By Guest Contributor Becky J.
Here we are at the season finale of RHOP and I still can’t commit to loving it. The nicest thing I can say is that it’s not the worst Housewives franchise ever. And let’s be honest, even the worst real housewives episode is still more entertaining than real life most days.
The only cast member whose storyline evolved this season is Ashley. Charrisse is still stuck in delusional divorce limbo, Robyn is still pining for Juan, Gizelle is still a thirsty trick and Monique is still showing off. Who knows WTF is going on with Karen. The most notable thing that has changed in my mind when it comes to Karen is I’ve shifted from being driven to distraction by her giant mole, to being disgusted by her hair.
This week’s episode begins back at Charrisse’s champagne room reveal party. The women are questioning Karen about her new home in Great Falls and she just got done calling Ashley an idiot. Ashley had the nerve to suggest Karen will have to give up her imaginary title of Head Bitch of Potomac. I’m baffled that these women spend so much time arguing about pretend titles and distinctions. Who cares about the “host” of a vacation is? Who cares who calls you the Grand Dame of Potomac? At least the women in other cities fight about tangible things like cheating boyfriends and destroyed property (Ramona, you crazy bitch, you ruined that chair and tore paint off the walls at Dorinda’s).
Karen announces that she will be hosting a 20 year anniversary in her new home and maybe not everybody will be invited. She means Ashley. Also, the theme is just “exotic” which is so fucking absurd. These women are really harboring secret stripper fantasies. First, we have a “champagne room” and now a wedding anniversary with an “exotic” theme. Please, please let somebody dress like a stripper!
Robyn is cleaning a huge box of her boys’ outgrown shoes. Can somebody send me a link to her eBay store? Her kids have some fly kicks. Juan comes in and they talk about how much attention she got from men in Bermuda. She tells him the therapist assigned her to go on a date, but she didn’t go. Juan looks perplexed. Robyn expresses her desire to have more than just a co-parent/housemate friendship with Juan. He seems receptive and they decide to spend six months rekindling their romance and if it doesn’t work, go their separate ways. Finally! We have some progress. I’m relieved, but I also feel that this easy resolution after an entire season of angst supports my theory that they were pretending for the cameras cuz they wanted to dominate the storyline and need money.
I’m completely baffled by Karen’s new “downsized” home. It’s a mansion with nine bedrooms and she doesn’t even have the furniture to fill it. Is she just leasing it to seem fancy for the anniversary party and the last episode? That must be it. Karen and Ray are unpacking and she tells him she wants to go christen the new house. Barf. I get it that she’s trying to seem youthful and sexy, but I’m so sick of her dirty talk to Ray. She tries too hard. Pun intended.
Gizelle is meeting Kevin to tell him she just wants to be friends. It’s really fake since they were never more than friends to begin with. She says she’s gonna have about eight drinks until he thinks it was his idea. Literally nobody cares.
The women go over to see Monique’s new mansion in Potomac, which she owns. Karen tells her she and Ray were house-hunting in the same neighborhood and they just didn’t find anything they liked. Yeah right. They sage the place and it must work to remove the bad energy cuz Karen officially invites Ashley to the anniversary party.
The ladies go shopping for “Bollywood” outfits for the party. On the day of, Karen gives Ray her super-awkward boudoir picture and calls him her sexy African king. Too much. The guests arrive and everybody is speculating about the quick move and the large new house. The guests are standing around with no drinks while they wait for Karen’s grand entrance. They’re dressed in a mixed bag of Indian, business casual and Goodwill chic/Solid Gold dancer wear. Monique is a showstopper in her native American princess stripper garb. And I got my wish.
The party is an extravaganza. There is an Indian dance troupe, a fire breather, a henna tattoo station and a belly dancer. Karen and Ray make an entrance and greet their public from a balcony like some sort of royal couple. This is clearly the only reason Karen picked this house, which is indeed a 24-month rental as it turns out. The party adjourns to an outdoor tent where Ray and Karen do a weird pseudo African sex dance, toast one another and make out. More nausea. Karen corners Charrisse and gives her a passive-aggressive speech about how it takes a big person to attend a big, fabulous anniversary party like hers when your’e going through a nasty divorce. Does it really though?
