The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season-Premiere Recap: We’re Zoe Back

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It’s great to have the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills back! We often complain that the show is slow, especially since it starts when The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City – which is always full of drama – is ending. But the Beverly Hills ladies always deliver. The episode opens with some slow-motion shots. We see Sutton riding her horse dramatically, Erika Jayne either washing her car or filming a music video, and Boz at a photoshoot, smiling and laughing. Dorit is shopping at Hermès, seemingly spending freely, and Kyle is walking around with an open designer bag while her dogs misbehave.

Everything feels comfortable and familiar, like no time has passed at all, even though the episode mostly catches us up on what the women have been doing since last season. Let’s start with Dorit. As soon as filming began, her soon-to-be-ex-husband, PK, was photographed kissing another woman – a rather unappealing display, reminiscent of Mauricio’s behavior but with less attractive company. (At least Mauricio’s encounters are exciting, even if only for Kyle.) Dorit is understandably upset about the divorce, and she’s frustrated that PK is seeking joint custody despite his frequent travel and unsuitable lifestyle for raising their children.

Later in the episode, we find out Dorit’s oldest son, Jagger, has been commenting on her and her husband not being together, and she admits both kids are aware something is off. When Kyle directly asks if she’s told them about a divorce, she says she hasn’t. So, they still don’t know for sure. It’s strange that Dorit will send long voice messages, but struggles to have a simple, honest conversation with her children. The fact that they sense something is wrong, and she isn’t addressing it, is probably more damaging than the truth would be.

Dorit gifted her daughter, Boz, a $2,000 blanket for her birthday, which is… a lot. Boz herself hasn’t had much going on – she’s still with Keely, her daughter is thriving, and she’s been showcasing some great outfits. Interestingly, she’s now taking the lead in asking the tough questions the women tend to avoid, and she’s really good at it. She and Dorit have been openly criticizing Dorit’s husband, PK – comparing him to someone down on their luck – and it was a welcome conversation. But the real star when it comes to speaking honestly about him is Sutton’s mother, Reba, who doesn’t hold back at all – and I appreciate her candor!

Next, we see Boz having dinner with Erika, who asks her thoughtful questions. Erika mentions her performance at Mighty Hoopla in London this summer, calling it the best show she’s ever done. I’ve seen several of Erika’s concerts, including this one, and it was truly spectacular. Part of that might have been the amazing company I was with backstage – Jessie Ware, Florence Pugh, Kesha, Jake Shears, and a lot of other famous fans. Erika also revealed she learned about Tom’s prison sentence just before going onstage and saw a video of him being escorted away, and he looked completely different from the man she married.

Boz then asks the question everyone’s been wondering about: what happened with Erika and Summer House star Jesse Solomon? Erika claims nothing significant happened, a response that leaves a lot to the imagination and doesn’t reflect well on Jesse. (The narrator thinks she should have waited for a different suitor.) It’s a bit odd they didn’t discuss it in detail, given Bravo’s tendency to highlight relationships between stars on different shows. However, Erika later clarified in a private interview that she ended things quickly with Jesse and is currently happy with her active dating life.

Okay, so things are… complicated. Kyle and Mauricio’s daughters are understandably upset about constantly seeing photos of their dad kissing other people everywhere! Kyle’s trying to focus on Alexia’s wedding planning, which is a big undertaking. As for her own life? Still single, still has two daughters at home, and absolutely no one has mentioned anything remotely resembling a ‘marriage’ proposal in months. And get this – Faye Resnick asked for Captain Morgan with her Diet Coke, and now she’s been temporarily banished from the house until the summer party! Honestly, the drama never stops.

Last time, I was talking with Sutton, who seems to be dealing with a lot right now. Her son James is heading off to college, and her mother, Reba, is visiting—and also appearing on the show. On top of that, she’s grieving the loss of two close friends. She’s confused about what happened with Garcelle since they last filmed together; she’s texted her multiple times without a response. Kyle also tried reaching out and didn’t hear back. Erika mentioned they unfollowed each other on social media, which surprised me because I didn’t even realize they were connected there.

This season is crucial for Sutton, and the other women are really hoping she’ll be more consistent. Kyle has noticed Sutton acts differently when alone with her versus when Garcelle is around, and she’s hoping Sutton will be more stable without Garcelle’s influence. Consistency is a major topic of conversation among the group. At dinner, Erika admitted both she and Boz have had trouble with Sutton because her moods are unpredictable – they never know if she’ll be friendly or upset. Boz believes Sutton needs to re-evaluate her friendships, especially now that she doesn’t have Garcelle’s constant support. It seems like Boz is suggesting Sutton needs to find a way to get along with the others if she wants to remain part of the group. (It was also odd that Jen Tilly wasn’t in this episode at all.)

It’s unlikely we’ll ever fully understand what happened between Garcelle and Sutton, or Sutton and her former assistant, Avi, because neither of them are willing to discuss the details. Sutton hints at issues with Avi’s performance and communication, suggesting something led to his firing, but she doesn’t explain what it was. The show’s editing, which highlights Sutton’s demanding behavior, doesn’t help clarify things. It’s possible Avi did something wrong and Sutton is protecting him, or that Sutton herself was at fault and is protecting her own reputation – perhaps with a financial settlement and a non-disclosure agreement. Regardless, both situations seem to have hidden complexities, and we probably won’t get a clear answer anytime soon.

Following updates from the other women, we got a big update from Rachel Zoe, the new mom on the show. While we usually give new Housewives a few episodes before forming opinions, it feels different with Rachel because we already know her. It’s not the same as knowing Lisa Rinna, Denise Richards, or Jen Tilly, who were all established in Hollywood. We really know her – we watched her on a similar Bravo show before! I mostly remember her show, The Rachel Zoe Project, as being filled with her and Brad Goreski frantically yelling, “Where are the dresses?!” That was pretty much the whole premise for five seasons. (Wait, does that mean Brad might make an appearance? Are they still friends? How can we get a Brad cameo? He reminds me of a more glamorous Avi. Could he be Sutton’s new assistant?)

We shouldn’t make a judgment about Rachel just yet, but she’s exactly the type of person this show needs. She’s financially secure, has a fulfilling career, lives in a large, impressive home, and is going through a fascinating life change – she’s recently separated from her husband, Rodger (who, let’s be honest, never had a great hairstyle), and is raising two children with unique names. (Though, thankfully, the kids seem lovely!) Importantly, she also has existing connections to the other cast members; she’s been friends with Kathy Hilton for years, interacts with Kyle regularly, and became close with Beau after interviewing him on her podcast last year.

At Kyle’s summer party, Rachel immediately jumps into the conversations. She mentions seeing Kyle’s ex in Aspen and playfully explains she turned down three attempts to be set up with him out of loyalty to her friend. She’s even more blunt about Dorit’s ex, declaring him “terrible” and warning Dorit she was right to leave him. Dorit and everyone else appreciate her honesty! It’s wonderful to have Rachel, and all of them, back together. As the sun goes down, the scene is filled with glittering dresses, flower crowns made for photos, and Rachel’s over-the-top tiara. The fading light feels like an Instagram filter, masking imperfections and secrets. But that’s the beauty of this group – both the longtime friends and the newer additions – that the truth always comes out eventually, and we’re all just waiting for it to do so.

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2025-12-05 05:55