The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Recap: Don’t Throw Stones

As a seasoned viewer of reality TV shows, I must say this latest episode was quite intriguing! It seems Britani has been keeping her private life under wraps until now, and it was fascinating to finally get a glimpse into her Mormon worship social. The argument between Angie and Heather was, indeed, heated, but it’s clear that their decades-long friendship has given Angie the upper hand when dealing with Heather’s defensive nature.

Last week’s episode was a wonderful return to form after an uneven start to the season. A lot happened at Angie’s Mafia anniversary party: Heather got shit from Bronwyn and Mary for pot stirring, Britani freaked out over her bizarre love triangle (more like just a love angle), and, most importantly, Lisa and Whitney’s fight spiraled so out of control that their husbands almost got into a physical fight. Last week, I said ending the episode with a “To be continued” was a good sign we were back on track this season. Thankfully, this week’s episode is a good enough follow-up, where we see how the post-fight dust will settle.

Initially, this episode doesn’t include Meredith at all, which I realized three-quarters into it. Strangely, even when she appears on screen, it seems like she’s already checked out. Perhaps her life is currently smooth sailing, or maybe last season left such a profound impact. I can’t help but ponder when she might reappear again. Additionally, we see very little of Mary in this installment, and her absence is significantly noticeable.

The scene opens with Whitney/Justin and Lisa/John’s argument being interrupted by the composed Angie, who requests Mary to conduct a prayer for the blessing of Angie’s family and marriage. Interestingly, it seems they don’t share the same Christian denomination, but nevertheless. This instance brought to my mind that Mary’s church, which was a frequent topic last season, has yet to be mentioned in this one! At one point, everyone was discussing her transformation — she’s truly made progress in rebranding herself.

Even though they were required to hold hands during Mary’s prayer, it is evident that Lisa and Whitney will never find common ground, as demonstrated by their conversation about the post-party situation with their respective husbands. While Lisa may have overreacted at the party, she implies that if she really aimed to undermine Whitney, she would’ve escalated the gossip beyond some social media rumors. I believe that she might have approached a reputable tabloid like the New York Post instead; after all, Lisa Barlow is known for her aggressive tactics and enjoys wielding power by pulling strings. It’s essentially her modus operandi!

It seems that Lisa might be in a very vulnerable position, as becomes clearer during her lunch with her little sister, who goes by Mini-Me. Henry has been struggling since Jack left, and it’s heartbreaking to hear him mention no one wants to attend his birthday party. This explains why Angie’s criticism was so painful, and Heather’s comment to Lisa feels especially thoughtless given Lisa’s emotional condition at the moment.

It appears Justin is more distraught over the party incident than Whitney, given their usual calm demeanor as husbands. Additionally, Whitney seems genuinely surprised by how intense the argument became. She doesn’t view her comments about Lisa as fully accusatory, as shown later in the episode during her walk with Angie and Bronwyn. Though she believes Lisa leaked the rumor about her jewelry, Whitney also feels that discussing it was meant to hear Lisa’s perspective. I’m not sure I share this viewpoint, and I believe bringing up such a sensitive topic in that manner was questionable.

In a subsequent scene, we observe a discussion between Britani and Heather, which serves to emphasize Britani’s distinct worldview. If you ever found yourself in a situation where your friend casually mentioned “the other night” and you thought she was referring to an ex-boyfriend unexpectedly reappearing, you would find this conversation quite amusing. Much like other women, Heather tries to offer Britani sincere advice by suggesting she lets go of Jared and focuses on herself. However, Britani interprets this as a personal attack rather than genuine concern. This dialogue provides insights into Britani’s perspective on her non-relationship with Jared. It seems that in her heart, she believes their relationship is extraordinary and intricate, while the truth is more straightforward: Jared barely acknowledges her as his girlfriend. It was refreshing to see Britani acknowledge her deep sense of loneliness as the reason for her reluctance to let go, adding an element of honesty to the storyline.

Contrarily, Bronwyn appears to have stumbled upon someone she deeply cares for. The interaction with Todd made me sympathize with her a bit more, despite the waning feelings by the episode’s end. I sense a mutual emotional commitment between them, as they discuss Gwen and Bronwyn’s disputes with other women. I’m intrigued by how swiftly she chose not to bring Britani along on their 10th-anniversary trip. True, Britani can be irritating, but she’s so innocuous and vulnerable. It seems harsh to criticize her when she’s already down.

