The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Recap: Why Can’t We Talk in Fact?

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As a seasoned observer of human dynamics and a connoisseur of reality TV drama, I must say that this latest episode was a rollercoaster ride that had me on the edge of my seat! The women of this group are as captivating as ever, with their intricate web of alliances, betrayals, and unspoken secrets.

Among the season’s episodes, this one stands out as my personal favorite thus far, an encouraging sign given how prominently the Mexico trip was showcased in previews. The humor and excitement have been somewhat absent this season, but this episode had me chuckling from start to finish. Meredith’s retelling of her bat mitzvah drama to her seemingly uninterested family had me giggling from the get-go, and the humorous twist when Britani mistakenly said “sex forward” instead of “sex positive” was the cherry on top.

I love scenes like the one where Meredith talks with her family, because you can tell Meredith believed she was making serious points about Angie and the entire bat mitzvah fight. I am endeared by how her family patiently listens but hardly offers any insight or defense. Like us viewers, her family knows most of her blowout fights with people are never that deep, but they still humor her out of love. Imagine being in your 20s and your mom is talking about a fight between her middle-aged friends at the bat mitzvah she threw for herself, and she says, “Last night was all about not having hate. And slut shaming is hate.” What else would you be able to do but just sit there?

I love seeing any semblance of these women moving on for the sake of having fun, which is, in this case, a trip to Mexico organized by Lisa. But before all that, Bronwyn being attacked by a dog is CRAZY. Those photos looked like zombie-movie wounds, and yet she still came on this trip and brought gifts — I don’t understand how Lisa could be remotely upset with her. On top of that, the flashback of Bronwyn going to Lisa and John to get advice about her daughter’s potential reconnection proves that Bronwyn no longer has ill will toward Lisa. But Lisa, who is her closest friend on this trip and the reason why Bronwyn is on this show at all, somehow found ways to be shitty to her immediately upon arriving. Sure, Bronwyn asked Lisa if she should bring any gifts, Lisa said “no,” and Bronwyn did it anyway, but outside of mild annoyance, it’s not worth bringing up. It doesn’t take away from any of the stuff Lisa put into her trip PowerPoint, which looked more like a presentation for a Vida Tequila brand trip than anything else.

Lisa’s scheme in pairing rooms was cunningly devious, yet it follows a logical pattern given the tensions among the villa residents. However, it would have been considerate for her to inform Bronwyn beforehand about her decision to place her in the opposite villa and explain her reasoning. I concur with Whitney’s observation that Bronwyn is left feeling humiliated and must now reconcile herself not only with Angie but also with her own feelings.

Though I’ve been reluctant to extol Bronwyn as excessively as some fans have, it’s undeniable that she’s shown remarkable strength this season. It’s effortless to overlook the fact that Lisa is Bronwyn’s closest friend in this circle, and it must be disheartening for her to observe that Lisa is closer with several other women than she is. In her tenure on Housewives, Bronwyn has had to learn how to confront Lisa in a way that pierces through her defenses. During their conversation before dinner, Bronwyn speaks candidly with Lisa, and Lisa persists in denying the significance of sending Bronwyn to Angie and Whitney’s exile villa. However, Bronwyn stood her ground regarding her feelings of hurt, as she wanted to be with her friend. It’s hard to dispute a victim of a dog attack’s emotional pain and emerge victorious, Lisa! The skirmish between Bronwyn and Lisa didn’t reach a resolution, primarily because the fight between Angie, Meredith, and Britani took center stage once they sat down for dinner.

One intriguing aspect about Meredith is that she enters disputes with the belief she’ll emerge victorious, even when her arguments are flawed. This becomes clear in her conversation with Lisa before dinner, as they often find common ground during disagreements – a perfect example of the saying “Two blind mice telling each other exactly.” I appreciate Meredith’s straightforwardness, especially when she states, “[Angie] is so mean to so many people.” Indeed, everyone on this show could be accused of that! What made me chuckle most was when she said, “Whether it’s slut-shaming or criticizing someone’s personal matters, their disability…” It seems as though she believes adding the word ‘shaming’ strengthens her claims. Lisa’s comment about Angie behaving well is insulting, given that they had just reconciled. But the most mind-boggling part of this exchange is Meredith’s response, “I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” despite the fact she brought two large bottles of Kérastase to Mexico, placed them in a Brooks Marks–branded bag, and had a resort worker leave it at Angie’s table for dinner. Meredith seems to be living in an alternate reality. This premeditated move is intended to provoke Angie, and I’m supposed to think she’s the one being cruel?

At a later dinner, it was finally time for Angie to unveil the bat mitzvah gift she had given. This sparked a heated exchange between Angie and Meredith, as if they were in the midst of a mindless game. It’s unclear where Meredith got the idea that Angie wanted her gift back, but they went back and forth, questioning each other: “Did I say that?” and “Weren’t those your words?” and “Was it me, Meredith, who said that?” The situation reminded me of the scene from Zoolander where Zoolander’s model roommates are all arguing.

I’m really fond of this argument for numerous reasons! It was incredibly foolish, and the creators emphasized that aspect quite a bit. My admiration for Britani grows week by week. She seems to be on this show solely for attention, so even if someone made it crystal clear to her, she wouldn’t care that she’s being manipulated by these women. She doesn’t mind being mistreated; she just wants to stay relevant. In a unique way, she exploits others as pawns in her own game.

Meredith soon understands that perhaps she moved too fast in befriending Britani, who seems to be there for a good time rather than any genuine connection. This becomes clear when Britani inflates the number of guys Angie claims she’s “been with,” from 3 to 10, and eventually to 15. It appears Britani is intentionally prolonging her own pain to stay involved in the drama. What puzzled me was Lisa seemingly aligning with Meredith and Britani during their argument at the bat mitzvah, despite previously laughing at Angie’s comments suggesting she use Kérastase Thermique (iconically). However, you can tell something suspicious is going on when Lisa says, “I’ve always had your back!” to a friend who’s calling her out. I can’t figure out why Lisa is so determined to target Angie when there hasn’t been any significant issue between them since their reconciliation, but I have a feeling it involves Bronwyn.

By the evening’s end, it was clear that Angie had been proven correct in her beliefs. Here’s a quick rundown of Angie: She has evolved significantly throughout this season and adjusted her approach. When she feels she’s largely right, she has a knack for being just theatrically engaging without becoming grating. In essence, this entire episode represented another significant loss for Meredith in her ongoing feud with Angie—a common outcome when one becomes overzealous in trying to undermine someone, aligning oneself with individuals like Britani who thrive on attention, good or bad. I’m eagerly anticipating what transpires during the second day of this journey.

Snowflakes

It was interesting watching Mary discuss Robert Jr.’s situation with Angie. I suspect Angie may have already been aware, and this might be a performance for the cameras. The other women seemed to pick up on something serious happening too, as they swiftly moved away from expressing concern about Mary’s well-being in their conversation. Frankly, it seems unlikely that these friends are unaware of what’s going on, or else they would appear uncaring at best.

Britney and her statements always leave me in stitches, as it seems like she thinks she’s the leading actress. I ponder if she believed her storyline would delve deeper into her relationships with her daughters, which might resonate more with viewers. Reminds me of Angelina back in the day, craving attention. If Britney returns for another season, this desperation could work to her advantage, transforming her into a woman who knows how to leverage her desire for visibility effectively.

• I still don’t get why Lisa had to yell, “WHY CAN’T WE TALK IN FACT?” at dinner like that is a phrase that makes sense. I also think that when Bronwyn said the word contrarian, it was the first time Lisa and Britani had heard it.

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2024-12-12 22:55