Just a recap of ‘Tamara & Maria's Therapy Trip’

I'm late to the party. It is one of those programmes I was so looking forward to, but when the first episodes came online, I was still recovering from all the other programmes I try to follow. The TV schedule is really very busy, but luckily ‘Tamara & Maria's Therapy Trip’ is just available to watch via Videoland. It was time to have a good time, to binge even, because yesterday the third episode came online! Just a recap, then, of the first three episodes.

Since Maria took part in ‘Special Forces’, I still see her as very different from just a ‘housewife’. In this programme, together with fellow housewife Tamara, she takes 6 BN people on a special therapy trip (you didn't see that coming, did you?). The idea is for them to discover different forms of therapy over a week. Before the guests arrive, Tamara and Maria clean all the rooms with sage, as they should. They are not just any guests, either: Jaimie Vaes, Farja Farvardin, Diva (who you know from ’the Bachelor’), Farmer Ayoub, Jacomien Zoer (reality star of ‘Urk!’) and, of course, B&B's ‘spiruwaliteit’ guru: Walter. They start the journey quietly, with a sound healing. All those soothing sounds cause half the group to fall asleep, but luckily they all have to sing and jump in screaming afterwards, which helps to wake up again. You would think it would be all Walter's doing, but even he still feels a bit uncomfortable with this exercise.

The next morning, Tamara and Maria wake everyone, only to be surprised by Walter opening the door in a nondisguising kimono. ‘Without underwear’ the ladies clarify. To recover from this shock, the group leaves for a new kind of therapy today. But with this, they lure Walter right out of his tent: it's tantra all the rage. Just like before, the teacher chooses someone from the class to help impersonate the rest. If you experienced this as a child, chances are you remember it as something horrific. Walter, on the other hand, cannot believe his luck; he looks eagerly at the woman who comes and sits cosily on his lap. ‘You're sitting with your vagina on his genitals now, aren't you?’ asks Maria, just to clarify. ‘No,’ says the teacher, but unfortunately we all know she is lying. That not everyone is comfortable with any kind of therapy seems logical, but Jacomien just really has no idea what she is actually doing here. ‘Jesus gives peace!’ she shouts into the camera for a moment, after they have done some kind of hyperventilation course on day three. Fortunately, Maria provides us with some musical entertainment for a while, when she decides to say a few words of her own number to sing.

Now it seems to be all laughter and banter, but of course there are also beautiful and emotional moments in this programme. Because it is confrontational and intense for some, especially for those who have been through a lot. Farja, for instance, dares to be vulnerable and talks about the difficult relationship with his family since he came out of the closet. Jaimie also shows more of herself by talking about her situation as a single mom of a son with autism, and whose father plays no role in his life. From now on, I will be ready for new episodes every Wednesday night, because maybe these BN'ers will come to insights and we will get to know even more of their true natures.