McBee Dynasty Stars Steve & Jesse On Season 2 Drama, Dating Shows, DWTS, Their Parents, & More
McBee Dynasty Stars Steve & Jesse On Season 2 Drama, Dating Shows, DWTS, Their Parents, & More
So excited to have you both back here.
Congratulations on season 2.
Well, thank you.
Thanks so much for having us back.
Of course, you are on Bravo now, which is so exciting.
Welcome to the Bravo family.
Thank you.
It’s been an awesome transition.
Has it?
Mhm.
It really has.
The Bravo universe, the Bravo family, like everyone has been so welcoming and supportive.
We’ve really enjoyed it.
Sure.
Yeah.
Have you had any other Bravo stars reach out and be like, “We’re big show.”
Yeah.
We got like six different Bravo celebrities that we’re planning on having up to the farm.
Oh, really?
Who’s on the list?
Who made the list?
So, we have Christian and Luke.
We have Randy Cartwright.
I’m trying to get Craig Conover.
Yeah.
We’re going to have a whole show just over that.
Yeah, just over different.
This seems like the next summer house.
I really like that.
What do you have on the itinerary if and when they come?
We’re going to be riding horses.
We’re going to show them how we cook out at the farm.
I’m sure we’re going to put them in a tractor.
About to say we got to put them to work a little bit.
Yeah, they’re going to have to work a little bit.
Yeah.
If you were to jump on another show, what would it be?
I like the idea of the Below Deck crossover.
Like working on a yacht would be pretty cool.
Being from the Midwest, I think that would be fitting.
It’d be so different but be cool.
Yeah, no, definitely.
I feel like you could probably incorporate a little Below Deck vibe into your show a little bit, you know?
Yeah.
Right.
I love that.
So, how did you approach season 2 differently if you did at all?
I don’t know if we did really.
I mean, we came with the same mindset of we’re going to be open and transparent about everything and show the good and the bad of our life.
Yeah, definitely the ugly from Steven.
We had that mindset season one and we kind of kept it through season two.
Obviously, it was a little different this year.
We had my dad as kind of the cornerstone in season one and my mom is the cornerstone in season two.
So, we got a little different advice from her than we did from my dad.
So that is an interesting aspect in season two.
Yeah, I think you see whenever we’re around my dad, we tend to be a little bit more wild.
And then with my mom, things are a little more settled down and easygoing.
But like Jesse said, we kept the same mindset going into it.
If anything, we were just more comfortable on camera and more comfortable with knowing how shooting a reality TV show works.
And I think that’s where we were able to be more of ourselves in season two.
Definitely.
Was there any regrets from season one?
Many.
Yeah, I think there’s always times.
If Cole was sitting in the seat, he for sure would be saying that.
But yeah, I think there were some situations, maybe a couple Nashville nights out that I wish I would have held back a little bit.
Yeah, there are just certain things that you say and you’re like, “Man, why did I say that in that situation?”
Or “Do I really act like that?”
So yeah, I think for all of us there are things.
It’s good character building, I think, to watch yourself back on TV.
Yeah, you’re like, “Man, do I really act like that?
Do I really have that sort of flaw?”
Did the relationship between the brothers change at all doing the show?
If anything, we’ve gotten closer, which is good.
I think in this situation whenever you have some of the challenges that we’re facing, obviously season two with my dad’s investigation, you can either get torn apart by it or you can get built stronger and have an even closer family.
And I think that’s what we did.
Yeah, I think season two even explores our relationship as brothers even more than season one.
Without my dad kind of in the picture, we really had to rely on each other and trust each other in the decisions we were making and the fights that happened now that we’re the decision makers.
Yeah, and you see that kind of power shift in dynamics and how that plays out between all of you, especially with you and Cole and with the whole lease situation.
So how does that dynamic shift play out this season?
Cole and I have similar personalities in that we are both very opinionated and we both think we’re right all the time.
So Cole and I butt heads definitely the most.
Jesse is very good at being even-keeled, consistent, and more of sitting on the sidelines and offering input whenever he thinks it’s necessary, but more of playing the mediator between Cole and me.
Yeah, you feel like the middleman sometimes.
I do.
Yeah.
They’re hot-headed and they can forgive each other after they have a screaming match five minutes later.
And then I kind of sit somewhere in the middle of that.
They know not to make me mad because I hold grudges pretty bad.
Yeah, if you make Jesse mad, you’re not going to hear from him for months.
What was it like having your mom shoot this season?
It’s awesome.
We have such a close relationship with our mom.
Always have.
That was something that hurt a little bit watching season one as we’re sitting there and our mom’s watching it with us and people are wondering, “Where’s the mom?”
And we’re like, “Mom, we have such a good relationship with you, but the world has no idea who you are.”
So being able to showcase that to the audience in season two is probably the neatest part.
It was my favorite thing to do.
Did it take a lot of convincing?
Yeah, it did.