Karen’s daughter announces a special message, which is Karen’s mom on speaker phone. Karen breaks down in sobs and I feel that that’s just about enough of the many faces of Karen. Good thing it’s the finale cuz I don’t think I can take much more of this.
Next week on the (blessedly only one part) finale, everyone accuses Charrisse of having several boyfriends, Charrisse says Karen has a boyfriend, Ashley’s hair looks gorgeous and Robyn screams that SHE’S FINE. See you then!
Great season ?
IT was a great season and they got great ratings. Also, it shows the reunion is two parts!
Don’t really know why I followed this show except for maybe the beautiful homes and scenery. The ladies were actually very dull and envious of each other. I’m beyond shocked that they would renew this mess and hopefully it will have a quick and painless death. I’m done.
I’m with you Grandmalou. I have no idea what the entire season was about besides endless shade about nothing. None of the ladies were interesting to me, just catty.
I’m guessing Karen just rented this home to make a grand impression for the season finale. Next season she will be living in a 2 bedroom ranch sleeping on borrowed air mattresses (thanks Sheree’). Not much happens on this show except for a lot of shade throwing, and isn’t that all we really need.
lol Karen moving out of Potomac and so fast is odd. There is more to the story.
Thank you for stating the exact reason I watch and appreciate this blog.
I have watched this show as a drop in and out. Nothing really interests me about them other than their many bad wigs and make-up. Karen’s ego drives me crazy Charisse a close second. There is nothing of any substance with this group…
That’s what’s make fun to watch. Delusional bitches is good tv.
^^^^^This comment is on point ^^^^^
Agree !!!
That party was bizarre. I think Bravo rounded up a bunch of production people and random bystanders to fill up the room.
Whole lot of one upping and jockeying for status going on with this bunch of moneyed black women. I don’t know how normal that is, or if it’s due to the basic premise of this particular show, but they lack any spirit of graciousness or real caring for one another. Karen and Charisse have no sense of how purely cornball and bogus they appear. Monique is struggling to define herself-I hope she won’t pattern herself after either of them. Gizelle has no story line other than being catty and arrogant. Ashley’s bizarre marriage is so far the most interesting thing about her.
Robyn, for me, is emerging as someone who could be the real star of this show. I liked the tiny glimpse we got of her directing a fashion show. She’s so stuck in her relationship with Juan. They are a total mismatch-she’s way too classy and beautiful for him, and he clearly thinks he has the upper hand there. The 6 month plan isn’t going to work any better to revive their relationship than the past couple of years have. The only thing that would get his attention is if she kicked his cheating ass to the curb. Why doesn’t she see that she’s made him way too comfortable living off her and giving her nothing in return? Send him to Goodwill with the shoes and change the locks…..
I wish they would dump Charisse or Karen (or both) bring Katie Rost back. And give us more of Monique’s husband Chris-he’s so down to earth and genuine and likeable.
Monique needs to get Ashley to take her shopping. Ashley almost always dresses well, and Monique almost always doesn’t.
Karen’s sari top looked better on her than anything she’s ever worn-it corralled and covered the giant jugs.
LOL comes a time in life when the “jugs” need to be tamed or taped .. Karen the time has arrived!
I live on seven lock Road an let me tell you the women in Potimac is very jazzy and have real coins
Somehow, your comment isn’t a ringing endorsement. Also please read the commenting rules re:literacy.
Oh my! lmao
Thanks for the recap, Becky J. with the good hair!
I’m sad to see the season finale. I’m over Sha Sha. I wish she would just file for divorce and get it over with. Is she waiting for him to file so she gets alimony? I’m not sure how that works, but this is torture!
I don’t think Ashley and Michael
can come back from the nastiness they spewed at each other. Maybe it’s time to go their separate ways.
Karen and Ray had to leave their Potomac home quickly because of the all cash sale and quick closing date. There may be more to that story, but I think that’s the reason. The PDA was ewww. No one wants to see that.
Monique is a chatacter and I just love her. She and her family are sweet.
I’m still pulling for Robyn and Juan. I hope next year they remarry and put past indiscretions behind them.
Gizelle seems like a desperate, thirsty THOT and should remember she’s a mother with daughters. I liked Kevin, but her trickish self threw him to the curb and is now pursuing a former NBA player. She reminds me of Porsha’s older aunt trying to get her groove on. The bell is tolling for her and it’s time to leave the ball!
