Millionaire Matchmaker Recap: Alpha Beta Shonda

Jeff “wants to see her softer side,” so they’re going to go out for a nice meal. Ah, there’s the date we’re all familiar with. I feel better now.

Meanwhile, Shonda’s meeting with British John at Mixology in WeHo. She walks into a completely empty bar and is like, “Hellooooo?” The bartender asks her to have a seat, and then John whimsically appears from behind the bar. I would have screamed and punched him.Anyway, he kisses her hand in greeting and she’s all giggly.

The bartender makes them a drink and explains how balance is important in cocktails, then asks them to join him behind the bar to make their own drink. My heart gets stuck in my throat for a moment when he tells them to get out their jiggers. Shonda’s like, “What did you say??!” Not really, she just laughs and the two guys are like, smiles! Casual racism, yay!

They mix the booze and then the bartender informs them that they must come up with a signature move to shake the cocktail. Shonda just kinda shimmies and giggles, which John thinks is cute. Drinks made, they sit and chat for a bit, mostly about the two-drink rule (which I keep writing as “two-drink minimum,” which sounds better to ME). But enough chatting, time to go get dinner somewhere else!

Back to Jeff and Angela, having an early bird special in a completely empty restaurant. (I think I prefer when the dates happen in populated areas. The empty bars are so sad.) Jeff’s just creepy, making some quip about getting dirty. Yuck. And then he wants to impress Angela with his alpha-ness, so he orders her a drink. She’s taken aback, then stops the server to tell her exactly how she wants the drink made. BAZING!!!! I love it. Ain’t nobody ordering Baby a drink without her say-so!

Angela asks Jeff if he feels that she’s intimidating. He’s like, “NOT AT ALL.” Which is a lie, but whatever. She decides to sit back a bit and let him be alpha, which is….pretty alpha of her. And then she dominates the conversation with talk about herself and her independence. Sigh. This is tiresome. He even cuts her off at one point to request that he be allowed to speak.

Jeff wants both parties to get out of their comfort zones, so be brings in his clowny friend to sing and play piano for them. Clowny friend insists that they dance, so they do. It’s fine, they laugh and dance. But she knows that she’s got control over all of this, ALL OF IT. She tries to toast at the end, and Jeff tells her she’s not supposed to. See, when you have to keep talking about how someone’s dominating the vibe, it kinda kills the chemistry a bit. And when you have to tell someone not to toast so you have control? They have the control.

Back over to Shonda and John. They have an early dinner at some place that looks like it wants to be that famous restaurant in LA where at the celebrities go—the Ivy? I think this place is called “Off Vine” or something. Anyway, John orders them both a sparkling wine, and Shonda’s perfectly happy to let John be alpha. *I* already feel more relaxed.