It’s part two of the reunion for the Real Housewives of Orange County, and here’s hoping Andy saved the best for last.
Peggy Tanous’s footage is shown first, and she gets emotional about her bouts of postpartum depression and her suicidal thoughts. The first tear can barely get down her cheek before Alexis Bellino interrupts, “I had postpartum too!” Yes, Alexis one-upped postpartum. I swear, it was as if she was a first grader with her hand in the air yelling “Pick me, pick me!” to be line leader for the class. Every head on that set flips around to look at Alexis (even Gretchen looks shocked), as Andy has just shown several scenes where Alexis blatantly one-ups her “friend” Peggy. Peggy backs up Alexis and says that the two did speak about their experiences, but when Andy asks why Alexis didn’t feel the need to bring it up before now (perhaps last season?), Alexis shrugs it off, saying the topic didn’t come up then.
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The subject turns to how Peggy came to be a housewife this season, and Alexis is on the defensive. Peggy says that Alexis told her she turned her name into the producers but later came back and told her friend that Bravo wasn’t casting an additional cast mate. Imagine Peggy’s surprise when one of Micah’s friends turns Peggy’s name in and she is cast. Alexis admits that she lied about helping Peggy get cast, but she knew the show would ruin their friendship (or maybe she knew her lying and one-upping would ruin their friendship and she didn’t want America watching that). Alexis can’t help herself by trying to get in the last word, and Vicki chastises her for always interrupting. Andy brings up Jimbo and Peggy’s past relationship. Peggy can’t stress enough that it was a casual relationship at best, and Alexis can’t stress enough that it occurred fifteen years ago and she was the one who ended up marrying Jim (because that makes her a…winner???).
Alexis admits that she didn’t find out about the relationship until a few weeks prior to filming. She defends her husband, stating “he’s not a liar” and she never wanted to know about any of his past relationships. However, she does feel that Peggy, as her friend (not her husband, mind you), had a responsibility to tell her about their hook-ups. No one can rationalize with Alexis that it would be more her husband’s duty to spill those beans than her acquaintances, but Alexis sticks to her guns…even Gretchen looks like she believes Alexis’ line of thinking is cra-zazy.
Andy shows Gretchen’s footage and calls her out for being this season’s mean girl. Tamra is passive aggressive, saying she could not care less what Gretchen thinks of her. Oh, okay. Vicki expresses hurt over how Gretchen reacted to her for being in the hospital during Alexis‘ fashion show, and Gretchen compares the situation to Vicki not showing up when Jeff was dying. Upon hearing this, Vicki questions why Gretchen continued to film during that difficult time. Citing her contract (because those are always airtight), Gretchen turns the tables on Vicki, asking why she continued to film this season while her marriage was crumbling. Apples to apples? Or apples to atom bombs? At this point, there is a lot of yelling, pointing, bleeping, and screeching, with Andy and Peggy’s heads silently bobbing back and forth as if they’re watching the U.S. Open. Andy gives up, and introduces the only other housewife besides Vicki who has been with Bravo since the beginning…a certain Slade Smiley.
Slade glosses over his important “consulting” jobs, and, regarding a pretty pointed child support question, he says he pays monthly but “no one knows what goes on behind the scenes.” We learn that apparently, Slade’s ex Michelle has reached out to Tamra…or Tamra went fishing for information from Michelle, a woman she doesn’t know personally—it all depends on who you believe. Slade accuses Tamra of mooching off of Simon and Eddie, causing Tamra to storm off the set. Off-stage, Tamra calls Slade’s ex Michelle to say she had gone to bat for her and asks if Michelle lied to her about Slade’s dead-beat-ness. Meanwhile, back at the couches, Slade calls out Tamra for cheating on Simon and filming Bravo porn with Eddie. Michelle seems to confirm that Slade has been paying nada and she has the documentation to prove it. Andy thanks Slade for stopping by to answer “the tough questions” and Tamra returns to Gretchen yelling at her about being in everyone’s business (she may have a point there). Tamra reveals that she just spoke with Michelle which silences Gretchen…for a second. Andy is only able to stop the madness with a commercial break.
Even though she’s no longer a housewife, Jeana Keogh had quite a presence this season and joins the ladies on the sofas. She tells Andy she’s been in a relationship since September and that her boyfriend lives with she and her sons. Jeana is still legally married to Matt but he spends most of his time in Scottsdale, Arizona. However, whenever Matt’s in the O.C., he stays in Jeana’s guest room. Jeana calls out Tamra for accusing Simon of being abusive but then throws a letter in her face from her “paralegal assistant” boyfriend. Tamra gets very heated when fighting about the letter…it’s no longer a “sis and desist”—it’s now a “sis and decease”!! What a difference an episode makes…Gretchen tries to calmly verbalize how Tamra has hurt others. For a split second, I think Tamra might be thinking twice about her actions but….no. Jeana gets very emotional and reveals that she blames Tamra for ruining her friendship with Vicki. Vicki does side with Tamra but has some very kind words for Jeana. Andy, always one for irony, passes out evil-eye tank tops to the cast.
Andy asks the girls to comment on this season. The women wax poetic and after Peggy talks about enjoying her first season, Andy turns to Alexis to ask her take on season six. Instead of spouting insights (as if she ever had any), Alexis reveals that she has just texted Jim to ask more about his relationship with Peggy, and Jim told her that Peggy stalked him and broke into his house. Okey-dokey. That does not in any way at all whatsoever make you appear to be a jealous wifey there, Al. Yikes! Time’s up, and Vicki leads the housewives in a toast and final “WOO HOO” to finish off the season!
TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THIS SEASON? IS TAMRA RIGHT OR WRONG FOR GETTING IN TOUCH WITH MICHELLE? WILL ALEXIS EVER GET A CLUE? DOES GRETCHEN HAVE A POINT ABOUT THE WAY VICKI TREATED HER DURING JEFF’S ILLNESS? DO YOU BELIEVE SLADE HAS A REAL J.O.B?
