The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Recap: Divorced on Reality

by

This week on Rich Women Doing Things, the women continued their lavish lifestyles. They practiced parallel parking in their everyday (but still beloved) cars with their wedding planner, preparing for a truly extravagant wedding – complete with the groom arriving on horseback and the bride descending from a helicopter showering rose petals. (It all felt strangely familiar… didn’t Shereé Whitfield plan something similar, and wasn’t a poet supposed to be involved?) The women returned from a weeks-long trip to Paris and were immediately gifted $400 Hermes bracelets by their children. Later, they enjoyed solitary ice cream breaks in their massive homes, observed by their numerous pets, while watching something on a huge, spaceship-like video screen.

This episode mainly follows the women as they travel to Italy and settle into the luxurious Villa Bibiani—which, by the way, you can rent if you’re wealthy enough (though let’s be real, most of us aren’t!). Before heading off, they recap their previous trip. We see Kyle meet with Amanda Frances, and I always tune out the details of what everyone orders until someone requests something ridiculously complicated, like a collagen latte with a specific blend of milk and no sugar. It made me think of a much simpler (and arguably less pretentious) drink order! Their conversation doesn’t cover much depth, but Amanda mentions getting around three facials a month. I initially thought that wasn’t excessive—I could easily get that many done in a single weekend—but I quickly realized we were talking about very different things.

Honestly, everyone’s been talking about Dorit lately. Boz pulled her aside to let her know Kyle’s worried about her spending and how she’s been acting, and wanted to check in. Dorit’s upset that her friends talk about her to each other instead of coming to her directly, but I think it’s because she doesn’t really listen to anyone who disagrees with her. Later, Sutton was trying to help Amanda figure out how to deal with Dorit, and Amanda just wishes they could all talk it out – she thinks Dorit would be open to it if she just let people speak. But seriously, has anyone watched Dorit? She just talks and talks and talks – it’s like a blizzard of words! It’s almost impossible to get a word in edgewise, and you have to practically fight to share your opinion. It’s exhausting!

Dorit has a point. She recalls when Kyle was separating from Mauricio, Kyle stopped drinking, started overexercising, and began acting like a new group of friends – friends Dorit implies are similar to Morgan Spade. Dorit feels Kyle didn’t show her the same concern when Dorit was going through a difficult time. She’s been vocal all season about how Kyle’s behavior changed, and Dorit remembers at least trying to address these issues with Kyle. However, it seems Dorit’s concerns were sometimes masked by other requests, like wanting to see if Kyle would be at a concert, rather than genuinely focusing on the divorce itself.

Dorit pointed out to Boz that Kyle had four days in the Hamptons to discuss their issues, but Dorit feels Kyle was just trying to enjoy her trip. Dorit wonders if Kyle had brought it up, she would have been accused of spoiling the weekend. Plus, Dorit doubts Kyle would have really listened, recalling their past disagreements. Kyle feels Dorit isn’t really hearing her anymore, which is exactly why she’s now talking to Boz and Erika, hoping they can get through to Dorit since she believes Dorit sees Kyle as the problem.

Dorit has a point. While it’s understandable Kyle is upset about the conversation happening with friends instead of directly to her, Dorit is right to call out Kyle’s hypocrisy. Kyle previously advised Dorit against speaking negatively about PK, even in passing, yet she’s now openly discussing Dorit’s behavior and finances on camera. As Dorit observes, this gives PK something to use against her, just like she warned against.

Honestly, I’m fascinated – and a little worried – about Dorit’s spending! It feels like her finances are a constant, precarious situation, always on the verge of collapsing. She keeps mentioning a “family office,” which honestly made me burst out laughing. But beyond the money, her constant lateness is a real issue. I heard about their 5 a.m. flight to the Hamptons, and apparently, she had a glam squad arrive at 2 a.m. just to get ready! I understand this is a show where appearances matter, and we’d probably criticize them for not looking good, but Erika went shopping with Kyle completely makeup-free and looked great! I really think everyone would cut Dorit some slack if she just did her makeup in the car on the way to the airport. It’s not like she needs a full production crew for a little touch-up!

So, as the women arrive in Italy in smaller groups, Dorit is traveling with Rachel and Erika, but she’s still at home while they’re already relaxing in the fancy lounge – which, let’s be real, is out of most people’s price range. Erika is frustrated and worried, even threatening to leave Dorit if she misses her flight. Kyle points out Dorit is often late, but this feels different. It’s understandable why her tardiness is irritating, but is it a new pattern? Honestly, though, Kathy Hilton is even more chaotic, showing up late, misplacing her phone, demanding a specific pillow arrangement, losing her boarding pass, and obsessively tracking a lost iPad that’s traveling the globe – it’s like she’s tracking Taylor Swift’s private jet!

Once everyone arrived, they toured the beautiful house, and it was definitely impressive. It’s nice for the women to enjoy such luxury. Kyle mentioned the trip to Provence in season 9 was even more lavish, and remembered telling everyone they couldn’t bring their full hair and makeup teams then. She wonders if they can do that again! Instead, Boz had her stylist arrive early to organize all her clothes and accessories – she’s trying to emulate Diana Jenkins’ level of extravagance. While Boz is wealthy, she doesn’t quite have Diana’s money, and the whole display feels unnecessary and irritating. The women are also spending so much time on hair and outfits that they’re forgetting what they’re really supposed to be doing: relaxing with wine and arguing over silly things.

The episode concludes with a heartwarming exchange between Sutton and Amanda. Sutton offers to share a room with Amanda – whom Sutton’s friend calls Mandy – even if it means using twin beds. Sutton explains she understands what it’s like to be the new person in a group and how difficult that can be, as she sensed Amanda was experiencing that dynamic. Sutton is supportive and offers her guidance, but Amanda isn’t one to readily accept advice. She’s happy to take other things – like someone else’s old furniture – but not opinions or unsolicited advice. She’s also quite open about her financial success, even mentioning she earns more in a month than her partner does in a year.

The most impactful part of this episode was Rachel’s conversation with her sons. Sky, her older son, struggles to disconnect from his devices, even during serious talks. Kaius, her younger son, is a playful and charming kid who Rachel jokingly predicts will be a reality TV star like his aunt Zoe Berman someday. During this conversation, Rachel told them she’s divorcing their father and there’s no chance of reconciliation.

I haven’t been through divorce or raising children myself, but I see things differently than Rachel in a couple of areas. First, when her kids asked if she still loved their father, she bluntly said no, that he was essentially gone from her life. While I don’t think it’s right to lie to children, she could have softened the blow a little. He is their father, and a little kindness would have been appropriate, even while being honest. I also don’t get her firm stance on the kids never meeting his new girlfriend unless they decide they’re ready. It does seem premature and they aren’t eager to meet her now, but some gentle encouragement might be necessary eventually, even if it’s years from now. It’s unrealistic to think they can avoid it forever, like waiting until Sky’s wedding in 2046, which her husband won’t allow. He’s been married to her for 15 years, and the kids will have to meet her eventually.

What’s so great about the show is Rachel’s willingness to be completely herself. She’s incredibly open, tackling tough topics with her kids even while filming, and sharing all aspects of her life – the good, the bad, and even her fabulous vintage clothing collection. Unlike other women on the show who have been hesitant to discuss their divorces, Rachel is incredibly brave and vulnerable, putting everything out there for viewers to see. Her only shield? A fantastic pair of sunglasses – vintage Dior, no less, though they’re probably out of reach for most of us.

Read More

2026-03-06 05:55