Breaking Amish: Getting Settled in NYC

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

What did Abe, Rebecca, and Sabrina eat on their first day in the city? They hadn't found a grocery store yet, so presumably they went out someplace. I'm surprised this wasn't filmed (or, if it was, that it wound up on the cutting room floor), as the group probably had something worthwhile to say about the food, the cost, or the choices, if nothing else! I'm a bit thrown as to how, exactly, these youngsters volunteered to do this show... they all know it's a show and it seems to be planned that they'd end up meeting two days apart, but their situations are all rather different. We're also not 100% clear on the time of year it is, but it's not fall (because Jeremiah references fall being in the future) and it's not winter (they're not bundled up). I imagine that we'll get some more clues as the series continues, but for now it seems it's most likely April, May, or June. Clearly, the storylines of the five will begin to split, and with two of the girls attempting modeling, I wonder what sort of "work" the guys will find themselves attempting! Manual labor of some kind is my bet! Overall, I didn't think that this episode was as interesting as the first, but things are only going to get more dramatic... after all, this does seem part Real World!

Breaking Amish "What Have We Gotten Ourselves Into?" (S01E02): First, a reminder of some of the basic facts about the five young adults on this show:

Sabrina, 25, Mennonite, Lancaster, PA. She wants to be a singer, wear jeans, pierce her ears, and learn about her birth parents (father is Puerto Rican and birth mother is Italian). Before she left the community, she received hate mail from others.  

Abe, 22, Amish, from Punxsutawney, PA. He's been thinking about leaving the community since he was 18 and dropped out of school at 15.

Rebecca, 20, Amish, from Punxsutawney, PA. She grew up with her grandparents (her mother had an affair with a non-Amish man as a teenager, and she also had an affair with a taxi driver, resulting in her being shunned and then beating Rebecca because of it). She thinks that men and women should be equal. She wants to see the ocean. She and Abe know one another because they went to the same church.

Kate, 21, Amish, Lancaster, is a Bishop's daughter, wants to be a model. She recently got a DUI in Delray Beach, FL, where she partied with friends after being kicked out of her family home. She lost her license and has an upcoming court date. 

Jeremiah, 32, Amish, Holmes County, Ohio. Five out of seven kids in his farming family (himself included) are adopted. He left a serious girlfriend to see what he thinks about driving cars, having privacy, and going to the tops of tall buildings.

We pick up with Rebecca and Abe on their way to the airport, with Rebecca having second thoughts but pushing forward. She also mentions that she did meet her father once, but he has a family of his own and never wants to see her again. [ouch! cute little "The Little Light of Mine" music.] Then we see Sabrina driving herself to the airport and meeting up with the others, who recognize her as Mennonite because her bonnet is different. [did she just leave her car at the airport indefinitely??] Abe loves the flight but Rebecca is completely petrified. When they land in New York, they ride an escalator for the first time, then they take a cab (Abe's first) to the hotel (Sabrina's first - Mennonites don't stay in hotels because they have alcohol in them. [different shots - sometimes Rebecca is in the middle and sometimes it's Sabrina.] Rebecca turns on and off the lights and Sabrina eats complimentary donuts, then they have an espresso and listen to music. Abe looks forward to having a real shower. The trio then goes to see Times Square but get lost, despite receiving directions, having a map, and all of the streets going in order. [I wonder how manners will come into play, or even what's considered "socially acceptable." when Rebecca asked the limo driver to look inside, I was a little shocked.] The next morning, Rebecca tells Sabrina that she likes Abe, who orders a room service breakfast that winds up costing $52.

When Kate arrives, she finds Grand Central Station dirty. She takes a cab to the hotel and doesn't understand how to use the elevator. [I was a little unclear over what she was doing incorrectly.] She's nervous about sharing a room, and when she arrives, Rebecca is surprised that she doesn't look outrageously beautiful. [you know how people exaggerate...] Rebecca doesn't want to share her bed so she calls for a cot for Kate. [any idea how long this trip is going to last?] The girls then head to the gym downstairs, where Rebecca falls off a treadmill. [They're staying at this Hyatt, by the way.] Jeremiah arrives at Penn Station and starts cursing because he can. [haha! what's with these weird "flashbacks," though? kinda almost Blair Witch!] Jeremiah finds Sabrina attractive. The five of them check out sunglasses because the Amish can't wear them (it's a vanity thing). Abe haggles the price to impress Rebecca. [odd, but maybe it sparked something for her!] The next big step is to go grocery shopping (on a Sunday), and the prices shock them. Rebecca and the guys go for junk food and soda, and Sabrina wants to try wine. They overspend a bit. When Kate and Sabrina have wine, they talk about Rebecca's teeth, speculating that they're fake.Late that night, they go looking for them and find dentures and a lighter in Rebecca's bonnet. [yeah... I wonder how this is going to play out. I hope they don't embarrass the poor girl! the lighter is amusing, too...] They go to the penthouse to see what it's like to be up high, and Abe spits off the roof. Rebecca isn't 21 so she can't drink like the rest of them.

Walling McGarity/TLC