• This week, in NYC, we start with Hailey and Jessel playing pickleball. The trainer explains the rules, and I totally don’t get it. If I were Hailey, I would rather get stoned than play this game.

    Hailey tells us about being kicked off a college sports team for being arrested with weed. So, we have another New York Housewife with a mug shot. That makes…oh, I don’t even know how many—but it’s a lot. We have more arrestees than actual wives on this show.

    Hailey brings up the Erin/Jessel fight, and they agree that Erin talks a lot of shit. Hailey says that Erin’s big mouth caused trouble for her in her relationship. Not her relationship with her husband, mind you. They have an unconventional marriage, and she is allowed to date, as long as it’s not with other men.

    We get some tea on Hailey’s Jon & Kate Plus 8 drama. She insists that Kate and Jon were separated in 2009 when she became involved with Jon. She recalls being in the tabloids and called a homewrecker when she was just twenty-two.

    She blames the media for her breakup with Jon. It had nothing to do with the eight kids, crazy ex-wife, or the age difference.

    Hailey says she met her husband, Reuben, shortly after the breakup. She felt pushed by her mother to marry into a “safe” (i.e. wealthy) situation.

    Next up, Carole bitches about gas prices to Daisy. Carole talks about her writing, and Daisy kisses her ass a little bit. Carole is still selling the one tale she ever told—about the death of her husband, his cousin, and his cousin’s wife in quick succession. We should change her name to Ranch House, cuz this chick only has one story.

    Daisy asks a lot of questions about Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Carole answers as though she is the resident expert. She brings up Jessel’s totally inappropriate conversations at brunch last week.

    I don’t like Carole, but Jessel was gauche and totally out of line to ask so many ghoulish and tacky questions.

    Daisy agrees that Jessel is too much, and she is irritated with her, too. Daisy’s kid’s tutor has been hitting on her, and she is flattered, but needs to disengage. She hasn’t even told her husband, which is nutty.

    She is hosting a Seder and invites Carole, who has only ever been to one before. That is kinda bananas. I thought she was so very worldly.

    Later, at Daisy’s apartment, Erika and Jessel arrive. Jessel immediately criticizes her ceilings, and I hate her. I would have thrown her out the window. She’s really a rude bitch. I don’t remember disliking her this much in previous seasons, but here we are.

    Daisy says she never sees her husband because he is always with his clients. Erika and Jessel have lots of questions about this and seem to insinuate there are issues in Daisy’s marriage.

    Jessel brings up last week’s brunch, and suddenly we are talking about the damn dermatologist again. Literally, nobody cares.

    Jessel thinks Erin is obsessed with her. I think Erin just hates her. Jessel brings up all sorts of dirt on Erin, and it’s nasty. She has clearly been doing some research, and Daisy and Erika are all ears.

    At Hailey’s, she calls her mom, and they discuss whether her mom should get another breast surgery. Geezus. Hailey says she is the mom in the relationship, and that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

    Hailey is considering joining a queer bird-watching group. Since when are birds queer? I agree with Hailey, this is a confusing suggestion.

    At Erika’s, we see her super-rich husband. They are doing pizza night and are super bummed when they realize it might require some work.

    They have a private island, and this is the kind of rich I like to see on Housewives. Stop with the broke-ass Housewives and show me the money.

    We again hear that Erika and her husband were married at the pyramids. Like, in Egypt. That is super snazzy. Erika and her husband are trying to find a surrogate, and it has been a crazy process.

    At Daisy’s, she is preparing for Seder and calls Martha—THE Martha—for cooking advice. Could you imagine having Martha Stewart on speed dial for recipes? I live for this.

    Jessel and Erin meet up and immediately criticize each other’s shoes bright and early on a Saturday morning. Jessel jumps right in and thinks they need to talk about the damn dermatologist. I wish they wouldn’t.

    Anyway, to sum it up, Jessel treated the doctor like shit, and Erin is spreading that around. The end.

    Jessel won’t drop it, and Erin says it is more about the fact that Jessel is a snob who chases clout and does not treat people well. Jessel accuses Erin of projection, and then calls her a one-man Ponzi scheme, which makes almost no sense as an analogy, comparison, or metaphor. Housewives are SO bad at English.

