‘The Hills’: Audrina takes back Justin Bobby

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And with that, Audrina is back at square one. Again. Remember the last time Justin Bobby was cut out of her life? For kissing another girl right in front of her? It didn’t last long.

So even though the audience knew that this was coming -- she called Justin Bobby ‘the one’ two weeks ago during MTV’s ‘The Hills: After Show’ -- I still got a strong urge to shake Audrina when she gave Corey the shaft and took Justin Bobby back. You were doing so well standing up to your friends, Audrina. What happened?

This back-and-forth drama, however recycled it is, has recently made Audrina the de facto star of ‘The Hills’ for the past few weeks (not to mention the beginning of the season). It’s no wonder Lauren’s talking about leaving.

But would that be a good thing?

Are Audrina’s friend and love woes as addictive as the height of Lauren vs. Heidi? Does watching Justin Bobby string her along feel as infuriating as watching Spencer court Heidi?

It’s a resounding ‘no’ on both counts.

As much as I’ve been no fan of Lauren Conrad, I admit the show needs her as the anchor. She’s scary, yes. She’s been uptight and bratty. She seems to prefer boy friends over girl friends; boys like Brody are forgiven for cheating, while girls like Heidi have long suffered for alleged crimes, apologizing over and over again. And she says things like, ‘You guys like, look cute together. Like a cute, like, couple.’ (She said it last night and while she was very clearly intoxicated, I had to really resist hitting the mute button.)

But without Lauren, there is no one to talk sense to Audrina. There’s no one for Spencer to scheme against. For Stephanie to woo. For Brody to hang on. For Lo to call ‘pretty.’ So there: As long as ‘The Hills’ are on, Lauren is essential.

But getting back to Audrina...

She did make me laugh last night when she totally blew off Brandy, the Grammy Award-winning R&B star whose popularity peaked in the late ‘90s. As her luck would have it, Brandy’s signed to Epic Records, where Audrina works during ‘The Hills’ shooting hours. Audrina and her colleague Chiara were assigned to help out during a recording session -- were they helping to sort photos? Did Audrina even recognize Brandy? I’m not sure -- while Brandy sang her new single ‘Right Here (Departed).’ Just as Brandy belted out the fitting refrain, ‘Do you hear me crying haaaaaard?’ Justin Bobby texted Audrina. He was waiting for her outside.

Audrina bailed mid-song. (I’m sure Brandy isn’t holding a grudge.) And Justin Bobby told her the words she needed to hear: ‘We’re a good Catch-22,’ he said. (I kid. Audrina looked kind of confused by those words, and I don’t blame her.) ‘I will pretty much be there for you,’ he said. At least he couched it with ‘pretty much.’ ‘I want you to be with me.’

Yep, it never takes much.

The boys also made me laugh. Is it just me or does Brody get sillier with every episode? For some reason, he thinks his storyline for the season is to be hellbent on making Stephanie’s life miserable. So he gotten all tough, telling Lauren that if Stephanie’s new boyfriend Cameron wanted to start something, he’d put him in his place.

“Please god, let Cameron say something to me. I’ll say, ‘Listen homie, why don’t I pull you outside and tell you a few things about your girlfriend that you don’t know.’’ Cameron, who was introduced just last week, told Stephanie he’d protect her from Brody. ‘I want him to see me and be like, I hate you.’

Finally, the two crossed paths at a nightclub (the ground that has led to many a blowup on ‘The Hills’) and ... nothing happened. Of course. Cameron fumed quietly and Brody stayed stuck on Lauren. All talk, that’s what all the boys on ‘The Hills’ are. Always leaving it to the ladies to drive the drama.

Thoughts? Could the show survive without Lauren?

Next week, Audrina moves out (and possibly in with Justin Bobby) and Heidi gets ‘fired’ from Bolthouse. But where is Lauren?

-- Denise Martin