The Real Housewives of Rhode Island Recap: Disco Inferno

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I’ve spent the whole week telling everyone I meet about RHORI, excited that we now have six new personalities (plus Rulla!) on TV every Sunday. But the real standout for me is Alicia Carmody – she’s quickly becoming a legend! Everyone’s wondering how she could possibly follow up her shocking confession from last week about hitting someone with her car. Well, this week, Liz discovers Alicia’s impressive doll collection. Alicia describes them as art, enthusiastically pointing out the detail in their makeup – the layered eyeliner, eyeshadow, and each doll’s unique shimmery lipstick – all in one breath!

These dolls aren’t delicate collectibles; they’re more like the trendy Bratz dolls you’d find at Target. Still, Alicia treats them with a lot of care, making her daughter promise to be “gentle” – a word she stretches out somehow. But Liz didn’t come over to look at dolls. They quickly start talking about their recent trip to the vineyard. Alicia apologizes for mentioning rumors about Liz and Dino Guilmette, a boxer and businessman with a criminal record, but she wanted to give Liz a chance to clarify things. Then, Alicia explains why she’s currently single.

Alicia has been engaged for nine years without any plans for a wedding, and she’s hesitant to get married, especially given her family history – five out of six of her closest female relatives are divorced. Her fiancé also asked her to sign a very unfair prenuptial agreement that would have left her with nothing. It’s concerning that he won’t even put her name on the house they share, because even without a marriage, she’d likely be left with nothing. It’s a sign of deeper issues with how they share assets. Like I said before with Kelsey, I’m grateful this show is giving these women financial independence so they aren’t reliant on potentially unreliable partners.

Jo-Ellen is upset with her husband about the surprise invitation from “Rullala” to the vineyard, especially since no one told her until the last minute. It seems like the real issue is that Jo-Ellen didn’t know Rulla was even cast on her show, and it’s fascinating to watch her realize she’ll be spending a whole season with this woman – and likely traveling with her too! I’m eager to see her questioning her producer, demanding to know everything about Rulla: whether she’s a full-time cast member, just a friend, who filmed with her, and when she signed on. She’s clearly shocked, but also seems to understand that she might have to confront Rulla on camera.

Beyond discussing the winery trip, this episode focused a lot on relationships. Rosie and Frank Sinatra celebrated their first anniversary, though everyone is hoping to actually hear him sing – even if Bravo can’t license his music, maybe an original song or a cover? Meanwhile, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared went on a date mostly spent talking about the financial struggles of their coffee shop. And it turns out Kelsey isn’t the only one exploring non-traditional relationships – Ashley and Jared have a third person in their dynamic, Audrey, who seems to be causing a lot of problems.

Kelsey is dating someone new this week, but it’s not her main boyfriend. It’s complicated. She’s seeing Bill, while her long-term boyfriend, who lives in Miami part of the year and is reportedly Judge Frank Caprio’s son John (who has also been linked to Paula Abdul), is away. They have an unspoken agreement about their relationship. Kelsey and Bill have a history – they grew up together and seem well-suited. However, Bill can’t currently provide the lavish lifestyle Kelsey is accustomed to. She admits she doesn’t want to work, and while that might not be the best way to make big decisions, it’s hard to argue with someone who owns 79 televisions!

Bill made a memorable entrance at Liz’s Studio 54-themed birthday party for her husband, sporting a wildly over-the-top outfit that looked like leftovers from the set of And Just Like That…. Kelsey quickly clarified that this wasn’t a public debut of their relationship and that Bill was invited separately. Kelsey and Rosie seemed a bit lost at the party, as their pop culture knowledge mostly stops at Disney Channel references. Ashley blended in better, even with her new bangs, and Jared casually revealed he used to be a Chippendales dancer (though Bravo didn’t share any pictures!). The party was also Rulla’s first event with the whole cast, and she arrived with her husband, Brian, who Alicia jokingly called out for dressing for two different roles: a Studio 54 attendee and a devoted husband. Alicia’s comment was spot on!

Rulla and Brian’s relationship is strange and makes me uneasy. Rulla seems very composed, almost detached, while dealing with the news of Brian’s infidelity – or pretending it isn’t happening. It reminds me of Camille Grammer from the first season of Beverly Hills, where everything felt carefully constructed. Rulla is masterful at hiding her true feelings and only showing what she wants us to see. For instance, when discussing divorce, a producer reminded her of her own past divorce, and she immediately shut down the conversation. It’s only her second episode, and she’s already avoiding difficult topics, which usually doesn’t end well. Longtime viewers of Bravo know you can’t hide anything from the cameras.

Okay, so Rulla and Brian bumped into Jo-Ellen and her husband Gary, and the contrast between the two couples was intense. Jo-Ellen and Gary – seriously, he was wearing this sparkly gold jacket that looked like something out of a dollhouse – were immediately on the attack, accusing Brian of trying to get Jo-Ellen fired from her job. It was honestly shocking to see Brian just sit there and take it, practically begging them to believe he didn’t mean for that to happen and that a friend was actually the one who complained. Meanwhile, everyone else was having a blast! Liz was playing hostess from the balcony like a total diva, Dolores got super excited just hearing about Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Nosy Rosie? She was loving the drama, watching everything unfold like a true investigative reporter.

Rulla insists Brian’s infidelity is over, but Jo-Ellen directly contradicts her, swearing he’s still having an affair. This direct confrontation is unusual for the show. Jo-Ellen even admits she’s hesitant to confront Rulla too strongly, fearing it might dislodge her hairpiece. The car ride home between Rulla and Brian is tense and silent, until Rulla finally asks why Brian didn’t speak up for himself. It’s likely difficult for him to defend himself if Jo-Ellen is telling the truth, but it remains to be seen.

Just when things seemed to calm down after the party drama, Liz announced she wanted to take Kelsey, her husband, and Dino to the seawall to publicly demonstrate their relationship. It’s unclear why she chose that location, but Kelsey correctly pointed out it wasn’t a good idea, which immediately angered Liz. Liz stormed off to a room marked “Do Not Enter,” where a hidden microphone picked up her furious reaction. It turns out Liz is upset with Kelsey for subtly referencing rumors about Liz’s own involvement with Dino – implying Kelsey is trying to deflect attention from her connection with him. Liz refuses to elaborate, saying Kelsey needs to answer for herself. It’s a complicated situation, and the drama continues to unfold. On a lighter note, Ashley managed to get through the entire episode without breaking down in tears.

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2026-04-13 06:58