Yeah, it definitely did.
My mom’s a very private, introverted person.
And we used some of the comments that were coming in from season one like, “Hey, do they have a mom?”
Then there were a couple comments we really used where everyone thought Galina was our mom.
So we showed those to my mom and she’s like, “I’m going on season two.”
Like, “Call Annie.
Get the camera now.
We’re shooting.”
Now obviously Galina plays a big role this season and in your lives for so many years.
How would you describe your relationship with her now?
Well, Galina has become a family member to us.
Her background is insane.
When the Soviet Union crashed, she escaped to America.
She’s had such a tough upbringing and she really doesn’t have many people she can call friends or family.
And she’s really become part of our family over the last five or six years in addition to being one of the most important parts of our business.
But it was a struggle throughout season one and season two saying, “Hey, we love you, Galina.
You’re like a family member to us, but the personal havoc you’re wreaking with you and my dad’s situation is starting to take a toll not only on the businesses but on our personal lives as well.”
Yeah.
Is it hard not to get involved in the love lives of family members?
No matter how much you don’t want to be, you are.
When you’re as tight-knit as we are and you spend every minute together, you’re going to know pretty much everything that’s going on in everyone else’s lives.
You’re going to offer your opinions.
Do you regret being so open and honest with your mom about your love life?
Yes.
I’m very open with my family about things that are going on.
And I’ve realized, especially watching it back now, that is not always to the benefit of a relationship.
There are obviously some things you can talk to your family about, but many fights where you’re getting into it with your significant other and you forgive them right away, your family’s going to hold resentment long after.
So I think that’s one of the bigger learning lessons I had from season two.
Jesse, do you do that at all?
I’m actually pretty private.
I keep things to myself mostly because of exactly what he was talking about.
Family is always going to have each other’s side no matter what.
And they hold grudges more than you do.
We’re usually quicker to forgive our partner than our family is.
So I try not to talk about drama as much as I can.
I’ve learned from the situation I’m not going to do that.
Not going to do that.
You know we see you and Kala break up like 15 or 16 times.
Yeah.
It’s double digits.
Did the two of you speak at all?
Any communication with Kala since the episodes have aired?
Yes.
Absolutely.
There was a moment where we watched the first couple episodes a few months ago, just seeing them for the first time.
And whenever I left, I called Kala and said,
“Hey, I just want you to know my family and I handled that wrong.”
There were so many ways we could have handled that better, and I do want to apologize for that.
Oh, that’s good.
That’s good.
How do you feel that your bare butt was there for everybody to see?
Yeah… I wasn’t a fan.
I can tell you that.
Whenever you’re sitting on a couch watching it together with your family and that pops up, it’s a little awkward for a moment.
My mom wasn’t too happy about it.
But next season, if that happens again, I’m going to make sure I’m pre-tanned.
I could definitely even out the tan a little bit better.
It’s not like you didn’t know.
There’s a giant camera there.
You’re just butt naked.
You knew that was there, right?
I was like, “Oh, I wasn’t expecting that.”
It was full cheeks.
Like… this is a family show, right?
Yeah.
I love it.
How’s dad life treating you?
It’s been fun.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
The first few weeks we didn’t get a lot of sleep.
Now you’ll never sleep.
Never.
Yeah, that’s what everybody keeps telling me.
But it’s gotten a lot better.
She only wakes up twice a night.
And she’s kind of growing into her own little personality.
She’s three months today, so we’re in the thick of it.
Yes.
She’s getting big and eating all the time.
Changing lots of diapers.
What’s the best part about being a dad right now?
I think just seeing her change every single day.
There’s something new every day with her right now.
She’s starting to recognize people and voices.
She actually knows who I am now.
I think that’s the most fun part.
You’ve got two girls, two little baby girls in the family now.
Yeah.
It was good for us.
We needed that.
It’s definitely softened us up a little bit, which we needed.
I think my dad needed that more than anybody.
Yeah.
Kind of puts everybody in check.
Everybody slowed down a little bit and we’re more careful with what we say and what we do.
Especially my dad.
What’s your living situation now?
I’m mostly at the city house now.
So she won that battle.
I’m down there now.
It just makes life easier for all of us trying to babysit with Summer and her parents and my mom.
They all live in the city.
So I’ve been commuting back and forth.
And what’s that been like for you?
I’ve gotten used to it now.
The first few weeks were tough with the commute.
But once you get into that habit, it makes life a lot easier.
Was that a tough situation to figure out?
We saw those conversations this season.
I think I pretty much just gave in.
Yeah, I just gave in.
It wasn’t perfect at the start.
Like everything, it’s not perfect at the beginning.
But we’ve found a way that works for both of us.
Our parents help watch Summer.
We split time between the farm and the city.
It’s worked out.
And she’s been off work, which made it easier on her too.
How is Cole adjusting to being a dad?
Cole… I’m actually really proud of him.
