Time to 'flip out' again with Jeff Lewis

Our lovable jerk is back.

Jeff Lewis returns tonight for the fourth season of Bravo's "Flipping Out," and even though the OCD house-flipper/designer can be a real tyrant with his employees, there's still something awfully endearing about him. One minute he's castigating assistant Jenni over a minor mistake, and the next he's giggling like a little boy because his dog peed on another assistant's head. I'm sorry, but I can't help but love this guy.

Of course, the shadow hanging over Season 4 is Jeff's painful split from former friend and business partner Ryan Brown over accusations last season that Ryan stole business from Jeff. I still can't forget Bravo's excruciating reunion show during which their friendship was obliterated before our eyes.

In tonight's season premiere, there's no sign of Ryan, and we won't see him at all this season, but we do get plenty of housekeeper Zoila, house boy Jett, and assistants Jenni, Sarah, and Chace (as well as all the cats and dogs).

But there are a few minor changes. For one, Jeff has lots of clients (including a restaurant) and spends a crazy amount of time driving from job to job, which means lots of car time and no more "family lunches" from El Pollo Loco. Which means no more "Lord of the Flies" lunchtime takedowns of underlings (miss you Chris! miss you Rachel!). Instead, Jenni and Jeff are scarfing down cheeseburgers and chicken McNuggets on the road to Altadena (near Pasadena), where Jeff gets bulldozed by two very hands-on clients doing a massive home remodel.

There's also the matter of Jeff apparently trying to turn his whole staff into alcoholics with his new "happy hour in lieu of dinner" policy, but hey, if it works for Don Draper...

"Flipping Out" airs tonight on Bravo at 9pm.