The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Recap: Sour Grapes

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This week on Rich Women Doing Things, the ladies continued their lavish lifestyles. They lounged by the pool in flowing caftans, carefully tanning only their toes. They also took a separate tour of town, skipping all scheduled group activities despite having been paid to participate – a pattern that began after the incident where Kathy mistakenly believed another woman’s deceased child was a dog. The women also engaged in some artistic nude photoshoots in the pool, arguing that a tasteful nude is a perfectly acceptable vacation activity to share with friends online, and a great example of queer culture becoming more widely accepted.

The women of means finally got down to business this week, after a long period of avoiding conflict. Everyone participated except for Kathy, and Natalie, who remained detached and quiet as usual. Two major disagreements arose, but strangely, most people were hesitant to clearly state their issues. Dorit, however, was direct and unambiguous – and surprisingly, many would agree she was right this time, even those who often disagree with her.

Let’s talk about Boz and Amanda’s moment at the grape stomping, but first, everything Rachel did at the vineyard was gold. She famously declared she’d rather drink grapes than stomp them, explaining she hates feet and doesn’t want to take off her heels. And honestly, that attitude was perfect! She delivered exactly the kind of sassy energy we love, like Madonna listing names in “Vogue.” The scene was hilarious – she removed her massive heels (which seemed heavier than her dog, Giggy!), and stood next to Boz. They didn’t look like a classic comedic duo; they resembled Shaggy and Scrappy Doo! Boz was his usual confident self, while Rachel looked completely uncomfortable and wanted to escape. Afterward, she joked that avoiding injury was a “Tuscan miracle.” It was brilliant. The show always benefits from a character like Rachel – an older woman who’s reluctant to participate but provides great entertainment, and she’s currently my favorite.

The drama between Boz and Amanda escalated when Sutton revealed that Boz and Erika had been researching Amanda’s business using ChatGPT. Sutton implied that once wealthy people start using this technology, it signals the end for whatever’s being investigated – a call to sell everything and bet against companies like Nvidia and Claude. She even jokingly suggested extreme consequences for Sam Altman. Sutton explained they were discussing negative reviews of Amanda’s business. Amanda retaliated in a private interview by digging up negative comments about Boz’s work history, accusing her of being all looks and no substance, and pointing out similar negative feedback about her online courses. While this was a clever defense, Amanda only seems capable of articulating it when she’s alone. When confronted directly, she struggles to respond effectively, and her pre-recorded comments to the camera don’t really count as a meaningful response.

I’m really struggling with this conflict. Amanda seems incredibly disingenuous and only wants to promote her business. She avoids personal conversations and only engages with the others to talk about manifesting. She’s essentially all surface-level presentation. However, the way Boz and the other women are treating her feels unfair. Amanda is clearly doing well, and some people genuinely enjoy her classes, even if they seem questionable. She claims a high retention rate and very few refunds. Boz suggests Amanda is insecure because she gets flustered when challenged, but I don’t see that. Amanda is prepared with facts and figures when defending herself; her problem is responding to the other women’s criticisms. She believes she has a perfect life and is hurt that they don’t see it that way. Her lack of confidence isn’t the issue here.

The core problem is a lack of respect for this woman and how she earns a living. While her methods might seem questionable, she’s just one small part of a larger world of alternative wellness practices. If her classes genuinely help people, that’s positive – they’re likely no more or less effective than other similar practices, like sound baths or spiritual cleansing rituals. People don’t seem to mind those, though. It’s similar to her being a psychic – it might all be untrue, but if it brings comfort or benefit to those who pay for it, it’s not our place to criticize. (Though, to be honest, it probably is fake.)

It feels like people would have more respect for her if she presented herself as a psychic. The frustrating part is they avoid directly saying they don’t value her or her work, and instead claim she’s not being open enough. She’s right to point out that when she did share personal things, they didn’t really listen or offer support. Ultimately, it seems like people just don’t like Amanda, but nobody is willing to be honest about it. This is a recurring issue with the show. It reminds me of Erika and Dorit in Hong Kong, where Erika bluntly told Dorit she didn’t like her. Where are those straightforward personalities? I wish we could see more of that honesty on the show now.

