would also conclude that Dean is the one that should have it all since he is the man, after all.

On Dean's first day off from set he goes to motorcycle racing class to get his racing certification instead of canceling and staying home to help Tori unpack. Or at least give her some respite from caring for the kids so she can go get her nails done. After he returns they have some cuddle time with the babies in bed, talking about how they can fit everything into their insanely busy lives. Dean feels guilty after going to his class instead of staying home to help and admits he has to adjust his thinking and refocus (ya think???).

One of the most interesting things about this program is that during one of the commercial breaks they urged callers to text their response to this question: How will Tori and Dean balance it all? The choices were:
1) Dean needs to help out more
2) Tori's got to give up a project

To my utter surprise and dismay, #2 got the biggest response - 68 percent - to 32 percent for #1. I imagine the viewers are mostly women who are likely juggling the same problems Tori is, only without the famous parents, TV show, huge support system, and multitude of money-making opportunities.

Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood is on the Oxygen Network Tuesday nights at 10pm EST.

Comments

[wietog]

Will any Hollywood couple ever confess to how many assistants they have? We do see all the support on set here, but T & D still try to come off as though they are hands-on. Please.

I like them, except for how they are addicted to fame.

[lenina crowne]

why are all the names in bold print? it's difficult to read, my eyes are jumping all over the page!

[Michelissima]

Why did I just read this?

[owlsocks]

Ditto.

[anghiari]

What a surprise for me. I never watched the 90210...because I was too old to enjoy a bunch of kids...and never thought Spelling was a particularly good actress... besides daddy has greased the skids for her career in TV...and besides she had interrupted the marriage of a couple in Canada and walked away with the husband. So how is it that I am liking this show.?Stumbled on it last year and eek!, but I watched. And what I found is two people I liked to watch. I think HE brings her down to earth and HE seems like a really nice guy. SHE has shed some of her pretensions, geez which she comes to authentically, when you grow up that rich, you are bound to have baggage. Other than her endless crazy ordeals of hypochrondria...she seems a sensitive, smart woman and a better actress than I thought. And I feel for her with a mother who seems to live in a bubble. Her mother sounds like a idiot/ well actually an idiot with lots of money. Anybody who would pay $47 million for a condo with a bedroom that is 4000 square feet lives in a bubble albeit an expensive one. What single person needs to flaunt her wealth or live in that grand style these days. Who would be so insensitive to the world situation as to spend $47 millions for a condo...please...but I like the show and spelling-mcdermotts!

[Northreader]

Good to hear Dean McDermott is okay in L.A. In Canada, he is also known as the ex husband of television host and author ("The Other Woman") ,Mary Jo Eustace. The marriage came to a crashing end after Dean and Tori met shooting a television movie in Ottawa. Eustace is now doing a Canadian cooking show, He Said, She Said. I happened to catch Eustace and her co-host Ken Kostick doing a promotion for the show on a local cable channel. They seemed to be having fun and Kostick kept joking that he was still trying to find a date for single-mom Eustace.

[Gismonda]

I actually like this show. I like Dean and I like Tori...they seem very likeable, in any case. Not like that Other Couple with the passle of kids :)

[mitzybaby]

I missed the premier! I saw the preview on HULU. The show looks like it's going to be the same exact thing as last year? Tori gets a bigger house? Dean gets a movie? Her real estate girlfriends are helping her sell her old house?

Oh! I guess she's going to be on 90210 but I didn't like her when she was on that show. But she's doing that again... the show looks like it's going to be one big re-run of Tori's life?

I'm dissapointed :(