There are several ways to try to repair a fractured friend group. You could have an honest conversation, take responsibility for your behavior, or perhaps give everyone a little space to calm down. But those options are apparently too straightforward for the women of Salt Lake City, so Quai has decided that the solution is Reiki. Nothing says emotional healing quite like gathering a group of women who actively dislike one another, asking them to examine their energy, and hoping nobody brings up the thing they have been arguing about for the last three episodes.
Unfortunately, the energy in this group is not merely scattered. It is actively hostile. And by the time this particular healing exercise is over, Mary Cosby and Angie Katsanevas will have reached a point in their friendship that may be difficult to come back from. There will be accusations, tears, a miniature bullhorn, and a comment about Mary’s husband and son that takes the entire afternoon somewhere very dark.
But first, we have Lisa Barlow preparing to become the next Lady Gaga.
Lisa is working on her singing career, and she is approaching the project with the same level of confidence she brings to everything else. She has been singing since childhood, and apparently the next step is becoming a recording artist. John stops by while she is practicing, and he is perfectly happy to play the role of devoted audience member. He compares her to a god and makes it clear that he is happy to worship her.
Honestly, John has had years of experience supporting the Lisa Barlow experience, so he knows his role.
There is also a more serious update about Lisa’s health. Her thyroid condition is improving, and she explains that things had become so bad that the strain on her body could have been life-threatening. The swelling in her ankles had affected her ability to sing, which is particularly inconvenient when one is preparing for a major musical career. Lisa is feeling better now, and it is good to see that she is recovering.
Of course, even while discussing her health and her music, Lisa is still Lisa. She tells John about Quai’s upcoming Reiki gathering and makes it clear that everyone is invited except Britani. Apparently, the invitation list is another opportunity to establish who is currently in good standing with the group.
Meanwhile, Heather is doing what Heather does best: turning an ordinary shopping trip into an opportunity to manage the social dynamics of the group.
She takes the women to Kemosabe, a store where she wants everyone to buy scarves. Heather is enthusiastic about the merchandise and also finds time to flirt with the man working behind the counter. There are jokes about the straps, the scarves, and the general business of trying things on. It is all very light until we remember that these women are not actually in a particularly lighthearted mood.
Bronwyn arrives in jeans, which is apparently an indication that things are not going well. She is still upset about what happened at Heather’s Jupiter party, particularly Angie’s role in spreading information and creating more conflict. Whitney, meanwhile, is unhappy with Heather and believes she deliberately contributed to the drama. She has no interest in joining the shopping trip, and she is not ready to move past her disagreement with Heather.
So the shopping group becomes a smaller group, and the women eventually move from shopping to drinking. Conveniently, the bar is right there in the store, because sometimes the universe understands what a Housewives episode needs.
Once they settle in, Bronwyn explains why she is so frustrated with Angie. She believes Angie helped turn the situation at the Jupiter party into something much bigger, and she is not interested in pretending that everything is fine. Bronwyn even acknowledges that she has become difficult herself, but she is not willing to accept that Angie gets to behave however she wants without being questioned.
Angie, naturally, has a different interpretation. Her problems are worse. Her situation is worse. Her marriage is in trouble, and she feels that the other women are not considering what she is going through. The conversation turns toward Todd and Shawn’s friendship, and the women begin comparing the things their husbands have said and done.
Somehow, the discussion circles back to Lisa, with Angie suggesting that she was doing Lisa’s dirty work. This is becoming a familiar problem for Angie. She wants to be seen as someone who is loyal to her friends, but the other women are increasingly questioning whether she is acting independently or simply repeating what someone else wants her to say.
The argument turns into the usual exchange of accusations: you’re mean, you’re mean, nobody likes you, and apparently we’re not friends anymore. Bronwyn eventually leaves because she does not believe Angie is willing to acknowledge her part in the situation. Angie calls her a liar, and the conversation ends without anything resembling a resolution.
While the women are busy arguing about who has behaved worse, Mary is having a much more personal conversation with Big Joe.
They sit down together for a meal, and Mary talks about the difficult period she has been experiencing since her son’s death. She describes how she has been in survival mode and is now trying to find her way through life again. Her grief is still very much present, and she admits that returning to church is difficult because it brings back memories of her son.
Joe is supportive and reminds her that she will return when she is ready. Their conversation is tender, particularly because Mary is trying to reconcile her faith with the reality of losing someone she loved. She reflects on the life she had with her son and how much he meant to her. The idea of never seeing him again is something she continues to struggle with.
It is a very different side of Mary, and the conversation gives us a better understanding of just how much she is carrying. She also talks about the women supporting her during this period, although she has noticed a change in Angie. Mary feels that Angie has become more self-involved and less attentive to the people around her.
