The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Who Made the Potato Salad?

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When I discuss Housewives shows, I’m usually interested in the social interactions and dynamics between the women. It’s well-known that the intense environment of these shows often feels like a real-life example of high school cliques, with a lot of subtle bullying and backstabbing as the women compete for dominance. While long-time viewers are used to these manipulative behaviors, it’s rare to see an episode that clearly shows why these moments happen. That’s where Angel Massie comes in.

Angel has been having a difficult season. She often switches between being very emotional and struggling to maintain a consistent narrative, and she needs a lot of help thinking quickly on her feet, which makes it hard for her to earn the other women’s respect. It’s not surprising she hasn’t connected with the group yet, and if that was all anyone focused on, it wouldn’t be a big deal. However, this show thrives on drama fueled by Gizelle Bryant, so simply not liking Angel isn’t enough criticism. Instead, the focus has shifted to her personal finances and her husband’s dislike of the other cast members.

This week, Angel is rushing to move out of her rental property, realizing she and Bobby didn’t plan well for how long they’d need it. While it’s a bit awkward she got caught in this situation, it’s a common issue for the Housewives franchise, as many cast members travel in for filming. Cynthia Bailey has lived in California for years but maintains a property in Atlanta primarily as a guaranteed filming location for her yearly episodes. Similarly, Meredith on Salt Lake City openly admits to renting a new place each year while mostly living in the Hamptons when not filming. At this point, being based in a franchise city is less about permanent residency and more about convenience—you don’t need to live in Atlanta to fly Delta, but it makes connections easier. Angel renting instead of owning, anticipating a potential early exit from the show, isn’t shocking, though she should have added a month or so to her lease just in case. The real issue isn’t the rental itself, but the lack of planning.

Angel is clearly struggling with managing things – she’s visibly stressed trying to pack up baby gear while her husband doesn’t seem to care. But instead of offering help, Tia gossips about it to Gizelle, and the drama quickly escalates. Gizelle quickly figures out Angel only rented the house for filming, and Tia realizes she’s starting a chain of rumors. Soon, Gizelle, Wendy, and Ashley are together, and the story gets twisted. What started as a temporary rental issue turns into claims that Bobby is financially unstable, they’re being evicted, and Angel is faking her lifestyle as a successful wife and girlfriend. A particularly telling moment is when Gizelle casually lies that Bobby doesn’t get along with the other husbands, and even though she admits it’s not true, she says it so easily it’s more revealing than the apology.

It’s not surprising to see everyone attacking and spreading rumors, but it’s ironic considering their own pasts. Ashley constantly worried about money after her divorce, Gizelle was teased for years about her expensive house, and Wendy has always struggled with debt and lives far outside the typical Potomac area. They’re now criticizing Jassi, who has to travel every day from Texas just to film the show. While Angel may not fit in with the group, their behavior in this episode makes them look worse than it makes her look.

The pettiness of the situation really comes through during the poorly-planned potluck the women throw, which feels like a particularly mean-spirited attempt to imitate Beyoncé. They’re so focused on trying to upset Angel with a catfish dish that they don’t realize they look ridiculous for prioritizing a stale joke over actually creating a decent event. Honestly, I’ve seen better decorations and food at high school fairs. Store-bought chicken, bland potato salad, and catfish served without even hot sauce or tartar sauce is a meal I wouldn’t give to someone I disliked, yet these women expect Angel to be the one feeling embarrassed. While Angel isn’t always the most likable person, and I’m wondering how she’ll navigate the rest of the season from Colorado, it’s especially strange that these women, who often complain about being seen as a ‘low-budget’ franchise, would try to attack someone else for being wealthy. It’s a bit like me offering marriage advice – completely inappropriate.

Next week, I’ll be discussing a topic I’m passionate about: how children of African immigrants are working to overcome trauma that has affected their families for generations. I hope to see you there!

Cherry Blossoms

Stacey confidently managed her meeting with Keiarna, and it was amusing to see she’d prepared by dressing her best. Stacey always looks great, but she went the extra mile this time – wearing a relaxed wig and full makeup – to avoid any criticism of her appearance from Keiarna.

Thiemo finally joined a group outing, but it turned out to be a casual potluck where everyone brought Popeyes chicken. It seems unlikely he’ll be collaborating with the group again in the near future.

Stacey’s potato salad was terrible, and it was hard to watch her daughter see that the other children, especially Wendy’s, really didn’t like it. It was a tough moment as her daughter realized no one was enjoying the mushy, paprika-filled dish.

I’m really baffled by Wendy’s spending. It’s surprising to see renovations costing over $100,000 for a relatively small house in Finksburg, Maryland, and I don’t understand why her daughter needs four cell phones.

I’m not sure why we had to spend ten minutes at that boring polo event with Tia’s real estate team, but the most shocking part was Ashley not recognizing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as the Black national anthem. Honestly, we could have skipped the whole thing. I learned all the verses to that song—thanks to my second-grade teacher, Ms. Napper, who made sure we memorized it!

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2025-12-15 21:58