The Real Housewives of Orange County Recap: Big Bear in Mind

Well now, y’all! I reckon I ain’t no reality TV expert, but even this old Southern farm girl can see what’s cookin’ here. Shane, bless her heart, might be onto something with that Costco-sized bag of Twizzlers, but those girls shouldn’t be eatin’ in no car, y’hear?


During this peculiar turn of events, our group of orange-clad women found themselves in an unusual situation after their encounters. They engaged in various discussions about Gina’s disastrous dinner experience from the previous episode, which took place in pairs as well as a three-way meeting. Subsequently, they embarked on two different getaways. Tamra invited Katie, Jenn, Alexis, and JJ Bellino to her stunning, red schoolhouse-style house in Big Bear. On the other hand, Gina organized a night out in La Quinta with Emily, Shanon, and Heather, who ended up having a wild evening at a house she’s trying to sell and accidentally spilling cocktails on the pristine white kitchen. Truly, Gina demonstrates her leadership skills as a ‘girl boss’.

As someone who has navigated my fair share of interpersonal conflicts, I find myself drawn to this week’s episode, which seems to have taken a turn towards one-on-one feuds among the women. Instead of viewing it as an indivisible whole, I believe that breaking down each altercation individually and determining our allegiances might provide a more nuanced understanding of these complex dynamics. Let’s dive into each spat and decide where we stand, shall we?

In the unseen part of Gina’s dinner, Emily confronts Jenn about wearing a Rolex when she has financial obligations, mocking her with a daily song, “I owe, I owe, so not to work I go.” In this situation, I found myself sympathetic towards Jenn. While I understand Emily’s perspective, I believe her approach towards Jenn was too harsh, akin to JD Vance’s criticisms at Jennifer Convertibles. Though Gina might have valid concerns about Jenn’s financial troubles affecting her business, it seems that Emily is not directly affected by this issue.

Later on, Emily points out that she inquired about the time from Jenn, who replied her watch wasn’t functioning properly. It seems you’re flaunting a Rolex watch while claiming poverty, trying to give off a rich impression, but having your wealthy boyfriend cover your expenses. That’s absurd. Much like Emily says, “It implies you’re foolish.” (However, Heather Dubrow wisely advises, “Don’t scold someone for being dumb.”)

WINNER: Emily

As a cinephile, I’ve been following the show and after five episodes, I can confidently say that Katie resonates with me. She comes across as intelligent, humorous, and seemingly unbothered by the superficial aspects of fame – qualities we could all use more of right now. Her recent explanation of “Asian flush” to a group of seemingly clueless white women struck a chord, making me wonder if she was reliving some past trauma as the only Korean member in her family.

1. The claim that “Heather contacted the paparazzi” seems more like a trivial squabble I enjoy on my Housewives. While I strongly suspect Heather Dubrow did indeed phone the paparazzi, I also understand her argument about semantics – she didn’t exactly make the call herself, but someone from her team likely did. As Lisa Vanderpump put it, “I never sold stories to RadarOnline.” She gave them away for free instead. Similarly, I don’t believe Heather personally phoned a photographer and arranged for Disneyland photos of Dr. and Mrs. Guinea Pig, but her publicist or someone from her team probably did so. So even though Heather might claim “I never called the paparazzi,” it’s not hard to see that she has always played this role – and that’s all part of the reality TV game. People don’t really care about such details.

WINNER: Katie

In this scenario between Katie and Gina, it appears that Katie feels let down when Gina didn’t support her after Heather overheard Katie’s comments about paparazzi. Gina seemingly abandoned Katie in a tricky situation once Fancy Pants criticized Gina for not standing up for herself. It seems Heather tries to come off as demure, but the cast is cautious not to upset her because she can be intimidating when angry. One might wonder why someone perceived as sweet could be so frightening.

In Katie’s shoes, I would certainly feel disappointed that Gina didn’t offer a supportive word or two in my defense during our disagreement at Big Bear. Tamra often seems to perceive deceit where there might be none, possibly due to her familiarity with underhanded tactics. While it’s plausible that Gina may have had ulterior motives regarding the conflict, I believe she is primarily fearful of Heather – both because of her strong personality and the potential consequences of displeasing her in a professional setting.

WINNER: Katie

Heather’s Frustration with Gina: Heather is upset because she thinks Gina should have stopped Katie from discussing paparazzi matters. However, I find it challenging to make a fair judgment in this situation since Heather’s argument seems to be based on the assumption that she didn’t contact the paparazzi, which I find hard to believe. (It’s important to note that I also trust Katie when she says there was a time gap between when she informed Gina about the paparazzi and when Gina advised her not to mention it.)

Heather’s issue, however, arises when she discusses how this situation affected her college-aged children, drawing parallels to Gina’s reaction at the last reunion concerning Shannon’s children. The difference is that Shannon’s story directly involved her kids being potentially taken by CPS, whereas Heather’s children were indirectly impacted by the events on the show, as they could be affected by any topic discussed on the reality program. If she wants to shield stories about herself and her relationship from the media due to the kids possibly seeing it, perhaps reconsidering being part of a reality show might be advisable.

