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“Venice: The Series” recap (4.11) – There Goes the Bride

In the words of a wise man: Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us together today. Well, that is if both brides actually show up. That’s what is vexing Lara as she stares down the barrel of a glass of vodka. She looks pretty terrible, which is challenging to do when you are ridiculously beautiful. She’s been waiting up all night for Ani to return, which she hasn’t. She pitifully whispers, “Please come home” across the empty dining room table.

Lara isn’t the only one up in the early morning light. Jamie and his crew are putting the finishing touches on the wedding set up, and grinning from ear to ear at their marvelous work. Ani too, is awake, and looking pretty bereft in her Jeep. Gina, on the other hand, is looking fucking fabulous and eating an entire baguette for breakfast. Because screw le petit dejeuner, it’s time for a little comfort eatin’.

There’s been news on the murder investigation front, and Det. Brandon is pleased as punch. Sammie has been apprehended, and he’s ready to put this case to rest on behalf of his relationship with Guya and his own sanity. His partner Dana is still skeptical that Sammie acted alone, but when she prods Brandon about it, he tells her to let it go. It does seem out of character for Brandon to just close up shop on a case with so many loose ends. Dana tells him that she thinks Guya is holding him back, and asks him if she’s worth it. “She is,” he responds without hesitation.

It’s about 10:30 am, so you know what that means. Martini time! I often ask myself, could it be that Lara isn’t the only character that struggles with alcohol dependence on this show? Very rarely do we see Guya/Gina/Jake without a drink in their hand. Just an observation, but I’m curious what other viewers take from this. Anyway, Guya and Gina and sipping on some dirties and talking about seeing Owen in heaven. Guya, being as spiritually connected as she is, doesn’t doubt Gina’s story for a moment. She asks if Owen is happy, but Gina says that he’s too worried about her to let go and enjoy the afterlife. Guya suggests that Owen won’t be at peace until Gina is. That’s a lot of pressure for a lady.

Lara pulls herself together and heads over to the wedding site. There she runs into Natasha, who’s helping Jamie put the whole affair together. She looks right into Lara’s eyes, and sees the crumbling mess that hides behind them. “Are you ok?” Natasha asks thoughtfully. Lara smiles her best self-delusional smile and says of course she is. She’s getting married today y’all!

Ani is still camped out in her car…right across the street from Gina’s house. I did not see that coming. At all. Not one bit. She is startled by Sarah, who approaches her driver’s side window. Sarah asks Ani, in the sweetest way possible, why she’s stalking her mother. She also calls her “A” which is kind of cute. Ani admits she’s been camped out there all night, but hasn’t had the courage to knock on the door. Sarah wriggles her eyebrows and asks, “Aren’t you getting married today?” Ani doesn’t answer and speeds off, leaving Sarah’s hombre curls blowing in the wind.

Lara is doing her best to get ready and stave off a nervous breakdown when Jake comes in. He’s too busy admiring himself at first to notice that something is off. He asks Lara what’s going on, but when she starts to crack and admits that Ani is missing, he gets angry. Then he kisses her head like she’s a toddler with a scraped knee. This guy is a real piece of work.

As Guya leaves Gina’s, she offers a piece of wisdom. “Sometimes, things just work out right.” Frustrating to hear? Hell yes. Usually true? Yep. Sarah walks up before Gina gets a chance to go back inside. She asks Gina not to slam the door in her face, and Gina promises those days are over and invites her in. Gina tells her that Owen wanted her to make things right with Sarah and that’s what she intends to do. Sarah, wise beyond her years, is sweet and patient with Gina. Gina confesses that her usual M.O. is to push people away, and when Richard and baby Sarah came along, well, she didn’t know how to let them in. Sarah takes the news graciously, like a real champ. She tells Gina about Ani’s solitary slumber party outside her house, and Gina lights up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Her mood gets even better when Sarah tells her that Ani didn’t answer definitively if she was getting married or not. Then Sarah busts out the big guns, and gives Gina a reality check. She tells her mother that she can see how in love she and Ani are, and that they are both too scared to dive in and take a chance at a life together. Basically, Gina needs to get over her shit pronto, because she’s got a wedding to stop.

Back at Guya’s, she’s saging it up. Reinvigorated by her talk with Gina, she’s hoping to find a way to connect with Owen, Katie and her other links in the afterlife. Det. Brandon comes home and sweeps her up into a huge hug. She tells him how Gina saw Owen, and how she hopes that this will re-open the door for her as well. He puts on his best, “World’s Greatest Boyfriend” face and tells he that she can do it. He gets up to fix her a martini, and she forgets to mention that she had one for lunch.

At the wedding site, the guests are gathering and Jake is downing Pinot Grigio like it’s Gatorade. Alan approaches him and asks Jake why he looks so nervous. Jake tells Alan that one of the brides is still missing.

Lara puts on her cream and black suit and looks like a million bucks, at least on the outside. Jake storms in and Natasha excuses herself because she doesn’t have time for this level of crazy right now. He tells Lara that he can’t find Ani, but just as the words escape his wine soaked lips, Ani walks in. She tells Jake to give them some privacy. Lara prepares herself to be dumped on her wedding day, but Ani has something else to say. Ani lays down a set of rules: No more lying, mandatory AA meetings and becoming someone she can count on. Lara immediately agrees, even adding that she reached out to her sponsor. Sufficiently satisfied with Lara’s answer, Ani declares, “Let’s do this.”

Ani descends the stairs to get herself ready, when Jake chases her down. She tells him she doesn’t want to hear him talk, and that she will meet him at the top of the aisle. She doesn’t want him trying to change her anymore, and he smirks and runs off. Ani can’t hide her disdain for her brother as he leaves. She continues to round the stairs, and is surprised to see a beaming Gina, standing at the bottom. Waiting for her.

What did you think of this week’s Venice: The Series?

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