You either know who Jeff Lewis is or you don’t. There’s rarely an in between for the OCD design and house flipping guru who returned to Bravo Wednesday night for the fifth season of “Flipping Out.” As Bravo struggles to fit Lewis and his docu-drama gang into a characterized, driven plot, viewers are left under-whelmed at the same crazy antics that have appeared in seasons past.

This season Lewis focuses on shifting his brand and business from flipping houses to honing his design reputation and expertise. Early on in the episode Jeff talks about his speaking engagements and major career changing moment after completing a widely publicized and praised kitchen design for the House Beautiful “Kitchen of the Year.” Lewis spent most of last season getting his business up and running again after the housing market bubble burst but this season, he balances more work than he ever imagined having. His kitchen design put him back in the national spotlight and transformed his core business from house flipping to high-end design and consultation.

Jeff is no longer “flipping out” because his home sales are slow, but rather because of his jam-packed, publicity-driven schedule. The schedule seems to have gotten to Lewis who softens his signature harsh and bossy demeanor. Lewis also opens up about his personal life and introduces the staff to his boyfriend Gage Edward. Edward serves as the head of Jeff's new business development team. Quick editing and fast paced screen cuts help aid the characterization of Edward as he rattles off Jeff’s schedule for a San Francisco Design Week event. “I think he’ll let me have six hours of sleep. If I’m lucky,” says Lewis. Has Jeff finally met his career-driven match? Edward is incredibly ambitious and wants to launch Jeff's small design firm into a much larger brand. Edward pushes Lewis to become more serious about his company leaving Lewis to re-evaluate which members of the gang have got to go.

Of course the home flipping is there too. And we are able to watch as Lewis’s staff deals with over 5 new properties and clients. Lewis accrued clients nationwide but most of the houses are based in the Hollywood area and eccentric personalities ensue. How is Lewis supposed to redo a home when a bohemian, cat-loving client won’t allow him in a room with her cats? No worries, Jeff finds a way. 

The classic broken-English banter between Jeff and housemaid Zoila Chavez is played, but leaves viewers with a twinge of smug entertainment. The novelty of Jeff’s excessive demands has seemed to fade and Zoila is conditioned to handle it. The unusually loyal staff at Jeff Lewis Designs puts up with routine jabs, (“Sarah is just a little slower than the other kids on the playground,” says Lewis) but this season the more sensitive Jeff gives them reason to stick around. Season trailers include a birthday facelift for Zoila and a wild bachelorette party weekend in Vegas for assistant Sarah Berkman.

Watch next week’s “Flipping Out” in its normal time slot Tuesday 9/8 p.m. central.

Reach reporter Kelly Williams here