First, I want to point out that I said in my review of the first episode that I didn’t think this series was based on a novel by Zane, but when rewatching this episode I stayed through the credits and it actually says “Based on the novel, ‘The Jump Off’ by Zane”, but I’ve checked and I can find any trace of such a book existing (she did publish a book called “The Other Side Of The Pillow”, which is the same name as Spencer and Nandi’s radio talk show in this series, although they don’t appear to be connected). I’m just speculating now, but maybe when Zane had written a book about these characters and then turned it into a pitch for a series, and planned to release them around the same time, similar to how the first season of Life On Top debuted just a month after the release of Clara Darling’s novel? And then for some reason, Zane changed her mind and decided not to release the book? Again, that’s just speculation.

Written by Zane & directed by Jean Moody, this episode introduces us to the 5th member of the frat who completes the leading man lineup of this series. Sean Riggs is Earnest Bishop (frat nickname: The Prince Of Darkness), the ex-husband of Johanna Quintero’s character, Portia. After the first episode’s fakeout, where Dmitri was picked up in a limo and told his friends he was going to jail, we see that he was going to jail to pick up Earnest, who is just getting released after 5 years.

We learn that Earnest was an entertainment lawyer who got convicted of money laundering. Dmitri brings him back to The Jump Off, where Spencer and Gabriel are happy to see him but Woody is a bit cold to him, saying they need to be careful about trusting him now after what he did. Earnest was originally going to stay at Dmitri’s place until he got back on his feet, but since Woody is now unexpectedly staying there Earnest volunteers to stay in the VIP room at the club (although there should be plenty of room in Dmitri’s mansion.

We see Portia reading a letter that Earnest sent her a week earlier, letting him know that he doesn’t blame her for divorcing him while he was in jail and hopes they can be friends when he gets out, but she’s clearly conflicted about it and has moved on with some new guy named Antonio (Abraham Martinez). Jen Morillo plays Sabrina, Earnest’s brother’s wife. She was in the first episode but didn’t have any lines so I didn’t know who she was yet. She comes by to see him at the club, along with Gabriel’s wife Aspen, showing up right in the middle of a lapdance he was getting, at Dmitir’s insistence, by the limo driver (Michelle Lay). This incident starts an argument between Gabriel and Aspen, as he didn’t come home or all last night, but they make up later.

On their talk show, Spencer and Nandi talk to women who’ve had relationships with men who were, or still are, in prison. And in the end Earnest’s brother Chandler shows up. He’s played by Joe Torry, and we learn that he’s some kind of rising politician or political figure in the city (Earnest called him “mayor” but that appears to be sarcastic, so I don’t know if he’s actually the mayor) and that he was involved in the money-laundering scheme that Earnest was convicted of. But Earnest took the full blame. Now he expects some help getting his life back together, at least by getting him a new job, but Chandler rebuffs him, saying it would be politically negative for him to be seen helping him right now, and offers him $3k in cash for now, but Earnest refuses it and Chandler leaves.

A good episode that integrates the newest character into the ongoing story. We technically only get two sex scenes in this one, one between Quintero and Martinez, and one between Damian Toofeek Raven and Sasha Van Duyn, as we see Gabrial and Aspen “make up.” But the later scene is kind of split into two parts, they start having sex and then the episode cuts to Spence and Nandi at the radio for a bit, before it cuts back to Raven and Van Duyn, so it’s sort of like two separate sex scenes, giving us the customer 3 scenes (plus Michelle Lay getting topless during her lapdance scene). Again it’s good to POC in softcore scenes like this.

Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

Jason Majercik is selling this UNRATED 4-DVD boxset of Zane’s The Jump Off season 1 for $39.99. Email him at quinn_nash@hotmail.com for his softcore inventory list