SUMMER HOUSE -- Season:7 -- Pictured: (l-r) Paige DeSorbo, Ciara Miller, Carl Radke, Lindsay Hubbard, Amanda Batula, Kyle Cooke, Danielle Olivera, Gabby Prescod, Chris Leoni, Mya Allen, Samantha Feher -- (Photo by: Sasha IsraelBravo)

Summer House Season 7 Episode 8 Recap: Supporting Character Energy

Let’s face it: in any reality show, there are main characters and there are supporting characters. There will always be OGs and newbies. In any given season, there are cast members at the center of the storyline and there are others they recruit to their sides of a respective feud. And Summer House is no different.

Of course, this season has seen seismic shifts in the dynamic of the share house. Some roommates who’ve spent the past few seasons in the center of drama have faded to the sidelines. Others are starting to take up space in the spotlight as friendships are called into question and relationships change. All the while new faces are vying for attention of their own.

Stolen Panties, Stolen Dignity

Speaking of attention-grabbing newbies, the episode placed us back in the middle of Chris Leoni’s initiation into the Southampton Brotherhood. Just a casual secret society started on the fly by Kyle Cooke and Carl Radke. What’s supposed to be ritual hazing started with Chris stealing items from each of the girls’ bedrooms and ended with him seductively kissing Ciara Miller’s feet out at a club. I’m sorry, is this what straight guys do during guys’ night??

None of the girls found out Chris was rooting around through their belongings until the next morning when he tried to pass the whole thing off as a funny prank. Which, it’s not. It’s weird and creepy. Paige DeSorbo was appropriately skeeved out that the new guy stole her toothbrush. And to make matters creepier, Ciara thought she was spared because…her underwear was nowhere to be found. The pair of panties mysteriously disappeared and Chris balked when a producer informed him in a confessional interview that it was going to look like he stole Ciara’s underwear. Which…he totally did, right? Gross. Creepy. Weird. Sick.

Trouble In Paradise

Of course, there’s deeper drama going on than Chris‘ weird hazing ritual. Danielle Olivera and Lindsay Hubbard were officially on the outs following their girls’ night confrontation over Lindsay’s newly sober-ish lifestyle. They would usually confide in each other, but now they’re forced to find other people in the house to back them up. And since pretty much no one was a Lindsay fan at the moment, the only options she had were Gabby Prescod and Samantha Feher.

The newbies were more than happy to be a sounding board and shared secrets for camera time. Even if they don’t really have context for the years of history between Lindsay, Danielle, and Carl. (Like, does anyone even remember at this point that Danielle originally joined the show in Season 2 as Carl’s ex-girlfriend?)

Via confessional, Samantha pointed out that there shouldn’t be anything but support for Lindsay if she’s choosing to prioritize Carl‘s sobriety over her drinking. And wisely posited that if her friendship with Danielle needs partying to survive, that’s a much deeper issue that needs examining.

RELATED: Summer House’s Ciara Miller Is Now A Victoria’s Secret Model

Trouble In Paradise, Part 2

During the week in the city, we get a rare look at Danielle‘s relationship with Robert Sieber as they cleaned out their abandoned Manhattan apartment. The two spend the vast majority of their life out in the Hamptons due to Robert’s job. So they were thinking of giving up the apartment since the fridge just sits collecting nothing but rotten salads and stale drinks.

You could certainly sense an underlying tension in their conversations as Danielle broached subjects like buying property together or, you know, marriage. And it’s just sad considering we all know how this will turn out once cameras go down.

A Summer Love Triangle?

The following weekend it’s time to celebrate Kyle‘s 40th birthday. This was an insane sentence to type out for a multitude of reasons as someone who’s watched this show since its Season 1 infancy. Danielle and Lindsay have, for the first time ever, gone the whole week without speaking. So needless to say, the vibes were weird despite the festivities.

Thankfully, two familiar faces arrived to distract from the tension. Yep, Craig Conover and Kory Keefer are in the house! Of course, we’ve got plenty of scenes between Craig and Paige back in Manhattan this season. But this is the first time we’ve seen Kory since he made waves on Season 2 of Winter House. And it’s nice to see him. Just ask Ciara, who confided in Mya Allen that she might finally be interested in pursuing the f’boy with a pearl necklace. (For a storyline? Hmm.)

However, she got a rude awakening when Kory took an immediate shine to Samantha. The look of utter chagrin on her face at dinner as she watched the two banter and flirt across from her is just…priceless. Do we have a new love triangle on our hands?

A Proposed Bombshell

The next day, it’s time to ring in Kyle‘s 40th. With a Western-themed party. Obviously. But before everyone can don cowboy hats, boots, and spurs, there’s a party to decorate for. Out in the backyard, Carl finally got a moment to talk to Kyle. And since they’re on fragile but better terms, he decided to let his bestie in on a secret: he’s planning on proposing to Lindsay before summer’s end.

TELL US – DO YOU THINK CHRIS STOLE CIARA’S UNDERWEAR? WILL CIARA COMPETE WITH SAMANTHA FOR KORY? WERE YOU SURPRISED CARL CONFIDED IN KYLE ABOUT HIS PROPOSAL PLANS?

[Photo by: Sasha Israel/Bravo]

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