Southern Charm Recap: Craig’s Just Not That Into You

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This episode introduces us to the pets of the show’s cast, and let’s just say, the naming choices are… interesting. Madison’s dog is named Karen, which feels a bit much, and Austen has two cats, one called Martini and the other, surprisingly, Piper – a name usually given to people! Shep’s dog is named Craig, and Venita has a dog named Charles, continuing this trend. Thankfully, Whitner named his dog Bacchus, which feels appropriate and he’s a sweet pup. But then there’s Salley, who named her dog Jeff – seriously, Jeff? It sounds like a guy you’d meet at a bar! It makes you wonder what she’ll name her chickens… maybe Niki and Donna? (If that reference landed, you might be a gay, middle-aged person – just kidding, Rodrigo!)

Salley’s obsession with getting chickens perfectly sums up everything frustrating about her. She immediately bought a chicken coop after a man suggested it, assembling it in her yard with surprising speed. Meanwhile, Craig brought his assistant, Jack (who secretly wants Charley to disappear so he can keep Craig’s attention), to Charley’s art gallery for a small party and a date offer – an afternoon of oyster tasting. Salley’s over-the-top actions show she believes she needs to impress a man to keep him interested, but she fails to realize that if someone truly likes you, they’ll put in the effort themselves – like Craig is doing with Charley.

I’m so critical of Salley because I used to be her – constantly feeling inadequate and trying too hard to win guys over. I spent years trying to impress them, pretending to like their interests, and basically overcompensating, hoping they’d choose me. But it never worked. They were always more interested in my friend, Mark. I’d try everything – feigning an interest in video games, collecting records, even considering getting chickens – just hoping they’d notice me. I’ll have to tell Salley, and her sister, that all that effort was for nothing. And just to be clear, Mark is married now, so please don’t even bring him up.

Things become immediately uncomfortable for Salley and Craig when they go to choose Salley’s chickens, Linda and Naomi. Salley confesses her romantic interest, telling Craig, “I like you—like, I could see us dating.”

I admire Salley’s boldness in pursuing what she wants, but Craig quickly shuts her down, confirming what everyone already suspected: they’re just friends. Salley questions his reasoning, pointing out their late-night hot tub session, but Craig admits he briefly hoped for something more, which never materialized. It makes you wonder if another woman’s arrival changed things. I agree with Craig; I think Salley imagined a future with him that he didn’t share, and she overinterpreted their playful interactions as signs of something more serious. When Venita, Molly, Rodrigo, and Leva (who I barely recognized outside of her kitchen!) discussed it, they all agreed Craig wasn’t interested. I understand what Salley was doing because I’ve been there – even a friendly gesture used to send me spiraling into wedding plans!

Craig isn’t entirely innocent either. He claims he didn’t mislead Salley, and he did clarify they were just friends when she expressed her feelings. However, his behavior beforehand was questionable. Salley is correct that his text suggesting she stay over was definitely an invitation for something more. It’s understandable why Salley felt like he was interested, even if she might have been a little overly optimistic about it.

The drama between Craig and Salley is really affecting the whole group, and it’s causing a lot of problems. Rod revealed to Craig that Salley felt like something romantic was brewing between them, and Craig admitted he only spent time with Salley because he wanted to be near Charley. He believes Charley can’t truly be herself when he’s around, which is why he asked her out, and claims Salley constantly interferes when they try to have private conversations. Honestly, it’s obvious Salley likes Craig! Madison points out that Craig is oblivious, but even if that’s true, it doesn’t excuse him for hurting people’s feelings.

Craig was being unkind to Salley while talking about her at the bar, and he’d definitely had something to drink – specifically, an Orange Crush, which has a personal connection for me as it’s tied to a memorable experience. Austen felt Craig was disrespectful to their friendship with Salley, and it seems he’s generally sensitive because he often feels Craig doesn’t respect their friendship either. Craig describes Salley as chaotic and says that’s what bothered him, and honestly, he’s probably right – it seems he’s now interested in Charley instead, which is understandable. When Austen didn’t seem thrilled about Craig’s date with Charley, Craig got upset and said he needed his friends to celebrate his successes. But it was just one date, and hardly a major achievement – is it really something to celebrate?

Meanwhile, things are just as chaotic at Madison’s, where the girls are having a sleepover. When Madison asks Salley to share what happened with Craig, Venita overreacts, acting smug and celebrating with party favors like a whistle, confetti cannons, and a sparkler attached to a champagne bottle. She’s also angry that Salley didn’t confide in her. You can’t have it both ways – she can’t tell Salley not to call her when she’s upset, and then be mad that Salley didn’t call her when things went wrong.

Venita claims she isn’t upset, and Salley agrees she shouldn’t be. However, Venita feels Salley consistently dismisses her feelings, prioritizes a romantic interest over her, and doesn’t listen when she tries to talk. This seems like a fair assessment. Similar to the conflict between Craig and Austen, this isn’t really about who Salley is dating. It’s about how Salley treats Venita within their friendship, and Venita is realizing their bond isn’t as strong or unconditional as she believed. Instead of addressing it, Venita walks away from the conversation. It feels like Venita is often let down by her friends, and it’s frustrating. Why can’t she just hang out with Whitner instead?

Charley’s really stressed about her date with Craig, mostly because she’s worried about how her friend Salley will react. Everyone keeps telling her to stop worrying so much about what others think, and honestly, it’s probably good advice. It reminds me of Mark, who never considered my feelings when he was dating other people, and now he’s happily married, living in Portugal, and still looks amazing. Seriously, Mark!

The way everyone learns about the fight is really unpleasant. After Craig angrily leaves, Austen, Whitner, and Rodrigo go to Madison’s, and the phrase “panty raid” feels awkward and outdated. Austen then tells Salley that Craig called her destructive, but I think Austen is exaggerating both what Craig said and how harshly he said it. He’s unfairly twisting Craig’s words, letting his own anger and the sugary drinks cloud his judgment. Naturally, Salley is furious and feels justified in being upset, but Craig wasn’t wrong to initially say it; Austen was wrong to repeat it and misrepresent it.

Rodrigo warns everyone not to upset Charley because she’s about to go on a date with Craig, even though no one else knows this yet. This forces Charley to awkwardly explain that she initially said she wasn’t interested in Craig, but changed her mind. Salley, however, believes Craig is manipulating both of them all summer, and she’s just now figuring it out, though she thinks it will take Charley longer. But it doesn’t seem like manipulation – Craig simply asked Charley out because he likes her, and she accepted. I can understand why Salley feels that way, though. She’s upset that Craig chose Charley over her, feeling overlooked and unappreciated after doing so much for him. She feels like she’s always second best and wishes someone would prioritize her for once. Lost in these thoughts, she watches Charley across the room, simultaneously loving her and feeling competitive, even harboring some resentment towards her – a feeling she initially directed towards Mark.

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2026-01-15 05:55