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The Amsterdam trip is wrapping up on this episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Heather shares a special moment with Emily when she spreads her father’s ashes and gets a tour of her parents’ old home. Shannon wonders why the women would poke fun at her and Gina backs Gretchen into a corner. Heather is not sure where to go with Gretchen after learning about her social media choices, but in the end, it’s Tamra who leaves the group stunned. Was she really leaking to bloggers this whole time?
Gretchen chats with Slade (surprise, surprise) and lets him know that she needed a good cry. It was “lethargic” for her to work through the trauma, grief, and pain that has clearly rocked her all these years. Gretchen realizes that Tamra will never take true accountability and so she is moving on.
Emily opens up about Shane’s meltdown back in the states. Evidently, Shane lost it on the kids and Emily realizes just how much stress the new norm with her son is putting on the family. Emily feels like a bad mom as she attempts to navigate Luke’s journey.
The ladies split up. Heather, Gina, and Shannon micro dose some mushrooms and head to a maze that was recommended to them by Shannon’s daughter. Based on Shannon’s reaction to the space cake, something tells me this is going to be a disaster.
Gretchen, Jenn, Emily, and Tamra giggle about hilarious Amsterdam Shannon. They cackle about her Spanx and Emily goes as far as saying Shannon is “like a can of biscuits” about to pop out when/if a man ever tries to get close.
They arrive at the Lookout, a giant swing over the city, and I am SO grateful they did not opt to partake in mushrooms for this activity. Somehow, Tamra and Gretchen wind up sharing a swing, which is funny considering their never-ending beef.
Before entering the maze, Gina and Heather have a meaningful conversation about Gretchen’s new-found accountability. Gina felt bad for Gretchen the night before when she opened up. As Gina and Heather analyze the broken friendship between Tamra and Gretchen, Shannon’s brain is “melting in real time.”
No, the OC theme song is NOT playing at the bar, Shannon. The maze proves to be a trippy experience, considering their faces were plastered throughout the strobing labyrinth.
Post the good, clean, swing, the other group sits down for a drink. Gretchen wishes that Tamra would have been softer with her. Gretchen dealt with cancer back in 2008. Tamra was not the nicest throughout this process, but now that she is struggling with Teddi’s cancer diagnosis, Tamra is able to have some empathy with Gretchen. Tamra and Gretchen get ChatGPT to make them a friendship contract, which everyone knows is BS.
Later, Tamra fills Gina in on the friendship contract. Gina’s mind is still blown by the anti- LGBTQ+ posts Tamra showed her. According to the screen shots provided by Tamra, Gretchen liked these posts spewing hate rhetoric. Gina knows that Tamra brought this information to her attention because she is mad at Gretchen, but now that Gina knows about, she has to address it. Tamra makes Gina wait until the last dinner to bring this up to Gretchen.
Heather brings Emily along for a walk past her parents’ old house and to find the perfect spot to spread her dad’s ashes. They bond over families: Emily’s abandonment issues and Heather’s feeling of never being understood. Heather did not really have the strongest relationship with her father, but she realizes that he just did the best he could.
In a wild twist of “meant to be,” the current homeowner of Heather’s parents’ house randomly invites the ladies in for a tour. Heather can hardly believe her luck and the timing of the whole situation.
After walking through the halls, she finally feels ready to set her father free in the place he was the most happy. Heather sits on the edge of a canal and says goodbye to her dad before pouring the ashes into the water. It is a cathartic experience for Heather.
Over dinner, Heather shares the crazy unexpected tour before putting her dad’s ashes in the canal. But the mood turns when Shannon brings up what she learned, courtesy of Gretchen. Gretchen snitched and told Shannon what the girls were saying about her shapewear.
Shannon does not appreciate the body-shaming, especially coming from Emily who has had her own issues with that topic. Gretchen tries to act innocent after bringing it up and Emily claims there was no malicious intent. She apologizes to Shannon for the “funny conversation.”
In Amsterdam, the blondes (minus Gretchen) hop on some bikes while Heather, Gretchen, and Emily head out to shop. Emily talks about Shane’s breakdown and admits that this is going to be a lifelong struggle that they are going to have to deal with.
