'Hooking Up' Show Guide
Here is a look at what happened, and what's coming up, on ABC's documentary series "Hooking Up," which follows 11 women through a year of online dating. You can watch the series Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
Episode 4
Amy begins to realize that she and David don't have so much in common. She envisions a future with him where he would just play with the kids and she would be doing all the dishes, all the time. Keeping her options open, she invites Matthew over for dinner and a video. At the end of the evening, a kiss with Matthew confirms what she feared -- the physical attraction is lacking. Amy considers her choices: fire and chemistry with David but no common goals, or a personality connection with Matthew but no spark. She decides she wants neither guy and consoles herself with a batch of freshly baked cookies.
For Sonja, a fun-loving, 38-year-old Tennessee woman, the adventure is just beginning. She meets two very different men but finds herself attracted to both of them. Mitchell is a big personality in hot pursuit, although he can be loud and obnoxious. Ken, arguably better looking, doesn't woo Sonja with the same intensity. Sonja dates them both because, "I'm in my 30s and you know what? I am not waiting around for Prince Charming to knock on my door." Mitchell showers Sonja with flowers, chocolates and a champagne-fueled Valentine's Day extravaganza, winning the horse race and Sonja's undivided attention.
Acie and Reisha are growing closer, and Reisha even feels comfortable enough to let Acie spend the night at her apartment -- on the couch, and only after calling her police officer friend and giving him all of Acie's vital information. She's still not kissing Acie, but he's being patient. Reisha throws him for a loop when she tells him she's also dating other men until she's sure about him. "That was one of my true reasons of going online," Reisha says, "not to just become so focused in one thing that if it doesn't work out then I get hurt, that person gets hurt." For the next visit, Reisha visits Acie in Atlanta. Things start to go downhill when she feels like Acie snubs her at his friends' Christmas party. They end the relationship the next day. "It started out so lovely with Acie," Reisha said, "and then it fell apart."
Kristin, a yoga instructor from Pocatello, Idaho, has more misses than hits when she logs online to find her Prince Charming. Men don't resemble their pictures, and profiles and e-mails don't give Kristin a real idea of who she will meet. After a whole series of bad dates that bore, entertain, and even offend her, she's almost ready to give up online dating altogether. Enter Mike. He's honest, he's into her and -- for once -- she has a good time. A doorstep kiss confirms Kristin's crush and she looks forward to another date with Mike.
Coming Up on Episode 5
In Episode 5, we meet Shelly, an opera-singing female dynamo, who unabashedly uses the Internet for casual encounters. While no-strings-attached sex might seem like every man's dream, her first date, Anthony, says he doesn't sleep with people on the first date. Will he go home with Shelly or get cold feet? Christen, a Philly native new to New York, goes online to find friends and the beer-drinking cowboy of her dreams. Brian, a plaid suit-wearing metrosexual with a retainer, is not what she has in mind. Will Christen find her "one in a million" Marlboro Man online? Meanwhile, Mitchell and Sonja are still going strong and Sonja travels to his New Jersey neighborhood, where they do a little ring shopping. Are they headed for something permanent? And Kristin is excited to spend time with Mike after a great first date. He invites her to his house in Connecticut; will this feed the fire or snuff out the spark? Plus updates on Kelly and Steve's relationship, Amy and more.
Episode 3
On the fourth date, Amy considers having sex with David. He takes her salsa dancing and wins the big prize, but then drops the ball by not calling her for four days. Amy decides to drop the hammer on David and pull his sex privileges until he's ready to commit. He is very responsive at first, but dials down his effort enough that she goes out with Matthew, a doctor. Earnest Matthew wants a family and isn't shy about his interest. After a great date, Amy feels torn between the chemistry she feels for David and the possibility to fulfill her goals with Matthew. The answer to her dilemma lies in Matthew's kissability.
Maryam's karaoke date with David Jr. is hilarious, but not romantic. Maryam is still thinking about Sam. "You can't control your biological needs," she says. The next time she's out with Sam, he initiates talks about his sexuality -- telling her he doesn't like to be with just one woman at a time -- and she shows him the door. Guys, she says at the end of their date, are draining.
Kelly and Steve's Cinderella story continues and on their third date, they both see a future. Steve says he feels something indescribable. Kelly declares that they just might get married. But their future comes to a screeching halt after date three. Kelly says he disappeared. Steve says she became too aggressive, turning him off. Kelly picks herself up and gets back online.
