Obsessed: God Bless The Hoarders
Last night's Obsessed was the first truly cry-worthy episode since the premiere, and introduced a heartbreakingly sweet new character to the reality TV pantheon. Russ is a 60-year-old man who has been compulsively hoarding objects for much of his life, but whose issues became so bad after his beloved mother's death a few years ago that he had to start sleeping outside his home because it became too cramped with stuff he saved or bought at antique stores. Russ is tragically frank about the reason for his condition: "I get attached to things because I don't have people to care about or get close to anymore," he says, and you just want to reach into the TV and hug his poor sweet neck. Also, there's a nice lady who's afraid of the dark.
This was the first episode of Obsessed to give the show's rock star boundary-free Dr. Shana a break, but after last week's enema/toothbrush nightmare, she deserved it. Instead, the show introduced two new female therapists, who were fine, if not quite as firm and utterly confident as Dr. Shana. The first subject, Karen, is afraid of dying, of the dark, of mirrors, of earthquakes, and of monsters under her bed. She's hoping that therapy will help her stop her rituals (checking under the bed, never being in the dark) and possibly regain custody of her daughter, Autumn. Karen is easily the least sensational (ie, interesting) subject on the show so far, simply because even a small child knows the area between the bed and the floor does actually literally belong to monsters, but also because her anxiety isn't as extreme as what this show has depicted so far. One thing that was interesting about Karen was her focus on other people. Her ritual compulsion is praying for things to not happen to her family members in a methodical, highly specific way, like praying that the ground does not shake in Ventura County, California on this date at this time. It's exhausting. The other interesting thing about Karen is that part of her exposure took place in an earthquake simulator. A what? A why? They never explain, they just say "And now has come the time for you to go in the ol' earthquake simulator" or whatever, as if earthquake simulators were normal things.
At the end of the show, Karen was doing much better. Let's focus on Russ.
As the episode goes on, we learn that Russ has one (estranged) friend, a guy named Rich who he met many years ago in the Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus. After Russ started therapy and made what seems to the viewer like major headway in cleaning up his home, he invited Rich over to show him his progress. "This looks considerably worse than I remember," Rich observes, and we're like "No. Way. Underminer!" But then they show Rich speaking privately to the camera and we learn that when Russ was almost evicted years before, it was Rich who cleaned out his apartment and tried to help him, but eventually he just had to give up. Meanwhile, Russ seems so happy to see Rich. It's sad.
Russ's exposure and therapy consists of slowly learning to throw away objects, like a tacky, 99-cent-store Frosty The Snowman figurine that he keeps because, as he says, "It was the one thing given to me on Christmas, when nobody else remembered." Russ is a genius at saying really sad things. His next step is getting closure about his mother's death, because he wasn't there when she died and he associates many of his clutter with memories of her. So they go to the cemetery and Russ has a small memorial service for her with his therapist, which was a genius idea.
But now Russ has to face Rich, who we've gradually realized is the true focus of Russ's therapy. It's never directly said that Russ and Rich had a romantic relationship, but it's clear that Russ is overly attached to Rich and hopes to be close again, but equally clear that Rich has moved on, because he keeps saying things like: "My life is elsewhere and I just have my own stuff to deal with." :(
After Russ's twelve weeks of therapy, he has Rich over for what seems like the final time, where Rich responds to Russ's desire to be good friends again with excuses ("I'm just busy") and, finally, polite rejection in the third person: "It's time for Rich to get back to his own world." It's really sad. BUT! Then we find out that giving up on Rich was (at least in the show's narrative/editing) just the push Russ needed to get himself together for himself. He spends the next two days cleaning his living room:
It looks like your average grandma's living room! Also, Russ has joined a book club to meet new people, and I think I speak for the entire Obsessed audience in wishing him the most well of anyone who's been on this show so far. Also, this show is to be commended (once again) for its sensitivity and good intentions, as we've all seen hoarders on other shows like Oprah, and this one chose to go the clutter-but-no-maggots route, and that's the type of basic human decency a reality show can actually be commended for in 2009.
The entire episode is online, with added scenes, on the A&E website.
