Gizele Mendez

Written by Anthony L. Greene and directed by Gary Dean Orona, this episode begins with Allison (Kaylani Lei) in a bad mood (isn’t she always?) because her car won’t start and she’s having trouble finding a mechanic who can fix it. Then she complains to Marissa (Divini Rae) about all the trouble she’s had since she moved in with her 2 months ago, and isn’t sure if she wants to stay. So Marissa proceeds to tell her about this model that she used to know.

Gizele Mendez plays Astrud, who was a waitress in Brazil that Marissa met some time ago. Marissa thought Astrud was sexy and took some photos of her on the beach, and when she brought them back to her art studio, a modeling agent named Jonathan (Mark Weiler) saw it and flew down to Brazil to meet Astrud and offer to take her back to America with him for a photoshoot to get her on the cover of a fashion magazine. Scott Cruz plays Javier, Astud’s fiancé (sort of, they talk about plans to get married, but it’s unclear if they’re actually engaged already), who doesn’t like the idea of her going off to America. But Astud doesn’t want to miss the opportunity, so she plans to go anyway, but promises Javier that she’ll be back soon.

Six months later, Astud is now a successful “supermodel,” living the high life in Manhatten and banging Jonathan. Javier unexpectedly shows up, having spent 2 weeks’ salary to buy a plane ticket, and begs her to come back to Brazil with him so they can get married like they planned. But Astrud doesn’t want to give up her new career, so Javier sadly leaves without her, as Jonathan plans a trip with Astrud to Paris.

So, yeah, it’s the basic Hallmark Movie plot, where the woman has to decide between her rich and successful career or going back to her small hometown and her poor ex-boyfriend.

Hmmm… be an international supermodel or a poor waitress in Brazil…what a difficult decision…

In real life, we all know how this would go. But, as in the Hallmark movies, Astrud chooses love over money. The flashback jumps ahead another 3 months, where Astrud returns to Jimena and tells Javier she’s back for good, and, apparently, they live happily ever after. The End.

There are four sex scenes, all involving Gizele Mendez. She has two with Scott Cruz, one with Mark Weiler, and one scene where it begins as her and Weiler, but becomes a fantasy sequence where it switches back and forth between Weiler and Cruz. They’re all decent enough, but Mendez isn’t particularly my type, so they’re not something I’d come back to the episode to rewatch. And the bland and predictable plot doesn’t help.

So far, I wish this series focused more on the exploits of Allison and Marissa, we Kaylani and Divini are two gorgeous women (although admittedly Kaylani’s acting could be better), whom I’d like to see more of.

Chacebook rating: THREE STARS

Jason Majercik is selling this UNRATED DVD of The Erotic Traveler season 1 for $29.99. Email him at quinn_nash@hotmail.com for his softcore inventory list