One exceptional gay man. Fifteen extraordinary suitors vying for his attention. But appearances aren't always what they seem: what neither the gay suitors nor the leading man knows is that some of suitors are straight men pretending to be gay in hopes of winning a cash prize. In a world where gay is the norm and straight men must stay in the closet, will boundaries be crossed? Can stereotypes be shattered? Will romance prevail? At the outset, James and Andra have five minutes to study the faces of the fifteen mates. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but it's hard not to form a first impression from these handsome headshots. From these initial impressions they spot five early favorites: Chris, Dan, Matt, Rob & Franklin. Of course, what they don't know now and won't know for some time is that some of those men might not be gay. At poolside, James meets the fifteen mates one at a time, offering each a handshake and a Hawaiian lai. A few of the men elect to take a chance in the
As the sun rises on Day 2, James and Andra have a quiet poolside breakfast and plan for the day. Meanwhile, not too far away at the Mates' House, a dozen men -- gay or pretending to be -- share the joys of communal living: sun bathing, swimming, flirting…and waiting in line for the bathroom. The first activity of the day has a western theme. James and six of the mates are decked out in cowboy hats and flashy boots for an afternoon of line dancing in the hot desert sun. There they meet Jorge, their dance instructor. Once they've got a grasp of the basic steps, the guys partner up and attempt a few more intimate variations. Once again, decision time. Three men have to be eliminated, but now there's a catch: the twelve mates are divided into groups of four, and James must eliminate one guy from each group. James bids a reluctant goodbye to Jim and Paul who, unbeknownst to James, were both secretly straight, as well as Marc who, although gay, never felt much chemistry with our Leading Man.
Nighttime brings out intimate talk and personal revelations from our housebound housemate. Michael confesses that he is attracted to both sexes, stunning several of other guys, most notably Brian. But later Brian offers a revelation of his own: his attention is divided between Leading Man James and fellow Mate Dan. Coincidentally, Dan is also the topic of conversation over at James and Andra's residence. He's told two markedly different stories to each, and they have to wonder if Chris, his close pal back in New York, is more of a boy friend or a boyfriend. James, Andra and half the guys (Dan, Brian, Darren, Matthew & Michael) pile into the car for a trip to the Living Desert and a wildlife encounter featuring turtles and snakes. Before long, it's time for the first one-on-one of the day. This one is ladies' choice and Andra chooses Matt. As they stroll through the zoo, James and Matt have a serious talk about expectations and aspirations. Over a snack of root beer floats and (appropri
With only six Mates left, the pressure is on. Each guy knows that the next thing he says or does may be the difference between survival and elimination. Today's group date begins with horseback riding. For Darren, it's his first time on a horse and he's a little uneasy. Robb has problems of his own atop the last horse, stuck at the back of the pack in a cloud of everyone else's dust. At the end of the trail, James pulls a name from a hat for a one-on-one: lunch with Brian. In his first opportunity to be alone with James, Brian dispels the notion that, as a bartender, he's inclined to be promiscuous. James is quite happy to hear that Brian is looking for the same things he is - a serious, monogamous relationship. The guys are reunited for a hike, followed by another one-on-one, this time with Robb. The elements conspire against Robb once again as dust and wind interfere with their conversation. James asks Robb how he would feel if he were sent home, a question he will later pose to many
Episode 4 ended with the shocking revelation that one of the three remaining Mates -- Brian, Franklin or Wes -- is secretly straight. If James' ""gaydar"" is accurate and he picks one of the gay Mates, he will not only win that romantic trip to New Zealand but also pocket $25,000. Should he do otherwise, the money will instead go to the straight guy. Meanwhile, at the mostly empty Mates' House, emotions ride high. While all are happy to remain in contention, they express sorrow at the departure of three more newfound friends. Wes in particular sheds a few tears, and Andra stops by to commiserate. James has three more one-on-one dates before he makes his selection, and he is forbidden from directly asking anyone's sexual orientation or from revealing the twist. Let the games begin. James hopes the spa setting will be a good barometer of Franklin's comfort level and possibly his true sexuality. After a massage and a dip in the hot tub, the two settle in for a romantic dinner in the spa's l
The final elimination ceremony is still fourteen hours away. That's a lot of time for three anxious Mates to wait. Nothing helps kill time like a little vodka, and soon the edgy threesome turn into a trio of merry pranksters. Left unattended, they make off with a Boy Meets Boy camera and stage a little show of their own. In the morning, James and Andra arise to breakfast and to one last strategy session. They evaluate not just the three remaining men but also those who came and went. Not all of their suppositions appear to be on the mark, as they mistakenly peg Darren as straight, and Paul and Jim as gay. The time has finally arrived. One glass of champagne to offer, two potential love interests…and a third man with a decidedly different agenda. James first breaks the news to Brian: he feels privileged to have met him, but his heart lies elsewhere. As James suspected, Brian is in fact gay. Next, James eliminates Franklin, ""outing"" him as the straight guy. Franklin confirms that he is s