The Real World Season 15, Episode 21: Back to Reality

Welcome to Philly!

MJ from Nashville is the cute all-American football player. Melanie is the girl who always has the boyfriend, but wants to find her independence. Karamo is a buff guys' guy from Houston. Sarah, the redhead from Tampa, FL likes a sexual relationship without the emotions. Landon from River Falls, Wisconsin, claims to get a little crazy sometimes and he dubs himself as ""off the hook."" Shavonda from San Diego works at Hooters and is in an interracial relationship. Willie from New York City is gay and hopes to find a hot, fantastic, fabulous, sexy relationship while in Philly. Take these seven completely different people, add cheese steak, a gigantic house, and two hot tubs and you've got the 15th season of The Real World. MJ and Landon meet first and they are wearing the same pair of shorts and both have curly hair. Too cute. MJ explains he left a girl back home, while Landon just got out of a seven year relationship. When the boys meet up with Shavonda, she notes that it looks like the bo

42 min

Out In Philadelphia

The new roommates head straight to the hot tub when they return home from the club and Sarah flirts with MJ, while MJ looks slightly uncomfortable. Sarah explains she thinks like a guy and wants sex without the emotional ties. Outside, Willie tells Melanie that he thinks there is a possibility that Karamo is gay, but he's not sure. Karamo narrates that he doesn't feel the need to come out to everyone just yet. MJ narrates he is very intuitive and would be able to tell if he was living with someone who was gay. MJ and Sarah stay up late talking and flirting. MJ explains he only likes blondes, not redheads, but admits Sarah is hot. ""If there is a blonde girl in the room, I will probably approach them, even if they are really not that pretty,"" MJ narrates. Now MJ is a challenge and it's game-on for Sarah. Karamo talks to a friend back home and tells him that he is afraid MJ and Landon will turn on him when they find out he is gay. Landon and Shavonda look at pictures of MJ and Ashley and

42 min

Bed-Swapping Begins

Sarah feels comforted when she is around MJ and as the both walk home from the gym, she grabs his hand. MJ definitely thinks Sarah is hot, but is confused about what she wants from him. Meanwhile, Shavonda already has a crush on Landon. She doesn't want to disrespect her boyfriend, but admits she'd totally go after Landon if she wasn't in a relationship. Landon even admits to crushing on Shavonda. This could get mighty interesting. Via phone, Shavonda tells her boyfriend she is worried that she might do something he might not approve of. He's like, uh...as long as you don't hook up with someone, we're cool, babe. That isn't good enough for Shavonda so she comes up with the brilliant idea that they should take a relationship break. But they are already apart, isn't that enough of a ""break,"" he wonders. Shavonda narrates that she'd like to ""date around"" while she is in Philly and then shell know if she and Shawn are meant to be together. After she gets off the phone, Shavonda tells MJ t

42 min

Boys Will Be Boys

""My breasts are an expensive accessory,"" Sarah purrs. Melanie likens Sarah's ""graduation gift"" to parents buying their kid a car and makes it clear that she does not believe in plastic surgery. Sarah narrates that Mel has a bad habit of telling other people in the house what to do or how what they are doing is wrong. During the same conversation, the roommates are shocked to hear that Sarah has had an eating disorder since she was 17 and was bulimic as recent as six months ago. Willie explains that he hasn't been romantically involved in the last two years. The roommates stumble onto a gay festival while they are out and about in the city and Willie bumps into Daniel, a guy he used to kiss, hug and talk with, but not date. When they steal a moment away together, both admit that they liked each other and Daniel even says he felt stupid that he didn't realize how great Willie was two years ago when they met in NY. Back the house, MJ wakes up from a nap and jokes that he suddenly has ""gay

42 min

Gunning for Karamo

Karamo knows that his father might have influenced him in some ways that he's realizing now were not right. While playing pool, Landon tells Karamo that when he was younger he said the ""N"" word on a school bus and learned really fast that he shouldn't be uttering words like that. Landon narrates that he was brought up not to have prejudices against anyone. Karamo narrates that Landon makes what he would consider offensive comments and he lets them slide. Karamo opens up to Shavonda about being out of his comfort zone here in Philly and he is feeling like he is about to shutdown, but Karamo knows he doesn't need to be bullying anyone or causing any false problems. While Karamo talks to his mom on the phone in private, MJ wonders if everything is okay with his road dog and he hopes they haven't done anything to upset Karamo. Karamo tells his mom that things are not going well and he needs to reactivate his mind before he goes crazy. Shavonda calls her dad to tell him about her experience

