Unfortunately, we’re nearing the end of Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake. The Sunday night spinoff centered around Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan, as they helped bring renovations to a small town. It took the Simple Life concept and ran with it, and Bravo couldn’t have picked two better stars than the Real Housewives of New York icons.
Sonja and Luann haven’t just been vacationing in the small town of Benton, Illinois. No, they were sent to get to work and help improve the town in more ways than one. While they’ve had plenty of fun along the way, the RHONY duo has succeeded in accomplishing a few of the mayor’s tasks. Here are three main takeaways from the latest episode “Taking Care of Business.”
A little something for the dogs
Luann and Sonja spent some time at the Benton animal shelter as the mayor wanted them to help improve the situation for the rescues. The shelter was overrun with dogs after the pandemic and the facility doesn’t have the space to house them. The dogs spend a lot of time in cramped cages, making them irritable. Sonja and Luann saw the immediate need for an upgrade. Mainly, the pair wanted to help develop an outside area for dogs to run and for the shelter to host adoption events. “Who wants to adopt a dog who looks like it’s going to rip your face off?” Sonja said of the bleak indoor situation.
The pair wasted no time getting to work on the fence, with the help of Craig, Benton’s Public Works director. Instead of fundraising for the animal shelter, Luann and Sonja decided to pay for the upgrades themselves. “This fence cannot happen fast enough for me,” Luann explained. “The doggy fence is going to cost us but we’ll do a dozen more Cameos and we got this.” Seriously, no one is more refreshingly honest than these two ladies. You have to commend them for their commitment to whatever they’re participating in while still never taking themselves too seriously.
Lu and Sonja belong in Benton
It was so obvious by this time in their trip that Luann and Sonja were comfortable in Benton. They didn’t hesitate when asked to help around town, whether it was cleaning motel rooms or bathing pups at the shelter. “I don’t even make my own bed at home unless I have to,” Sonja said while subbing in for the motel housekeeper. “And even then, I do a very lame job.” You have to appreciate their commitment to the Benton lifestyle, even if it’s a little messy.
The ladies also got to have a little fun in Benton. They went to Sue’s, the local ladies’ retailer, to buy some new clothes. The pair ended up leaving with a couple of pixie-cut wigs and wearing them right out into the streets of Benton. “You could be Lisa Rinna for Halloween,” Sonja told Luann in reference to her wig.
The duo also finally hit up the local Dairy Queen to order one of everything on the menu. The pair don’t eat dairy as part of their typical diets, so the outing was a bit risky for their digestive systems. “Luann shat a whole bed once; they had to remove the mattress,” Sonja said bluntly. That didn’t stop them from downing their soft-serve cones and banana split, only to walk through the drive-thru to order another sundae. I will truly never get bored of these two.
New playground check
Luann and Sonja were disappointed in previous episodes as they didn’t think they’d be able to get a new playground in Benton before their trip ended. While shopping for Rinna wigs in town, they received news that a playset was going to be ready before their departure. It was amazing news as the RHONY stars would be able to participate in a ribbon cutting for the new park. Even Craig, who usually kept a tough exterior, was overjoyed to be able to bring a playground to the neighborhood in Benton that he grew up in before he retired from working for the town. “It was kind of me bringing something back to the neighborhood,” Craig tearfully said. See? Luann and Sonja really do have an unusual power to make change.
Once the playground was delivered and set up, it truly was a huge improvement for the town. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was emotional for everyone, from the mayor to Luann. Lu even gave a drawn-out speech that bored Sonja to tears. “It is a big moment, I get it,” Sonja said. “But cut the ribbon already.” Lu also celebrated the opening of the park by sliding down the children’s slide and getting her butt stuck in a tire swing. The Countess was her peak self in this episode, and it only makes me want to see more.
Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake concludes Sunday, August 6, at 10/9c on Bravo.
TELL US – ARE YOU SHOCKED TO SEE LUANN AND SONJA ACCOMPLISHING TASKS IN BENTON? HOW DO YOU THINK THEY’VE DONE IN IMPROVING THE TOWN SO FAR?
