Weekly Bravo Cocktail Party: July 24th

This week in Housewives world, on RHOBH we finally got to the big reveal of the alleged affair between Brandi and Denise and on RHONY we arrived at Ramona’s big birthday party, where Sonja stomps around on top of tray, breaking glass at her feet like a marching maniac. I have been eagerly awaiting both of these scenes all season and they did not disappoint! Let’s see who came out on top and earned an invite to my party and who didn’t.

Who’s Not Invited:

Captain Sandy: You know I love Captain Sandy, but her micro-managing of Kiko was more detrimental to the chef’s mental state than the Ponzu sauce request. When he doesn’t feel confident, he really flounders, and this episode really encapsulated that. Here’s hoping that Sandy gives him a little more freedom in the next episode so that he can pull it together-I really don’t want to lose him!

Hannah: Is our favorite chief stew totally checked out this season or is it just me? She can’t bring herself to argue with anyone now that Lara’s gone, and she seems competent in her job but barely alive onscreen. Was she already plotting her exit? Or is this editing to make it easier for us to let her go?

Garcelle: I think that if I ever got hang with Garcelle in real life, she would be intimidatingly cool and I would love her. However, as a RHOBH, she is just not in the flow. Her dinner with Sutton was such an example of this. After missing the event the night before, she and Sutton go out for dinner, and then the questions she asked at dinner were so awkward that it seemed like she had planned out things to say in the hopes of sparking some controversy and creating a quotable moment or to deliberately make Sutton uncomfortable. I wish the ladies had been able to have a more organic conversation, because I too would love to know where Sutton’s money comes from, but there are many more natural ways to work that into the conversation and play the game.

Kim and Brandi’s Makeup and Hair: Is that really what they wear to a casual dinner? I have never seen so much make up on Kim’s face or anyone’s Pomeranian front pony pulled so tightly. Hmm..it seems like maybe they knew they were going to be on camera?

Luann: Her whole visit to the Fortune House was well-intentioned but also tone deaf. One step forward and two steps back seems to be Luann’s mantra this season.

Ramona: Eesh. Ramona acted like a spoiled child around her party. Who still needs to be the center of attention so much so that they dictated the dress code so that they can stand out? (scratch that question-I bet almost every housewife would do that if they could except maybe Teddi). The whole party set-up, from the licorice dangling from a ladder in a phone booth to the Ramona’s Living Room sign was strange, and I loved how the editors numbered each of her friends. When Ramona lost it at the end because the women were dancing wildly and I’m guessing she was worried it was going to be embarrassing in front of her “classy” friends, her screaming had the opposite effect that she hoped for by making her look even crazier and more out of control than the other women. They looked like drunk ladies having fun and she looked like a spoiled toddler having a temper tantrum. Awkward!

Who Made the Guest List:

Bugsy: The fact that she was able to mostly keep her cool when Jess kept going on and on about not being able to understand her was so impressive to me, as there’s nothing more irritating than that!

Brandi: I have to say that Brandi’s accounting of the events between her and Denise seemed very authentic to me. There were many specific details and they didn’t come off as lurid or embellished. From what I got from it, one time they made out in bathroom before Denise was together with Aaron and they had joked about it and Aaron knew about it. Then Brandi went to meet her on location to record a podcast and Denise invited her to stay on a roll-away in her room. When Brandi got there, there was no roll-away and the women ended up sleeping in a bed together in a loft and eventually having sex, but Brandi wasn’t that into it. Denise freaked out the next day and told Brandi that Aaron would kill her if he ever found out, which was a shock to Brandi who thought that it was okay with Aaron if Denise had romantic liaisons with women. Brandi truly seemed traumatized at the idea that she was a “cheater” or part of romantic infidelity, since her divorce had broken her so badly. She also seemed legitimately shaken by the threatening tones in what Denise said to her and feeling very used and manipulated by Denise. As Kyle said, while Brandi has her issued, she isn’t usually a liar, and this conversation was also very interesting because she wasn’t blurting it out in anger or the heat of the moment, which is usually how she drops bombshells. This seemed like something that had really been weighing on her for a long time. On the other hand, I’ve always felt like Denise seemed authentic too, and Brandi and Kim did seem very made up for two ladies grabbing dinner and a reiki session. But it’s Beverly Hills, so who knows with that. We’ll learn more next week.

Teddi: She was so excited to have something to do this episode! Getting to fight with Camille, be hurt by what Denise said about her to Brandi, and drop the bomb to Lisa Rinna in the car in Rome was more than she’s done total in the rest of the season.

Sonja: I think she should have left the fight behind and let Ramona enjoy her own birthday party, but to see her gyrating on her own by the bar and then stomping on that tray with the big paper flower on her head literally made my week. (It’s been rough around here this week and I really needed some light-hearted drunken antics). I would be worried about Sonja and her current downward spiral, but the fact that she’s been in a spa and getting face lifts during quarantine and now looks gorgeous and sober, means that I know it all turns around for her at some point.