Karen is stuck celebrating her birthday, yet again, with this group. On this episode of the Real Housewives of Potomac, Karen’s triple 20 goes south as Robyn gets pushed over the edge.
A fight with Candiace causes Robyn’s emotions to boil over, causing angst among the group. Robyn’s feeling pretty low, and it doesn’t help that she has ZERO support from Juan when she shares the details of the fight…
It’s only day two in Austin, and Robyn has already been pushed to her limit. On the way to chicken sh*t bingo, Robyn lets it all out. She does not appreciate Candiace inferring that SHE is the reason Juan lost his job. Just because Robyn talked about Juan’s legal issues on TV doesn’t necessarily mean her actions were the nails in the coffin (yikes). Candiace does not apologize, and she is having a hard time moving forward with Robyn because she is friends with Gizelle. Gizelle and Candiace have their own history, and Candiace believes that Robyn “looked complicit in what Gizelle was doing and saying” about her last season.
Once they arrive at chicken sh*t bingo, before departing from the car, Robyn and Candiace decide they are not friends. This is not the best way to kick off bingo, and the women from the other car are playing catch up, trying to figure out why Candiace is crying so hard. While Karen breaks out in hives (because she is allergic to chickens), the rest of the ladies try to figure out the rules of this bingo: When the chicken sh*ts on your number, you win all the money. Welp, there ya go.
Robyn shares with Gizelle that Candiace “tried to imply what I said had something to do with Juan being fired,” and Robyn gets emotional because her family is hurting. Wendy is yelling at Candiace to stop crying, and Candiace is upset that Robyn is upset because all she has ever wanted to do was to be there for her. Basically, it’s a mess and this is all unraveling while waiting for a chicken to sh*t on your number so you can shriek bingo.
Robyn excuses herself for some fresh air, and Mia trails after her despite Robyn stating she would rather be alone. Robyn plops down on a curb and looks like she is filming a sad music video as she thinks about how hard this firing has been for Juan. This is a very sensitive situation for her family. Eventually, Gizelle comes outside, and she discusses Robyn’s issues with Mia… while Robyn sits a mere 10 feet away on the curb within earshot. Like, she can hear you, guys…
In the meantime, Ashley pets a chicken, much to Karen’s chagrin. Candiace states that she is not trying to repair her relationship with Robyn because she remains friends with Gizelle, and so it is hard to form a true friendship. We all know that Gizelle’s allegations against Candiace’s husband really rocked her world.
Wendy knows that Robyn and Candiace did at one point have a true friendship, but according to Nneka, Wendy is trying to manipulate Candiace. Things went left because Robyn cried since she felt blamed that Juan lost his job. Candiace just said what all the ladies were thinking, but through her tears, Candiace states that she wants to talk with Robyn. In the end, Candiace is happy to see some emotion coming from Robyn, especially because she has been trying so hard to keep it together.
Karen is upset that the ladies are crying the day before her birthday (wtf), and Robyn decides it would be best to head back to the hotel. Gizelle and Mia stick with Robyn, and they are wondering why Candiace was acting like a victim when she was the one who did “cyberbullying” last year. Candiace, Karen, Nneka, and Wendy continue their chicken sh*t. Candiace reminds the group that she is not talking about her ongoing legal situation, and as she cries in this setting, it’s getting harder and harder to take it all seriously.
The next morning, it’s Karen’s triple 20. Gizelle comes bearing gifts (from the hotel lobby?) for Karen, and Karen is happy that their relationship has grown greatly over the last few years. Karen is hopeful that this year’s celebration will be better than last year’s Miami disaster, but she shouldn’t hold her breath, considering there is a kayaking outing planned, and Karen, the birthday girl, doesn’t even know how to swim!
Gizelle lets Karen know that on her front, there is moving forward with Candiace. The narrative she put out and the “rhetoric and nonsense” she created last season was awful. Gizelle claims to have received death threats. Karen never realized how serious the situation became for Gizelle, and so she has decided to leave things alone between the women.
Before kayaking, Mia’s husband, Gordon, discusses the legal pursuit against his siblings. Mia is not sure this is the best move, but Gordon wishes to take legal action to be granted the money he believes he is owed.
In confessionals, each woman wishes Karen a happy birthday in her own way. And then they head out to kayak. I already know Karen will be sitting this one out because she is donning a short suit set, which most definitely does not scream “water sports.” Plus, Karen admits she doesn’t know how to swim… sooo this was a GREAT birthday choice for her.
While the ladies are out on the water, Karen sits happily on the dock, witnessing the ladies bonding and having fun over some warm red wine as Karen acts as the “gas attendant,” filling them up with the wine. Candiace hangs back with Karen, and they talk about the recent issue between her and Robyn. Candiace can’t believe how rocked she was by it all, and she thanks Karen for having her back throughout the evening.
On the way back to the hotel, Karen shares that she is buying her grandmother’s house, and she is trying to turn it into a resort. The 100-year-old home will need some help, but the legacy she will be leaving behind will be impactful. “I’m not the only Black woman or Black family member that owns a plantation and farm. And I hope that when they see it, it’s duplicated around the U.S.”
Robyn takes some downtime to phone Juan, looking for some sympathy from her husband after sharing what’s been going down on this trip so far. Robyn shares that the couple is fine financially (for now because Juan has 15 months left on his contract) despite Juan getting fired. But soon, things will change, and she hopes he will land a new job. Robyn talks health insurance business with Juan on the phone and then changes gears, filling him in on Karen, Wendy, and Candiace having a lot to say about their whole situation.
Robyn lets Juan know that Candiace is inferring that Robyn damaged the group because she didn’t share information with them about her husband. Candiace also implied that because Robyn spoke about the lawsuit, that was the reason Juan lost his job. Juan loses his temper because he is frustrated that Robyn is feeding into the bullsh*t. Instead of helping his wife through the situation, he starts yelling, saying things like, “It’s not their life. It’s our life.” Robyn denies getting emotional over their BS, but she is very clearly crying. Juan tells Robyn that his “skin is crawling” and he hangs up on her. Not exactly what Robyn needs or wants at the moment, huh?
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RHOP EPISODE?
