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Welcome to the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City! Meredith Marks opens the episode by downloading everything that happened on the girls’ trip to Palm Springs with her husband, Seth. Whitney Rose showed up with the uninvited and unwelcome Angie Katsanevas in tow. Lisa Barlow lost her $60,000 ring in the bathroom of the Palm Springs airport. She and Monica Garcia “had a little disagreement” over Lisa’s White privilege, and Angie’s nasty behavior was “out of control.” She left out the part about Heather Gay drinking way too much and barfing in the Sprinter. And that’s what you missed on Glee RHOSLC.
Meredith adds that there are rumors out there about Angie’s marriage. “I just think it’s somewhat ironic that this woman is trying to tear into me,” Meredith says, “and thinks that karma’s not gonna [come back to] her.” Here’s everything that went down in The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 5: “The Nastiness and Rumors.”
Whitney rides in on her high horse to scold Monica Fred Hayes/Bravo via Getty Images
Whitney and Monica meet for lunch. Whitney complains that she’s still tired and “trying to recover” from their trip.
“How are you and Lisa?” Whitney wants to know.
“She’s having her fun little ski event,” Monica says, “and I’m going to that. So I feel like we’re okay.”
“It’s great that she invited you,” Whitney adds. “It’s a good sign. And you can have the opportunity to clear the air if you want.”
“Do you think I need to clear the air?” Monica asks.
“Just giving you fair warning,” Whitney chuckles. “It took me three years to get back into her good graces.”
“I’ll just be like, ‘You’re a materialistic fuddy-duddy, but I love you!’” Monica jokes.
“I wouldn’t say it like that,” Whit warns. Actually, I’d like to see that. Lisa’s head would explode.
“I have to be honest,” Whitney continues. “I think we have a lot in common, and I love your energy … [but] it was just a little bit of a red flag when you were going after Lisa and Angie.”
Here’s where I have to part ways with Whitney. I loved the way Monica stood up to Lisa and called her out on her BS. She wasn’t afraid to speak up and didn’t feel the need to kiss anyone’s butt. I love that about her. She’s real.
“I don’t want to invest time in someone who goes for their friends like that,” the Wild Rose owner says. Oh, please! Lisa and Angie deserved everything they got. Angie was especially vile, and she wasn’t even supposed to be there.
Monica stands up to Whitney Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
“If your friend is acting crazy,” Monica responds, “I think you should call them out. You’re doing it to me right now. That’s the same thing I did to Angie … Angie said some really hurtful things about [Meredith’s] business, and that’s what set me off.”
“From my perspective,” Whitney counters, “it looks like you went against your two friends and were sucking up to Meredith and Heather.”
“I stand by what I said,” Monica answers. “A hundred percent.”
When Whitney says she thinks Monica’s “getting defensive,” Monica says, “I am getting defensive … Maybe you’re not used to dealing with someone like me. I felt like Angie was out of line.” Monica tells Whitney that she had told Angie ahead of time, “Angie I am going to going to call you out when I feel like you’re digging yourself a hole.”
Finally, Whitney concedes that Monica’s approach makes sense. “As grown-ass women,” Monica confesses, “we should all be able to face ugly truths. I would rather know where I stand with you than be fooled about how you really feel.” Monica is grateful that Whitney is comfortable telling her how she feels.
When Monica says she just felt Meredith needed someone to “have her back,” Whitney warns her, “Just be careful with Meredith … Here’s the thing. At the airport, Meredith pulled me aside and said, ‘You should know that I have all this dirt on Angie.’”
Meredith spreads rumors as payback Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
“This is what she always does,” Whit says. “It’s like, ‘I have all this information.’ She’s done it to every single one of us, and she will do it to you, too.”
In a confessional, Whitney says, “Every time Meredith feels wronged, it’s like, a rumor gets wings.” That’s a great line. I feel like I’m watching It’s A Wonderful Life.
“I just am so sick of this bullsh*t toxic behavior from Meredith,” Whitney says. She just doesn’t want to get in the middle of it between Meredith and Angie.
“I do think Angie and Meredith have something deeper than any of us understand,” Monica comments. “And I think it’s gonna blow up.”