42 min

The Roomies Have Soul

Still reeling from the other night's events, MJ still doesn't understand why Karamo feels like MJ has turned his back on his boy. Back at home, Karamo tells a friend about the incident with the police. Karamo relates that he can't believe MJ thought he was overreacting. All Karamo was looking for was a little understanding from MJ. Besides, Karamo is convinced that this incident would have never happened to any of his other roommates. As Landon and MJ walk the streets of Philadelphia, people yell out ""you suck"" and throw plastic bottles and CDs at them. While at a bar, a guy throws a stool at MJ. It appears the city of Philadelphia isnt treating any of the roommates that well. Back at home, Landon relates the chair throwing incident and Karamo laughs it off. Still hurt, he is finding it hard to be empathetic. ""Some people will say Karma's a bitch,"" Karamo suggests. Differences are temporarily put aside when the gang receives their job assignment and learns they will be working for the

42 min

Ivana Have Some Fun!

Sarah and MJ flirt in the kitchen, yet MJ narrates that while thy have fooled around while intoxicated a couple times, there are no true feelings between them. Sarah is on the same page. Sarah gets into the Jacuzzi in a white bikini and a furry white and calls herself Ivana, her Swedish alter ego. Melanie notes that Sarah is wild when she is sober, but her drunken exploits are over-the-top. Sarah knows she has good reasons for her issues for sex and explains to Melanie that she was once raped. After gaining this knowledge, Melanie now has a better understanding of Sarah and her actions. Meanwhile, Shavonda and Landon enjoy each other's company and flirt. Landon narrates that he is trying to figure out exactly what is between him and Shavonda. He definitely has a crush on her, but he also knows she has a boyfriend back home. Shavonda tells Shaun on the phone that she might be crushing on Landon. Bad move, honey. Honesty is not always the best policy. She wonders if they could take a bre

42 min

Frustrations

Karamo likes Dorian a lot but fears he will be condemned for publicly having a homosexual relationship. The roommates begin a community service project sponsored by the Soul and quickly find themselves irritated by Melanie's attitude

30 min

Landon & Leo

Normally a prude, Shavonda is learning that she enjoys reading the books in the house on Eroticism. So much so that she calls Landon into her bedroom to read him some passages. When she is finished, Landon walks out feeling more sexually frustrated than ever. It's been quite some time since Landon's had sex and believes that things are pretty close to breaking down between him and Shavonda. Pretty soon their relationship it's going to go one way or the other. ""He ain't getting' nothing from me,"" Shavonda narrates. Meanwhile, Karamo is counting down the days until they sleep together, while Sarah and Mel think Shavonda won't cross the line. The guys and gals hit Pure, a gay club. Landon drinks a few two many martinis and becomes wild-frat-party-boy and dangerously flings Sarah around the dance floor. ""Landon doesn't act right when he's drunk,"" Shavonda says ""And it's starting to get old."" Could her crush be fading? The next morning, Landon says he doesn't remember the walk home where he

42 min

Things Change

Landon tells Sarah that he wishes he was in love again and recalls how his ex-girlfriend Becky treated him with such respect. Landon and Becky were high school sweethearts and they dated for seven years, but now Becky is dating his old roommate who Landon does not approve of at all. Shavonda says that even though she and Shaun are still broken up, they still love each other. Shavonda is okay with Shaun dating others, as long as it's not his ex-girlfriend. Shaun still talks to his ex all the time and it's a touchy subject for Shavonda. Shavonda emailed Shaun a ""cuddle card"" and since he didn't mention receiving it during their conversation, she decides to log on to his email and see if he got it. What she found were a bunch of travel confirmations and she soon came to the conclusion that his ex-girlfriend had bought a ticket for him to go to Texas that day. Shavonda immediately gets on the phone and casually asks Shaun what he's been up to and when he doesn't come clean she tells him wh

42 min

Happy Birthday MJ!

