On the series premiere of Real Housewives of Rhode Island, we met Alicia, Liz, Jo-Ellen, Kelsey, Rosie, and Ashley. Dolores Catania also stopped by as a friend of. Jo-Ellen emerged as the RHORI villain, especially because of her rivalry with Rosie. Kelsey’s unconventional relationship was the talk of the town. When she confronted Rosie for gossiping about it, she learned Jo-Ellen brought the subject up. Liz warned that the truth always comes out in a state this small.
What happened on Real Housewives of Rhode Island Season 1 Episode 2?
On Real Housewives of Rhode Island Season 1 Episode 2, “Ocean State of Mind,” we meet the seventh RHORI Housewife Rulla. Her husband had a cheating scandal, and she made Jo-Ellen the villain in the situation. Annoyed by all the talk about her relationship, Kelsey proposes a game to get questions and secrets out in the open. What else happened on Real Housewives of Rhode Island Season 1 Episode 2?
Liz is going to be a grandma (but don’t call her that)
This week’s episode starts with Liz going to her in-laws (who are technically related to her). They’re meeting her stepdaughter’s boyfriend’s family. Her stepdaughter is expecting a baby, which will be the first grandchild. Liz already decided she wants to be called GG, not grandma or “glam ma.”
Gerry’s three girls may not be Liz’s biological daughters, but she raised them. For reasons she doesn’t elaborate on, the girls’ mother wasn’t able to take care of them. So Liz stepped up, even though it was a massive change to go from being single to raising three kids.
Rulla makes a splash
In Episode 2, we meet Rulla, the seventh RHORI Housewife. Like Liz, she’s half Syrian. Before she arrives, Kelsey jokes about how monotone she is. But don’t let that fool you into thinking Rulla’s boring. Because she’s got a lot of drama!
As soon as she arrives, the conversation turns to Rulla’s husband Brian’s affair. At first, Rulla seems to deny it happened. We learn that Jo-Ellen first saw the pictures of Brian (because the other woman posted them on socials). She told Liz, who told Rulla. However, Rulla seems angrier with Jo-Ellen and the mistress than she is at her husband. She blames Jo-Ellen for spreading rumors about things her husband isn’t involved in. “But he is, ma,” Liz fires back. Rulla then insists the affair is over, but according to Liz, everyone says it’s still going on.
Rulla takes a jab at Liz by saying she doesn’t understand what it’s like to raise your biological children with a spouse. Oof! Liz is, understandably, very offended. Rulla’s known her for a decade, she knows that Liz raised those girls. She may not have given birth to them, but they are her children.
Rulla also says that Liz and Gerry got past their own issues. In a confessional, she says that Gerry was away on boats for long periods of time. And when the cat’s away, the mice will play.
Ashley is feeling the pressure
Her bestie Rosie hates Jo-Ellen, but Ashley bonded with her at the 4th of July party. Their kids are the same age, so they get together for a playdate.
The pressure of running Audrey’s is getting to Jared, and it upsets Ashley. He always assures her it’s not her or the kids getting to him, but it’s still hard for her not to feel that way. Ashley also feels overwhelmed taking care of the kids all the time while he is away so often at his business. Jo-Ellen assures her it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed, even if she also has a part time nanny.
In a confessional, Jo-Ellen remarks that Ashley always potrays a picture perfect family on social media. But as we all know, that’s not reality.
Kelsey wants to clear the air
After Alicia expressed confusion about Kelsey’s relationship, she invites her to the giant house. It turns out Kelsey isn’t completely alone, because there’s a live-in staff. Alicia drove there, but she hates driving, especially on highways. She reveals she ran over a woman, but still doesn’t provide more context when a producer asks!
Kelsey explains that she’s sick of everyone gossiping about her relationship. She knows there’s a lot of rumors and questions about everybody in the group. She wants to get everyone together and force them to address the gossip and clear the air.
Rulla introduces her family
After making a splash at lunch, we learn more about Rulla and her family. She’s a true Rhode Islander, born and raised in Providence, and one of the only female boat captains in the state. Of course, she throws shade at where Jo-Ellen lives.
Rulla has her own financial planning firm. Her husband is a podiatrist, though Alicia later jokes he “does more than rubbing feet.” Though he’s shorter and lighter than her usual tall dark and handsome type, she finds him handsome, so he checked one of the three boxes. They’ve been together 12 years and have two kids, son Luca and daughter Laila.
Rulla claims Brian begged for her forgiveness after the affair, though she’s still working on that. He insists it’s over, and she tracks him now. Brian says people are just jealous.
Jo-Ellen wants nothing to do with Rulla
It’s the first RHORI sprinter van trip! We’ll have to see if their van rides become as iconic as other Real Housewives shows. The RHORI girls take this one to a vineyard. It turns out they don’t know much about wine. Kelsey, who likes “stripper juice,” didn’t know rosè was wine. Jo-Ellen just like expensive stuff because she thinks it won’t give her as bad of a hangover. Take notes Rosie! The ladies compliment each other’s outfits … except when Ashley shows up in a renaissance fair looking dress. Ashley continues to be the outsider!
Before they eat, Kelsey takes Jo-Ellen aside to warn her Rulla is coming. Jo-Ellen is pissed. After she shared the news about Brian, Rulla and him called Jo-Ellen’s work to retaliate. By threatening her job, she claims, Rulla threatened her family. And she won’t stand for that.
But it’s a false alarm, because Rulla calls and claims she was so sick she was in urgent care. The group doesn’t buy it. Especially because she had full glam. Jo-Ellen snarks that she just has a headache from taking too much Ozempic. “Have a turkey leg from Ashley,” she jokes. She knocks the box with Rulla’s name on it into a bush.
RHORI reveals all in Kelsey’s game
Speaking of those boxes, Kelsey proposes a table game that would make Heather Gay proud. All the women write notes to each other asking questions about the rumors they’ve heard. The notes are ostensibly anonymous, but most of the ladies fess up to the ones they wrote.
Ashley reveals she didn’t lose her virginity until she was 29 (this was a big plot point in her Bachelor days). Jo-Ellen denies being a swinger. She asks Alicia if anything happened with her and Gary, but Alicia says he’s like her brother. Rosie is asked about rumors with her and an unnamed basketball coach, which she denies.
She also corrects herself about the polygamy comments she made about Kelsey … because ChatGPT taught her that’s only if you’re married, so that correct term was polyamory. However, Kelsey does admit that she have another boyfriend! And it looks like this one will appear on RHORI!
Alicia brings up the rumors about Liz’s affair that Rulla hinted at earlier. Liz says she leaned on their good friend Dino while Gerry was gone. She admits it crossed a line but denies they had an affair. She’s upset that Alicia would ask about this.
With this many rumors, scandals, and feuds in just Episode 2, I have a very good feeling about RHORI. I can’t wait for next week’s episode!
Real Housewives of Rhode Island airs Sundays on Bravo. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF REAL HOUSEWIVES OF RHODE ISLAND SEASON 1 EPISODE 2? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF RULLA?