The reunion looks good!
As long as Eddie and Cherrisse (or however she spells it) aren’t divorced or formally separated, she seems to have no restrictions on what she spends. A divorce would shut down the free access to his money; she’d have to live on whatever she’d get in a settlement and (I assume) spousal support (her Bravo paycheck could hurt her there). She’d have to pick up a number of expenses she doesn’t currently have. Hope they invested well, she spends big on silly shit like the champagne room that adds no value to her home. But maybe that is cheaper for Eddie than splitting his assets with her.
Didn’t the promos for this episode promise to reveal the “truth” behind Karen’s move? Wtf?!
Karen (and every aspect of her life shown on film) made me feel uncomfortable. All season, I felt like she was dancing on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
The breakdown ship sailed and sank for Karen. You can tell there’s some type of money troubles, especially since the house was closed out on a cash deal. I agree that Gizelle is a THOT, plain and simple, running after dollars than a guy who would love her. Her issues with Monique are classic examples of jealousy her having a man,and one with money. Ashley might as well prepare herself for a separation at the very least. The show does fill my need for shade, though for idiotic drama I’ve been catching up on Invite Only Cabo.
Thank you Becky for a lovely recap. These women are too pretentious!
Karen sold her home in a hurry before the bank foreclosed on her $10,000 a month mortgage. But she can keep lying when it’s public anyway, cuz no one gives a f about this show.
I thought Monique’s outfit was one of the most offensive things I’ve ever seen on Bravo. She went from hero to zero in one outfit – if I ever see her on the street, Imma push that trick in front of a bus.
She’ll legitimize it by saying she’s part native.
If she hasn’t already.
I’m part Native American and I would never dream of wearing something so offensive.
Of course. But, I’m guessing that’ll be her spin.
Ideally, she’ll own that it was a failed and inappropriate attempt at humor, and offer an apology. That would go a long way towards eventual removal from the Porsha Williams Cultural Ignorance Hall of Shame.
Funny recap, thank you. What you said about Gizzelle and Kevin was so funny. Yes, no one cares.
Cha Cha builds this champagne room and they celebrate by drinking in the living room. LOL
I still want to know about who’s baby that was at Karen’s mothers birthday dinner??? Maybe from her daughter??? Is th at th e real tea in all this lol
I love the Potomac girls, but I feel this season was just blah. There were some funny bits here but no one really served a purpose except for maybe Ashley with her restaurant and all that. Everyone else is still a mystery to me at this point.
The show began filming as a show about Etiquette so maybe they can’t give up the good vs bad etiquette affectations.
The season 2 hairstyles and kitchens were so wha???? that they probably felt they had to roar back to keep the gig going. They didnt want the axe after S1 like the DC crew got.
Karen thinks her stink eye works to fend off her critics but it’s really just nutty.
Season two make up was out of control, there were times Gizelle’s bright make up reminded me of the rejects from Ru-Paul’s Drag race. Then the boat party scene looked like they hired every male escort or porn star reject to participate.
So offended for native Americans she has no idea
I don’t know perhaps just the commentators on this specific blog, but a lot of people are digging Potomac. I have to agree, I find it refreshing. The preview for the reunion looks beyond juicy! The ratings are quite stable.
Monique in that outfit though! I know she didn’t do it maliciously but it just goes to show her ignorance and lack of social skills. I didn’t have a problem with bills “house ni***” comment or hoffs blackface costume, but I know that people do and you have to be aware of what you do on a public platform bc people do get offended. She should have been told that headdress was wrong. Geez.
I always thought some one told her it was and Indian theme and she didn’t get native american versus bollywood.
Question does anyone watch Invite Only Cabo, and the sheer ridiculous drama.
That show is really good and it’s unfortunate that Bravo only promotes that show on Sunday when it airs. I like Larry and him trying to get all his close friends together for a mini vacation, drama and all.
Every week. Like it.
Great recap Becky J. I kinda feel sorry for Karen since it all seems very sad. She isn’t hiding that something is not okay. True friends don’t care, and it’s sad she doesn’t know that. She’s so far over compensating its embarrassing to watch. Hoping but doubt she’s gonna say on the reunion. Wonder what the streets are saying? Lol