Recap: Labor of Love Episode 1
The following recap contains spoilers.
I had seen commercials for Fox’s latest reality show but didn’t quite get the concept and thought it was another dating show where they added dates with babies to see what they would look like as a play family. I’m not really into dating reality shows. Project Runway, Making the Cut, The First 48 (morbid, I know!) are more my speed. A listener to the podcast sent me a message to watch this show and maybe do some recaps. I thought ok, let me watch the first episode and see what it’s about. Well I guess I was sorta right about the premise of the show but basically Kristy is looking for a baby daddy. We live in a sad state where men and women are willing to go on television to artificially fulfill this societal norm.
From the Fox website:
“Fox levels up dating to mating by taking viewers along on one woman’s journey toward potential love and motherhood, with the new unscripted show Labor of Love.
Hosted by award winning actress Kristen Davis (“Sex and the City”) the show focuses on Kristine Katzmann, a 41 year old, smart, successful and beautiful career woman who seems to have it all - that is, except the one thing she wants the most. Like so many women in America today, she is ready to have a child and start a family, but has yet to meet the potential father of her children. Kristy will me matched with 15 sexy, sophisticated and like-minded men, who are ready to let their parental sides shine.
Each week, the aspiring fathers to be will be faced with challenges that will put their parenting and partnership skills to the test. If they prove worthy, they will advance to the next week, and for those who don’t, Kristy will let them know that she does not see herself starting a family with them. After eight weeks of intuitive and hilarious challenges, breathtaking romantic dates and some heartwarming, yet borderline awkward gestures from the men, mother to be Kristy, with the help of Kristin as a sounding board, will decide if she has found the man who she’d like to settle down and start a family or if she’d rather continue on the path to motherhood on her own.”
Side note: Like so many women….how about like some women. So many women makes it seem like we are all pining after being a mom. Newsflash - we’re not. There are many more women who are choosing not to become mothers.
Kristin Davis is the host. She is famously known for her character Charlotte from Sex and the City who was desperate to get married and have children. Now if you remember from the series, she married Trey who was great on paper and should have given her that picture perfect family but that didn’t work out and she wound up marrying Harry who didn’t have the traits she was looking for in a husband, physically or socially; yet they got married, adopted a baby and eventually had one of their own. Labor of Love has lots of Treys.
Kristin, in real life is not married and has 2 adopted children. Gurl, I hope the check was HUGE to do this show.
Enough with the background…. Let’s get into this show.
Kristy is from Chicago, was married at 37 and divorced 6 months later. She assumed she’d be a mom because you know society says so and decided to take this unconventional path to motherhood. She said dating is difficult because men think she’s either too old to have kids (41 year old eggs are ancient) or she doesn’t want them (what’s wrong with that?). They interview her parents who supportive of her doing this show. They are longing for grandkids.
Here are the men: Walker, Kyle, Mario, Budge, Marcus, Jason, Matt, Alan, Trent, Stewart, Angelo, Phillip, Tale, Keith and Gary.
They range in age from 38 to 46, they want to master being a father, want kids to complete their lives and save their family name.
The show also interviews the families of the men. Matt’s mom thinks this may be his love story. Walker’s niece wants an aunt. Mario’s dad wants a boy and his mom says he will be in the baby’s life forever. Jason’s parents describe him as a little bit of heaven and hell. Phillip’s family says he’s not in a rush to become a dad. Trent’s parent’s fear losing the family name if he doesn’t have children.
Of course there’s a welcoming cocktail party first the men get to meet each other then Kristy and Kristen join. During the party, waiters pass out specimen cups and everyone is ushered to the parking lot where there is a mobile fertility truck. WTF….. Here’s my question…. Are the rooms throughly cleaned between “sessions”. Are the men secretly timing each other to see who is the quickest? By this time, Jason is very drunk and I’m wondering if he’ll be able to “perform”.
There’s a doctor… Dr. Kaplan. He says the sperm will be evaluated on volume, concentration, mobility and appearance. Another question, if you have low preforming sperm, do you want to find that out on a reality show? The man with the most sperm (Alan, 317 million gets a trophy. Yes a trophy!
Everyone is sent home with their fertility results…. How is the dude with the lowest number of sperm feeling right now….
Their houses are right next to each other and the men have a Fatherhood lounge, complete with a big ass sign to remind them why they are here. You know there’s a bar and Jason keeps drinking…. There’s always one… who doesn’t know their limits. He’s embarrassed about the way he’s acted on the first day but thinks he can mend his reputation.
The men have a BBQ, Alan, Mr. All the Sperm thinks they should invite Cindy. Um, the girl’s name is Kristy. I guess all that sperm doesn’t help you remember names.
Kristy arrives and here we go…. I reminded of the SNL bachelor/bachelorette skits of “Hey, can I steal them for a sec” and the men are trying very hard to impress her. Saying things like “I’m here for you” and giving all reasons why they’d make a great dad. One guy give her moon rocks as a gift.
Now it’s time for the elimination. Once again I wonder if a low sperm count will factor into this decision. The guys are broken up into two groups - Let’s keep dating and Let’s discuss.
Here are the guys in the Let’s discuss category: Tale, Stewart, Philip and Jason.
Tale - it’s been fun but Kristy felt he was being evasive when she asked him questions and you can’t force it….. insert the tag line- I don’t see us starting a family” Bye Tale
Stewart - Kristy sees him and appreciates him treating her like a lady, let’s keep dating. Whew! Stewart, you’ve been saved.
Philip - He’s attractive and positive but they don’t have the same timeline. I don’t see us starting a family. See ya Philip.
Jason - the excessive drinking on the first day is a red flag but you’re very charming being from a small town and does the same work as her dad sooooo let’s keep dating!
Stewart and Jason return to the Fatherhood Lounge to date another day. Tale and Phillip, good luck on your journey. If that family thing doesn’t work out and you find you’re happier with your childfree life, shoot me an email and come on the podcast!
And there you go…. The first episode of Labor of Love, airing Thursdays on Fox. Are you watching? What do you think?