Posted by Lindsay at 5:30 PM in Reality TV
Tags: Dr. Shana | Intervention | Obsessed
i haven't seen this episode yet but it sounds better (better=cryworthy?) than the other ones i've seen. so far i think the show doesn't work like Intervention does because they don't get us invested in these people's back stories like they do on Intervention.
more misery please!
Score = 2
I felt really bad this guy... something is very very wrong. At the same time, all I could see was the Youtube Best-Of clips/remixes/memes this guy will inspire.
Score = -3
Felt really bad FOR* this guy.
Typing fail.
Score = 1
this episode made my girlfriend cry a lot :(
Score = -1
Linday...these touching recaps of Obsessed are throwing me off. WHERE IS THE SARCASM??? WHAT SITE AM I ON??? WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER KLEENEX BOX!!!
these Obsessed write-ups are weirdly becoming one of my favorite weekly bits on here.
Score = 20
I am so glad you brought this show to my attention, oh so many weeks ago. I enjoy horrible reality tv characters just as much as the next guy, but this show actually seems like it is trying to help, not exploit.
My one beef with the producers is that they present the "12-week therapy regimen" as an all or nothing deal. For most of these people getting past the rituals and compulsions is only the first step of a long and frequently painful healing process. Good, effective therapy is hard even in the best of circumstances. I sincerely hope that the show's subjects have the means and motivation to continue their therapy after the cameras leave.
We now conclude this edition of poppsychologygum.com. You can return to your regularly scheduled programming of trampoline accidents and LOL Catz.
Score = 11
Yeah, that's a really good point. The show should pay for or arrange for continued therapy, because you can definitely see the exposures potentially making some people worse.
Score = 6
Just reading about Russ made me tear up. Major :(
Score = 1
He is like Charlie Brown, except instead of coming back with a dying tree he comes back with A ROOM FULL OF USELESS STUFF.
Score = 4
I am 99.9% sure that he didn't hold the memorial service in a cemetery, but in the rose gardens behind the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, which doesn't really matter, but felt a little awkward considering there is usually large groups of junior high and elemenetary school aged kids there on field trips wading in the fountain and making out on the grass.
Score = -1
I teared up for Russ too. Sadly, that last screencap is from the antiques store where he bought "Rich's chair," not his home.
Score = -3
Ugh, I'm an idiot, ignore me, that is totally his home after Rich's last visit. I wish you could delete your own comments.
Score = 14
"It was the one thing given to me on Christmas, when nobody else remembered."
God, this show seems so sad. I thought it was going to be like "Intervention;" basically made for voyeurs who get a laugh out of deeply troubled people, but these recaps have made me think that this show is worth checking out. Not that my opinion means anything, it's just that I am genuinely impressed with the compassion and sincerity you demonstrate in these posts.
Score = 3
The woman has the same bedspread I got for freshman year of college... in 2001...
Score = 0
As a child of a hoarder, I can recommend the documentary Possessed as the best thing I've seen about the syndrome. You really get a sense of the four subjects as people, not just freaks or oddballs, and hearing them describe where they're coming from is both reassuring and terrifying.
http://www.vimeo.com/603058
Score = 4
I just watched "Possessed" and it was an eye-opening and wonderfully made piece. Thank you for sharing it.
Score = 0
I am glad these commentaries aren't snarky. I think it would be really awful to make fun of these people, who have real problems and are looking for help, as apposed to the awful people on something like the real housewives, who just want to make purses and don't realize their ignornace and general stupidity. Atleast these obsessed people realize they have a problem...
Score = 2
I agree with the person who said they look forward to this segment the most now! Ever since The Last Kiss was done on WMOAT, it seems to have lost its allure to me. These recaps are so great, and sort of renew my sympathy for the people in this world a little...it reminds me of how screwed up everyone is one way or another. The summaries are really good at capturing that element, I think. Videogum: Making My Workday More Interesting Since...Earlier This Year.
Score = 4
Not gonna lie, I started watching this show because of the poop lady last week. It sounded delightfully exploitive. But then I was surprised to find the whole show really touching and sad. Russ totally made me cry, like several times yesterday.
Score = 0
i know that russ is a real person, and yet it's so painful to admit to myself that there are people out there who are so fragile and damaged and lonely that i almost have to tell myself he's not real.
he's like a glass unicorn with a broken front leg. :( :(
good luck out there in the boisterous, sometimes heartless world, russ!
Score = 0