Most of us were raised that there are certain lines we do not cross. One would be don’t drink and drive. Another is not to get into a physical altercation. Lying was the one thing that would really set the adults in my life off. Tonight’s episode of Real Housewives of Potomac took those childhood lessons and drop kicked them straight into the dumpster.
It’s the last night of the trip and Charrisse Jordan drops a bomb that Karen Huger’s husband, Ray, asked her for a divorce. Yes, Karen admits it’s true, but that was a long time ago. Like most couples who have been married for years, they went through a rough patch, but they’re in a much better place now. Of course, the past is never really the past, but the only thing Karen is concerned about right now is Ray’s health. This tax thing has been very stressful. After dinner Karen and Gizelle Bryant whisper together away from the other ladies. Apparently, Ray asking for a divorce was a little more recent than Karen wants to admit. Gizelle tells Karen that they are here for her. Monique Samuels is right when she says in her talking head that these women are friends to no one and doesn’t blame Karen at all for not telling them all her business.
After dinner, everyone decides to hit the hot tub. Ashley Darby steals one of Karen’s wigs. Once everyone is gathered, Robyn Dixon announces they have a new “friend” named “Kern”. Ashley really plays the part of Karen who by now is literally falling down laughing. You have to hand it to Karen, from her wig shift to her doing the kiddy course to her seeing the humor at Ashley’s shenanigans; she can always laugh at herself.
Back in Potomac, Ashley discusses the trip with Michael, Monique chats with Big Chris, and Candiace Dillard talks to her ‘susband’, Chris. Monique is not happy with Ashley at all. Obviously, Ashley doesn’t see how reckless it is to insinuate that Monique was drunk driving. Monique thought they were friends, but maybe not. Ashley’s version is a little different. She tells Michael that not only did Monique have 4 martinis and then drove into a ditch; she drank a whole bottle of wine on the way up and then drank until she puked in the bushes the last night there! Candiace tries to be Switzerland in the fight. Maybe Monique has a problem, maybe not. Chris reminds her that just maybe she had a weekend away from her kids and not to read too much into it. One thing that really got on Candiace’s nerves is that the women would say they were concerned about Monique but it was just a trigger word so they could start trashing her.
Gizelle still has the book she’s writing on her mind, so she grabs her Bible, puts on her church lady hat and tries to figure where has all the love gone? Where indeed…as in Sherman hasn’t talked to her in more than a day. She Facetimes Robyn to get answers, but Robyn is more interested in Gizelle’s 1st lady of the church days. What she wouldn’t give to see a video of Gizelle in that life. Gizelle steers her back on track. Sherman’s been incommunicado for 29 hours, a new record for them, and not in a good way. She’s been praying on it, but neither Sherman nor God has told her what’s going on. She had sent him an article on the two of them from People Magazine a couple days ago, and maybe it freaked him out so much he forgot how to dial a phone.
Karen visits Matt to discuss her perfume business. According to Karen, Matt has a background in marketing. I thought he was her assistant, but okay, whatever, he’s multi-purpose. They decide on a venue for her scent party. She wants to get the ladies together so they can help her decide on what type of fragrance she should manufacture. She also needs to come up with a name for this fragrance. She wants something like “Fiery” or “Fierce”. Matt suggests “Empty Nester”. Ha!
Meanwhile, Candiace meets up with her mom at a wedding venue. They argue about everything from the shape of the tables to the flowers to the budget. Oh, the budget. Apparently, a hundred grand isn’t what it used to be my friends. What Ashley wants is going to cost at least twice that. Therefore, since mom is at her limit, and since Ashley is after all 30 years old and this is Chris’ 2nd time around, she’s going to have to do the only thing possible: Did you think it was to scale back? Or pay for the overage herself? NO! She’ll be asking her dad for the difference. He’s already committed to $20,000, so what’s another, say, six figures? Her mom tried to warn her that life can be really hard, but Candiace doesn’t want to hear it. Her life is a pageant y’all! There’s no space left for things like budgets. Seriously, she and Chris both come from broken homes and Chris has already been divorced once. What’s wrong with wanting to live in Fantasyland? So what if mom had issues with dad. They’re not Candiace’s issues. After Candiace runs off in denial, Mom tells us that Candiace never wants to see the reality of her dad and Mom’s just trying to ground her flighty daughter. Candiace only sees it as her mom trying to rain on her wedding day.
