We all know all about Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna. Or do we? Their relationship has existed quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) as a consistent storyline in the current season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. But now that Rob and Chyna have Rob & Chyna the show, they get to move into the spotlight and take a shot at controlling their own narrative.
The debut episode starts with the backstory of their relationship, straight from the couple themselves. Chyna explains that they met at Kendall’s Sweet 16 when Chyna was still with Tyga. When Rob heard that she and Tyga split, he started texting her. She eventually “caved in,” according to Rob. “Then we just kinda fell for each other,” Chyna says.
Chyna doesn’t pull any punches about the hardest part of being with Robert Kardashian. People often think she’s a gold-digger, which makes Rob laugh since he doesn’t have that much gold to dig.
Rob says it was hard with his family at first, which is not news to anyone who watches Keeping Up With The Kardashians, but Chyna is optimistic about Rob’s prospects as a partner and father saying she thinks he’ll do well. “Better get yourself a Rob, ladies. Better get yourself a Rob,” she says.
That type of positivity doesn’t make for a very engaging hour of reality TV, though. The major conflict in the premiere is a fight between Rob and Chyna that results in Rob getting kicked out of the house and then going M.I.A. on his fiancée. The B story, as they say in TV land, is Rob’s relationship with his mom.
Chyna and her friends, Jolisa, Sam, and Paige, have a laugh about Rob and his relationship with his mom. Want to know what kind of cake Rob likes? Call his mom. Rob, the toilet’s overflowing. “Better call my mom,” Paige says, imitating Rob. Rob has the bad timing to call in the middle of this conversation. What are you doing, Rob? “I just got finished talking to my mom,” he says. Chyna and her friends share a laugh. “Rob has been babied by his mom and sisters,” Chyna says.
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Scott shows up at Rob’s house. Rob’s got some art to hang on his walls. A large Nagel-style portrait of his mother and then a “Sundays In The Park With George”—style portrait of his sisters. Because that’s exactly what all guys hang in their new house, right?
Before we get to the fight that is the focus of the episode, first it is time to find out whether Rob and Chyna are expecting a boy or a girl. Scott takes the time to tease Rob about wanting a boy. “Are you afraid the Kardashian name is going to die out?” Scott says, laughing. He asks Rob if he’s going to go with a traditional name or a celebrity name like Arrow. Scott has the best solution. “If it’s a girl, just name her Kim.”
Rob and Chyna go for the ultrasound and learn that Chyna is carrying a girl. Rob looks momentarily disappointed, but he rebounds quickly. “It’s an emotional moment,” he says. “Me wanting to have a boy stemmed from my relationship with my father but I’m sure that I’ll have the relationship I had with my father with my daughter.” Chyna is excited about having a girl and also excited to do a cool, surprise gender reveal with their friends and Rob’s family.
Not so fast, Chyna. Kris appears at the door with a gift basket tied with a giant pink ribbon. Seems Rob has already leaked the news. Chyna confronts him on it after Kris leaves. “I mean, it’s my mom,” is all Rob has to say. “I guess that’s just the Kardashian family,” Chyna says. “Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.” You have watched their show before, right, Chyna?
The big fight starts with Chyna’s phone. Rob is upset that she’s getting a lot of texts. He picks up her phone to check the messages, but she has changed her passcode. He confronts her about having something to hide. She denies that she’s doing anything wrong. She’s pissed. The fight escalates the following day. She has asked if he is texting other women. He replies that he does text other women. Chyna tells Paige that Rob accused Chyna of cheating with Tyga. Chyna calls Rob and yells at him. “Have a nice life by yourself.”
Paige isn’t flustered by Chyna being so irate. Chyna tells her friend that Rob is irresponsible. “I just need a break,” she says.
Rob comes home (to Chyna’s house) with flowers and apology. Neither makes much impact with Chyna. She tosses the flowers in the pool and tosses Rob out of the house.
Nanny Joy, King’s nanny, sits down with Chyna for a heart-to-heart. She urges Chyna to talk to Rob and not fly off the handle. She tells Chyna it is okay to show her emotions and to let people in. “You’re not as tough as you think you are,” Nanny Joy says. Forget finding a Rob, like Chyna suggested earlier. Let’s all find us a Nanny Joy.
Talking it out with Rob isn’t so easy when Rob disappears. Chyna calls and texts but gets no response. She and her friends go to Rob’s house. He’s been there, but he’s not there now. The next step, and what feels like a last resort for Chyna, is a trip to Kris’s house. Rob isn’t there either, but Chyna gets to have an awkward conversation with her mother-in-law-to-be.
“Rob told me that he got kicked out of the house,” Kris says. “What’s that all about?”
Kris clearly makes Chyna nervous. Understandably so. Chyna explains that she thinks the problem comes from the fact that Rob doesn’t have a main focus so that means he will pick at Chyna. Kris says she thinks he’s learning how to be in a long-term relationship, but also that he might be depressed.
“A lot of people have tried to help Rob and not been successful,” Chyna says. “He’s more sensitive than I am,” Chyna admits. Kris suggests taking a different approach. That would be great for Chyna if Rob were talking to her. “I’ll talk to him,” Kris says. Rob may be out of the house, but he not out from under her wing.
Chyna commiserates with Paige after having a mini-meltdown about there not being any jelly in the fridge. She’s frustrated and scared. Paige is sympathetic, to a point. “I understand, but this is what you chose to deal with. So deal with it.”
No jelly crisis at Casa Kris. Jenner makes Rob some turkey bacon and scrambled eggs with a heaping side of sympathy. Rob says his priorities are all about Chyna. But he feels he needs to focus on himself and getting healthy and ready for the baby. "Hang in there," Kris says.
That's good advice for Rob and Chyna. They've got six episodes to fill after all.