The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Recap: Laverne & Shirley & Ali Baba

As someone who’s been following the lives of these reality TV housewives for years now, let me tell ya, this season is as unpredictable as a rollercoaster ride at Cedar Point! It seems like every time they step into that limo, drama follows them like a shadow.


This is the final stage of Whitney’s Milwaukee journey, and it’s the last chance for her to organize a drag event at Trixie Mattel’s bar. During their stay at Trixie’s motel in Palm Springs last season, we watched as the women mingled with Trixie, and Lisa had a breakdown due to her struggles with makeup application. However, if you’re hoping for this episode to focus on Drag Night or another humorous meltdown, you might find it underwhelming.

Instead, let me rephrase it: Rather than presenting something fresh, the recent Milwaukee episodes seemed like an extension of the debates we’ve witnessed so far this season. I had hoped for some new interactions and dynamics, but I must admit that I’m growing tired of these ongoing disagreements. However, I do believe we’ve caught a glimpse of what to expect in terms of relationships this season—primarily how these women aim to navigate their fundamental communication issues without drifting apart.

The episode starts off mimicking the intro of “Laverne and Shirley” as a tribute, where Heather and Whitney attempt to convincingly portray their relationship. Though it seems a bit contrived, I’ll delve deeper into that later. In the preparation segment of this episode, Whitney queries Mary about the tool she uses for her hair, and Mary responds, “It’s a straightening comb – a black girl thing.” I appreciate Whitney’s attentive and teachable demeanor during these moments. It’s heartwarming when they get along, but Mary will never truly respect Whitney, even when she displays kindness towards her. Whitney tries to pay Mary a compliment by saying she looks beautiful in purple, but Mary clarifies that it’s actually lilac she’s wearing. She will forever view Whitney as her “little girl.

Meredith and Lisa appear less connected than before, mirroring the situation of Whitney and Heather. In earlier days, it was hard to distinguish between them, but now their bond seems more about preserving their past rather than genuine closeness. A noticeable gap exists, yet their camaraderie leans towards demonstrating loyalty towards each other. This is why Meredith shares with Lisa that Angie and Whitney advised her to reconsider trusting Lisa due to their recent disputes.

It’s hard to believe the poor decision Angie and Whitney made. Meredith dislikes them intensely and probably sees them as inferior, a fact that I suspect fuels her animosity. Giving her more reasons to criticize them will only strengthen Lisa’s campaign against them. It’s absolutely foolish! I can’t imagine what could have been going through their minds when they made this choice. The events of the previous night appear to be the reason Lisa opted out of Whitney’s plan to explore the Miller brewery caves with two seemingly random individuals, Meili and Britani. There was a subtle satisfaction in Lisa as she politely declined Whitney’s invitation, without offering an explanation. She remains silent when Whitney questions her change of plans, but the interaction hints at future disagreements. This move also seems designed to demonstrate that she doesn’t need Angie and Bronwyn, even though Meili had scolded her for speaking negatively about her shopping habits at Nordstrom the night before. The calmness in Lisa’s demeanor as she tells Whitney of her alternate plans is quite intriguing.

Heather hands over the Laverne and Shirley-style cardigans to Whitney without discussing the allegations that her jewelry designs were plagiarized from Ali Baba. It all seems insincere. However, this action suggests that she must address the issue at some point. In her interviews, Heather presents this rumor as crucial for Whitney’s business, but if such rumors had surfaced on social media for Meredith to find, it’s evident that Whitney is already aware of them. It seems strange to treat it as confidential information rather than addressing it days ago as if they both knew about it. Heather appears to struggle with even handling minor issues sensibly.

As a movie enthusiast, let me rephrase that: In the end, it dawned on me, the sprinter in me, that Lisa skipped out on the brewery trip because Meredith spilled the beans about our chat with Angie. I mean, come on! Why didn’t Meredith just level with me? She boasts so much about her feelings for me, yet she kept quiet until I pieced it together myself. It drives me up the wall!

