The Real Housewives of Rhode Island Recap: Under My Skin

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Alicia described the drive to Rich’s show as awful, especially because Liz spent the whole time angrily criticizing her about being homeless. Considering Alicia already hates driving, that says a lot! To top it off, they arrived early and were stuck in an uncomfortable silence. Liz was giving Alicia the cold shoulder, Jo-Ellen was trying to smooth things over, and Alicia was quietly crying while looking at the menu. It was a pretty chaotic scene, and Ashley happened to walk in right in the middle of it all.

Okay, so Alicia was actually crying, but I told Ashley she just had allergies – Ashley’s just thrilled to be included, honestly! We also met Monique, who’s Rosie’s really close friend and used to work with Alicia. Seriously, it’s becoming clear that Alicia knows everyone in Rhode Island! Monique’s married to a former Patriots player, Patrick Pass, and while she doesn’t have a huge storyline this week, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of her later on.

Once everyone is somewhat settled, Rich starts his performance. I was really curious to see how Bravo would handle a Frank Sinatra tribute, knowing they rarely use actual licensed music. As expected, he began with an energetic, royalty-free version of “When The Saints Go Marching In.” It reminded me of that 30 Rock episode about “Public Domain Week” on America’s Kidz Got Singing! But surprisingly, Alicia was genuinely enjoying it and started to feel much better. In fact, she felt so revitalized that she tried to reconcile with Liz, but Liz wasn’t interested and went outside for a cigarette instead.

Jo-Ellen went after them, but I was really surprised it was still bright outside – I wondered what time the show even started, maybe noon? They were arguing over a cigarette, and Liz was being completely unreasonable with Jo-Ellen, which made her furious. They both stormed back onto the stage, where Rich had changed into what looked like his First Communion outfit and started singing “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.” It was strange because both songs Rich performed for his “Sinatra Sunday” tribute weren’t actually Frank Sinatra songs. But Alicia loved it, screaming with excitement and singing along to the Elvis song while Jo-Ellen and Liz continued to fight at their table during the performance.

I haven’t enjoyed a Housewives scene this much in ages. It’s brilliantly filmed, genuinely funny, and deserves an Emmy. The contrast between the romantic song playing and the intense fight happening at the same time is amazing television. Liz pulls Jo-Ellen’s hair, Alicia briefly stops being a fan to yell at Jo-Ellen not to respond, and Liz dramatically pushes her chair away – it’s total chaos.

I initially thought Rosie would be upset by what happened at Rich’s show, but I’m realizing it’s impossible to predict how these women will react. Surprisingly, Rosie didn’t seem to notice the drama unfolding right in front of the stage; she was completely focused on Rich and his performance. “Rich is such a great singer!” she exclaimed happily. It’s wonderful to see how much they adore him.

Okay, so one of the things I really enjoy watching unfold is family dynamics, and Alicia’s family is full of them! They’re having a big get-together because her daughter, Celina, won some kind of dance competition – honestly, even Alicia isn’t quite sure what it’s called, she just keeps saying it’s a ‘Miss’ something-or-other and a really big deal. But the funny thing is, as soon as Celina’s out of earshot – Alicia literally tells her to go away because she’s ‘a stalkah’ – the real conversation starts. Alicia immediately launches into explaining some family drama, which she calls ‘homeless-gate,’ to her mom and aunts. It’s just classic – celebrating one thing while immediately gossiping about something else!

Liz has been claiming she avoided using the word “homeless” to spare Alicia’s family’s feelings, but this conversation proves that argument wrong. Alicia’s aunts all confirmed she was homeless, and her mother was actually hurt by Liz’s position. The biggest surprise, though, came when Aunt Judy suggested the issue might be related to drugs, and Alicia clarified that Liz doesn’t use them – she just sells them. If that’s true, it changes everything, because I’d assumed Liz’s odd behavior was due to being high. I’m not sure what to think now, but Judy clearly doesn’t believe Alicia’s explanation.

Liz visits Dolores, and we learn Dolores has a chihuahua named Dog – honestly, that’s the most interesting part! But Liz spends the time updating Dolores and Kelsey on the drama they missed. She’s upset that Jo-Ellen, who’s known for causing trouble, tried to act like she was helping to resolve things. Liz repeats this to Rulla later, who seems to have faded into the background. They both agree they don’t trust Jo-Ellen’s motives, and Rulla even hints that Jo-Ellen might be projecting – possibly having an affair herself. Frankly, I’m not invested in this storyline. Rulla can’t selectively focus on parts of it; if she doesn’t want to discuss Brian’s cheating, she shouldn’t keep bringing up Jo-Ellen revealing it. Unless Rulla has proof of Jo-Ellen’s infidelity, comparing the two situations is unfair.

Jo-Ellen visits Kelsey for a painting session and to share her perspective on things. Kelsey always suspected she’d eventually be caught between Jo-Ellen and Liz, and now it’s happened. She manages to stay neutral, even though Jo-Ellen, true to form, tries to pressure her. When Kelsey doesn’t react as expected, Jo-Ellen suggests Kelsey is intimidated by Liz – and honestly, it’s easy to see why! Liz’s fearsome reputation has been building all season, and it’s well-deserved. Her unpredictable outbursts keep everyone on edge, and her slurred speech adds to the unsettling impression that she might be about to do something unexpected.

After everyone had a chance to discuss the drama, Liz and Jo-Ellen finally sat down to talk privately, and the tension was incredibly thick. The conversation started on a chilly day, and as they began to talk, it started to pour rain, which felt like a bad sign. Liz explained she was upset that Jo-Ellen had taken on the role of trying to fix things, but Jo-Ellen couldn’t understand why Liz, someone she considered a close friend, was being so harsh. Liz bluntly stated they’d never been best friends, and then denied physically hurting Jo-Ellen, even though there was video evidence of her doing so. Liz angrily accused Jo-Ellen of being malicious and insisted she hadn’t pulled her hair, despite clear video proof that she had. Clearly losing the argument, Liz abruptly ended the conversation and stormed off, leaving Jo-Ellen behind.

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2026-06-01 05:55