As Dave tells the Rockers, "it's all
about chemistry" on this week's reality show -- the chemistry
between each of the Rockers and INXS. For the first time,
the Rockers each get one-on-one face time with the members of INXS,
and we get to go behind the scenes when INXS discuss their
impressions of each Rocker.
The mood is low-key at the Mansion after last week's elimination
show -- all the Rockers seem to have something different on
each of their minds. The big dining room table looks even bigger
now, with everyone seated at one end, quietly mulling over recent
events. J.D. -- who got the encore and
was in the bottom three -- feels pretty good. "INXS saw a lot
of me," he says. MiG toasts Jordis, telling the others that this
is "the first day of the rest of her career." Suzie reminisces about how Jordis used
to tell her not to cry -- a memory that causes her to break out
in tears. It's not because Jordis is gone; the reason she's crying,
she tells the three guys, is because she's just so honored to be the
last female Rocker standing. The Rocker who is most affected by
Jordis' departure is Marty, who had forged a close
relationship with her. "It's hard to take," he says, "it bums me
out."
After dinner, Dave arrives, commenting on how quiet things are,
and bringing news of this week's clinic -- each Rocker will
have a one-on-one interview with INXS.
J.D. sees this as a chance to show INXS the real J.D. He says
"for the first time in my life, I'm going to be totally honest."
Suzie just hopes she can relax -- when she gets nervous, she
tends to freeze up. But before anyone gets to talk to INXS, there's
the matter of J.D.'s reward.
As with all the previous rewards, it's a surprise. J.D. is
sitting outside the Mansion, absently strumming his guitar, when a
white Honda Ridgeline rolls up the driveway. It's his sister and his
mother, and J.D. can't keep from crying. But he's not too
overwhelmed to jokingly hit up his mom for $50. J.D.'s the product
of a broken home; he was a latchkey kid who had to bring his baby
sister to school before he could go to school himself. But he
doesn't feel he was deprived. The tenderness and affection he feels
for both women is obvious.
But even family must come second to the task at hand as the
Rockers get ready for their interviews. What INXS hopes to find
out, Kirk says, is the Rockers' motives for being here and how
they might fit in the band.
J.D. is first to sit down with INXS. INXS see J.D. as dangerous
and edgy, and they want to make sure that when the pressure is on,
he won't flip out. The first question Tim asks J.D. is how much of
J.D.'s cockiness was real and how much was for show. J.D. explains
that early on, he would do anything to call attention to himself,
but as the show continued, he only wanted to show INXS how much he
wanted to be a part of their band. J.D. also assures the band that
he can keep his cool in interviews and would do nothing to embarrass
them. When he's asked about his family, J.D. pulls out a picture of
himself, at age 5, with his little sister. This move impresses Kirk
-- he sees this as proof of how much family means to J.D. and how
much he wants to become a part of the INXS family. As J.D. leaves
the room, Tim hands him an envelope.
Returning to the other three, J.D. proclaims he has no regrets
about his session. He also opens up the envelope from Tim, which
contains a letter from the band and the sheet music for the songs
INXS want J.D. to perform this week. J.D. will get to sing his
original song, "Pretty Vegas," for a third time (he's
especially pleased to see the "written by Andrew Farris and J.D.
Fortune" credit) and Pink Floyd's top-20
hit, "Money."
MiG is next up on the firing line. Tim says that from the
beginning, MiG's seemed like the nicest of the Rockers, but INXS
want to know if he can show some edge. Tim asks MiG about his
experience beyond playing the lead in "We Will Rock You." MiG
reveals that he's had parts in the musicals "Rent," "West Side
Story" and "Grease." MiG also tells INXS he's been in quite a few
rock bands, including Randy Badass and the Slick Master Five (he was
Randy Badass), the Honkies and MiGnition.
Tim's surprised that MiG's theatrical background was so deep and
feels "it will take longer to dilute" that influence. MiG makes his
final pitch: He's "not selfish," he's "very giving" and he "would be
honored to part of your group," leaving Tim with the impression that
it might not be in MiG's capacity to be more than the nice guy he
is. INXS do give him another chance to show some edge; they ask him
to sing The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" in addition to Seal's ballad "Kiss From a Rose."
Marty sees his session not as an interview but as an opportunity
to share with INXS what he could do with the band. He sits down and
promptly tells the band how he thinks they could retool for the 21st
century. He sounds more like a label exec than a Rocker as he tells
them that the album is dead and it's a singles market. Andrew sees
this as proof of Marty's confidence -- he's gone from a nervous
performer to someone who can sound authoritative when giving a
superstar platinum-selling band his thoughts. However, this then
leads Andrew to wonder to what extent Marty likes to be in control.
Marty tries to cushion his answer, telling them that he prefers
a patient control and that he understands INXS are a
group. He's asked to sing Radiohead's "Creep," one of the songs that made him
love music, and then give another run through of his original song,
"Trees."
Before going in to talk to INXS, Suzie confesses she's a little
nervous: "It feels like I'm going into battle." Her nerves come out
when INXS asks her how she would handle the crush of media and fan
attention. She starts to answer, but then loses her train of thought
and freezes.
After spending time with the Rockers, the five members of INXS
discuss what they've learned, and home viewers get a look at the
dynamic between them. Kirk comments that they've now had a chance to
see the "real" Rockers and they're as different as north, south,
east and west. Garry agrees, adding that "Suzie has the best voice,
J.D. is the most riveting performer, Marty has come a long way and
MiG is a unique presence."
It's a shame MiG hasn't been in the bottom three yet, Garry says;
they haven't had a chance to hear him sing an INXS song.
Marty and J.D. would do best in a press conference, Kirk says.
They're always ready with an answer. Andrew worries that one is
never sure if J.D. is saying what's in his heart or what he thinks
someone wants to hear. (Jon wonders out loud if there's a
difference.) Kirk says that J.D. has issues, but he works them out
creatively, and like Michael Hutchence, he's the product of a broken
home.
Jon adds that MiG looks the most like a rock star. In the
end, the interview process has opened up more questions than it's
answered -- it's made INXS's job harder.
Will the Rockers show INXS something new when they sing the songs
the band has chosen? How will the interviews affect the outcome of
this week's elimination? To find out, tune in to CBS on Tuesday
at 10PM and Wednesday at 9PM (all times ET/PT).