The Real World: Brooklyn is the twenty-first season of MTV's reality television series The Real World , which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships. It is the third season of the show to be set in New York City, though the first to be set in the borough of Brooklyn, as previous seasons, 1992's The Real World: New York and 2001's The Real World: Back to New York , were filmed in Manhattan. The season was aired as 13 one-hour episodes. MTV announced the location in May 2008. Filming began August 14, 2008, and concluded November 24, 2008. The series premiered January 7, 2009, and garnered an 18% increase in ratings over the previous season. The premiere was made available on iTunes on January 8. On January 4, MTV aired a special called The Real World: Secrets Revealed that documents the evolution of the series over the years.
Prior to the beginning of the season Jon Murray, co-creator of The Real World , and Chairman and President of Bunim-Murray Productions, explained the choice of Brooklyn: "The Brooklyn season, like the Hollywood season, will focus on what people loved about 'The Real World' when it launched in 1992 - genuine people, meaningful conflict and powerful stories...We're thrilled that MTV is allowing 'The Real World' turn 21!" Cast member Chet Cannon remarked on the city that was his home for three months, "Brooklyn is usually spoken of as more a place where you don’t want to go — I just don’t want to get shot down here."
Season changes
Almost every season of The Real World , beginning with its fifth season, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. However, no group assignment is given to the cast this season; the castmates are free to pursue their own interests, the first such season to do this since the fourth season. The group assignment returned the following season, though producer Jon Murray has expressed a desire to dispense with the group assignment again with the season following Cancun.
Brooklyn is the first season of the series to feature eight cast members moving into the residence together in the premiere. (All previous seasons premiered with seven-member casts, and only introduced new cast members when the departure of others during production necessitated replacements.) This number remains in subsequent seasons. It is also the first season to include an openly transgender cast member, Katelynn Cusanelli.
This is the first season, and the first MTV series, to be broadcast in high definition.
The residence
It was originally reported that the cast would be staying at the BellTel Lofts in Downtown Brooklyn, but problems obtaining permits for the construction required MTV to seek a new location. The production chose Pier 41 at 204 Van Dyke Street in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn. Pier 41 was also used as the setting for a bar scene in the 2005 Will Smith film, Hitch . This marked the second time a pier was used as a season residence for the cast after 1998's The Real World: Seattle .
Cast
The cast included a transwoman, Katelynn Cusanelli, a first for the series. The cast was photographed publicly for the first time at a Semi Precious Weapons Fashion Week party at the Manhattan club Rebel in early September 2008.
Episodes
The cast assembles at Pier 41 for the first time. Ryan, sensing that there is something "definitely different" about Katelynn, speculates that she is a transwoman. The women, especially Devyn, notice how attractive Scott is. Ryan's drinking causes concern for the others when they enjoy a night out together. He later discusses the effect of his time in Iraq, and how he channels it into his journal and music. J.D., who is gay, bonds with Kat, causing further conflict with Ryan, who perceives them to be excluding the others. Kat does not perceive Ryan to be the type of person who would be accepting if she came out to him, but because of the painful experiences that both she and J.D. experienced, they form an emotional rapport.
Kat comes out to Sarah and Baya. Ryan takes umbrage with some of the topical discussions among the others. The housemates take issue with Chet's pranks, but when J.D. talks to Chet about Chet having gone through his belongings, Chet denies the accusation, and is offended at the others talking about this outside his presence. Baya pursues her dance aspirations. A trip to a gay bar proves interesting for Chet and Ryan. The cast enjoys a visit from Chet's family. J.D. deals with the identity theft committed against him by his father. Comments about immigrants from a drunken J.D. lead to a heated argument with Chet, and a subsequent discussion about family.
Ryan pursues his professional musical interests, making contacts at a bar owned by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. Kat deals with the difficulties of her long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Mike, and looks elsewhere for companionship. Devyn and Scott, who regard each other as "BFF"'s, express their mutual attraction through flirting, but Devin is frustrated by what she sees as mixed signals by Scott, and questions regarding whether or not he is single. Baya, Chet and Ryan meet with an agency named Crush Management in order to further their aspirations. Baya and Ryan flirt with each other, and he joins her and the other girls in a pole dancing workout class, but they have different ideas about their relationship.
Devyn pursues her acting and music aspirations, but not without complications. Chet explores his romantic opportunities with a woman named Alex, even though they may conflict with his religious beliefs. Sarah discusses the childhood sexual abuse she suffered the hands of a teacher and inappropriate behavior from her father, to whom she hasn't spoken in eight years, an issue that becomes more immediate when she receives unwanted phone calls from him that greatly disturb her. A drunken J.D. outs Katelynn to Chet, and insults Devyn, offending all three of them, and leading to an impromptu sing-off between Devyn and another female singer at a club.
Scott, in the aftermath of the breakup from his girlfriend, Marissa, sees a number of women, inspiring gossip and parody among Devyn and the others. Ryan's pranks lead to a retaliation by J.D., and a heated argument. Chet pursues his aspirations of being a TV host, and receives some constructive criticism, a disappointing surprise when he visits the filming location of Total Request Live , and an interview with Pete Wentz. The suicide of one of Ryan's Army friends gives him cause to discuss the posttraumatic stress disorder that afflicts some of his fellow soldiers, his own traumatic memories of the Iraq War, and how the September 11 Attacks led to his enlistment. He also discusses the effect on him of the seventh anniversary, ceremonies for which he plans to attend.
Kat's expression of her newfound comfort with her body causes discomfort for her housemates, including Ryan, who learns of her transgender status by eavesdropping on her during her confessional. Kat, J.D. and Sarah participate in Braking the Cycle, a charity bike ride from Ryan's hometown of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Brooklyn to raise AIDS/HIV awareness. The entire cast goes to Gettysburg to support the trio and to meet Ryan's family, but conflict is generated by the girls' tardiness, Kat's behavior at a restaurant, and Chet's behavior at the event's opening ceremony. This also leads to a heated argument between J.D. and Devyn. Kat comes out to Devyn, but is still ambivalent about doing so with Ryan, who wonders why she has not done so yet, and decides to pursue the matter more directly. Kat is honest with him, but later is angered by both his and J.D.'s indiscretion.
A mouse infestation disturbs the housemates and provides fodder for pranks. Devyn juggles calls and emails from a suitor named Jim, and a visit from David, whom she refers to as her "semi-fiancé", and at other times as a "friend" who is in love with her. They try to work on their relationship, but Chet does not approve of her seeing two men. Ryan's girlfriend Belle comes for a visit, causing Ryan to consider the unwelcome possibility of being recalled to Iraq. Devyn ultimately decides she's not ready to be in a relationship with David or anyone else.
The men, particularly J.D., object to the women's refusal to help maintain cleanliness around the loft, as well as with other issues stemming from Devyn and Sarah's behavior, but the women refuse to accept the chores in question or agree to a house meeting. Ryan pursues his filmmaking interests, as does Sarah with the art therapy classes she teaches at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center. The group's feud over cleanliness eventually escalates into heated arguments, and violence on J.D.'s part.
Chet asks Kat about her transgender transition, but she is not appreciative of the disrespectful tone his questions take. Devyn pursues a job with a dress designer, and tries to help Sarah with a modeling job. Chet conducts an interview at Atlantic Records, and further pursues his VJ dreams, but all does not go as planned. Baya, who continues her dance training, explains why she did not accept the dance conservatory's offer, but the military-trained Ryan thinks that
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