Kyle and Dorit are clearly avoiding addressing their dislike for each other. The trip Erika, Kyle, and Dorit take to a deserted Italian town is strange, and unsurprisingly, the town is completely empty – likely because it’s scorching hot and everyone is sheltering indoors. Considering Dorit lived in Italy, she really should have expected that. The supposed reason for bringing Dorit there – Kyle and Erika claiming they’re worried about her behavior – feels disingenuous. The conversation isn’t about genuinely checking in on Dorit or offering support. Instead, it quickly becomes clear that Kyle wants Dorit to agree with her version of events and publicly clear her name. It seems Kyle is more focused on complaining about how she feels unfairly targeted while Dorit is bearing the brunt of the criticism.

Following a conversation about Dorit’s struggles, Kyle steers the discussion to the fact that Boz has also voiced her worries about Dorit. Interestingly, Dorit doesn’t react negatively to Boz bringing up her concerns, but she does get upset when Kyle does the same. Dorit bluntly tells Kyle, “I trust Boz. I don’t trust you.” This is a key moment – she’s the only one being truly honest all hour. Dorit believes Boz genuinely cares, while she sees Kyle as being more focused on her own image. When Kyle asks why Dorit doesn’t trust her, it’s not a sincere attempt to understand, but rather an accusatory challenge. It’s hard to ignore the recent gelato outing, where Kyle confronted Dorit in a very public and emotional way.

Dorit feels Kyle hasn’t been there for her, and Kyle is upset that Dorit didn’t support her when she and Mauricio separated – a process that’s been dragging on for a long time. From what I recall, Dorit did ask Kyle what was happening, but Kyle specifically said she didn’t want to talk about it. Now, Kyle is angry at Dorit for not pushing her to discuss it, even to the point of wanting a dramatic confrontation? Seriously?

Erika asked a really good question: how do you define and measure support? It was the only helpful question all afternoon. Dorit feels unsupported and wants to know how others see it, hoping they can address her concerns. However, she reacted poorly. Instead of using this as an opportunity to get them to help, she got upset with Erika for speaking up, which escalated the situation. She then left in her car without resolving anything. I’m torn about how this played out. If I were Kyle or Erika and someone drove off with my car, I’d be furious! I’d go back to the house and yell until something—even a stuffed polar bear—told me to stop. (I’d probably also run off with the gelato vendor and live happily ever after in Italy, making gelato forever.) But if I were Dorit, I’d have thought, “Good riddance!” and been glad to leave, because they were being unfair.

When Erika and Kyle returned to the villa, they tried to explain what happened with Dorit and get the other women to agree with them, but Boz and Rachel weren’t convinced. Rachel pointed out she’d only known Dorit for two months and couldn’t comment on any changes in her behavior or spending. However, she did admit that Dorit’s constant lateness bothered her, which I found amusing.

During dinner, the conversation turned back to Kyle’s earlier criticism, with Dorit expressing her discomfort with Kyle discussing the group’s feelings behind their backs. Kyle attempted to get Boz and Rachel to agree that Dorit was difficult, but they refused to take sides. Dorit explained in a private interview that Kyle wasn’t genuinely concerned or seeking a group understanding, but rather was simply gossiping and sharing her opinions with everyone. Dorit felt Kyle was essentially admitting to talking about her with others and twisting everyone’s words to make herself feel superior.

Jen Tilly sits at the center of the scene, wearing a stunning jeweled crown, but she seems lost in thought. While Kyle struggles to maintain a smooth forehead and Dorit clearly craves a cigarette, Jen’s mind drifts back to an earlier moment – a naked swim in the pool. She remembers the cool water swirling around her, awakening her skin, and the sensation being entirely for herself, not for an audience. She focuses on the warmth of her hands against her cold skin, the sound of bees, and the gentle currents of the pool filter. As she remembers, she feels herself drawing everyone in, closer and closer – to her sunglasses, her nose, her breasts, to the smallest details of her body, until the experience becomes all-encompassing, as if we are inside her, sharing the same air and becoming part of the moment itself.

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2026-03-27 04:56