    Jessel goes low and tells Erin to Google herself because of all the scandals involving Erin. They both accuse each other of deflecting and start fighting about what a “bootleg Houdini” is. Jessel storms out, and they have gotten exactly nowhere.

    At Daisy’s parents’ house, she is ready to finally host the Seder. Carole is first to arrive and puts a cone on top of her car so she won’t get ticketed because she is too good to park legally. She is, after all, a princess.

    Daisy tells Princess Carole about her wild days as a teen growing up in the house, and the other ladies start to arrive. Erika’s ass is hanging out, and it’s just super Seder-appropriate.

    Hailey tells us she was raised Jewish, but Seder is just so long. It’s not for her. Especially with Erin there.

    Erin asks Erika why Hailey seems mad at her when Hailey is the one saying nasty things. Erin heard that Hailey called her boring and vanilla. I mean, she kinda is. A lot of this cast are. I miss old New York.

    Jessel is two hours late, and she is officially the worst. She arrives right in time to interrupt the opening prayers, and everyone is super annoyed.

    Jessel apologizes for being late, but is shady about having to come to Brooklyn. At least she brings a hostess gift, unlike Sai. I love a good hostess gift, and I don’t get nearly enough of them. Maybe it’s because I don’t like people.

    Erin remembers and reflects on her dad, who has recently passed away. She misses him at Passover.

    Erin tells the story of Passover and explains the blessings. Then she gets into the plagues. She assigns each of the women a plague, and this is a fun little game. Hailey gives Erin a C- for her Seder lesson.

    Jessel just wants to eat and rudely asks where the food is. I don’t know how these women tolerate her.

    Erin gives Hailey a jam-of-the-month membership to retaliate because Hailey said Erin is boring like jam. Geezus. These women are petty. And they are just ruining this nice little Seder.

    Erin says she would rather be boring than a homewrecker who slept with a man who had eight children. Shots fired.

    Maybe this season will pick up after all.

    Read the Episode 2 Recap Here!

  • This week’s episode kicks off with the women getting ready for Lisa Hochstein’s lingerie party in Miami. At the party, we have some flashes of Housewives past, including Larsa Pippen and Adriana De Moura. Teresa is nervous because Jacqueline Laurita will be at the party, as well as Melissa Gorga. Melissa and Teresa have made peace because they both need the income from the show. I don’t believe for a second it will last; I think Andy Cohen made his point when he put them on pause, and they learned their lesson.

    Peggy Tanuous from RHOC makes an appearance for some reason, and then Jacqueline and Melissa greet each other. They do not have a peaceful past, and we see flashes of them fighting over the years. Of course, in real time, nothing happens. They just make peace and hug.

    Jacqueline and Teresa are also good now, so there is no drama there. Teresa and Melissa greet each other warmly, evidently having forgotten they recently swore never to be in each other’s presence again. The Miami ladies rehash some of their beefs, and Larsa and Lisa Hochstein get into it. They call each other bitches and advise one another to get therapy, which is probably a decent idea.

    Lisa Hochstein gives a speech, and no one really gets what she is talking about. It isn’t very interesting, and it’s pretty much all about her.

    Larsa Pippen tells Lisa Barlow that they were both at the Ben Affleck premiere that the SLC women don’t believe she attended. Lisa name-drops a bunch of other celebrities she knows, and it’s pretty tacky. Adriana performs, and Vicki wonders why the Housewives ever sing or dance. I do, too. Gizelle feels like Miami is bringing them all together for the first time— even Vicki seems like she is beginning to lighten up.

    The party ends without anything really happening, and the next day, the women all head to New York for the next portion of their trip. We see a montage of iconic RHONY scenes, and I am hoping this next leg of the trip delivers some action.

    In New York, we meet Luann’s boyfriend, and Dorinda arrives. She is there to make it nice and host a gangster lunch for the women.

    Gizelle tells Vicki she is happy that Vicki is coming out of her shell, but they all agree that Luann is being annoying. They recall her insensitive comments at lunch last week, and all agree that Luann is self-involved, which is news to exactly no one.

    We see each of the ladies getting ready for Dorinda’s party, and then they head to the Bronx. Carole shows up, so we see scenes of her on the show over the years. She has never been my favorite, but I guess she is making a comeback, so we are stuck with her.