Someone else who is having mom problems is Ashley. She drives over to her mom’s soon to be ex-house. Sheila, Ashley’s mom, is just tired of not being herself but doesn’t know what she wants to be. Her family is stunting her growth! Ashley sits on the kitchen counter in disbelief. Sheila is extra agitated. Why hasn’t Michael called her back? Ashley tries to defend her husband who has, after all, given thousands to everyone. Sheila snaps back that it isn’t about the money (it is), it’s about connections (not at all). Ashley tells her for the hundredth time that Michael will not support the deadbeat boyfriend anymore. It has to change, but Sheila argues that change doesn’t come overnight. Then she changes tactics and asks Ashley, “What can I say that you can report back to your husband?” Ashley is dumbfounded. She asks her mom where she’s moving to and Sheila answers that she’s going to a hotel. Sheila’s just done. She’s frustrated with Michael and she’s done.
It’s the night of Karen’s scent event. Along with Matt and Karen, a woman named Sue is there who Karen might work with on her fragrance. Monique is dressed to kill in Chanel and is ready to kill Ashley in real life. Sue starts the “Scentertainment” by giving the ladies a quiz so they can find their personal scent style. Then Sue gives us a rundown of the 8 fragrance families. I tried to take notes for you so you could just copy off me and not have to pay attention in class, but Bravo cut through some of it. All I know is the two favorites were Fresh and Oriental. Sue tells them she is going to make a signature fragrance for them all.
Robyn, Monique, and Ashley all notice that Monique is ultra-quiet, and they decide to poke the sleeping bear. Robyn asks what’s up and Charrisse answers for Monique that it’s about the insinuation of the drunkation. The Green Eyed Bandits are confused. All was fine the last night of the trip. Where’s the hostility coming from? First of all, Monique says she didn’t toss her cookies into the bushes because she drank too much; it was from inhaling cigar smoke. EVERYONE knows that will make you throw up (I didn’t). Secondly, Monique wants to talk to Ashley alone about it, because her real beef is with Ashley only. Gizelle won’t have that. We need transparency, not to mention Gizelle is a Nosy Nellie and loves to stir up trouble. Ashley bops over like she has no idea that anything is wrong. Gizelle tells her that Monique is mad at her. Ashley’s all wide-eyed innocence. How can her good friend Monique have any issue with sweet little Ashley?
The rest of this fight is a blur of different stories and talking so fast no one can follow what anyone is saying. I’ve never in my life heard a group talk so fast for so long and I actually know an auctioneer (no joke). Monique says yet again that Ashley went behind her back and said she drove drunk. Ashley objects. She didn’t say anything – Monique told on herself. Ashley was going to keep it all quiet. Also, the car wreck wasn’t isolated. How about the trip up and the last night spent hurling in the bushes? Monique then accuses Ashley of having 4 or 5 beers and guess what! Ashley totally cops to it. However, according to Ashley’s talking head, it wasn’t like she got into a wreck like Monique. Let’s pause for a moment and catch our breath. So Ashley had more drinks than Monique at their little luncheon? Why didn’t Bravo have drivers for these women? I realize these women are grown up and made their own decisions, but this put innocent lives at risk. Can you drink 4 beers or 4 martinis without a buzz? I sure can’t and I damn sure weigh more than these two. I think my cat weighs as much as Ashley. And does anyone really believe that the Bravo cameras weren’t rolling at lunch? That’s when most of the fights happen.
Back to the show. Karen tries to calm the situation, but it’s no use. They all keep yelling. Sue hilariously leans over to Matt and tells him to take control of the situation. Matt gets about a quarter of the way off his chair before self-preservation takes over he sits back down and cowers in the corner. There’s no chance he’s stepping into the middle of all that. Karen yells at them to shut up and then calls for security. The ladies are asked to leave.
They only make it as far as the sidewalk before starting again. Monique tells Ashley she could have destroyed everything she’s worked for and you can barely hear it, but Robyn mocks her as if to say Monique has done nothing with her life. Monique then tells “Pinky and Brain” to stay out of her and Ashley’s business. This hits a nerve with Robyn because this is the second time this week that someone has called her less than smart. She comes at Monique and I have to say Monique has way more verve than me. No way would I have held my ground at Robyn’s advance, finger pointing at Monique’s face. Karen is hella brave too because she jumps in between the two. Monique tries to keep Robyn off her with her umbrella as a struggling Karen yells “SECURITY!!”
Tell us: Do you think some of the ladies crossed the line? Is Ashley doing the right thing with her mom?
AUTHOR: DANA S.
Photo Credit: Bravo TV
