The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Gossip Girls

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Growing up in the 1900s, my family moved a lot – four times in just two years! We lived in Harlem, then two different parts of the Bronx, and finally back in Manhattan. That meant I went to three different schools, and each time I had to figure out how to fit in. At my first school, people thought my outgoing personality was cute, but at the second, I was just seen as too talkative. By the time I started at my third school, I learned it was best to observe and understand the social dynamics before trying to find my place. Even then, I still occasionally found myself in awkward situations. (A word of advice: if a Dominican classmate suggests telling your Spanish teacher she’s a mamaguevo, definitely don’t volunteer!)

Many reality shows feature newcomers quickly facing intense social challenges, and Housewives is no different – it’s essentially the same dynamic, but with more alcohol. A new cast member is immediately put to the test, and everyone watches to see how they’ll handle the pressure. Will they thrive or struggle? Showing any sign of weakness can quickly lead to trouble. This episode of Potomac focused on the new cast members trying to find their place within the group, with mixed results.

Stacey Rusch is really shining this season, expertly handling conflict and turning her opponents’ aggression against them. It’s been tough for the show to create memorable moments since Jen Shah’s legal issues, but the scene with all the women ganging up on Stacey while she quietly adjusted her wig was hilarious. It’s unclear what Keiarna and Gizelle’s actual problem with Stacey is – she’s a bit irritating, but that’s not a serious offense – and their dramatic reactions just fall flat when Stacey seems completely oblivious. Stacey’s knowing smirk in her interview, after realizing Gizelle didn’t bother with personalized gifts for her in Nevis, shows she’s in control: “It really takes effort to avoid thinking about me, doesn’t it?” While her wigs might not win any beauty awards, I admire a woman who knows her rivals can’t get to her and clearly enjoys it.

Stacey doesn’t let Gizelle’s attempts to intimidate her go unanswered; she’s skilled at getting even. During a car ride, she subtly asks everyone about their relationships, intentionally making Gizelle uncomfortable. By dinner in Nevis, Stacey is prepared and reveals details – with proof – about the NFL player Gizelle has been seeing, even leaving Ashley speechless after she confirms seeing them together. Stacey was surprised, though, when Gizelle immediately accused her of pursuing Chris Samuels. Now that everything is out in the open, it will be interesting to see how Stacey responds to Gizelle and Ashley raising the stakes, but so far, she’s handled the situation very well.

Jassi is a bit of a complicated character. While she’s clearly made connections within the group, her attempts to create drama in order to fit in feel a little forced. She jumped at a last-minute invitation to a bachelorette trip, even though it was clear she wasn’t a priority – she was seated near the restrooms on the plane! It’s obvious she believes stirring up trouble with the other newcomers is how she’ll stay on the show, and that’s fine if she has something substantial to share. However, her hints about issues between Wendy, herself, and Keiarna are confusing and don’t really make sense. She got upset with Keiarna for simply asking what was wrong, even though Wendy admitted she originally brought up the problem on the phone. And if there wasn’t a real issue, why immediately attack Keiarna’s personal life? If Jassi knows what Keiarna said to Wendy, why not just explain it instead of vaguely referencing a mysterious conversation? It seems like Jassi, similar to Wendy, is exaggerating a minor comment to put Keiarna under unnecessary pressure, and Keiarna is currently struggling to handle it.

It seems the tension between Keiarna and Jassi started because they both wanted a prominent role on the show last season, and Jassi was unexpectedly sidelined. Now, Jassi appears very jealous, but Keiarna isn’t handling it well, either during their trip to Nevis or at the Preakness. While Jassi’s complicated love life – constantly competing with her fiancé’s other children’s mothers – is messy, it’s hard for her to criticize anyone else when she and her fiancé are currently living apart due to his continued involvement with his other family. I’m surprised Keiarna is having trouble talking about her problems with the group, especially with Wendy. Instead of addressing things directly, she just sulks with Angel, which isn’t helping either of them. They’re doing this constantly – on the plane, on the boat, everywhere – and if they don’t fix things, they’ll soon be stuck at home, and the cameras will stop rolling.

Angel is really struggling to find her footing. She’s letting Keiarna’s opinions influence how she sees the other women, and she can’t decide whether to stay quiet or speak up, which is leaving her vulnerable. When she tries to explain that she needs time to get comfortable, it doesn’t land well – this group is quick to attack, and she’s immediately facing criticism from all sides. Gizelle used Angel mentioning Charrisse to suggest a problem with Jassi, and Wendy jumped on that to imply Angel thinks she’s more important than everyone else. Before Angel can even react, Gizelle criticizes her heavily edited photos, which felt unnecessarily harsh considering Angel is a new mom clearly dealing with insecurities. It’s clear Angel wasn’t ready for this level of scrutiny, and if she wants to survive, she needs to respond quickly and effectively.

It’s unfortunate, because Wendy has really come into her own this season, confidently leading scenes and handling storylines. However, the criticism she’s received seems justified. She openly admits she’s okay with Stacey taking the heat from Gizelle, knowing how hurtful Gizelle’s cold treatment can be and wanting to avoid it herself. Despite claiming to know nothing about Angel, Wendy volunteers information about Angel dropping out of college – a hypocritical comment considering Wendy herself failed out of law school. Wendy is good at spotting condescension, and both Angel and Keiarna clearly notice it. But unless they challenge it directly, or get others to back them up, it won’t make a difference.

It’s impressive how she handles conflict, similar to Tia, by turning a potentially explosive situation into something calm and keeping the conversation moving. When Ashley tries to start a fight by pointing out it was disrespectful to invite other women to an event in front of her, she remains composed – she doesn’t yell or overreact, but she also doesn’t let Ashley’s insults get to her. By the time she stops Ashley with a simple, “I don’t know what your problem is,” it’s clear she’s successfully navigated the conflict, which is especially noteworthy considering Ashley seems determined to cause drama.

Join us next week as we return to Nevis to discuss the aftermath of the Chris Samuels revelations. We’ll see you there!

Cherry Blossoms:

We were happily surprised to hear they just returned from a week-long trip to Nevis! Now, let’s see that new budget!

A supposed contract between Stacey and TJ has surfaced online. Even if it’s real, it likely wouldn’t be enforceable in court, but Gizelle will probably exaggerate the situation regardless.

It’s pretty funny that Wendy got so excited about being a guest of honor at the Maryland first lady’s request, only to make a quick, unnoticeable appearance. Dawn Moore seemed embarrassed to be associated with her, treating her like a secret she didn’t want anyone to know about.

I’m a little surprised Angel didn’t know about the rules against wearing camouflage clothing. It’s pretty common in many places like the Caribbean, South America, and Africa, for a number of reasons. Perhaps she doesn’t travel internationally very often?

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2025-10-27 05:01