Real Housewives of Salt Lake City friend of Britani Bateman just gave the show one of its most raw moments yet. There was a lot going on in the October 21 RHOSLC episode. From a long argument over farts to resurfaced allegations of identity fraud. But right in the middle of the episode, we got a conversation between Britani and her daughter Olivia Bateman unlike anything we’ve seen on RHOSLC before.
Strained dynamics between parents and children are common storylines on Real Housewives. For instance, the most powerful RHOSLC moment ever was Mary Cosby’s breakthrough with her son Robert Jr. about his addiction. Already on RHOSLC this season, we’ve seen Bronwyn Newport attempt to address past trauma with her mom. Usually, this storyline shows a Real Housewife or friend of attempting to reconcile with their parent. However, Britani’s storyline shows her trying to make amends with her daughter Olivia. Here’s why their scene together was such a unique, painful, and watershed moment for RHOSLC.
Britani Bateman’s meetup with her daughter Olivia was one of RHOSLC’s most powerful moments yet
We’ve heard about Britani’s estrangement from her daughters since she joined RHOSLC as a friend of. Britani herself admitted that she’s to blame for putting men first. Since that first appearance, Britani won some RHOSLC fans over as the show’s comedic relief. Her on-again/off-again relationship with Jared Osmond also became something of a running gag.
But as funny as it is for Britani announce an engagement and an un-engagement, there was always a darker side to things. We saw this when Whitney Rose tried to get through to her. And in the most recent episode, viewers finally got the full context thanks to Olivia. For instance, Olivia revealed that, after making time in her busy schedule to see her mom, Britani just made out with Jared right in front of her. Yikes!
In general, the conversation didn’t go how Britani probably hoped it would. Oliva wasn’t swayed by childhood memories or empty promises. Britani cried that Olivia is her “precious little baby.” But Olivia broke viewers hearts by adding, “that you barely know.” The true reality is, there’s no easy resolution to something like that. By the end of the scene, Britani clearly realized that one conversation won’t be enough to fix things. Especially because Olivia is rightfully skeptical that history won’t repeat itself.
Why it was significant for Britani’s daughter Olivia to get her own RHOSLC confessional
Considering this was her first appearance on the show, it was initially jarring to see Olivia in confessional mode. It’s rare for anyone other than the Real Housewives themselves to get a solo confessional. However, this was a smart and significant choice from producers. It allowed Olivia to fully get her side of the story across. Judging by the conversation with her mom, that’s something she’s not always able to do.
Viewers felt for Olivia, and were very impressed by her strength and emotional maturity. I saw multiple suggestions for her to join one of the Next Gen shows.
And many viewers also related to what she’s been through. Olivia acknowledged them when she posted her confessional look on Instagram. She captioned the photo, “For those who have felt the same, I see you and love you.” In the comments, RHOSLC stars Heather Gay and Angie Katsanevas praised both Olivia and Britani for what they shared. Angie said it was “very brave” while Heather called them both “amazing and so real.”
How Britani and Olivia’s conflict ties into RHOSLC’s portrayal of Mormon culture
The presence of the Mormon church is one of the things that sets RHOSLC apart from other Real Housewives series. Britani is the only current RHOSLC cast member who was both raised in the Mormon church and continues to practice the religion. By contrast, Lisa Barlow wasn’t raised in Salt Lake City and is famously a bit more loose with the religion, deeming her practice “Mormon 2.0.”
In one of Britani’s first appearances, RHOSLC’s resident Bad Mormon Heather gave context as to why she puts men first. Heather explained that Mormons believe you can’t get to Heaven without a husband. And that women are lead to believe husbands come before their kids.
In Olivia’s confessional, she revealed that Britani was a perfect mom before getting remarried. But afterwards, a switch flipped, and Britani was absent from their lives. The Mormon context doesn’t excuse Britani’s actions. But it sheds some light on why it’s so difficult for Britani to break out of the pattern.
This type of difficult and emotionally raw storyline is one of the many reasons RHOSLC continues to be the best Real Housewives series. We’ll certainly keep watching to see how Britani and Olivia’s relationship develops over the rest of Season 6.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF BRITANI BATEMAN’S SCENE WITH HER DAUGHTER OLIVIA? DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF OLIVIA ON RHOSLC?