    On the way to the lunch, Vicki says she won’t be in the car with Luann again, and I really hope that the two of them get into it soon. We find out that Sonja is not coming to the lunch and has had very little contact with Dorinda or Luann lately. Once all the women arrive, Luann tells us she is still socially friendly with Carole, even though Carole banged her chef. Way to move on.

    They spend some time rehashing Bethenny’s original gangster lunch, and I know I am beating a dead horse, but I’d really like to see some real-time drama on this show. Carole reads something she wrote about the Housewives’ experience. All of the women are moved, but I think it’s boring. They reflect on their bond and yada yada yada, kumbaya, my Lord. Teresa gets emotional thinking about her journey on the show, and Vicki sympathizes with her. Do I even need to say we get more flashbacks here? I am sure you knew that was coming.

    Everyone supports Teresa and shares their own sob stories. Gizelle tells Teresa that her daughter looks up to Gia, and Teresa seems touched. Kyle relates to Teresa because they each have four daughters. Portia recently revealed that she has no memory of life before being on the show, and that makes Kyle cry. She feels like she exposed her kids to judgement–which she totally did.

    Everyone shares their sob story about mom guilt and Teresa says she is having fun on the trip.

    That night, there is a Halloween party, and Teresa dresses up like Cher. Luann is a slutty pirate, which is perfect, and I can’t figure out what Vicki is. Any guesses? The women head out to the party, leaving Porsha behind because she is running late. I have a feeling this will cause trouble later.

    Alex McCord arrives, but without Simon. Kelly Bensimon and Jill Zarin are also there, because Jill wouldn’t miss an opportunity to be on camera if her life depended on it. Dolores arrives, as does Chanel Ayan. I love me some Dolores. Dorinda shows up in her Lady Gaga bubble dress costume, and Jessel gets on her case for repeating her outfit. Jessel is a nightmare.

    Dorinda is not happy, and Chanel accidentally calls Dorinda Ramona. Thank God, Ramona isn’t there. Luann starts getting annoyed that Porsha is late for her event. Back at the hotel, Porsha does not seem to be in any hurry, and we leave off with Luann pissed at her.

  • In La Quinta, Vicki has just about kicked Shannon, Emily, and Jen out of her house. Her boyfriend is super pissed that the women have been talking about him. Jen is trying to get an Uber. Doesn’t production handle that stuff?

    Over on Tamra’s trip, Carmella, Heather, and Gina gather around the fire with Tamra and mock Vicki a little bit. That seems to be the theme of both trips, and I don’t hate it.

    Carmella feels badly for Vicki and her odd relationship, and the ladies remind her that Vicki mom-shamed her. They all agree that Vicki wants Michael to give her a ring.

    Gina discusses her recent engagement and explains that the timing had to do with Travis’s custody issues and expenses. So, she wasn’t chasing the ring like Vicki has been since the ink dried on her divorce papers from Don.

    Back in La Quinta, Vicki backtracks and says the women don’t have to leave. Emily tells her the tension is uncomfortable. Vicki says it’s 11 p.m. and they should just eat dinner and relax.

    Emily and Jen still want to go. Vicki has pizza ready, but Jen and Emily are already packed.

    Shannon looks like she wants the pizza.

    Shannon understands why the girls want to leave, and here we go: she is having some pizza while the other ladies are out of there in a $400 Uber.

    In Los Olivos, Tamra’s group actually seems to be having some fun together. Mayhaps it’s because Debbie Downer Vicki isn’t there. Heather shows off the plans for her new penthouse remodel. They are, as one would expect, impressive.

    In La Quinta, the mood is somber. Vicki and Shannon did not whoop it up one bit. Vicki tells us how much money she spent for the trip with the girls, and she is pissed that Jen and Emily left. She says she would never do that to them, but I find that hard to believe.

    Shannon says that Vicki hurt the girls’ feelings, but Vicki thinks they should get over it. You know, like she does.

    At Emily’s, she and Shane argue about her not having put the trash bag in the trash can. I know this is probably supposed to show some serious marital strife, but it sounds like basic marriage stuff to me.

    Emily fills Shane in on the Vicki-trip debacle. Emily also tells Shane that she wishes their son, Luke, wanted to do more things out of the house. He is currently in treatments that will help with the swelling in his brain. Unfortunately, they make him very sick.

    They also discuss who cleans more and who is the better parent, and that bit is uncomfortable.

