Camping Review: Walt’s Birthday Part 1 (Season 1 Episode 7)
On Camping Season 1 Episode 7, “Walt’s Birthday (Part 1),” the group celebrates Walt’s birthday. Carleen finds her voice, and Kathryn and Nina-Joy make amends.
After six episodes, viewers finally get some answers about the falling out between Kathryn and Nina-Joy, and the source of their friction doesn’t really come as a surprise. On Camping Episode 4, “Up All Night,” Kathryn reveals she knew about Nina-Joy’s affair and may have shared that information.
It turns out she did — with George. There’s a real moment of honesty when Kathryn tells Nina-Joy she told George because she was jealous. We know Kathryn is a deeply unhappy woman, and viewers see this with such clarity when she’s under the influence.
Kathryn isn’t just ambivalent about sex, she despises even the thought of the act. Presumably these feelings are, at least in part, due to her litany of physical complaints (real and imagined).
Kathyrn and Nina-Joy’s conversation is one of — or the only — moment of true self-reflection Kathryn has had throughout the season.
Is she more likable as a result? No, not really. But Nina-Joy forgives her because Kathryn is just frigid, uptight, and needs to get laid.
Sex is on just about everyone’s mind at Walt’s birthday party. Both George and Joe target Jandice as a possible lay. George’s sole reason for trying to sleep with Jandice (and later Carleen) is simply for revenge which is disturbing.
When Nina-Joy mocks George regarding his chances of successfully cheating, he tells her “This is going to be so much easier on ecstasy.” This comment can’t be viewed as anything but predatory. George’s behavior isn’t comical, even though Carleen and Jandice dismiss his overtures.
George, Joe, and Miguel all have a frat boy mentality when it comes to sex. Jandice is reduced to a sexual object — a role she’s all too happy to play. Jandice feels empowered by this and has from the beginning of the series. Why is she even still around at this point?
Jandice admits she’s moving on from Miguel but is convinced she’s carved a niche for herself in this group. Without Jandice, there wouldn’t be anyone handing out drugs, and without drugs, all of these eleventh-hour confrontations couldn’t occur.
Viewers have been patiently waiting for the couple at the center of this vindictive, self-involved group, Kathryn and Walt, to take stock of their own marital discord. It appears they may avoid going over the precipice they’ve been perched on for six episodes.
Kathryn shows a softness and sweetness towards her husband that’s been missing. It becomes easier to imagine a time when they made sense as a couple. But Kathryn reverts to the off-handed cruelty she’s displayed time and again.
The highlight of “Walt’s Birthday (Part 1)” is that he finally stops being passive-aggressive and says to his wife what we all want to say, “Go f**k yourself.” At long last, Walt’s testicles finally descend from whence they came.
While the best thing all of these people could possibly do is get as far away from each other as possible, the punishment they deserve for being so horrible should (and likely will be) that they’ll all stick it out.
Nobody will forgive or forget, but it’s just easier to stay on the path of least resistance and wallow in their unhappiness.
What did you think of this episode of Camping? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Camping airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.
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Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.