Written by Zane, and directed by Jean Moody, this episode opens with Dmitri and Lauren cooking in his kitchen. Their relationship has progressed pretty fast. Meanwhile, Brenda is seen secretly watching them through the window. During this scene, we learn a little about Dmitri’s childhood, as he talks about his deadbeat father who left him and his mother when he was a kid, but then came back when Dmitri went pro, just to ask for money. Then he died in a car crash. This is what made Dmitri never want to be that kind of father, and it’s why he’s so eager to connect with Harris now, although the younger man is still reluctant. In a later scene where Dmitri has all the boys over for steak out by his pool, we see Brenda outside in her car, smoking weed.

This chick’s clearly going to be trouble.

Finally, after talking to his grandfather again, who swears to him that Dmitri didn’t know anything about the pregnancy and therefore didn’t abandon him, Harris shows up at Dmitri’s mansion and says he’s willing to talk, and the two men hug.

I still think the Dmitri/Lauren relationship has been a little rushed, but it’s good to have Dmitri finally reconcile with Harris. As I’ve noted in previous episodes, Dmitri doesn’t always come off as sympathetic to me, and this could be the start of changing that (while they still have time).

On the other hand, the opposite of rushed is Spencer and Nandi. I keep thinking they’re going to get together, but all we get are false starts and dream sequences. Unfortunately, that trend continues in this episode, when Jennifer shows up at the radio station to meet Spencer (not that I’m complaining to see the erotic Erika Jordan again), and Nandi is clearly not happy with that. Later while Nandi is working out at home with her agent Wendy, about how she doesn’t want to film her reality dating show anymore, but Wendy insists that they have to fulfill their contract. She also brings up the topic of Spencer, as she can see what’s obviously going on between them, but she dismisses that.

We see Earnest’s ex Portia out with Woody’s soon-to-be-ex Kenya, having dinner and talking about their exes. Despite claiming to be over Woody, Kenya does asks Portia if she knows if he’s sleeping with anyone else. Portia points out at that the fact that Kenya even wants to know could mean she’s not over him yet. Well, sure enough, we see Woody in bed with Gisele the woman he hooked up with in episode 9, again. But he thinks it’s just casual, while she makes it known that she’s starting to fall for him, which just leaves Woody with a confused look on his face.

Gabrial finally confronts Aspen to ask her if there’s any girl/girl action going on with her and Sabrina. Of course, he asks this right after they just finished having hot sex, which seems like bad timing. But she just laughs it off. This is a confusing storyline for me, as the show has shown the women together in private acting very close, but nothing explicitly sexual. Are they gonna do it or not?!?

Earnest is visited at the bar by a guy named Keith (Richard DeGulio), a former associate of his and Chandler’s. He reveals that Chandler has screwed him over too now, and he wants Earnest to team up with him for some plan to take Chandler down. Earnest denies him at first, but then later when Chandler shows up to warn him to stay away from Sabrina, Earnest gets mad and called Keith back, telling him that he’s willing to talk.

A more solid episode than what we’ve recently gotten, at least most of the storylines are moving forward. And we get three full sex scenes, Dmitri and Lauren, Gabriel and Aspen, and the highlight being Spencer and Jennifer. Erika Jordan did some of her hottest scenes on this show. Plus there’s a sort of half-sex scene of Woody and Gisele.  It’s all hot stuff.

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