And this is important, because the conflict between Mary and Angie is not simply another disagreement about gossip. Mary feels that someone she considered a close friend has failed to show up for her at a particularly painful time.
Angie, meanwhile, is dealing with problems of her own.
She spends time with her father and brother, showing off her new Porsche. She is proud that she purchased it with her own money, and she has every reason to be. It is a significant personal accomplishment, and her family is supportive.
She also has her Grindr award, which is another reminder that Angie has managed to become a recognizable figure in this particular social universe. The award is amusing, but the conversation soon becomes more serious.
Angie tells her father and brother about the problems in her marriage to Shawn. She explains that the distance between them has been painful and that she wakes up feeling anxious about what is happening. Shawn has been part of her family for approximately thirty years, so the possibility of separation is not something she can simply dismiss. She is worried about disappointing her father, but he reassures her that the family will support her regardless of what happens.
This is an important scene because it gives us a glimpse of the private turmoil Angie has been keeping from the group. She is struggling, and she clearly does not feel particularly secure about the future of her marriage. That does not automatically explain every argument she has with the other women, but it does help us understand why she is so emotionally raw.
Unfortunately, the women are not exactly making it easy for one another to have a difficult week.
As the day of Quai’s Reiki gathering approaches, Bronwyn and Mary discuss their frustrations with Angie. Bronwyn is still upset about the gossip and the way Angie has handled the situation with her. Mary is also hurt because Angie did not check on her after the Jupiter party, when Mary left feeling upset and alone.
Mary is particularly bothered by Angie’s decision to make a TikTok with Britani after the way Britani treated her. From Mary’s perspective, Angie has not been showing the kind of loyalty she expects from a close friend.
This brings us to the actual Reiki event, where Quai is hoping to help the women release some of the negative energy they have been carrying. I admire the optimism. Quai has apparently looked at this group and decided that what they need is a little spiritual maintenance.
The first problem is that the women have very different ideas about what needs healing.
Angie approaches Mary to talk, but Mary is not interested in pretending that their friendship is fine. She tells Angie that she has been moving strangely and that it hurt her when Angie failed to check on her after the party. She also brings up the TikTok with Britani and makes it clear that she does not consider Angie’s behavior to be that of a good friend.
Mary is direct about her disappointment. She does not believe Angie has been listening to her, and she is frustrated that Angie seems unable to understand why she is hurt.
Angie, however, believes Bronwyn has been influencing Mary and turning her against her. She is upset that Mary is questioning her loyalty, particularly when she believes she has been a close friend. Angie also reminds everyone that she spends hours talking to Mary on the phone, which makes the suggestion that she has abandoned the friendship feel particularly unfair to her.
The conversation becomes emotional, and Angie eventually walks away crying. It is clear that she is overwhelmed, but Mary is not prepared to abandon her own feelings simply because Angie is upset.
Heather and Lisa arrive, and the women begin trying to figure out what happened. Angie returns to the group still visibly upset, and she directs some of her anger toward Bronwyn, calling her a snake and accusing her of manipulating the situation.
This is already a lot of emotional activity for an event that has not technically started.
Then Stephanie, the Reiki practitioner, arrives.
She begins working with the women individually, using the drums and focusing on their energy. The whole exercise is intended to help them identify what they are carrying emotionally and release some of it. Bronwyn is described as having scattered energy and a great deal on her mind. Whitney’s energy is described as somewhat dim, while Meredith is told that her mind is particularly busy.
Lisa and Mary opt out of the individual readings. Lisa does not want anyone compromising her energy, which is a very Lisa Barlow way of approaching a spiritual exercise. Mary also has no interest in participating.
Heather, meanwhile, provides one of the episode’s better confessional moments. She jokes that Stephanie cannot even tell that she is having sex, which is apparently a good indication of how much the Reiki practitioner can actually read about the women.
Angie receives a reading that encourages her to release anger and resentment. The advice seems particularly relevant given the state of her relationships with the group, but she is visibly emotional during the session and eventually leaves.
At this point, one might reasonably assume that the women have identified some feelings they need to work through and will now approach lunch with a renewed commitment to kindness.
One would be wrong.
After Stephanie leaves, the women sit down to eat. Quai encourages everyone to communicate openly and respectfully, which is an ambitious goal for a table containing this many unresolved arguments.
Whitney begins by addressing Heather. She explains that she is hurt by what she sees as Heather’s inconsistent behavior and the way she has handled the recent conflicts. Whitney says she feels overwhelmed and disappointed, although she clarifies that she is not necessarily calling Heather two-faced.
Lisa is not especially impressed with Whitney’s approach. She is tired of Whitney presenting herself as the victim in every disagreement and challenges her tendency to frame situations around how other people have hurt her.
