Wahlburgers season 4 premiere: Marky Mark and the lesser bunch
Episode one kicks off with a glimpse into the superior life of Mark Wahlberg.
While Wahlburgers is known for parading hunky-dory “normal’’ sentiments behind a celebrity family-run business, the season four premiere of A&E’s leading reality show gave everyone a big, fat glimpse into the outrageous life of the Wahlbergs’ most elite: Mark.
The episode kicks off with Paul, novice chef and Wahlburgers prodigy, strolling down Hollywood Boulevard with his two teenaged children on a visit to see his brother’s family. Paul fits nicely into the role of the cute dad who shamelessly debuts his out-of-fashion sense of pop culture while strolling the Walk of Fame, and his teens don’t fail in the “are all these people dead?’’ department. That is, until they stumble upon Mark’s star, and suddenly one of those far-but-few moments of fathoming Mark’s fame start to sink in.
The secondary Wahlbergs—Paul’s family, lesser in stardom, but not importance—are then in the backyard at Mark’s house in Los Angeles. It’s everything you’d ever believe Mark Wahlberg’s house looks like: white and grand and European-looking, with a dignified fountain at its front, and lagoon-like pool in the back, set right into the scene of California hills. It’s like Versailles, but with WiFi (probably).
Even amid the family gathering complete with a chummy cookout and an overly competitive game of touch football, nods to Mark as the reigning “famous one’’ doesn’t ever go away. He offhandly mentions he used rent Milton Berle’s apartment, and Paul is all, “Really? No kidding!’’ as if that’s not at all wicked cool.
“Brandon seemed the most into making his own pizza. Maybe he’ll follow Paul into the culinary arts,’’ Mark said, almost tongue-in-cheek, as if he didn’t picture his kids following his own sanctified path. “I doubt it, but you never know.’’
But even though this is the first episode where the capacity of Mark’s fortune is truly recognized, the show never really loses sight of that engaging, good-humored, all-in-the-family connection that sits at the root of Wahlburgers. Once you’re past the point of ogling Mark’s estate and the irritating gorgeousness of his own family, we still see affable head-butting between Paul and Mark, and lots of Mark exuding his hot-headedness.
As Alma said in an interview, “They all have a little tiff, everybody goes their own way, then they’re back, and everything’s fine—til the next game.’’
Yes, keep everything #blessed.
Photos: A crash course on the cast of Wahlburgers:
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