Southern Charm Recap: Burnt Sienna

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Over time, I’ve consistently pointed out that the TV series Southern Charm revolves around reprehensible men and the women who endure them. However, as the seasons progress, it appears as though the female characters are becoming increasingly insignificant. Being a woman on this show has always been more hazardous than Miss Patricia’s single lap around the block in her Rolls-Royce. In the initial stages of the show, Cameran often found herself with minimal tasks other than recapping previous events, and despite Madison being an exceptional reality TV performer on Bravo, she’s been given limited opportunities since her split with Austen and truce with Shep.

However, things seem to be taking a turn for the worse. Salley and Taylor are barely featured throughout the episode, with Taylor merely cleaning her house at the start, while poor Molly gets a single scene where she’s modeling for a Charleston purse brand in a swimming pool. It’s evident that Molly didn’t receive any payment for this job. As Molly herself acknowledges, there’s hardly any work for models in Charleston, making it more of a charming daydream than a realistic possibility.

Among all the women who’ve encountered heartbreak, Venita seems to bear the most profound pain. The narrative begins with a mortifying moment that none would wish to be preserved for eternity or broadcasted publicly. She finds herself in an excruciating predicament, needing to inform Leva that JT, a man whose social media is riddled with crypto scams, has turned her down. Oh, the agony must be palpable. What makes it all the more bitter is that you can sense JT was never a definite ‘yes’ for Venita. She had always been on the brink of hope and then, when he displayed a hint of interest, she stepped forward, only to have him step back. If only she could say, “You were merely a ‘maybe’ in the first place, and now this ‘maybe’ is a ‘no’. How dare you!

In simpler terms, Leva appears to be one of the wronged women in this situation. She expresses her anger when she learns that JT disrespected Venita because he has a girlfriend. When asked about the girlfriend, Leva mentions that none of them know her as she resides in Canada, which some might consider an extension of the U.S. Later on, Leva expresses sympathy for what happened and finds the situation distasteful. In more informal language, she says, “I’m so mad at this jerk! That was not right at all,” and later adds, “I’m sorry that happened to you. Ew, I can’t even with that.” The subtitles on our screen have translated the phrase she used for ‘God’ as “gawd,” which is what we’re dealing with here. Essentially, Bravo is apologizing to Venita for putting her through this ordeal, acknowledging that she deserves extra compensation for her troubles, and suggesting that they could potentially set her up with Captain Jason.

The remainder of the episode focused mainly on the boys, primarily due to Miss Patricia hosting her yearly gentleman’s dinner. Apart from one conversation about their relationships, the guys were mostly seen apart, such as when Austen joined Madison for oyster shooters during the day. He mentioned enjoying her company now that she considers him her “GBF,” or gay best friend. However, it’s essential to clarify that being a GBF entails much more than just hanging out – it includes shopping sprees, Bravo TV gossip, and plenty of male anatomy discussions, which most women may prefer not to discuss openly. Instead, Madison seems to treat Austen as a straight friend with whom she shares no romantic future. Perhaps the reason Madison differs from other women Austen has platonic relationships with is that he acknowledges his chances with her are non-existent. This acceptance of the situation might be the key to maintaining female friendships – realizing that attaining a romantic relationship is not an option, so everything else can just be casual hangouts and heart-to-hearts.

In the remaining scenes featuring the guys, they revolve around their connections with their significant others. Craig and Paige visit a bee farm since Craig desires to transform his residence into something akin to Southfork Ranch, complete with chickens, goats, and cornfields enriched by homemade compost. Unfortunately, the community won’t allow such changes, leaving only bees as potential inhabitants. The predicament is worsened because Paige dislikes bees, animals, farms, Charleston, and even Craig himself.

1. It seems that what you said might not be accurate. To be frank, I was too distracted by Craig’s impressive arms under his gray T-shirt during the whole scene to focus on anything Paige was saying. I doubt she has a deep-seated hatred for Craig, but their argument at the farm makes their impending breakup more understandable.

2. In my opinion, Paige may have a valid point when she complains about the constant talk about babies and marriage at 31, since Craig never had to deal with such issues. Go ahead, sister! But I don’t think that addressing centuries of religious doctrine and misogyny to achieve equality in heterosexual relationships is within the scope of either her or the show.

3. Since we already know they are on the brink of a breakup, it’s not necessary to search for signs when she clearly indicates their problems many times over.

The trip is proving to be more challenging with Shep and Sienna involved. Originally, the show had planned a major excursion centered on Shep’s visit to his girlfriend in the Bahamas, but it seems she’d rather engage in various tasks like cleaning gutters, renewing her license, or undergoing an elective surgery instead of spending time with Shep and the team. During a FaceTime call, he thanks her for hosting them ahead of time, to which she nonchalantly asks, “Um, what day are you coming?” This question shows a lack of enthusiasm. When asked if he’d meet her family during his stay, she replies that they’re all in different locations. She appears uninterested when asked about plans for their visit, merely outlining a vague itinerary for the reality stars visiting her homeland.

It’s evident to all those around them that Sienna appears uninterested in continuing this relationship. When Shep mentions his love, Austen claims she only said it to keep him interested for her own purposes. I find that plausible. At the dinner with gentlemen, Shep suggests Sienna is difficult to reach due to her busy schedule, but during FaceTime, she admitted to having plenty of free time. Indeed, it seems she’s making it clear that she has the time for conversations with Shep; she merely lacks the motivation.

During dinner, Whitney oversteps boundaries, which could potentially be linked to the slur in his voice that had been present even before he damaged one of his mother’s antique chairs. He confides in Shep that Sienna finds him neither wealthy, thrilling, nor renowned, and this is the root of their issues. It appears that this sentiment becomes more accurate each time we encounter Sienna. Furthermore, Whitney also informs Shep that he was the one who initiated contact on Raya first, but then claims he never sent her a message. Therefore, they did match, but until communication was established and a date was set, I don’t believe this qualifies as anything significant. If everyone I contacted on Grindr with a simple “Hey, good-looking” was off limits, my friends would struggle to engage with any man ranging from five feet to six million feet tall, within the age range of 23 and 94, in any major city across the United States, Europe, or Brazil.

It appears that when the group reaches her island, Shep’s situation might deteriorate further. Frankly, considering the troubles he’s caused with women throughout his life, I must admit I’m not entirely unsympathetic towards him receiving some well-deserved retribution.

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2025-02-07 06:54