Angie and Shawn are “a team” Meredith Andrews/Bravo via Getty Images
Angie and her husband Shawn are spending some time at home with their daughter Elektra. Angie says she and Shawn have been “a team from the day we met … It was always just the two of us.”
But when Elektra was born 12 years ago, their lives and their relationship changed. “Elektra basically gets all of our love and attention,” Angie shares. That’s pretty much what happens when you have kids. “I am so focused on my daughter, that sometimes I forget that I’m a wife. I know my husband feels neglected, and I know he’d like to have more intimacy.” Angie’s having trouble finding the balance between being “Shawn and Angie,” while still being “Mom and Dad.”
Meanwhile, Shawn’s gone upstairs and crawled into their giant bed with their pink Standard poodle.
Heather hits the slopes with her girls Photo by: Brett Colvin/Bravo via Getty Images
Heather is combining quality parenting time with getting some exercise by taking her girls skiing. It’s a win/win. It looks like a lot of fun. And they’re skipping school, which makes it even more fun!
The three of them take a break to sip some cocoa, but it’s really hot, so Heather goes to scoop up a handful of snow to cool it off. That’s disgusting, Heather. You’re right next to the parking lot and it’s dirty. Yuck.
Apparently, Heather’s book Bad Mormon is causing her girls to be bullied at school. Heather says, “My daughters were already facing scrutiny by me leaving the church … but my book caused them to have more problems to deal with.”
Heather wants to write a second book but doesn’t want her children to be judged by her actions. “I feel like they’re dealing with things,” she says, “that if I had just kept my head down and stayed quiet, they wouldn’t be facing.” That must be really tough.
Even though they’ve been bullied, neither of the girls feels unsafe. “It’s just petty little things,” Annabelle says. “I’m not getting, like, pushed down.”
They both say they “think it’s funny,” but Heather gets emotional when she says, “I don’t think it’s funny. I don’t want to send you out there … I feel responsible like I’ve put a target on your back.”
“Watching them minimize the way that they’re being treated,” Heather says in a confessional, “… reminds me of exactly how I was raised, and probably how I raised them. I want to break the cycle.”
An Après No Ski Party Thomas Cooper/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Lisa’s throwing a party to celebrate that she’s a “smart, successful woman. There’s a by-product of working hard, and that’s called money,” she says. Lots of people work hard and don’t get rich, Lisa. You’re just very fortunate.
“I appreciate nice things,” she says, “and thank God somebody does, or Dolce and Gabbana wouldn’t have any customers.” See, this is the kind of thing Lisa says that pisses people like Monica off. Lisa’s a little tone-deaf.
As the ladies are all arriving, Meredith acknowledges her nemesis with a quick, “Hi, Angie,” as she heads for the bar. Angie says hello in return, but they are not on friendly terms. You could cut the tension with a knife.
“I know I can’t avoid Angie,” Meredith confesses. “It’s simple to say hello to someone that you know, even if they do behave like a dog.” Cue footage of Angie being called, at various times, a chihuahua, a barking dog and a pit bull. “Perhaps she could be kept on a leash somewhere far away from me,” Meredith concludes.
Lisa passes out small champagne bottles for the ladies to pop after her speech. Angie says, “I drink ouzo. I don’t know how to do this.”
“I learned [how to do] this when I was a missionary in the South of France,” Heather announces. Of course, she did.
The queen of materialism Presley Ann/Bravo via Getty Images
After Monica compliments Lisa on how beautiful everything is, Lisa brings up their fight in Palm Springs. She’s annoyed that Monica called her materialistic. “There’s nothing wrong with being materialistic,” Lisa tells her.
“Then just own that,” Monica says.
“Monica, I work hard … ” Lisa begins, but Monica interrupts her.
Pointing at the buffet servers, she says, “These guys work hard. Everyone works hard.”
Finally, Lisa gets a word in, “I work hard so I can have anything I want. If you’re gonna judge me, I want you to judge everyone here in this room.”
“But they’re not all, ‘Oh, I’m getting on a private jet with Snoop Dogg,’” Monica fires back.
“I have never said that,” Lisa argues. “Now you’re making sh*t up. I..