This is another example of the ongoing divide between Lisa and Whitney. Whitney believes she is trying to explain her feelings, while Lisa sees a familiar pattern of Whitney refusing to take responsibility for her own contribution to the conflict. They are not exactly approaching the conversation from the same starting point.
Angie then becomes the focus of the discussion, particularly when Bronwyn brings up the way Angie has been talking about her. Bronwyn is frustrated that Angie continues to involve herself in her relationship and offer opinions about Todd, especially when Bronwyn does not believe Angie has been honest about her own behavior.
Angie calls Bronwyn a deflector and accuses her of manipulating the situation. She also calls her a slithering snake, which is certainly a memorable description, even if it does not do much to move the conversation toward healing.
The two begin arguing over what was said between Todd and Shawn. Angie insists that she has information from a trusted source suggesting that Bronwyn was only being nice to Todd until she received her $85,000 lump-sum payout. Bronwyn is furious about the accusation and threatens to reveal what Shawn has said to Todd.
And there it is: the husbands have entered the conversation, the private information is being used as ammunition, and the women are now arguing about who knows what about whom.
Quai tries to keep everyone focused on the purpose of the gathering, but the conversation is moving well beyond anything that can be addressed with a few deep breaths.
Angie becomes increasingly aggressive, telling Bronwyn to stop talking and using language that makes it clear she has no intention of backing down. At one point, Quai has to intervene with a miniature bullhorn to get the women to stop shouting over one another.
It is a wonderfully ridiculous visual. A woman has organized a spiritual healing event, and she is now standing there with a bullhorn trying to restore order. Somewhere, the universe is asking for a refund.
The bullhorn briefly gets everyone’s attention, but it does not actually solve anything. The women continue arguing, and the focus shifts toward Mary’s assessment of Angie’s behavior.
Mary believes Angie is acting selfishly and has lost sight of how she is treating the people around her. She is particularly frustrated by Angie’s refusal to acknowledge that her behavior has hurt others.
Angie responds by emphasizing her own importance and pushing back against the criticism. Mary questions when Angie became so self-centered and brings up the problems in her marriage and family.
Then Angie makes the comment that changes the entire atmosphere of the gathering.
Mary asks what happened to Angie’s husband and child, and Angie fires back by asking what happened to Mary’s husband and child.
It is a devastating exchange, and the room immediately understands that Angie has crossed a line. Mary’s son has died, and the question is not an ordinary reference to a family disagreement. It is an intensely personal subject, one that Mary has been struggling to live with throughout the season.
Angie appears to realize the seriousness of what she has said, but the damage has already been done. Mary is furious and tells Angie to sit down and be quiet. She compares Angie’s behavior to Jen Shah, suggesting that she has become the new version of the woman whose behavior caused so much damage to the group.
Angie continues to cry and scream, and the argument becomes increasingly difficult to watch. She is clearly dealing with her own emotional distress, but that does not make the comment about Mary’s family any less hurtful.
Mary is done. She tells Angie to keep her name out of her mouth and makes it clear that she does not want to continue the conversation. She eventually leaves, saying that she and her son did not deserve what Angie said.
The other women are left trying to process what just happened. Lisa and Whitney attempt to comfort Angie, while Heather and Meredith try to calm Mary. Bronwyn also tries to speak with Mary, but Mary does not want to hear from her at that moment.
Angie eventually begins to settle down and acknowledges that she did not mean what she said. But an apology after a comment like that is not necessarily enough to repair the damage. Mary has been grieving, and the one person she expected to understand her is now someone she may not want in her life.
What makes this episode particularly uncomfortable is that Angie’s behavior seems to be coming from several directions at once. She is struggling with her marriage, she feels judged by the group, and she believes her friendships are falling apart. She is clearly hurting. But instead of communicating that pain in a way that allows the other women to understand her, she keeps turning it outward, attacking the people who challenge her.
And Mary is not in a place where she can simply absorb another person’s emotional turmoil. She has been trying to find her footing after an enormous loss. She is allowed to expect her friends to show some consideration for that.
The Reiki event was supposed to help everyone release resentment and reconnect. Instead, it exposed just how much resentment is sitting between these women, and how little interest some of them have in taking responsibility for their part in it.
Quai may have been hoping to clear the energy in the room, but by the end of lunch, the only thing that has been successfully released is everyone’s ability to maintain a civil conversation.
And we are left with Mary and Angie in a very different place than they were at the beginning of the season. The friendship that once seemed so close is now badly damaged, and Angie’s attempt to explain herself may not be enough.
So much for healing. The women came for Reiki and left with a friendship funeral, a bullhorn incident, and enough emotional debris to keep Stephanie busy for the rest of the year.
Next week, apparently, we will continue trying to clean up the mess. Bring the drums. And perhaps a larger bullhorn.
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