Afterwards, they get a stroopwaffle lesson (because when in Amsterdam) and talk about their excitement to end the trip on a high note. Speaking of a high note, Jenn actually took Gina’s advice to go out on a limb and develop her inner confidence. Jenn explains that she gets in her head because she worries about Ryan’s playboy past. Her insecurities are realistic, but getting pumped up by Tamra is refreshing to Jenn.
These outfits for their last supper are over the top, but alas, when has this group ever blended in? I mean, Tamra is busy talking about her crabs she got from her ex-boyfriend as they order entrees. They toast to the final night in Amsterdam. Tamra gets emotional and we learn that there is no chance of Heather buying in OC again.
Shannon’s new man in her life is a puppy brother for Archie and Emily continues to navigate Luke’s diagnosis. Gina and Travis are going strong and there is still no official wedding date planned for Jenn and Ryan. In the words of Heather, their “friendships may be complicated, but it is always worth the ride.”
Until that ride takes a sharp left. Gina brings up THE posts of Gretchen liking anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Gretchen’s reaction is questionable, as she simply says she “may have scrolled quickly and liked things.” Tamra shares that this screenshot of the posts was sent to her through IHeart radio and that she has been holding on to it for nearly a year.
This is strange since usually when Tamra has hot gossip, especially about Gretchen, she lets loose before even thinking. Gretchen continues to deny these likes, but Heather is horrified. She reminds Gretchen that LGBTQ+ plus are so endangered that every 45 seconds, a queer child tries to kill themselves.
When Jenn wonders if Gretchen liked the posts because of Biblical reasons, Heather unleashes, reminding them all that Jesus did not like hate. Gretchen feels blindsided, so much so that when Heather asks her WHY she would like posts like that, she simply responds with “I don’t know.”
Shannon becomes emotional thinking about the hate out there and that if Gretchen allegedly liked this, it is atrocious. Gina feels like Gretchen does not want to present this ugly side and Gretchen remains cool as a cucumber. Heather walks off and fills Terry in on the newest.
Tamra refuses to buy Gretchen’s bullsh*t about not “intentionally liking hate rhetoric” and Gretchen has to be TOLD to go talk to Heather. The fact that Gretchen is not angry is bizarre. Heather wants Gretchen to prove that is not true, but this situation is a mess. Tamra reminds the group that Gretchen is a horrible person who has been going after her for 12 years.
When Gretchen calls Slade, he says this accusation is ridiculous. Slade reminds Gretchen that Tamra made gay slurs about him nearly 12 years ago, so Gretchen should not have to defend herself in any way.
Gretchen lets the group know that this is BS. Jenn is there to let Gretchen know that getting on the phone with Slade was not the best move. Gretchen is forced to go into a car alone back to the hotel, but not before she says she is sad that the group is doing this to her. Gretchen finally breaks down and cries and asks why would she have all these LGBTQ+ people in her life if she believed those posts? Gretchen is at a loss and cannot seem to understand how she can make it right.
On the way to the airport the next day, Gina talks about her findings. She states that Gretchen does follow the accounts, but now she cannot find any post that Gretchen actually likes. Coincidence or was that screenshot of the post doctored? Gina simply can’t find actual proof and Emily explains that it’s not right to smear Gretchen before doing research.
Heather does not want to accuse Gretchen of something not true. Gina claims she feels bad because she is not so sure it is actually true. Holy woopsie. After dragging Gretchen, NOW they decide to look into it? Gina feels like Tamra and Gretchen keep going tit for tat and Jenn believes that Tamra planted this story with Gina and Gina took the bait. After all, all Tamra and Gretchen do is bring up sh*t on the internet and try to ruin each other. Tamra refuses to back down and states karma is a b*tch.
One week later, Gretchen is depressed. How does Tamra happen to know all this dirt?! Welp, a few of the ladies received a DM from a person with information about the show…information that only an insider would know.
Jenn, Shannon, and Gina call this source and allegedly, Tamra has been leaking details about the entire season to bloggers. This source is spot-on with the information, spewing details that have not even aired yet.
It is strange that Tamra is holding Katie to the fire for doing the exact same thing that she is doing! But when Gina learns that Tamra apparently told this source Gina and Tamra were plotting against Gretchen to get everyone to turn against her, Gina loses it, feeling like Tamra used her to do her dirty work.
All of the content was leaked by destructive Tamra and Jenn states that Tamra is “probably one of the most calculated, scary people within this friend group.” Has nothing changed?
TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THIS FINALE EPISODE OF RHOC?
