There were so many group trips to enjoy this week in housewives world! I really love a group trip because they compel the women to interact with each other, and the women tend to drink more on these trips, which also helps to amp up the drama. But is anyone else concerned with the sheer level of drinking that’s happening on RHONY this season? It’s always been a little touch and go with these ladies, but I feel like it’s at a new level that isn’t entirely comfortable this season. Let’s see if that kept any of the ladies off the list this week.

Who’s Not Invited:

Garcelle: I could invite her to the party, but she’s probably too busy to come! I don’t love it when a full time cast member thinks they’re too important to play by the rules of the show. I get that Garcelle has a lot going on, but if you want to be a housewife, you have to wade into the muck and into the group trips. To only show the snippets of your life that you want to, and to avoid interacting with the other ladies is just not the way this works.

Dorit, Teddi, Kyle and the friend fight: Is this the new Lucy, Lucy, Apple Juicey fight? Please say this was the end of it and we don’t have to talk about it anymore! There are no winners in this weird power struggle.

Tom and Katie: This is a bleak relationship. It really concerns me on a deep level, and I want more for their marriage than eating chicken so spicy that it makes them ill and looking at their cell phones in bed together (actually, does that sound kind of great right now?).

Leah: I am so entertained by her drunken rages, but now that we know that once she has a few drinks, she’s compelled by some force inside her to start throwing chairs/tiki torches and tearing down decor, wouldn’t I be a little crazy to invite her to my house for a cocktail party? I would be too worried about my new outdoor umbrellas surviving the night to really enjoy the party.

Ramona: Here’s the thing with Ramona this week-she was totally right that Leah can’t just invite her sister to join a cast trip that Ramona has “planned” at the last minute. Leah’s decision to get insanely drunk in a public place and start destroying the decor was also terrible, so Ramona has every right to be appalled by that behavior. But the way Ramona handles those situations is so wrong that she loses all of her moral high ground, and she ends up looking like the bad guy. She waffles back and forth on the decision of whether or not the sister can come which makes Leah’s spiral even worse, and then she’s grade school levels of mean to Leah the next day, making it impossible for us to take her side.  

Who Made the Guest List:

Lisa Rinna: I enjoyed her coffee-making, drama creating ways this week, although I did gasp and cover my face when she brought up the hooker (too far, Rinna!). I thought it was interesting that she came for Kyle a few weeks ago and then Denise this week-it really shows that no one (except Erika) is off limits to her. It bothers me when she sets off an explosion between people and then sits back to watch, but this week she kept engaging Denise directly at that breakfast and didn’t hide behind anyone. I was on Denise’s side that we don’t need to talk about certain things in front of our children-even if those kids know about threesomes, they don’t want to hear their mom talking about it, and no one seems to understand that Denise is also trying to compensate for Charlie’s bad reputation, so she doesn’t want other people’s children being exposed to racy conversations at her house. But Rinna kept poking at the sore spot until she got to the point that it feels like Denise is judging them and implying that they’re bad moms, which I do think was valid. I get Denise’s perspective, but to keep bringing it up and making the other women talk about it, rather than just realizing that it may not be a great idea to mix her teenagers and their friends with the women, makes it feel judgey. Although in the previews for next week, it looks like that’s just what Denise does and it turns into drama anyway!

Raquel and Sober James Kennedy: I have to admit, this duo has found a soft spot with me this season! I’ve had very harsh thoughts about both of them in the past, but they’ve really evolved this year and Raquel has shown that she has a sense of humor and is stronger than we thought, while James’s sober side is kinder but still fun and goofy. I think they were the bright spot of an otherwise tedious season.

Dorinda: Guys, Dorinda had a week where she didn’t scream at anyone! I’m so proud of her. She was a good friend to Leah this week, who was totally losing it on the Newport trip. Dorinda does tend to support people who are overtaken by rage and alcohol probably because it validates her own bad behavior and choices, but I think that Leah was coming from really vulnerable mental state and having Dorinda there being a good friend and standing up for her was helpful in keeping her from spiraling any more.

Luann: She managed to stay sober and have a sense of humor about the craziness at that clambake, and she only mentioned her own music one time! I think that shows some real personal growth.