Reisha has her first online date -- a picnic -- with Talib. Despite her jitters and her mother's concern, she has a good time and no one is poisoned. Reisha doesn't feel physically attracted though, so continues to cast her net online. Next up: Acie from Atlanta. The first date is a great success and he comes back to New York for another weekend with Reisha. Chemistry is palpable, but Reisha is not kissing Acie until she knows their relationship is headed to the altar. As they get closer, will Reisha's resolve melt or will Acie go crazy?
Episode 2
Amy and Chris are moving along at a steady clip. She watches his rugby game, and the sight of him shirtless awakens her libido. Amy says, "maybe if I sleep with him, I'll get to the real him." After just one week, she thinks this could be THE guy. All this changes, however, after sister Sarah and her husband, Michael, disapprove. Amy breaks it off with Chris in an e-mail and resolutely gets back on "the dating train," since she doesn't think she has time to waste if she wants babies. Enter David -- a lovable rogue. After three great dates, she's proud of herself for holding off on the next step: sex. David predicts next date he's going to "shag the living daylights out of her."
Cynthia goes out with Nathan, a speed dating fiend who is several years younger than her. He's a university professor and Cynthia is excited about the good-looking babies they would have. They take dance lessons for their first date. She thinks he's nervous, but she feels a lack of chemistry on the dance floor. At the end of the date, she gets another booty call and off she goes again.
And then we meet Kelly. She also goes out with Chris, seven years her junior, who needs instruction in everything from swinging a golf club to opening wine. After that dud, she moves on to Steve, who has all the makings of a Prince Charming -- he's rich, he's handsome and he likes Kelly. Their dates are something out of a fairy tale, except he makes her wash his car even though she wins the bet they make. Steve leaves a mark on her -- he jokingly has his name temporarily tattooed on her back -- and she ends their second date thinking "this could be the big one."
Maryam joins us in the second half hour. She's online to find the father of her kids, but her first date with Patrick doesn't get her closer to the goal. He doesn't look anything like his photo, although he thinks that is true for Maryam, too. Next date is with Sam, who's dangerous -- since his profile clearly states he isn't interested in a commitment. After a circular argument with him about his sexuality, (according to Maryam, he "sounds gay") he ends up naked in Maryam's bed. As the light goes out, she reminds him she's too drunk to have sex.
Episode 1
In the first episode, Claire, Lisa, Cynthia and Amy field deception and bad dates in their online search for Mr. Right.
Claire -- a self-professed heavy screener -- finds three men to date: Nick, Josh and Hunt. Aside from monosyllabic names, the three don't have much in common. Nick is earnest, bringing a plant to their first date. But by the second date Claire realizes he's too vanilla and not enough sprinkles, and she breaks things off over e-mail. Josh is next -- they both felt chemistry via e-mail and are excited to meet for the first time. Sparks fly, and Josh lays a kiss on her. She has a prearranged date with Hunt the next night, but she misses Josh. Hunt is loud, and his effeminate mannerisms ensure this is a short date. Claire continues to go out with Josh and things are going swimmingly until she receives an e-mail from Josh, dumping her. Ironically, Claire is very offended by the e-mail break-up.
Lisa withholds information from her dates -- her picture, her occupation and her real name. The first date is a disaster; Carmine is older than he says and he is inappropriately inquisitive about her grooming. Doug, a plastic surgeon, is a gentleman and the two enjoy a handful of dates, though Lisa is constantly on the verge of slipping and spilling her true identity. She decides to come clean over dinner and while Doug keeps his cool on the date, he's mystified about the deception. It doesn't work out.
Cynthia is excited to go out with Andrew, a self-described slim Fabio. His description of himself is wildly inaccurate and Cynthia calls him on his deception. But then -- in a departure from her mantra to "keep it real" -- she asks a friend to call her at the restaurant and fake an emergency so she must leave. Next up: speed dating and a match with Francis. They begin their date with high hopes but the only energy between them is aggression and the date ends in a verbal tussle. On her way home, Cynthia takes a booty call. Her search for love continues.
Amy arrives halfway through the first episode with a painfully honest online goal: she's looking for a husband so she can make babies. She picks an unlikely suitor in Chris, a professional poker player. He glibly tells Amy that he's shooting for volume in dating because that's what you have to do to find the one in a million. Amy casts a spell however, and Chris breaks off a date with Kristin, another of our online daters, to spend the evening with Amy. This could be the start of something beautiful.
