By Lindsay Strouse

 

The first season of The Marriage Ref is quickly coming to a close, and producer Jerry Seinfield is starting to bring in the big stars. Joining us this week on the celebrity panel are hilarious comics Howie Mandel and Craig Robinson and singer Bette Midler. Let’s take a look on how they viewed these next couple marital quarrels.

 

The Issue: Thumbs Down
The first couple of the night is Tommy and Tabatha who have been married for 8 years. Tabatha has completely devoted herself to him for those entire 8 years—and then the Blackberry revolution began. Since getting a Blackberry, Tabatha has been using it 24/7. Apparently, she even uses it in moments of intimacy! I’m 18 years old and I don’t even text that much! She believes that “in order to function the right way, I need to use my phone” and that since she is texting and emailing as opposed to actually talking, it isn’t technically “being on the phone.”

 

Howie thinks the husband should just text her so they can share some LOLs and ROFLs together. He says the wife should win because technology is our society. Both Bette and Craig agree with the husband. Tom Papa decides to text Tabatha his decision—Tommy wins! Looks like it’s time to stop BBMing (aka: Bearing Bad Manners).

 

The Issue: Wardrobe Malfunction
Don and Robert have been together for 20 years and love everything about each other—except their clothes. Robert likes to dress however he wants, but Don isn’t a big fan. Robert even quotes Martin Luther King Jr. on his behalf, saying “when I walk around, I shouldn’t be judged by the attire I’m wearing.” To be perfectly honest, BOTH of these guys are horrible dressers. I don’t know how Don can yell at Robert when he’s wearing a dress shirt with cutoff sleeves!

 

Craig decides to side with Don because Robert misquote Dr. King. Bette agrees with Don as well, stating that it’s nice of Don to try and make them look better as a whole. Howie doesn’t know who the heck to vote for because he can’t even keep the two straight (no pun intended)! Papa makes the final call, voting Don as the winner. (Just an idea, maybe instead of giving the couples a free cruise to Aruba at the end of the episode, they should get a shopping spree!)

 

The Issue: Blinded by the Light
Shauna and Nato have been married for 5 years after meeting up one drunken night. Shauna likes to keep a good amount of sunlight coming into the kitchen through the open blinds. Nato wants to keep the blinds closed from the “outsiders.” Because obviously if a burglar comes, he will get scared off by the closed blinds. I think this guy has been watching too much Lost.

 

Craig sympathizes with the husband after having been robbed himself, but both Bette and Howie decides to go with the wife on this one. The final call is made, and the winner of this battle is Shauna. I think that’s a good choice, considering if he won, he might have barricaded his family in the basement next.

 

The Issue: Joy of Socks
The final couple is Tim and Carolene who have been married for 24 years. Now, I like a neat and organized guy, but Tim takes it over the top! He likes to organize his socks by lettering them L and R for left and right and numbering them so he can match them up. Carolene hates it, primarily because she is the one that gets stuck doing the laundry and having to sort through them to find matches. It’s like playing Bingo with socks! I say, if he’s so anal about his socks, he should do the laundry!

 

Both Howie and Bette think his system is GENIUS and want to put their own patent on it. But before anyone else can add their two-sense, Tom Papa awards Bette Midler the honor of making the final call. Is it just me, or does he always end up letting the lady panelists make the final call? Maybe this means the wife should always win the argument, hm? Bette ends up siding with the wife and tells Tim to sort his own socks.

 

Don’t miss the season finale of The Marriage Ref next Thursday at 10/9c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

Follow Lindsay at twitter.com/LindsayStrouse

 

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