On the phone, Shavonda continues to fight with Shaun, while Landon requests the usage of the phone. Instead of getting off the phone, Shavonda bitches at him. Landon doesn't understand why Shavonda continues to call Shaun and talk with him for hours even after they are broken up. Landon surmises that while Vonda may have a crush on him, Shavonda is scared to give up things between her and Shaun. It's MJ's birthday and Sarah brings him breakfast in bed. Apparently, he had a traumatic experience when he was in fifth grade. He invited 25 kids to the roller rink for his party and only five came. MJ appreciates the effort, but doesn't have the heart to tell her that he's not hungry. Turns out MJ has been dubbed Muja Star by his roommates because of his giant star tattoo on his back. Willie came up with ""Muja"" and then MJ created a super hero out of this term. This alter ego tends to come out late at night. The gang eats at Dave & Busters for MJ's birthday, but while they are eating dinner,

42 min

Passive Aggression

Willie claims that if wasn't for him, the house would be much more dirty than it already is. This neat-freak lists off the names of roommates who don't clean and Landon hears his while in the hot tub. Upset, Landon prefers that Willie come to him if he has a problem with him. Sarah decides to clean the house because it has become too disgusting for her to walk around in. It is spotless when she is finished and she retires to her bedroom. When MJ and Landon arrive home at 3 a.m., they proceed to be loud and Sarah wakes up. Instead of piping down, Landon complains that Willie kept him up until 5 a.m. the previous day. Landon chose not to say anything about that incident it because ""It's not him"" to confront like that. Landon doesn't handle the situation with Sarah any better and tells her to ""F-off"", which leaves her in tears. MJ notes that Landon lets a lot of things built up when it comes to people or problems in the house. The following day, the roommates head to Northern Home to work

42 min

Switchin' Teams

Sarah is very vocal about how she is in desperate need of some good ol' sexual pleasure. She's not looking for a soul mate; she's just looking for some fun. Sarah becomes attracted to a guy from the club, Jason, and warns him that she is picky. It's a moot point because he's gay. When Jason and Sarah talk about what they like in a partner, Sarah says she should respect Jason's homosexuality, but he is just too cute to resist. Jason says he would never sleep with a woman, while Sarah secretly hopes that Jason is bisexual. Meanwhile, Landon and MJ are at glam hitting on girls. MJ notes that when he gets drunk, he views girls differently. MJ slobbers all over one blonde girl and she invites herself back to the house. MJ takes his gal-pal Nicole into his closet and Shavonda suspects some canoodling is going on. After their romp in the closet, poor Nicole doesn't have enough money to get back to Jersey. To make matters worse, she writes her number down even though it seems clear MJ won't ev

42 min

Forbidden Affair

On the way back from watching a Philadelphia Soul game in NY, Landon gets to know Gina, the team accountant for the Soul. Unfortunately, there is a ""no fraternizing"" rule in their intern contract, but that doesn't stop Landon from flirting or inviting Gina back to the house. The question of the day is: What exactly does fraternizing mean? Does it mean you can't have coffee with a Soul staffer? Or does it mean you can't dance seductively at Glam with a Soul staffer and then kiss her? The gang learns they will participate in the Easter Seals walk-a-thon, but Shavonda is not happy because since she was little, she has been uncomfortable around disabled people. The Special Ed kids were mean to her when she was a child and she still carries this discomfort with her. Soul staffer Laura tells her to give the walk-a-thon a shot and see how she feels. Sarah also educates Shavonda on what cerebral palsy is so that she goes into the experience more informed. Of course Melanie weighs in with her j

42 min

Gone Sour

Karamo tells Dorian that he doesn't have any ""real"" white friends due of his upbringing. His distrust of white people has caused him not to pursue friendships. While Karamo enjoys having deep discussions with Dorian, Karamo narrates that he needs a mate who embraces the hip hop culture and isn't so...Banana Republic. It's clear that Karamo is losing interest in Dorian. Sarah's mom has been diagnosed with CLL, a type of leukemia. She is currently going through chemotherapy, yet seems to be in good spirits. Sarah explains to MJ that her eating disorder started when her mom got cancer. Sarah's sister Rachel calls unexpectedly to let Sarah know that she and Sarah's mom will be in Philly shortly. Sarah is afraid to see her mom so soon after she has completed chemotherapy, so she tells them she is not sure she'll be able to see them. Sarah says being in the Real World house is kind of like being in a bubble which allows her to keep things out that she doesn't want. With her family in town, t

