Hard topics are addressed on this week’s episode of the Real Housewives of Potomac.
When the Dixons join Mia and Gordon at a cooking class, Juan must face Mia’s questioning about alleged affairs. Plus, Karen‘s PAVE event brings some emotions to the surface for Mia- things that she has been pushing down for years. In the end, the group sticks together, despite the recent issues they have been navigating.
Karen and her husband, Ray, sit down to talk about the results of her cardiologist. She laments how busy he is and calls him out for his insensitive reaction to her call. Karen goes as far as telling Ray “he dropped the ball” with her, but goes on to discuss how she can prevent her plaque buildup from getting worse through exercise and diet.
Karen shares that she is really trying to live a positive life and so she is hopeful that her upcoming PAVE event will be a way to get the group back on track. For this luncheon, Karen is asking each woman to bring a gently used business outfit for a donation and Ray hopes Karen has a magic wand to keep the ladies in check.
Mia and her husband, Gordon, roll up to a cooking class and they’ve invited Robyn and Juan to join them. According to Mia, cooking is a way to bring people together, which is just what Juan and Robyn need at this time. Juan is on the hunt for a job and Robyn states that they’re “a little stuck, but everything’s gonna be ok.”
The couples suit up in their aprons and the men don their chef hats. Mia explains that Gordon is cooking more now that they no longer have the help they are used to due to their financial issues. Robyn decides NOW would be a great time to push her new business venture, Glo 30, and talks about the nerves she is feeling as she opens up her franchise.
Regarding their Austin trip, Robyn explains to Mia that Juan doesn’t really understand female drama and Mia jumps at the opportunity to ask Juan about the woman he paid for the hotel for. Mia asks outright if he really put his credit card down for her and Juan stutters his way through his response. He gives a convoluted excuse, putting him at the hotel…when he could simply call over the phone to reserve a room for this damsel in distress and Mia finds it interesting how much his story matches with Robyn’s. Looks like they’ve so practiced their “truth.”
Mia lets Gordon know that she opened up to Robyn about their attorney. She realizes there could have been a different approach in how they went about things, but one step at a time. In the end, the pasta they made is edible, if not tasty, and the group seems to enjoy the company overall.
Wendy takes a minute to talk to her mother, Susan. Yes, the same mother that allegedly put a curse on Nneka. After her hospital stay, her mother seems to be faring quite well so Wendy decides to talk to her about the Nneka drama.
Wendy reminds her mom about what went down: Nneka is saying that Wendy’s mom called Lebe and said something along the lines of a shrine. According to her mother, Ivy and Lebe had a falling out and Wendy’s mom called Lebe to let her know it is easy to make an enemy, but not easy to make a friend, essentially looking for Ivy and Lebe to repair their friendship. THAT’S what the call was about. Her mother denies saying anything about a shrine and denies ever meeting Nneka. So there’s that.
Gizelle has decided to take her daughter Grace to a self-defense class in preparation for college. Gizelle wants her to feel safe and confident while managing threats. They practice some moves for safety, but Gizelle feels like she is weak after attempting to take the instructor out. Grace explains that she is not looking for a relationship once in college…and Gizelle uses this as an opportunity to make it about her and call Jason right then and there, causing her daughter to cringe like the rest of us.
Candiace is on her way to meet up with Nneka. She phones her mom to discuss her first mammogram and she shares that two lumps were found. According to the report, it appears to simply be a lymph node, but Candiace worries about something that could become cancer someday. Candiace explains that she has a history of breast cancer in her family and so because of that, she is hyper aware and worried.
Once at the restaurant, Nneka embraces Candiace when she enters the restaurant and they talk about the frustrations from this last girls’ trip. Candiace explains that she is a little fiery, which Nneka can relate to, and it was never Nneka’s intention to have that conversation with Wendy in a group setting. Candiace reminds Nneka that “crackhead” came after a lot of things were said and wants to know if there is hope that Nneka and Wendy could have a conversation.
Nneka opens up about how she has been trying to get pregnant for 7 months and the stress is not helping the situation. Candiace realizes that their lives are very parallel and it makes you wonder if Wendy was not in the equation, would Candiace and Nneka be tight? Tomorrow should be interesting at Karen’s event, the first time the ladies have seen each other since Austin.
In preparation for Karen’s PAVE event, which support survivors of sexual violence, Mia is very anxious to attend, due to her own personal history. She is even erring on the side of sitting this event out. Mia has hidden behind her unresolved trauma, but is not prepared to dig deep into her past yet.
Karen meets with the founder of PAVE and the ladies roll in. Karen is pleased to see that despite the issues in the past, all of the ladies have chosen to put it aside and show up for the event. She makes a speech about how six years ago she was sworn in as an ambassador and then the founder takes over to shatter the silence of sexual assault. A musician comes up to play and all of the women reflect on their own personal experiences that they have gone through in their past. It’s all very triggering and it bonds the women, demonstrating their commonalities.
Mia becomes so overwhelmed in this moment that she actually excuses herself from the luncheon to gather herself. Ashley goes to her and Mia explains that she just needed a second. She tells Ashley that she almost didn’t come and her coping mechanism is to get out when things are uncomfortable, but that night she couldn’t get out. Mia states that she takes things out on Jacqueline because she left her there, in the situation she is hinting at. Jacqueline has been Mia’s friend since she was 15, but ever since that night, Mia explains that she has been more mean to her. It is simply an emotional reaction towards Jacqueline that Mia can’t even control.
Back with the group, Gizelle understands that this is a heavy, intense scenario, but it is a conversation that needs to happen. It is an informational and helpful way to get the group together in a safe place. They pose for a picture and Karen looks at this event like as a huge success.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RHOP EPISODE?