    Jen and Tamra meet for lunch and they pretty much look like twins. It’s freaky. I think it’s the sunglasses. Jen tells Tamra how weird her trip to Vicki’s was, and Tamra tells her about her trip. They gossip about Carmella a bit. Speaking of Carmella, she, Shannon, and Emily meet for tea, and also break down their trips. Emily tells Carmella that Vicki has been talking about her. 

    Carmella tries to explain herself and her relationship, and I am not sure why we are supposed to care or be invested in it. Carmella realizes that Vicki has been trying to get the “scoop” on her, while meanwhile demanding that no one speak about her or her boyfriend. Classic Vicki hypocrisy.

    Shannon defends Vicki and says she is really taxed and overworked. Carmella doesn’t care. She is pissed about Vicki saying Carmella lies about where she lives.

    At their lunch, Tamra and Jen agree that Vicki walks on eggshells around her boyfriend. Tamra finds it concerning. Tamra says she doesn’t know what is going on with Vicki, but something is not adding up.

    Travis and Gina go for a walk and talk about how busy they are. Their wedding plans come up, and they debate whether they want to invest in a large wedding or a bigger house.

    It’s crazy how normal they sound. I am not used to that vibe on Housewives. He presents her with her new, real engagement ring, and it’s sweet.

    Carmella and her boyfriend go out for Mexican food, and she is practically naked. How could anyone eat tacos in that get-up?

    He tries to toast her, but she makes it awkward. He wants to get married, but he has already done that a few times, and Carmella isn’t sure she can trust him because he cheated.

    In L.A., Heather continues her unofficial audition for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She spent $14 million to buy the apartment beneath her penthouse so she can build—you guessed it—a bigger penthouse.

    She is going to have a champagne corridor.

    Her mom wants her to paint the ceiling black, but that’s a “no” for Heather.

    Vicki has Tamra over so they can dissect the La Quinta disaster and Vicki’s Debbie Downer mood a bit more. Tamra tells Vicki she is worried about her because Jen said Vicki kicked her and Emily out of her home. Vicki says that Jen and Emily are liars.

    Vicki again tells us how hard she works. Tamra thinks Vicki gets her self-esteem from work. I would agree, because she doesn’t seem to have much.

    Vicki says she sometimes feels “less than.” She has had three engagements and tells Tamra she can’t be in another toxic relationship. She fears having another failure at 64 and feels lonely while Mike travels five days a week and her kids are far away. She needs to stop chasing men and move closer to her children and grandchildren. As Tamra would say, that’s my opinion!

    Tamra and Vicki discuss being empty nesters and I don’t quite get it, because Vicki has been one for years. Vicki says she fears that Mike will leave her because she is always stressed. Tamra thinks that Vicki puts too much pressure on herself and her relationship. Tamra also recalls Vicki’s other insecurities and how she went under the knife after Slade called her Miss Piggy. Vicki is just desperate for love, and it oozes out of her. It must be off- putting to men. Vicki thinks she would still be married to Don if they had not moved to California. She really has never gotten over the Don thing. Tamra encourages her to dig deep and take care of herself.

  • In Salt Lake City, we see Mary discussing the recent release of her son, Robert Jr., who spent six days in jail. She is grateful to her cousin for picking him up, and she feels that the stint in jail helped him get clean and sober. She prays that he stays that way.

    Then we cut to three weeks later, and the other women are reacting to the news that Robert Jr. has died.

    It’s very, very sad.

    Angie is hosting a gathering for all of the women. Mary isn’t attending, for obvious reasons. Angie wants everyone to put their differences aside and come together to help Mary mourn.

    The women acknowledge what a loss Mary has experienced, and what a kind person Robert, Jr. was. None of them can comprehend what Mary must be feeling. Robert was her only son, and he was her whole world.

    They all agree to keep checking in on her and inviting her to things. They admit that they have taken each other for granted, and Heather hopes that Robert’s death reminds them how fragile their relationships are.

    Whitney gets very emotional and says she wants to apologize for some things. Meredith tells us Whitney has a lot to apologize for, but that this is not the time or the place. She says that a lot.

    The group leaves off determined to rally around Mary.

    Later, we see Lisa at home making grilled cheese, but she doesn’t know how to turn on the burner. I am not much of a cook, so I am not gonna be judgy here.

    Lisa says Mary’s loss has made her realize how important time with her sons is. Now that they are older, Lisa is feeling like she has zero control.