On the curling trip with Lisa, Meili, and Britani, there’s no positive energy or connection among them. Lisa appears indifferent towards these women, treating them as mere pieces in her ongoing quest to establish herself as the group’s leader for this season. In my opinion, Meili seems rather dull, while all we know about Britani is that she’s involved with Osmond in a romantic situation. One point I will emphasize regarding Britani and her relationship is that I can’t help but feel concerned when I read the texts she receives, as it seems she’s allowing herself to be publicly humiliated on TV. He keeps sending her multiple messages like, “Best friend, where are you?” and also writes lengthy texts in which he ends their friendship. Rise up, Britani, and show some self-worth; I implore you. If a similar incident happened to one of my high school friends, my respect for them would have vanished long ago. It’s hard for me to accept that an adult would receive such disrespectful messages from another person.

At the cooler of beer, Heather discusses the Ali Baba matter with Whitney for the first time, and just as expected, Whitney is already aware of these gossips. The conversation seems to take them back to last season. Whitney shares that her business partner suspects a friend might have been the source of those leaks. Now, it’s not hard to imagine that Whitney’s jewelry resembles Ali Baba designs; after all, we are talking about a group of Housewives. However, I concur with Whitney’s viewpoint that it would be chaotic for Meredith to get entangled in social media rumors following last year’s turmoil – she clearly hasn’t learned from her experiences.

On their way to their lodgings after the sprinter journey, Whitney raises an issue they had agreed not to discuss. However, in the ride to the Harley Davidson museum in their combined limo/bus, Meredith’s defense of this topic becomes increasingly unclear and weak. By now, it seems clear that she is clinging to this information out of personal dislike for Whitney rather than any rational reason.

In a contrast to her previous stance, Meredith clarifies she wasn’t the originator of these rumors, but merely passed them on to Heather so Whitney could respond. Unlike in the last episode where she saw it as an attack on all businesswomen, she now seems to want Whitney to recognize that Meredith is the genuine entrepreneur among them, and Whitney appears to be pretending to be one.

Upon reaching the museum, Bronwyn’s revelation reveals the intense friendship dynamics between these women. Along their journey, they seem to have a disagreement, but once inside the museum, it appears as if no conflict ever occurred. However, this tranquility is short-lived, as another heated argument ensues during dinner.

Look, I love it when these women go off, but we need more juice at this point. These circular arguments are dragging, and there’s no end in sight. I don’t want to hear how little Lisa cares about what Angie does when it is so clear she feels threatened that Angie does not need her anymore. As an audience, we’ve seen Angie become a fan favorite, and I think Lisa knows this. Angie came on as Lisa’s friend and is no longer tethered to her in the same way, and Lisa cannot handle their friendship changing. Ultimately, Lisa does not want to lose Angie, but of course she cannot help but show this without seeming extremely controlling — and it’s clear Angie is at the end of her rope. These women are being so annoying about their beef that Mary, of all people, has to be the one to attempt to bring peace. It is not convincing, but it is surprising. And it gives way for Britani to make an announcement about her nonrelationship once again (this time, it is ending) and to see one more argument between Britani and Bronwyn.

Have Bronwyn and Britani ever had a non-confrontational exchange? It might seem blunt of Bronwyn to inquire about Britani’s feelings towards Jared due to his being an Osmond, but it is a fair question given that she hasn’t uttered a positive remark about him and he’s yet to demonstrate any concern for her. Despite my disinterest in hearing more about their text exchanges, I appreciate Britani’s boldness in challenging Bronwyn by asking if her relationship with the older man was solely motivated by financial gain.

Bronwyn appears to be hurt and asserts that she deeply cares for her partner, stating that she was financially independent before knowing Todd. She seems to believe that foregoing a prenuptial agreement underscores their strong bond. From my everyday perspective, I think it’s important to note that having or not having a prenup doesn’t necessarily reflect the depth of one’s love, and it might just be wise to consider one if you possess substantial wealth.

Once more, we find ourselves in another dinner argument that ended inconclusively as the ladies had to attend Whitney’s Drag Night event. This episode, much like last week’s, has been quite repetitive and underwhelming. However, their return to Salt Lake City might provide them with the necessary reflection time to comprehend the root of their frustrations in Milwaukee. Without a main conflict driving the narrative, it’s difficult to predict what will transpire among these women, but I remain optimistic.

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2024-10-10 06:54