Total Bellas Island - Total Bellas recap for October 5, 2016

The series begins with Brie and Nikki explaining everything that leads up to the intro, which consists of John Cena laying down some house rules. Nikki has been forced to rehab a neck injury, and Nikki asks Brie to move in with her due to her needing more help as he and John Cena will need a nurse for her neck injury. We also learn that Nikki has a new puppy named Winston. Meanwhile, Bryan is preparing for his big comeback into WWE, but is forced to retire due to his injury, which crushes Brie as he knows that wrestling is Bryan's life.

Brie, Nikki, J.J. and their mom Kathy head to Tampa General Hospital. We then see Nikki in a hospital bed as she goes in for surgery. Kathy understandably fears for Nikki's life, hoping that the surgery does not get botched. Four hours later, the Bella clan finds out that everything went perfectly regarding Nikki's surgery.

We then see Brie and Bryan at home, having been invited to move in with Nikki and John Cena. Bryan is reluctant about this.

A few days have passed since Nikki's surgery, and John Cena is driving Nikki to the airport. John Cena does not want Nikki's family to bend house rules.

Brie, Bryan, Josey and J.J. are at the Tampa airport, with Kathy on the way there.

We learn that Kathy is now married to John Laurinaitis, and that Big Johnny lives close to John Cena and that Johnny and Kathy know each other because of the Bella Twins.

Brie, Bryan and Josey finally make it to Nikki and John Cena's house. As Josey meets Winston for the first time, we get a look at the guest house. It becomes apparent that Nikki will be needing help with a lot of stuff. We also learn that John Cena wants to do a formal dinner with the family at least once a week.

Brie and Bryan get ready for the formal dinner. Everyone is dressed for the occasion, yet Bryan and Brie are not wearing shoes due to the no shoes in the house rule. Cena gives the ground rules, and there quite a few of them: coffee in the morning and fireside chats in the evening, formal dinner once a week (usually Wednesday), Josie has to stay in the guest house due to shedding a lot. Brie thinks the house rules are a bit much. The formal dinner starts with a toast to family.

The women and the men are in different rooms of the guest house. John Cena asks Daniel Bryan if he has thought about what he wants to do after wrestling. Daniel feels it's too soon to think about what to do next, and is just trying to take it all in at the moment.

Bryan heads to New Orleans for Comic Con, as he has been doing appearances since being forced to retire. Meanwhile, Brie, Nikki, Kathy and J.J. head to a restaurant for happy hour - Nikki's first in two months - and there they meet John Cena. There, it leads to a rather awkward conversation about how John Cena and Nikki have sex.

Brie, Nikki, J.J. and Kathy have drinks at another restaurant. This time, Kama Sutra is brought up. Brie finds it preposterous that her mom and her sister are getting more than she is.

J.J. and Nikki are setting up an inner tube at the pool when John Cena shows up. Suddenly, Josie bites John Cena on the ankle, and he doesn't take it very likely. J.J. tells Bryan about what happened, and everything is chalked up to Josie being wound up.

J.J. is driving Nikki and Kathy around, with the environment of the house proving to be too much. All of a sudden, the three of them find out that a wild alligator is being handled by the local animal control, and they fear for Josie's safety.

Bryan makes it back, as does John Cena. Bryan mentions Josie's high anxiety problems, and Cena understands, but reminds Bryan that a dog can be a high liability.

J.J., Bryan and Brie try to figure out what to do about Josie. They consider building a dog park for Josie, but Nikki shows up and asks why they haven't asked John Cena for permission - which they obviously don't care about - to make it. The dog park idea is nixed, and the large amount of house rules is getting to the rest of the Bella clan, and Brie wants to go home at this point.

Bryan and Brie are dressed for a formal dinner - now with shoes. Brie asks Bryan if he is thinking about telling John Cena that he's heading back to Phoenix. Bryan asks Brie to be the one to bring everything, because if he does leave, it will be because of Brie.

At the formal dinner, the dog park incident is brought up, and Nikki tells John Cena that everyone feels like they have been walking on eggshells ever since they showed up. John admits that he is very difficult to live with and set in his ways, and apologizes is everyone feels unwelcome. He doesn't want there to be a dark cloud hanging over him that makes him difficult to talk to, and that he made the morning coffee and evening fireside chats to cover that. He says that there will be ups and downs, but everything will work out.

Bonus clip: Nikki talks to a doctor about neck surgery.