    The grilled cheese is a success, and Lisa sits with John to discuss Mary’s loss. John says that he realizes that last year, he was not a safe space for Lisa, but that she is always one for him. He says he was in a dark place and didn’t share it with her.

    John explains that their lunch fight from last season was his fight and apologizes.

    I feel like Lisa made him do this. Why apologize so long after the fact, and why do it on camera?

    Whitney and Bronwyn meet up to play pickleball, and Whitney says that she and Bronwyn have really bonded since the reunion. A lot of people seem to think they have a girl crush on each other, but Bronwyn says it isn’t like that.

    They discuss Robert’s upcoming services. Bronwyn’s estranged husband, Todd, offered to fly in to attend with her, but she declined. She feels like they were always arguing, and that the separation was the right thing to do.

    She says the death of their relationship was when Todd didn’t do anything for her fortieth birthday. Bronwyn feels like she protected Todd at the expense of herself.

    Bronwyn is currently dating a model, and Whitney has met him.

    Whitney feels like she still needs to apologize to Meredith and Lisa for comments she made about them. She says she doesn’t want to blame alcohol for it, but that she feels like she has to give up drinking. She worries that Meredith won’t be receptive to her apology.

    A very slim Heather makes brownies with her daughter, Georgia. All of her daughters are pretty much out of the house, and she is loving it. She wants them to live independently, and admits she pushed them out of the nest a bit.

    Her other daughter calls, and they discuss Heather’s upcoming date that night. He arrives on a motorcycle, and Heather stares out the window waiting for him.

    He’s cute, but not what I pictured for Heather. I don’t know why.

    But anyway, she looks very happy and is officially off the market. They connected over being bad Mormons together, which kind of sounds like fun, if you ask me.

    Heather tells us they dated before ten years ago, but she caught him texting other girls and stopped speaking to him, although she compared other guys to him. So, she texted him, and now they are on like Bad Mormon Donkey Kong.

    Georgia puts him through a bit of an interview, and it feels silly and staged. No one does this kind of stuff.

    At Bronwyn’s, she is trying to unpack after seven weeks away. While she was out of town, a realtor called and asked if she and Todd were really getting divorced, and Bronwyn put her house on the market. It’s sold, and she has to get out soon.

    She is planning on not only moving, but on buying her daughter a house. Nice mom.

    Bronwyn hasn’t seen Todd, and they haven’t filed for divorce, but she wants to start the process. She feels like she has never done anything on her own, and is scared to be alone. Her mother doesn’t even think she should be dating, but Bronwyn is having some fun. Her daughter is uncomfortable with it, but the chick is getting a house so I think it’s time to suck it up, buttercup.

    Next, we see Meredith meeting up with Lisa. Meredith is feeling like she looks young after a recent facelift. I hope John Jannsen didn’t pay for that. She actually looks really good.

    Lisa tells Meredith about John’s apology. Lisa tells us that after watching last season’s lunch fight with John, she really thought they might be done, and now she feels like they are in a good place.

    They discuss the meeting at Angie’s, and they are both still pissed at Whitney for saying she doesn’t like them. They actually think Whitney hates them both, and that she is a clown.

    Lisa wants to keep peace and move forward for Mary’s sake, but thinks Whitney is just a dingbat with no credibility.

    At Mary’s, she visits Robert’s room to get his dog out, even though she had been avoiding going in there. She is really sweet with the dog, and it reminds me of how she was with her son. Mary says the dog reminds her of Robert and comforts her. 

    Mary says that her son was her best friend, and that they shared a special love. She misses their conversations and his company.

    Meredith comes over, and Mary tells her that she is ready to come back to the group. She believes that Robert would want her to continue, and that his spirit will live in her forever.

    Heather arrives and tells us that Mary doesn’t like to ask for help, but that she is there for her.

    Lisa and Whitney come in, and Meredith and Lisa are super frosty to Whitney.

    Bronwyn and Angie also come to show their support for Mary.

    Mary thanks everyone for showing up for her, and they all say Robert’s services were beautiful. Everyone was very moved.

    Mary feels at peace, and that Robert no longer has to struggle with his addictions. The women reassure her that she did everything she could for him.

    Mary encourages the women to believe they can overcome anything. She says they have gotten her through this when her own siblings have not even contacted her.