This week on the Real Housewives of Orange County, Emily has decided to examine her behavior towards Jen. In “Once a Traitor, Always a Traitor,” Shannon gets a breathalyzer for her car, and Katie takes her daughter to get her name changed. As the episode comes to a close, the OC ladies meet back up for a unique murder mystery party with a special guest.
Shannon learns to breathe (into a breathalyzer)
Since Shannon’s DUI, she bought a new car since her BMW was totaled. She shared she had two choices: to have your license suspended for six months or have a breath analyzer installed within the car. It must be nice to have a choice when you’ve already chosen to drive drunk. The moment is humbling as Shannon shares that she is nervous about getting back behind the wheel. So are the residents of Newport Beach. Nine lemons Beador has to blow into the tool before starting the vehicle, or it’s a violation. Not surprisingly, the DUI has affected Shannon’s Real for Real business. The mother of three noted her sales have gone down. She feels extremely hypocritical using a breathalyzer and trying to hawk a health business when she isn’t living a healthy life. I would feel hypocritical using a breathalyzer and continuing to drink but Shannon is gonna Shannon.
Katie is on an apology tour
Last week, fans watched Katie try to make amends for her paparazzi tale against Heather. While doing yoga and playing with Sparkles, the dog, Katie shared that “Princess Heather” hasn’t returned any of her text messages. And… why should Princess Heather acknowledge Katie’s existence? The newbie shared that she would not be the one to beg for her forgiveness. Heather won’t miss it, sweetie.
Katie did open up about her divorce while speaking with Jen. She and Andrew did not speak and had quite a messy divorce. According to Katie, she was only 21 when she said “I do” and had a 14-month-old baby. The former golf reporter shared, “It wasn’t love.” Katie noted, “Two days before my wedding in Hawaii, my brother-in-law said, ‘Good luck with him.’” Sadly, Katie wasn’t supported by her family, who felt a “good Catholic girl doesn’t get divorced.”
Fans learned Katie’s daughter, Kaili, uses the word “Padre” because saying dad is too traumatizing when speaking with her stepfather. But in a moving moment, Katie shared that her daughter was more than ready to change her last name to Ginella. According to Katie, her daughter sent a text to her birth father stating how selfish he was. And now Andrew doesn’t wish his daughter a happy birthday or have contact. So, for Katie and Kaili, this is a big moment. I’m not crying! You’re crying!
Emily is taking health seriously
Watching Shane and Emily get a spray tan in their backyard might have been the episode’s highlight for me. While Emily was wearing pasties, Shane was worried about his HOA complaining about indecent exposure. However, the mood shifts as Emily opens up to her husband about how Gina thinks she is turning into a bit of a mean girl. Interestingly, Emily explains that Jen’s lack of accountability triggers her because it reminds her of her mother.
“My mom didn’t finish college, and she blames it on other people. It was hard as a kid. I always had to get myself up. I never had lunch money. I never had lunch. I was never coddled or given anything.” Through tears, Emily admits that she is aggressive and doesn’t want Jen to be on the receiving end. So she is trying to break the cycle, and Shane is actually supporting her! Emily noted, “I don’t think I am mean.” Unless you are Alexis or Heather, Emily is generally not mean.
Everyone grab your kilt
I love a good theme party. But mixing a murder mystery and The Traitors into one night is my dream come true. Now add Teddi Mellencamp as the host, and I’m blown away. The ladies’ outfits are the best! I want all of them in my closet. Teddi is shady and stunning, and she is “Tamra’s minion,” so it is safe to say none of the women are happy to see her walking down the mansion steps. Teddi opens up with “Welcome Housewives and Vicki,” so we know she is ready to stir the pot. Personally, I love Teddi. Mainly because she always goes head-to-head with Vicki. The accountability coach questioned where Vicki was on January 6th and reminded the mother of two that she lied about cancer in the past, so the duo has never been on good terms.
Amid the game, Heather pulls Katie to the side for a quick chat. Heather opened up about her upcoming charity event and invited Katie to the party in the spirit of inclusivity. This is very nice considering how Katie has treated her. Katie immediately apologized, but Heather cut her off, noting, “It isn’t important.” Because it wasn’t, it was basic and Katie knows it.
Shannon hates everything crickets
Shannon is at her wit’s end. While it is no one’s fault that Alexis is dating John, Shannon is making it clear she wants nothing to do with Alexis. Fine, the feeling is probably mutual.
The Traitors game turned boring quickly. With questions like “Who is the biggest liar?” there was no way it would turn out well. After all the drama, I think Tres Amigas could be back on the rails. But Tamra quickly shoots down that idea in her confessional. There were some light-hearted moments, like watching Shannon running away from putting her hand in a jar full of crickets. But overall, The Traitors game went on a bit too long, and left me feeling a little bit like this was a filler episode.
Real Housewives of Orange County continues on Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.