Seeing how much he’s matured since becoming a dad has been amazing.
He loves little Blair.
He has really done a great job.
Yeah, he stepped up.
He needed to, and he did.
Is it giving you any baby fever?
I love being the fun uncle right now.
But yeah, it definitely gives you some baby fever.
I’m 30.
My brothers both have daughters now.
It’s probably time that I find someone I want to settle down with and start my own family.
Hopefully my kids can grow up with their daughters.
Have you been dating at all?
Would you ever go back on a dating show?
Actually, I told Cole the other day I think I would give reality dating another shot.
I heard that rumor.
Yeah, I think I’d try it again.
Is there a specific show you’d want to be on?
Cole and Casey said I’m not a good enough dancer for Love Island.
You can’t line dance on Love Island.
I told them I know how to two-step.
They said that’s not the type of dancing you need.
So they suggested Farmer Wants a Wife.
That might be more fitting.
Would you ever do Dancing With the Stars?
Oh absolutely.
Sign me up.
I actually took nine months of dance lessons.
Really?
Yep.
So we’re putting it out there into the universe.
I taught him how to dance too.
You’ll see that in season two.
I don’t know if I’d still call it dancing, but I didn’t trip over myself.
I taught him how to waltz in a barn.
I love that.
We’re going to see your wedding in season two.
What was it like filming that?
It was really neat.
Getting to experience everything and then watch it back now.
Everything was captured with the best cameras and audio.
It was really cool to relive it.
It felt like it flew by though.
The wedding was basically the end of filming.
So it felt like the culmination of all the relationship drama and farm drama ending in one big celebration.
It was more than just a wedding.
It was a huge relief.
It was a perfect day.
But there were some things you had to figure out first.
Like the prenup discussion.
Did that get resolved?
You’ll see how that plays out near the end of the season.
You’ll see the conversations with my mom, my brothers, and Ally.
And you’ll see the decision I made.
Was there ever a moment you thought the wedding might not happen?
There were a few moments where I didn’t know how everything would work out.
I never thought it wouldn’t happen.
But there were times I thought maybe we should push it back.
I’ll put it this way…
Every cast member cried at least once this season.
Cole cried multiple times.
Yeah.
Probably every episode with Cole.
What made you cry this season?
Some relationship issues with Kala.
And honestly, a lot of the pressure from everything happening at once.
We all cried at some point.
Season two deals with a lot of serious issues.
Including the FBI investigation.
How did you handle talking about something so personal on camera?
It was really tough.
It’s constantly on your mind.
Even when you’re trying to relax or hang out with family.
And it’s still ongoing.
So that pressure carried through the whole season.
Sometimes you’ll see me on camera and think,
“That guy looks like he’s about to crash out.”
And honestly… I was.
It was a really tough season.
But I’m proud that we still showed the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Was there ever a moment you thought about quitting the show?
No.
When we started this, we said we wanted people to see what life is like on a modern-day farm and ranch.
The pressures, the stresses, the challenges.
If we hid something like this, it wouldn’t be the full story.
And it seems like you found out about some of this on camera.
Yeah.
It was a complete shock.
It made a lot of Steven’s stress make more sense.
Cole and I didn’t realize how much he had been carrying on his shoulders.
You’ll probably see our reactions on camera.
How do you move forward from that now?
We lean into family.
We take it day by day.
The situation is still ongoing.
We’re hoping to have finality before the end of the year.
But for now we’re just focusing on spending time together and supporting my dad.
If anything, it’s brought us closer as a family.
Your dad could potentially face jail time.
How do you prepare for something like that?
The hardest part is the unknown.
We don’t know what it will look like.
So we’re just cherishing time together right now.
We’re having dinner together three or four nights a week.
Spending time with the grandbabies.
Just enjoying being together while we can.
I think it’s changed our perspective on what’s really important.
The businesses matter.
But family matters more.
We’ve tried to make the best of a really rough situation.
You’re also dealing with financial challenges this season.
Yeah.
Season two was a crazy five-to-six-month stretch.
It felt like something new was hitting us every single day.
But since filming ended we’ve made a lot of progress.
As a business and as a family.
We’re actually in a better place now than we’ve ever been.
What we thought would take five years to recover from might happen within the next year.
I’m really proud of that.
That’s amazing.
There are still lots of positive moments this season though.
What are you most excited for fans to see?
The wedding day for sure.
But there is still drama.
We couldn’t have a wedding without drama.
There’s definitely drama on the wedding day.
And seeing baby Blair being born was another huge moment.
Especially for my mom becoming a grandma.
You mentioned drama at the wedding.
Something happens with Galina, right?
Yeah… you’ll have to watch that episode.
Let’s just say… someone might get arrested on the wedding day.
That’s fair to say.
You’ll definitely want to tune in for that one.
It’s crazy.
A lot of highs.
A lot of lows.
And you really don’t know what’s going to happen next.
