Austin360 blogs > Almost Urban > Archives > 2007 > July > 23 > Entry
‘Making the Band 4’ boxing gloves, b-ball and the last of Laurie Ann
Top of the episode recaps remind us that Dan has indeed dropped a good chunk of weight since the show began and that a room full of young, strapping men sparks Laurie Ann’s dominatrix fantasies.
Diddy drops in to welcome us to his show and assure us that this week won’t be another disappointing love fest. “It’s time to get physical with the guys,” he says smiling maniacally, “let men be men, let them box, play some basketball.” Finally! The scene shifts to an empty basketball court allegedly in the projects where Michael Bivins awaits our crooners in a Celtics jacket. The challenge is to play two-point games one-on-one. Snitchy Dan surprises everyone by holding his own, Brian H. turns out to be a tall brother who can’t ball, and sensitive boys Jonathan and Qwanell play the sorriest game ever broadcast on television.
To drive home the point that this is about being in shape, Bivins sends the losers to run the perimeter of the court. Jonathan whines about his aching head and refuses to run.
In a brief segment, sensitive Qwanell goes out of his way to convince us that he has a crush on Laurie Ann. He just loves the way she bosses him around, he gushes.
Next, our crooners are sent off to the boxing gym where Diddy has matched them up with sparring partners for a few 3-minute rounds in the ring. Up first again is Dan matched against Chris, who’s got a good 40 pounds on him. Dan takes a beat down as does Robert a few matches later. Big Mike shows mad heart. Whiny Jonathan confides that he and sparring partner Qwanell had planned to pretend fight, but Q comes out swinging. Until, of course, he actually lands a punch that bloodies Jonathan’s nose, at which point he reverts to half-hearted chucks of the chin.
We cut to Diddy who tells us he’s been having a hard time making decisions and needs to hear the fellas sing one on one. We’re barely into their spots when Laurie Ann lets out an encouraging whoop for Dan right as he fumbles his Usher impression. Diddy warns her to keep her enthusiasm to herself. and the two share a heated exchange that heavy handedly foreshadows tensions to come.
After Qwanell reminds us once more that he really, no seriously, has a crush on Laurie Ann, we’re off to the dance studio.
This time, Laurie Ann left her skimpy electric blue number at home and instead is wearing sweats with only a tantalizing unzipped hoodie to tease the youngsters. As she sets about berating our crooners into a little coordination, Jonathan has the grand revelation that he doesn’t really like being Diddy’s whipping boy. He explains that his heart is not in it and, dignity intact, he walks.
Laurie Ann shoos him off haughtily then lays into the rest of the crooners. No one is particularly impressive, but Donnie does a fantastically YouTube-able white-boy boogaloo, and Julius strains his knee and is carried out on a stretcher.
We cut to Dan on the phone to his dad. He confides that someone quit. His pops assures him that the tests are just a weeding process.
Back in the dance studio, our boys go before Diddy. Group after group, our crooners fall apart, with Diddy relegating almost everyone including an indignant Donnie to the “can’t dance” section of the room. Diddy is bewildered by the lack of coordination and, as tense music builds to let us know this is the grand chair-waving conflict we’ve been waiting for, he sends the boys out so he can talk to Laurie Ann. Diddy claims Laurie Ann was supposed to have the crooners practicing through the weekend, while she thought the dance routine was a single-day challenge. The camera cuts out before any furniture is flung and instead we hear much shouting about who is more psycho, with words like respect and ego tossed in for good measure. At the end, we hear that Laurie Ann and her awesomely inappropriate fishnets are out. Boo!
Diddy comes back to civilly let us know that Laurie Ann was a positive influence on the show and there are no hard feelings.
Back in the studio, he delivers the bad news to our crooners, “Hardly none of y’all can dance.” Instead, he makes cuts based on who has the endurance, who has the fight and who has the passion. Big Mike gets ribbed for not losing enough weight but Diddy concedes that big and sexy might work. And Julius is warned that his sob stories are wearing thin, but he’s given a pass, as is Donnie who seems amazed to survive the backtalk incident. On the chopping block are Curtis, Andrae, Eric, Armando and finally Dan, who’s accused of riding the weight loss thing too hard. “It’s not ‘Celebrity Fit Club,’ ” Diddy declares, explaining that Dan’s voice hadn’t grown enough. I suspect Dan’s smug snitchiness also amounted to a deduction of at least a few points. Everyone hates a tattle tale.
Next week, with a smaller group will the competition really heat up? Will tensions flare? Will Qwanell be heartbroken over the loss of Laurie Ann? Check back, your girl will be watching.
- Episode 8 recap
- Episode 7 recap
- Episode 6 recap
- Episode 5 recap
- Episode 4 recap
- Episode 3 recap
- Episode 2 recap
- Episode 1 recap
Comments
By Deanne
July 24, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
Can somebody clue me in??? I’m reading on here that Dan was a snitch. What did he snitch about? I must say that I’m glad he got kicked off, I thought he was too quick to judge other people, and he made too much of an issue of his being white. I also didn’t like the way he was so eager to help Diddy pick two guys to get rid of last week. The other guys felt bad about having to help Diddy eliminate one of their housemates, but not Dan, he said he already knew who he wanted to get rid of. And if you play the show back on tape, check out the look on Dan’s face when Diddy told Donnie that he was safe. You could tell that Dan did not want Donnie to make it. Dand looked mad. And that was before Dan even knew that he was out of the house his own self, he just didn’t want Donnie in. I think Dan was a snake. I’m also glad that Julius got to stay in, and Brian A. too. But just so that I’m well informed, what did Dan snitch about? Did I miss something?
By shanelle
July 30, 2007 8:53 PM | Link to this
Im glad Donnie did not get sent home cause of his mouth.I miss Chris and Lewis. Chris had the dance moves but not the voice and on the other hand lewis was good at both but he had bad timeing in the contest.
By drew
July 31, 2007 8:05 AM | Link to this
Diddy is lucky to even have a white-boy with talent, period. Diddy and co. are running a business, and they want to appeal to the broadest audience possible. Donnie represents a marketing opportunity for him. Today, it’s all about creating a band as multi-cultural as possible. Look at ‘making the band 3’, Danity Kane is one diverse group of ladies. Too bad Carlos was cut, he could’ve been an in to the latin markets. Ideally, a challenge to any producer is to make a talented band with a white, black, latino, and asian member. That would be $$$!
By MARY
July 31, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this
THE BAND SHOULD BE DONNIE, BRIAN ANDREWS, WILLIE AND ROBERT, NUFF SAID.
By MsN
August 1, 2007 6:13 PM | Link to this
I love Willie, not only is he fine as hell with a banging body that boy can sang!
By michele6691
August 5, 2007 1:56 AM | Link to this
Donnie?? Please…………………… Just a R&B Clay Aiken. To make him more marketable, he needs to gain 15 pounds, lighten his hair some, and let the hair grow out to cover his ears. Carlos’s hair was just too dang long… with a hair cut he could have been an assett. I am voting for BIG Mike,he has potential
By Abraham
August 6, 2007 9:32 PM | Link to this
Brian Andrews is one of my best friends here in Houston… we did work together all the time!!! I’m glad to see you guys support my boy so much!!! He does wreck it doesn’t he??? If you would like to hear some clips of him before the “Band”… you can hit up my myspace page and check out our songs… My picks are Brian A., Robert, Big Mike, and Dyshon!!! Here’s my myspace url http://www.myspace.com/princephtcharming Our songs are called “It Feels Like” and “Work Dat”