Last year, Bravo premiered Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard. It followed a young, dynamic, and all-Black cast of new reality TV stars. Like the original Summer House, the premise was to watch as a group of friends rented a house together up north. Between the themed parties, drama, and brunches, the cast wove together nicely, and thus, the second season was granted. Now the group is back, and already just three days in, they are finding themself in some drama.
With both Summer House series airing, fans are getting the best of both worlds. But there are times I believe that Martha’s Vineyard is elevating the network and killing it as a spinoff.
Black History
Season 1 showed Jasmine Ellis Cooper acting as the mother of the house. She was the glue that kept the group together. The proud former Playboy server also gave lessons to viewers when it came to the history of Martha’s Vineyard. The newlywed first shared that the vacation spot, particularly its Oak Bluffs neighborhood, has been an annual spot of rest for upper-class Black families for the past 100 years, including President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Martha’s Vineyard is just south of Cape Cod and was one of the first spots where African Americans could have a safe holiday and purchase property.
During the first season, the group walked the African American Heritage Trail, which most viewers hadn’t heard of before. It was there the cast learned that it was a collection of heritage sites that showed the contributions that the African Americans had made to the island. Sadly, a large amount had gone unrecognized by the general public. Along the trail, followers can visit the home of Dorothy West, who was an American novelist, Eastville Cemetary, and the small village of Menemsha, which was the star of many slaves’ journey to freedom. So, not only do you enjoy an hour of reality TV, but you will also learn a few facts.
The cast opens up
I love how we are learning about Black History on the island, but I also appreciate how each cast member is very happy to talk about their challenges. The show seems to be more than just a house full of young kids drinking their summer away. Jasmine opened up about what life is like with her husband, Silas Cooper, who is deployed overseas. This season, she entered the house alone after a rocky last summer, which showed her marriage was in trouble. The rest of the cast is also extremely interesting and includes Nick Arrington, Jordan Emanuel, Bria Fleming, Shanice Henderson, Amir Lancaster, Preston Mitchum, Summer Marie Thomas and Alex Tyree. The breakout star was Milo, Bria’s pup, who was just the cutest. But Bria, who also was a Playboy bunny, opened up about her struggles with anxiety.
In the latest episode, Jordan revealed she was struggling with hair loss due to a genetic form of Alopecia. The former model revealed that during a shoot last year, she was asked to use a relaxer on her hair, but instead, chunks started to fall out and never grew back. Nick is also struggling with his flirtatious side. He has a girlfriend outside the home but can’t seem to stop himself from staring at his roomies. At the same time, Amir is trying to figure out how to function in the house while his beloved girlfriend is on the outside in Texas.
Summer House vs. Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard
Okay, this may be an unpopular opinion, but Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard is starting to get way more entertaining than the original series, especially these last few seasons. The Martha’s cast actually hangs out and doesn’t lay in bed all day (I’m looking at you, Paige DeSorbo.) I also like watching them at Martha’s Vineyard for an extended time rather than the back-and-forth from New York City. It is always going to be a winning format when you put a real group of friends together, especially when they are beautiful, smart, and angst-ridden.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SUMMER HOUSE MARTHA’S VINEYARD IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL SUMMER HOUSE?
