Baya and Ryan reveal a surprise at the "Real World" reunion. (Photo: MTV)
Chet wonders whether he's in a relationship with Ryan. (Photo: MTV)
IT'S SOMEHOW APPROPRIATE that "The Real World: Brooklyn" ends with a big fight over pranks. Because so much of the drama this season was just so darn dumb.
The girls in the house prank Chet, Ryan and Scott, tampering with their clothes and food. Then they blame JD, who's there but doesn't have anything to do with it.
Chet is sure JD did. And Chet, Ryan, Scott, Baya, Sarah, Katelyn and Devyn gang up on JD.
"Dude, I don't trust you man. You're full of (expletive)," Chet says to JD, calling him "divisive" and saying he's "driven a wedge between the girls and the guys."
Chet is, of course, wrong, wrong, wrong. But, to his credit, he eventually believes JD. And blames the girls.
"It really does offend me that somebody's going to let JD take the blame," Chet says.
Ryan is furious. He's screaming and yelling. JD is furious. He's screaming and yelling. Chet is furious. He doesn't scream, but he yells.
"If you guys don't feel bad for what he underwent, then I don't know you guys," Chet says.
The girls look like, um, witches. Even lovely, calm Baya, who gets waaaay more face time than usual. But it's not for good things. She tries to put blame on JD, who viewers have just seen wasn't guilty.
"I don't think it was right for you play the fence," Baya says, ignoring the fact that that never happened.
Baya infuriates Ryan by suggesting that his anger is related to the fact that he's going to be sent back to Iraq because he was recalled to the Army.
(Big irony there. Coming up in the reunion show.)
It's really very unpleasant up until the final few minutes.
"I'm really surprised that it's ending up like this," Baya says.
Not all of us are surprised.
The final episode ends with everybody talking about how they looooove each other.
(Big irony there. Coming up in the reunion show.)
"All I can say is that I've loved my time here.... I'm going to miss these people," Chet says with sincerity.
"I just really lucky that I have been able to be surrounded by these people for the past three-and-a-half months," Baya says with equal sincerity.
ISN'T IT BROMANTIC? Chet and Ryan have the most heartfelt farewell. It's clear these guys have formed a great friendship.
"Me and Chet are going to be broken up. What the (heck) am I going to do without Chet?" Ryan says.
"Goodbye Chet! I love you!" Ryan says.
"You look beautiful," Chet says amid his tears. "Are you sure we're not in a relationship?"
All sarcasm and snarkiness aside, it's really very nice.
THE BIG REUNION: As usual, the finale of "The Real World: Brooklyn" is directly followed by a reunion show, with cast members getting together months after the show finished filming.
And we quickly find out how insincere so many of the fond farewells were. Clearly, Katelyn and JD hate each other; JD and Sarah hate each other; and not much of anybody likes Katelyn or Sarah.
It's a train wreck.
We learn that Chet is still in New York, trying to get a career going. He and Ryan are still great friends.
Baya is now a deejay; she's still living in New York (with Scott and Devyn); and - GASP! - she and Ryan are dating.
It's a little informal, giving that he's headed for Iraq, But, yes, they're dating.
"It's really hard to start, but it's a good start," Ryan says.
GASP!
BAYA? BAYA WHO? I wasn't the only one who noticed how little Baya was actually on the show.
"Who's Baya? I didn't even see her on the show," Ryan says with a laugh.
"I don't feel like I was even portrayed at all, to be perfectly honest," says Baya, adding that she seemed a little like a "night lurker."
"It is what it is." she said. "I have anxiety issues, and that's something that never surfaced on the show as far as in front of the camera. If I was having a panic attack or something, I kept that to myself."