Selling Sunset Season-Premiere Recap: Et Tu, Mary?

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As a huge film and TV enthusiast, I often find myself drawing parallels between what I watch and history. The Roman Empire, for example, keeps popping into my head. Centuries of internal conflict eventually led to its downfall, and I see a similar pattern emerging in, of all places, Selling Sunset. It sounds crazy, but I truly believe no society can thrive when luxury reaches such extremes – seriously, twelve bathrooms in one house? Anyway, this season of my favorite show about glamorous real estate agents and their workplace drama really highlights this idea. Jason and Brett Oppenheim, the bosses at The Oppenheim Group, are realizing that letting their agents run wild for eight seasons has created total chaos. It’s not a new problem, but the first two episodes are intense. We’re immediately thrown into a power struggle between competing agents who are all fighting for control of the show itself. It’s fascinating to watch, honestly!

Chrishell clearly takes the lead on the show, and part of that is due to her likable personality – everyone seems to be a little bit charmed by her. Emma and Chelsea are consistently supportive of her, which is immediately apparent when they meet at a house on N. Doheny Drive that’s still on the market – it has a difficult stove and very little outdoor space. During their conversation, Chelsea reveals her divorce was finalized about two months ago, after her husband was caught kissing someone else by a friend of Bre’s at the W Hotel. Emma is still dealing with a rumor Nicole tried to spread last season, claiming Emma was involved with a married man. Emma denies this, and the group generally agrees that Nicole’s attempts to create drama are preventing them from resolving their issues.

The moment Nicole walks into the office, it’s like a storm cloud arrives – she’s rocking this very specific, bleached blonde bob that screams Reputationera Taylor Swift, and honestly, I’m convinced that album is her jam (the Scooter Braun version, naturally). It’s pretty awkward because even Mary, whose wedding Nicole officiated, is avoiding her. I get why, though. Mary always handles conflict by pretending it isn’t happening, and she’s definitely the weakest link in the leadership chain. Jason and Brett try to have a team meeting, but they’re stuck in front of this truly awful fireplace – seriously, that’s how rich people get sent to hell, I swear – and things are clearly not normal at The O Group. The office is half-empty, and the few people who are* there are more interested in playing with Amanza’s purse than talking about, you know, actual real estate.

It was clear avoiding the office wasn’t working, so Mary and Chrishell met at Bar Next Door to try and find a solution. Mary explained that Jason was upset so few people were coming to meetings. Chrishell, however, wasn’t concerned, recognizing that Jason’s demands were unrealistic. Over drinks with edible glitter, they agreed a full return to the office wasn’t possible because of Nicole’s role and the strained relationship between Chrishell and Bre. With no progress made, the conversation ended there.

It all goes back to a rumor started by Jenn, who happens to be Jason and Brett’s close cousin. Apparently, the story claimed Nicole was involved with a married man, but Emma quickly clarified that this man was actually sexually harassing her – and she’s believable, especially when her strong Boston accent slips out when she mentions ‘marriage.’ It’s a scary moment. While Nicole apologizes on camera, Emma isn’t accepting it. Nicole has burned a lot of bridges on the show and doesn’t have much social capital, so hopefully, people avoid putting her in awkward group settings with those who already dislike her.

Amanza throws a large Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, and we see her preparing for it while looking great in a sparkly top. She tells Alanna she hopes everything goes smoothly, which seems a bit optimistic given the circumstances. Meanwhile, Emma and Chrishell jokingly discuss wanting to ‘murder’ Nicole while looking at a beautiful house – a conversation that doesn’t suggest good things to come.

The best part of the Girlsgiving episode for me was definitely Amanza’s friend, Catherine. I loved everything about her – her bold fashion choices, how quickly she jumped in to help with the drama, and even her quirky moments, like looking at the camera then awkwardly leaving when Amanza revealed she and Nicole used to do cocaine. And her saying “Chrisheeehhllll, stahhhp” was iconic! She was totally right to intervene. Chrishell was being unnecessarily difficult. It’s one thing to dislike someone, but another to make it obvious the entire time during the one dinner you’ll have with them all year. It was Thanksgiving, after all – a time to at least pretend to enjoy yourself! Plus, Chrishell should appreciate how openly Nicole was being awful. Nicole’s comment about Chrishell’s parents was so shockingly rude that it instantly made me forget how annoying Chrishell had been in the first place.

The dinner party ends in chaos with Nicole loudly proclaiming her enjoyment of weed edibles, prompting everyone to demand she leave. It’s undeniably funny, even though what she said was outrageous. That’s part of why people watch this show – to see moments like these. However, Nicole is often put at a disadvantage because she doesn’t have any allies on the show, making her bold behavior seem even more extreme. Unlike Emma, Chelsea, and Chrishell, who protect each other, Mary stands by and lets Chrishell dismiss Nicole’s story without saying a word. It shows that even long-term friendships and important roles, like officiating someone’s wedding, don’t matter when things go wrong – Mary will quickly side with the group against you.

Unlisted Observations

Let me tell you, that twelve-bathroom mansion on Bel Air Road? It’s not a dream home, it’s a sign of the times, and not in a good way. Seriously, is this where our money is going? It got me thinking – every single one of those toilets needs weekly use, and that’s a lot of water! And the TV? A massive fifteen-footer, but the couch is way too close. Honestly, the only redeeming feature is the pool. It’s perched right on a cliff overlooking Century City, which is… unsettlingly perfect. It feels like the exact spot where Jay Gatsby should meet his end. (Sorry for the spoiler, but it’s true!)

Bre’s assistant, Nick, is sent to a house she’s showing to deliver a different pair of boots, seemingly for no real purpose. It feels like this scene is an attempt to make Bre appear more likable to other personal assistants.

Chrishell is currently selling JoJo Siwa’s famously sparkly house, but honestly, all I can focus on is the amazing red jumpsuit worn by the stager, Francesca. I absolutely have to have it! I’m dying to know where it’s from, if it comes in different colors, and how easy it is to care for – is it comfortable and does it wrinkle?

Jason put up a ridiculously large hedge in front of the office, claiming it’s for privacy due to ‘heavy foot traffic.’ It seems extreme – they only have footage of three people stopping to look or take pictures – but apparently, even a few pedestrians feel like a crowd in Los Angeles. It’s gotten to the point where I almost feel bad for having glanced at their office while riding in a Lyft, as if I contributed to the problem!

Mary is working with a music manager – someone Justin Bieber used to record at their house. She’s being coy about who it is, but seems to want us to believe it’s Scooter Braun. I personally don’t think it is.

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2025-10-29 15:55