After a pretty snoozy episode last week, the Real Housewives of Orange County ladies are back. In typical California fashion, the group decided to head off to the wine country, where nothing could possibly go wrong from drinking too much. Heather is hosting a fundraising event with Family Equality and is crossing all her fingers that it goes well. In this week’s episode, “A Picture Worth a Thousand Words,” Jen finally has a court date set to determine her financial future, which will hopefully tame Emily from any more verbal attacks.
Heather Dubrow is righting the world
One thing that I don’t think is pointed out enough is the fact that Heather is an avid supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. This episode opens up a little differently as cameras catch Heather at home with three out of her four children. She has one child who is bi-sexual, one who is a lesbian, and one who is transgender. While the RHOC is mostly about petty drama, the rights that Heather is working so hard to protect are far from petty. Heather and Terry both opened up about Ace needing a fresh start in Beverly Hills. Heather noted, “If your child deviates from the norm, it’s a rough road.”
I liked how Heather doesn’t aim to tell her children’s stories for them. She loves them and supports them, and it’s honorable to see. That is why her charity event with Family Equality was so important to feature on the franchise. Heather’s main mission is to support other families who don’t have the same support as her family does.
Jen Pedranti’s moment of truth
Finally, Jen is getting her moment in court with her ex, Will. Progress, after all this time, must feel amazing to her. However, shortly after her mediation call with Will, she broke down, telling Katie, “I don’t think I can do all this.” Leaving a rich husband is heavy, and Jen feels the weight. After her court hearing, she tells Tamra that it did not go well. In her confessional, Jen notes, “Divorce sucks.” It turns out that the last time they were in this courthouse, they were adopting their son in 2019. According to Jen, they were “So United. So bonded. Now, Will doesn’t look at me.” Jen then reveals she was given $6,000 a month for the five children, noting that it was “Not the same way they lived before.” Leave it to Tamra to stick her two cents in as she says it “feels like she will rely on Ryan and not get a job.”
Let’s whoop it up on Real Housewives of Orange County!
Bless Heather for trying to keep Alexis and Shannon apart on the private jet. But leave it to Shannon to have a Mr. Magoo moment as she breaks her bag, stuffing it with makeup and Spanx. The flight was smooth enough, but Shannon couldn’t help herself when she commented on a recent photo of John. Under her breath, Shannon grumbled, “Glad he’s still wearing Ferragamo.” The comment was in response to John and Alexis’ Oscar’s photo from the night before.
Evidently, he didn’t know what a designer was until he met her. Obviously, now would be a perfect moment for turbulence, but no such luck. Instead, Tamra calls down the rows to confirm with Alexis that John is in fact, wearing the $400 shoes.
The Shannon Beador video is a ticking time bomb
Alexis is still pretending to want to be friends with Nine Lemons Beador. Even though we all can admit Shannon broke the law and had a lapse in judgment, I just don’t see how blackmailing her with Ring footage is going to be good. Gina seems to agree with me as she “accidentally” drops the bomb in front of Shannon. Luckily, Shannon is saved by the bell when her lawyer calls. It turns out that John didn’t accept the offer of around $35,000, and Shannon refused to go up one more penny.
Shannon makes a valid point through her tears of desperation: “Why do you want to hurt someone so badly when you’re allegedly so happy?” But finally, the news of the Ring video has landed, and Shannon is horrified. Katie tells Shannon that Alexis told everyone they have videos of her allegedly almost running over his daughter. All Shannon can say is, “He’s a monster.” And I have to say I agree, but also, don’t drink and drive kids!
It felt like Shannon was on the verge of saying something, but she stopped herself. Luckily, Shannon, even though physically shaking, has the wherewithal to call her lawyer back, telling him, “Pay him whatever he wants.” Shannon is wiped out. And it’s heartbreaking to watch. But Emily comforts her, saying, “Sometimes you write a check for your mental health.” And sometimes you write a check because you almost ran over someone’s daughter.
The path of vengeance on Real Housewives of Orange County
Emily is a lot of things, but as a viewer, I am thankful she is trying to talk sense to Alexis. The taco lover is holding out hope that Jesus Jugs will be reasonable. But hell really needs to freeze over because Alexis is riding hard for Johnny J.
Shannon is on the brink of losing it and decides to confide in Heather. The conversation is touching and raw. After explaining to Heather that she agreed to pay John, Shannon shares that she had no idea about the blackmail video. Shannon says she isn’t lying about John, claiming, “I told the truth. I did pay for stuff. He wants everyone to think he’s a good guy. I know the truth.” That is when the information spills out of the Real for Real founder, who finally admits she doesn’t think John ever cared about her.
“That night, I lost control of the car, and I hit the corner—a planter. And then I went unconscious, and I woke up in the hospital. My very good friend called me about ten days after, and he said ‘how many seconds did the accident happen after you backed out of the driveway?” Now, with this, Heather and I are hooked on every word. Shannon goes on, “I said three to five seconds max. And he said, ‘Well, I find it strange that John didn’t come running after you.’” Heather then asks if Shannon truly believes that John didn’t hear the crash, to which she says, “I don’t know.” But what Shannon does know is she sent a photo directly after the crash to John, which was around midnight. And he didn’t respond until 1:40 a.m. John ignored the photo and seemingly “went to bed.” Shannon was left bruised, ignored, and with a DUI.