Bronwyn appears relatively inexperienced, and this becomes evident as she walks with Angie and Whitney. For one thing, her coat is quite unattractive and impractical – it’s far too large! They discuss the extent of harm Lisa might cause during a fight, but it seems unfair to single out Lisa as the only one capable of manipulating stories. After all, isn’t this something they all do at times? It seems exaggerated, especially since Whitney hasn’t provided any evidence that her jewelry isn’t a cheap knockoff from Alibaba. Bronwyn remains impartial, which makes sense. However, when the conversation shifts to whether she should reconsider inviting Heather to her anniversary party, I find it a bit unkind. Despite my reservations about Heather this season, excluding two women in a group who aren’t partners is not a good look, regardless – it’s poor optics, no question. Half of the guests invited don’t even get along with each other; having Heather there won’t make much difference.

In this episode, we get a glimpse into Britani’s life beyond Jared, as it’s the first time we’ve seen inside her home this season. Britani invites Angie and Heather to a Mormon gathering, raising questions about whether such a sacred space would be used for an argument, but predictably, they engage in one.

This season, one of my favorite moments is the intricately edited parallel parking scene, where the Land Rover seems to have trouble finding its spot. It made me wonder if Mary owns a Land Rover. What surprised me, though, was John stepping out of the vehicle, which might suggest a stereotype.

I found myself quite intrigued by the prospect of a dialogue between Justin, who appears emotionally reserved, and John. When John shared that he intervened because he noticed Justin moving toward Lisa, it felt like an obvious response. It’s uncertain if Justin will apologize to Lisa, but in my opinion, he should, as such behavior towards a woman can be unsettling, regardless of the circumstances. The fact that they were engaged in this conversation even before the appetizer was served made me wonder about other topics they might discuss aside from their wives. It seems like they could be friends, although they fade into obscurity for me once they exit the camera’s view, much like other husbands on the show.

Ultimately, let’s discuss the aspects of Bronwyn that left me a bit disappointed. I understand she’s not expected to be flawless, and her messiness adds charm to the show. However, in this instance, her actions seemed unprofessional. Before delving into my main point, I want to tread carefully as I know dog owners can become defensive when judged. So, I’m asking this with utmost gentleness: is it standard to be so relaxed about your dogs defecating and urinating in your home? Given that she has eight large dogs and costly furniture, one might expect a higher level of cleanliness. If wealth allows for such indifference, then perhaps that’s the case.

Concerning her conversation with Heather, it’s understandable that Bronwyn may have felt suspicious and mistreated, but her approach could have been more tactful. Inviting someone over for a talk and immediately being disrespectful isn’t advisable. Bronwyn brought up the possibility of rebuilding their friendship in an indirect way by saying, “For us to move forward, I have to say it was messy,” even though Heather didn’t ask for anything; this is not an honest way to describe their disagreement. Furthermore, she insisted that Heather admit she was wrong. Was Bronwyn inviting Heather over for a dialogue or for punishment?

Instead, what really bothers me is when she casually mentions her indecision about inviting Heather on her upcoming anniversary trip. It’s such an awkward and immature thing to discuss publicly! It gives the impression that she’s not trying to reconcile with Heather, but rather, she wants to continue their feud and make more enemies for Heather among the other women.

It seems that Bronwyn may not be fully aware that by giving ammunition to Heather, she might inadvertently encourage the other girls to turn against her. In my opinion, she’s overlooking the fact that many of these women have a strong bond with Heather and feel, at best, indifferent towards her. Bronwyn doesn’t know most of them well, and I believe she underestimates the depth of their history and affection for Heather Gay.

In the upcoming episode, all the couples embark on a trip to California for Bronwyn and Todd’s anniversary celebration. This seems to be the first group excursion for these couples, and I can’t wait to see how the dynamic between Lisa and Bronwyn unfolds as they appear to have some interesting interactions ahead.

2024-10-31 06:54

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Recap: Don’t Throw Stones

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