With such a glut of reality show programming over the last few years it is rare that a show — especially one based on a single couple’s relationship — can consistently deliver jaw-droppingly and/or head-shakingly amazing and surprising scenes, but Lifetime’s True Tori consistently delivers each every week. The most recent episode, titled “Raw Nerves,” was no exception as it opened with what could very well be the most surreal and zen reality show scene of 2014 featuring Tori, a cell phone, and an adventurous praying mantis.
For those of you with the proper cable company log in credentials, here is a link to the entire episode — the scene in question takes place at the very beginning, just after the “Previously On” and credits sequence. For those of you unable to log in, here is a transcribed recap with photos:
The scene opens with Tori Spelling looking at a praying mantis relaxing on her wrist (above). “Oh my gosh, this is so cool!” Tori exclaims. “I have never seen a praying mantis in real life. I looked up ‘What does a praying mantis mean?’ because it feels like some symbolism that she came into our lives, and right now, which is odd.”
Tori then begins to read from her cell phone, “Praying mantis meaning. Praying mantis comes to us when we need peace, quiet and calm in our lives.” At this point the praying mantis begins to crawl up Tori’s arm.
“Usually the mantis makes an appearance when we’ve flooded our lives with so much business –” Tori stops reading. “Someone help me! I’m not comfortable with this! I don’t know –” The praying mantis grabs her hair. “Oh my god!” [The crew can be heard laughing.] “Makes an appearance when we’ve flooded our lives — it’s eating my hair! It’s eating my hair! With so much –” Tori cries out and closes her eyes as the praying mantis crawls ON HER EYE!
As the praying mantis is still ON HER EYE, Tori begins reading from her phone again. “Makes an appearance when we’ve flooded our lives [Tori laughs in a panicked way] with so much business, activity, or chaos that we can go no longer — that we can no longer hear the still small voice within us because of the external din we’ve created.”
Tori, with the praying mantis on her head: “You know, it’s just a sign. Right now we have complete chaos in our lives, going in different directions. We’re trying to make our family kind of calm and find our stillness. And, it’s also telling me, like, I need to stick with my choices, my instincts, and make my choices and go with them and be 100% sire of what I want to do. ”
Tori walks, with the praying mantis now on the back of her neck, and asks her kids, “You guys, do you want to keep the praying mantis as a pet?” The kids answer with a resounding, “Yes!”
Later, Dean and son Liam build a terrarium for the praying mantis and Dean feeds the insect, explaining to his son, “See, she grabbed him with her pincers and she eats him from the head first.”
Shortly after, Tori walks in and Dean shows off the terrarium. Tori asks, “Wait, should I be a praying mantis for Halloween?”
Dean laughs, “Yeah, that’d be good!”
“But, them, umm, then I might kill you, though, because you know,” Tori says, “they mate and then they kill.”
“It depends on her mood,” Dean says.
“I should be a praying mantis. I should bite your head off,” Tori concludes.
Oh, and the rest of the episode doesn’t disappoint either as Tori contemplates having her breast implants removed, with various forms of the word “pancake” being used at least eight times. Here is a snippet from a heartfelt conversation between Tori and Dean about it:
Dean: “If you have, like, pancake t*tties, I’ll love the s**t out of those t*tties, because I love you, and I want you to be healthy.”
Tori: “It’s in these moments where Dean says things like this that I’m reminded, like, this is the man I fell in love with. I see glimpses where I love him so much! I just only hope I can trust him again one day.”
More mind-blowing moments can be seen with new episodes of True Tori airing every Tuesday night at 9/8c on Lifetime.
#MomentOfZen:
#TrueTori's @Tori_Spelling reads about symbolism with live praying mantis on her eye! http://t.co/LEgoJyZGrp #nohell pic.twitter.com/9kFr4EdBJa
— Starcasm (@starcasm) November 28, 2014
