The Real Housewives of Orange County Recap: Slade in the Shade

by

Honestly, I’m really over Tamra and Gretchen. They feel so connected – like two parts of the same drama – and this season has just been a total rewind to a fight from over a decade ago. It’s like they *want* to keep it going! At this point, the only way to move forward is if one of them leaves the show, or they just admit they can’t stand each other and stop bringing up the past. It’s getting ridiculous, honestly – it’s starting to feel as exhausting as watching Teresa and Melissa constantly fight.

It’s frustrating because both Tamra and Gretchen keep accusing each other of the exact same behavior. Tamra meeting with Katie, who we haven’t seen in a while, was a letdown – it didn’t reveal anything new, and Katie just repeated old arguments. The irony is that Tamra was trying to find dirt on Gretchen through one of her rivals, which is precisely what she criticizes Gretchen for doing. When Gretchen is confronted about a negative comment she made about Tamra, she immediately searches for something similar Tamra said about her. Emily points out that Tamra always retaliates in kind. It’s a pointless cycle – they both believe they’re justified in speaking badly about each other because the other person did first, and it’s incredibly tiring to watch. It doesn’t seem like this conflict will ever be resolved.

Emily mentions Tamra getting upset at her party because her friends didn’t trust her, and Gretchen quickly labels Tamra a narcissist, accusing her of making problems and then twisting things around to make others feel like they’re at fault. Gretchen then tries to blame Emily for Slade revealing a rumor about Tamra and a member of 98 Degrees on camera, claiming Emily pushed him to share the information. But isn’t this just another way of avoiding responsibility by blaming the people who are reacting to the problematic behavior?

Tamra and Gretchen are locked in a never-ending conflict, determined to win at all costs – even if it means ruining each other. That’s why they keep revisiting the same old drama. The only new element is Slade Smiley, which is frustrating. This situation with Emily highlights everything I dislike about both of them: they twist stories so much that it ruins any chance of honesty or enjoyment. Gretchen is claiming she only mentioned Tamra singing, that Emily pushed to contact Slade, and that Slade revealed the affair rumor. But that’s not true! We all saw the footage. Gretchen was the one who brought up the affair, and Emily and Heather just wanted to hear the song. Slade didn’t share the recording; he immediately started accusing Tamra of cheating. This whole mess is their fault.

I really dislike Slade – he’s completely out of touch. There’s a scene where he and Gretchen are preparing for Emily’s fundraiser, and he claims the guys don’t respect Eddie because he allows Tamra to say whatever she wants without intervening. It’s ridiculous! He barely knows what anyone thinks, considering he’s only been around for half the season and mostly just talks to Ryan and Matt, who he’s now avoiding. Travis and Shane don’t care and try to stay out of the drama, and Terry is too busy with his own shows to get involved.

Slade’s claim is simply not true. Last season, Tamra became very intoxicated at Katie’s house and brought up Ryan’s past issues with the FBI, which essentially started the conflict between Tamra and Ryan, as well as Jenn. Eddie was attempting to get Matt to stop Tamra from drinking so much. While she was upset and speaking out of turn, he repeatedly told her to be quiet and even physically tried to get her attention to make her realize how badly she was behaving. It’s hypocritical to suggest he doesn’t intervene when his wife is acting inappropriately.

Slade consistently allows Gretchen to make harsh comments about others, including Tamra, and actually contributes to the negativity himself. He’s the one initiating the drama and spreading rumors, far more than Eddie ever does. Eddie prefers to stay out of the conflict, quietly observing while the women argue. Even when faced with personal attacks – like accusations about his sexuality – he avoids confrontation, leaving Vicki and others to say whatever they want while he stays home and focuses on his hobbies. He lets his wife deal with the fallout instead of stepping in himself.

Before diving into Slade and Gretchen’s biggest mistakes this week, let’s highlight some positive moments. The absolute best part of the episode is Archie Beador – he’s the sweetest dog in Orange County! Shannon brings him to Jenn’s house to meet a pet psychic named Keao, which is a rather unusual name. While psychics have been helpful on the show before – like the one who exposed Brooks Ayers – this one just isn’t convincing. You can clearly see her struggling to guess what the dogs would say to their owners, and it’s written all over her face.

Shannon bombarded Keao with a bunch of pointless questions about Archie’s preferences and thoughts, and Keao was just trying to follow along. Then Shannon asked if Archie wanted another dog, and Keao, naturally, said yes – but not a puppy. Now, Shannon’s going to get another dog, all because of a not-very-reliable pet psychic.

Even though we often joke about these reality shows, they do highlight important causes. For example, Heather recently organized a fundraiser with most of the cast in West Hollywood to benefit The Trevor Project, a vital hotline for LGBTQIA+ youth in crisis – especially since the government recently cut funding for similar services. She also showcased Junior Cookies, a local bakery that I personally love! They offer a delicious range of freshly baked cookies, stay open late, and are conveniently located near the gay bars in West Hollywood (and TomTom). Plus, if you’re relaxing at home and don’t want to go out, they deliver! If you order, tell them Dame Brian sent you and ask for two Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake cookies – you won’t regret it.

The show also highlights Emily’s work with the Innocence Center, which supports people who have been wrongly convicted and are rebuilding their lives. She organizes a fundraiser that brings in over $41,000 to help one of these men attend mechanic school. It’s frustrating to see that after being wrongly imprisoned for ten years, the state won’t cover the cost of his training. It seems unfair, and the author believes Governor Newsom should prioritize correcting this injustice. It’s a sign of a serious problem when it takes individuals from reality television to do what the state should be doing.

At a charity event, Tamra reveals to Emily that she met with Katie, but downplays the fact that the conversation went nowhere. Emily shares this with the group, and Jenn presses Tamra for details. Tamra claims Katie brought up something about Slade – specifically, that he’s been contacting Matt and urging everyone to stay consistent with a certain story. However, this information isn’t particularly new or interesting. When Gretchen overhears, she decides to confront Tamra, with Slade conspicuously present – and looking rather disheveled.

This was a really bad plan, and thankfully Tamra left as soon as they started to approach. Gretchen claims she was avoiding the truth, but I believe Tamra was simply trying to avoid a pointless argument for everyone involved. What could Gretchen possibly have hoped to achieve with this confrontation? It would have just been a repetitive, circular shouting match – they would have questioned Tamra, she would have denied it, then they would have accused her, and she would have accused them back, going over the same old ground. It’s like trying to discuss a sensitive topic with a family member who has completely different views – no one’s going to change their mind, it’s guaranteed to escalate, and it will likely end in a messy and unpleasant situation.

What’s most frustrating is Gretchen claiming Slade doesn’t instigate drama with the women; she says they only talk about him because he talks about them first. That’s completely backwards. He’s the one who brought up Vicki and Tamra in his stand-up, exposed Tamra’s affair on camera, and actively encouraged Gretchen’s false story about being drugged, even pushing the husbands to spread it the way he wanted. Now he acts like he’s the victim? Slade is deliberately involved because he craves attention. He wants to be the center of everything, likely because his life is falling apart. He’s got a terrible reputation, hasn’t worked in years, is probably deeply in debt, and fans hate him. He was even fired from a show he falsely believes he created, and let’s be honest, he doesn’t look great in a cowboy hat. While life hasn’t been easy on Slade, his behavior this season suggests he’s actually gotten away with too much.

Read More

2025-10-10 03:55