42 min

MJ's Having Trouble with The Ladies

Sarah and MJ get into a heated discussion about Mel Gibson and The Passion of the Christ. She feels the movie is anti-Semitic and becomes frustrated that MJ does not appear to be informed on the subject. Meanwhile, MJ is frustrated by Sarah's frustration. Sarah believes MJ is taking the conversation too personally and can't appreciate hearing someone else's views. This makes for some major tension between the two. Angry, Sarah narrates that she thinks the ideal woman for MJ is a blond who doesn't have much of an opinion because she doesn't believe MJ has respect for strong females. In da club, MJ meets Kim, a girl who knows some of the girls he went to college with. MJ says goodbye to Kim, but struggles with whether or not he should hit on her further. He decides to go for it and buys her a rose, but he leaves before she can even say thank you. In the cab, he is proud of himself for being able to resist Kim, since he has recently decided to remain committed to being with Ashley. Back a

42 min

Altercations

Landon and MJ head out for a guys night out and stop by Mel's favorite bar, Drinker's Tavern, to watch the game. As soon as they walk in, they get heckled by other patrons, so they decide to leave. Back at home, they tell Mel of their experience and she is bummed that they invaded her special place where she goes to get away from the other roommates. Shavonda is offended that Mel even needs to get away from them and Landon thinks Mel just flat out doesn't like him. MJ and Landon head out to party and Landon explains that the reason why he goes out so much (i.e. drinks SO much) is that he wants to enjoy his time in Philly to the fullest. MJ narrates that Landon doesn't seem to know when to stop drinking and that is becoming a problem. As MJ and Landon get home that night, they encounter Mel's friends from the Drinker's Tavern and Mel and Landon have an altercation in front of the house. Mel maintains that she is just playing around, while Landon utters a powerful ""step the f-down."" One

42 min

Ew, Scabies!

Melanie discovers little red, itchy bumps all over her body and has no clue what they are. She supposes she might be having an allergic reaction to working in the weeds at Northern Home. Dr. Landon advises Mel not to wear a bra or underwear for a day to, like, ""air it out."" Brilliant advice. Remember this later when Landon says Mel is always talking out of her ass. Mel goes to the doc and learns she is stricken with scabies, a.k.a. body lice. Mel just wants a little sympathy, but the roomies are enjoying making fun of her way too much. Plus, they become concerned about their own risk of developing scabies. Because they all live in close quarters, Mel's doctor comes over to the house to examine the other roommates and give them some treatment lotions. Willie is freaked out and does not want to get body lice, while Sarah thinks that scabies is the best thing that has ever happened to the house because this will finally motivate everyone to clean up. The roommates wash all of their beddin

42 min

Fiji

As the roommates pack for Fiji, Shavonda asks Shaun via phone what he would think if she and her roommates all went skinny dipping together while on vacation. He is not pleased, but it doesn't matter because Shavonda narrates that while in Philly she is living her life as Shavonda, not as ""Shavonda with Shaun."" ""What happens in Fiji stays in Fiji,"" Landon grins The roommates finally arrive on the beautiful Robinson Crusoe island. Shavonda wrinkles her nose at this ""rustic, primitive"" resort that does not feature hotel rooms or individual bathrooms. It sucks to be on a private island with crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Boo hoo. Sarah wastes no time flirting with some British guys staying at the resort. Willie notes that she is on a mission to get some kind of action from the most willing cutie. While the roommates watch a Polynesian show, Sarah brings British cutie Freddie back to her bungalow. Sarah cannot believe it when he tells her that he doesn't want to have sex. Whe

42 min

Romantic Getaway

The roomies continue to enjoy their time in Fiji by jumping off waterfalls and frolicking in the ocean. The romance of the islands seems to have finally gotten to Landon and Shavonda, as they dance in the restaurant. ""Landon really cares for Shavonda deeply,"" Sarah observes. ""He looks at her like she is a goddess."" While Sarah goes topless on the beach, Shavonda tries to muster up the courage to get naked, but she can't quite do it. Landon decides he should get some sun on his ass, and suddenly, Shavonda begins to pay closer attention to Landon's hot body. Landon plops down on the sand bare-assed and Shavonda sprays him with oil. Back at the hotel, the roommates play truth or dare. Shavonda and Sarah French kiss. Shavonda and Landon make out for 30 seconds and Landon drops trow. Karamo does not approve of the lust that seems to be boiling over between Shavonda and Landon. Eh, Karamo's probably just bitter that he isn't getting any. On a boat out the ocean, the roommates dive into the d

