Can we all agree that Kiki Monique should just be holding an orange at this point? On this episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, who is the liar, and who is covering for whom? When Gina investigates what Tamra claimed, it becomes harder to keep it all straight, and it leaves you wondering if Katie is being set up…
After Tamra storms out and posts about quitting the show, everyone wonders what actually just happened. Gina feels like that when Gretchen did not believe Tamra’s claims, Tamra got upset and lashed out. Tamra has been known to get nasty when she drinks, but Heather feels like something else turned with Tamra, setting her off to the extreme.
The next morning brings some relief to Jenn, since Tamra is apparently no longer in the picture. Gretchen fills Slade in on the rift Tamra tried to cause between her and Katie, and Katie continues to deny saying anything to the blogger about Gretchen. A total mess.
Shannon knows that Tamra is like the boy who cried wolf with this whole quitting schtick, and she wonders if Tamra is really done with the show. Tamra is busy at the airport posting about mental health, and Emily claims, “That’s how old ladies throw fits — they do it on Instagram.” Heather feels like leaving was a selfish move on Tamra’s part.
On the way to the airboat adventure, Gina lets her car know that she called the journalist and verified everything Tamra was saying the night before about Katie. This causes more confusion because that means Katie is guilty of talking to the blogger. Because Shannon is (always) running late, she misses this bombshell and holds the whole show up.
Gina is already anxious about being on a body of water packed with gators, and Shannon’s lateness sends her right over the top. Shannon opens up about the anxiety attack she had back at the hotel, and so the ladies decide to stop out-anxietying one another and table the issue as they embark on the alligator ride.
Once back at the hotel, Emily catches up with Shane and shares her guilt about not being there for her son, Luke.
The group heads to dinner and enjoys some oysters while they wait for their table. Heather unravels on Emily because she is sick of Emily making fun of her. This fight would have turned pretty ugly had Gina not nearly choked on an oyster, thus breaking up the argument.
Over dinner, they learn that no one has talked to Tamra since her angry exit. Gina explains that, at one point, she was swinging Katie’s way. However, she took matters into her own hands and called the journalist for confirmation. According to this journalist, about “seven minutes into lunch, Katie brought” up the Gretchen naked wasted/roofie storyline.
This journalist’s story does not sit right with Gretchen, and Katie continues to deny any involvement. Jenn wonders why Katie is not calling the blogger right there and then to make things right and clear her name.
But there’s more to the story than we all guessed. A while back, Gretchen, Slade, Jenn, Ryan, Katie, and Matt were all out to dinner when the story came out. Katie claims that Gretchen and Slade talked about how sick Gretchen felt after naked wasted night.
Gretchen was so bad that she had to go to the hospital, and a toxicology report found drugs in her system. Say what??? Jenn continues to promise that Gretchen never said she got roofied, but Katie is steadfast that her version of the story is the truth.
Gina, not knowing what *really* happened, wonders if Gretchen was the one who got this storyline moving by telling Katie about the situation. Gretchen wonders why anyone would ever believe anything that Tamra says. After all, she has done something to everyone at the table.
Heather tells Katie that the group feels scared around her, and Gina is certain that the truth will come out. They toast to seeing each other back in the O.C., and the NOLA trip comes to a close.
Back home, Tamra visits her psychotherapist and unloads about her anxiousness. Tamra explains that in New Orleans, everything crashed down on her. Tamra was distraught over Teddi before going to dinner, and so, to calm her nerves, she took half of a Xanax, and the rest is history.
Tamra is shocked that not one of the ladies called to check on her, and she feels as though no one cares about her. She cries about not being liked, and she is unsure what her place is within the friend group anymore.
In the meantime, Emily continues to navigate her family life. She calls herself the nurturing parent, whereas Shane takes a different approach. He feels like sometimes their son puts on an act for attention around Emily, but Emily does not like that he is “simplifying” the issue. Shane finds Emily’s stress and emotional outbursts confusing and calls her “difficult at times.”
Later, Heather and Tamra meet to discuss what exactly happened in NOLA. Tamra explains that she thinks Gretchen told Katie that she had to go to the hospital after the naked wasted night because she was sick, but she doesn’t think Gretchen said anything else.
The interesting thing is that Gretchen says she went to the hospital in one breath and then denies that she went in another, so what’s to believe? Tamra admits to Heather that she took half of Xanax before dinner, and Heather reminds Tamra that she is NOT alone. In fact, she did reach out to her, but all Tamra did was run and talk to podcasts.
Tamra, backed in a corner, pivots and blames her outburst on her daughter not talking to her and Teddi’s illness. Heather feels like everything is sad and dark for Tamra, and she reminds her that she can be the friend Tamra counts on.
Katie, exhausted by the gang-up, relays to her husband that Gina called a journalist to confirm she told Kiki Monique the Gretchen story. Matt claims Katie did not make it up, but that Slade was openly talking about how Tamra drugged Gretchen and messed her up. Gretchen even confirmed this, “clear as day.”
Katie added in her confessional, “Gretchen had the opportunity to tell the truth, and for the truth to come out that she was sure Tamra drugged her the night of naked wasted.”
Katie wants Gretchen to speak up and tell her story instead of throwing Katie under the bus, since Gretchen and Slade are the people spreading this story. They remember Slade telling Katie to “hold the line and protect Gretchen” with this story, but in turn, Gretchen and Jenn made Katie the bad guy.
Here’s the thing. Katie repeated the story, but now Gretchen is caught “in a lie of embellishment.” Katie is tired, and she knows Jenn was there when Gretchen shared it… making her involved, too!
When Gretchen meets up with Jenn and Emily, she tells the ladies that Katie originally said she would call Kiki and get this story all cleared up. Gretchen wants to get to the bottom of this rumor and hopes they are all wrong about Katie. Whether Gretchen said it or not, at the end of the day, was Katie right to allegedly tell this story to the bloggers?
TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THIS EPISODE OF RHOC?