As a seasoned celebrity publicist with over a decade of experience navigating the tumultuous waters of Hollywood gossip and scandal, I can confidently say that Heather’s approach to handling her personal drama is both counterproductive and detrimental to her image. Instead of addressing the rumors head-on and setting the record straight in a straightforward manner, she continues to dance around the issue, fueling speculation and drawing unwanted attention to herself.

WINNER: Page Six

Emily versus Gina: This incident took a backseat to Heather and Gina’s squabble over leftover chili dogs (provided by Ozempic). Shannon whispers to Emily, “I don’t want to upset you, but…” before disclosing that Gina had been sharing with the group that Emily has become more aggressive since she’s been sticking close to Tamra. However, it seems Shannon’s attempt at diplomacy was actually intended to provoke Emily instead.

Later, Emily adopts a subtle form of resistance towards Gina, refraining from openly expressing her issues even when something significant is amiss. It’s understandable that Emily feels this way; she perceives their dynamic as one where they both often criticize each other about other women, and she dislikes the role reversal of being on the receiving end from her closest friend. (I’d be thrilled to be on the receiving end if my best friend was Pedro Pascal.) I believe these two will eventually sort out their differences. As for creating a scene and then stepping back, I must say…

WINNER: Shannon Storms Beador

Emily vs. Shane’s Vehicle: Shane (who might require a step ladder to get into the huge truck he lent Emily for their road trip) made it clear that he had no desire for any food consumption within his car. I wholeheartedly agreed with Emily when she assured Shane, “Yes, Shane, we won’t eat in your vehicle,” only to whip out a Costco-sized bag of Twizzlers once she turned the corner. What a clever idea for a car snack: no messy crumbs, no Cheeto residue, and no lingering aroma. Brilliant!

It became unclear to me when she stopped at Jack in the Box, and everyone ate fast food inside that truck. I wonder if there weren’t any outdoor picnic tables available? Or were they not allowed to eat indoors? Also, why is Heather sharing that their tacos are popular? Why are they all discussing how delicious it was? It seems like a secret advertisement for Jack in the Box, or perhaps Lisa Barlow’s Wendy’s. What exactly is happening here?

WINNER: Sponcon

Elizabeth Vargas vs. Anonymity: Why do Reality TV shows such as Housewives act as if the women from past seasons never existed at all? Gina comments, “Oh, my friend, Elizabeth Vargas.” Yes, many of us are aware. We’ve been following this show. We remember that she was part of a cult and only appeared for one season. Couldn’t the on-screen text say, “Former Housewife”? Let’s just admit that we’re all in the know!

WINNER: Cults

Alexis Praises Johnny J En Route to Big Bear: All the way to Big Bear, Alexis couldn’t stop raving about her boyfriend, Johnny J. “He’s just the sweetest and most decent man, always footing the bill and has quite a substantial…ummm…size,” she said. “We even attended two different church services on Christmas because that really pleases Jesus, and by the way, since we’re headed to Big Bear, I should mention he can install a TV in just about 7 minutes. Incredible, right?”

In essence, it seems that John is using his relationship with Alexis as a means to target Shannon on the show, while Alexis, in return, appears to be benefiting from this partnership both by gaining some good company and re-entering the basic cable scene. I’m convinced that their connection isn’t authentic; it’s more about their individual agendas. Just as Heather chose not to engage with the paparazzi, I believe Shannon deserves an additional compensation for having to deal with this situation.

WINNER: The memory of Scheana’s ex-boyfriend, Rob

John vs. Shannon’s Web of Deceit: In the final moments of the episode, Alexis threatens to disclose videos of Shannon’s reckless behavior from the night she put Archie Beador’s life at risk while driving under the influence. If Shannon continues to falsify information about John, he warns he will make these videos public. This man has already taken legal action over the money he loaned her for a facelift. Isn’t that embarrassing enough? What more could there be? Exposing her past incident where she needed help removing an enema, and he had to extract it… oh, wait, that’s already public knowledge. To put it simply, as Jenn advises Alexis, “When do you call a halt to this feud? You’re on such a destructive path.” It all seems so petty, so scandalous, so reminiscent of Teresa Giudice’s antics.

To put it another way, Alexis stated that “Johnny is prepared to speak.” However, I’m curious as to why he isn’t appearing on the program if that’s the case. Instead, he seems to be dodging the spotlight by using FaceTime and a smile. What could possibly be in those videos? If it’s just Shannon being drunk, well, we’re all aware of that. Even if she appears more intoxicated than all the girls during Bama Rush, it wouldn’t shock us. Unless she’s using racial slurs or speaking negatively about her fellow cast members on the show, I can’t imagine how these videos could harm Shannon any further than she already has been. It’s also distasteful to appear on her show and hold her hostage in this manner. Goodness, this individual is quite unsavory.

WINNER: The rest of this season because, girl, this is gonna be good.

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2024-08-16 05:56