42 min

Intervention

At dinner, the roommates gossip about Mel. ""She is one of the most self-righteous people I've ever met,"" Sarah says. Shavonda says Mel's personality is abrasive and annoying but isn't sure how to tell her this. Mel narrates that she likes a bar setting more than a club setting and she likes the people who go to Drinker's a lot because they have tough exteriors and soft hearts. When Mel comes home drunk from Drinker's and repeatedly tells everyone how much she likes the people at her bar, her roommates want to ring her neck. MJ wants to know why the rest of the housemates aren't ""allowed"" in her bar. Mel says she never said such a thing. Meanwhile, Shavonda wonders why Mel doesn't try to bond with her roommates and would rather bond with guys at Drinker's. Mel gets in Vonda's face and claims she has done everything to bond with Shavonda. Shavonda busts out with straight up honesty, saying that the reason why she doesn't ask Mel to hang out is because Mel won't let her get a word in edge

42 min

Willie's Love Triangle

Willie is still committed to Dan even though they have a long distance relationship and technically aren't exclusive, but recently it's been harder for Willie to stay away from other hot guys. On the phone, Dan tells Willie that he wants him to be able to date other people if he wants to and get the most out of his Philadelphia experience. Willie is a bit hesitant, but Dan is never around and Willie is getting lonely. Cut to the club where Willie hits on a curly headed boy named Neil and they exchange numbers. ""He's hot,"" a drunken Willie mumbles to Sarah. ""I think I need to get laid."" Willie has dinner with Neil and tells him about Dan and while Willie thinks he is being honest, he says he and Dan are not together. This could be interpreted in a few different ways and Neil takes it to mean that Willie and Dan are not currently dating. Willie calls Neil a ""sexy, guy, guy"" and Sarah notes that everything she's heard Willie say about Neil has been about his looks. Sarah and Shavonda both

42 min

Ashley's Visit

Previously, MJ didn't want to be ""walking on egg shells"" wondering if something he did in Philly would hurt his gal Ashley, back home. Now, MJ has come to the realization that no one compares to Ashley and he is willing to give up the Philly nookie so that he can be in a committed relationship with her. ""I cannot wait to make out with you,"" MJ says to Ashley, anticipating her arrival in the City of Brotherly Love. Turns out the same time Ashley is going to be in town, one of MJ's best friends, David will also be in town. David is just ""blowing through"", while Ashley has planned a trip. Does anyone see where this is headed? Ah, Landon does. ""It just doesn't work very well to have your buddy and your girlfriend in the same place,"" Landon warns. After a serious of unfortunate events, Ashley finally arrives and she and MJ have some quality kissy time together before David arrives. The first night David is in town, Ashley is beat from all her traveling and just wants to go to bed. Meanwhile

42 min

Motherly Love

Sarah admits that since she was 15 or 16, she has had an unhealthy attitude towards her body, which has lead to eating disorders. At dinner, the roomies tell Sarah she needs to eat and they worry about her negative body image. The roomies do their best to support Sarah but they know there is only so much they can do to help. Later, at the gym, Sarah works out and narrates that she has been working out really hard to try and lose some weight she gained in Fiji. When Sarah's sister Rachel calls to tell her that their mom thinks Sarah should start the South Beach diet again, Sarah is crushed. Sarah's mom thinks Sarah has been eating and drinking too much, but doesn't know how to tell her, so she has her other daughter deliver the message. Way to go mom. Sarah already has plans to see her mom and dad that night in Philly, but changes her mind. When Sarah's mom calls to find out what happened to Sarah, Melanie answers the phone and gets an earful. Sarah calls her mom right back and tells he

42 min

Losing You

The roommates go to Shampoo with Willie and when a drag queen comes out on stage, MJ looks shocked and proclaims ""I'm straight."" At lunch the next day, Willie tells Mel that he thinks MJ and Landon think of Willie as a character, not as a person. Willie does admit that part of that is his fault because they haven't spent a lot of one-on-one time together. So Willie has a drink with MJ, Mel and a friend and opens up about how his parents are not accepting of his lifestyle. It's clear that through this conversation, MJ comes to understand Willie better and even looks at him differently. With only a day or two left, the roommates pack their things, but most say they are in denial that they are actually leaving Philly. Landon explains that since Fiji, it has been hard for him to resist Shavonda. He now worries that when they go their separate ways they won't be left with anything: a friendship or a physical relationship. Meanwhile, Shavonda just wants to hook up with Landon, but that's it.

42 min

Out of My Way, I'm Moving In: Tips for Getting Into the Real World

MTV interviews 13 former Real Worlders about what it takes to be a great housemate. They also critique the new cast and offer predictions for Real World Philadelphia.

30 min

Fistful of Philly: The Real World Philadelphia Reunion

42 min