Southern Charm Season 9, Episode 4 Recap: In Vino Veritas

Photo Credit: Bravo

I am having trouble stomaching the deceit from Taylor Ann Green to fully concentrate on this episode of Southern Charm. Girl, your so-called best friend, Olivia Flowers, who is like your sister, is sobbing her heart out in the car! Meanwhile, instead of comforting her friend, Taylor hopes to bring the Charmers together as she invites them all to her first big work event, where she represents a hard cocktail brand, Day Chaser. She should have never quit her day job. Shep Rose is also ready to get to the bottom of the rumor about Taylor and Austen Kroll, as he wastes no time confronting the Trop Hop brewer. 

Austen is slimy – we all know this. But his roundabout way of confessing to Whitney Sudler-Smith while stuffing his face with nachos is annoying. Also, Austen, wipe that stupid smirk off your face. The awkward silence spoke volumes, with Whitney admitting he was smelling a rat.

What is so great about Austen? Photo Credit: Bravo

The number of women we have seen on national television who are PRESSED because of this man is astonishing to me. The new episode opens up with Olivia trying to pull herself together as she calls Leva Bonaparte to vent. Bless Leva for answering “hi friend” because that is precisely what Olivia needs: a girlfriend who isn’t going to betray her. Immediately, the mother of one notices there is something off, asking, “What’s wrong? You sound weird.”

Olivia then dives into details, relaying that there were times Taylor and Austen had thought of dating. It turns out the timeline of Taylor wanting to get with Austen overlapped with Austen and Olivia trying to work on their relationship with the blonde, noting, “That’s the part that feels gross.” If this isn’t a pearl clutch moment, then I don’t know what is. 

In her confessional, Olivia revealed that she had gone to California for three days, “and in this time, Austen was reaching out to me and telling me to give him another chance, and Taylor was a huge reason why I chose to forgive him. Then, a week later, he suddenly has a change of heart.” Yuck, yuck, yuck! This pained me to watch because Olivia has been so cool with their friendship. 

On the other hand, Taylor jumped into her car looking a bit more composed in a scarecrow yellow jumper and called, you guessed it, Austen. Making the gesture of clearing his schedule, Taylor reveals she told Olivia about possibly wanting to date. The long, drawn-out sigh from Austen said it all. He clearly didn’t want anyone to know. Taylor is delusional as she explains she thought Olivia would have welcomed the idea of her best friend dating her ex with open arms, telling Austen she had hoped for a better response.

 Austen callously notes there was “no good time to tell her.” Taylor doubles down, yelling she “was well within my right. No one was dating anyone.” The victim angle, Taylor? That honey doesn’t look good on you. Taylor is feeling increasingly like the villain as she notes, “Austen and Olivia. Were they ever together? But at that moment in time, they were not on speaking terms.” Gosh, this feels so so gross and totally a violation of the girl code. 

The boys’ club at the inns Photo Credit: Bravo

Napoleon, I mean JT Thomas, has recovered from his hangover and shows viewers an inside look at his event spaces. Relatably talking to himself about mail and dusting chores, he perks up when Rod Razavi knocks on the front door for a catch-up and some whiskey. It turns out the two met back in 2019 and have a fondness for remembering the pre-Covid times. Who says JT isn’t a romantic as he jokes, “One thing Covid gave me was you!” They aren’t my original Charmer boys, but I am starting to warm up to them. They are easygoing, don’t take life too seriously, and are someone I want to be at the bar with. That’s what Southern Charm needs.

Rod shares with JT that he has talked to Austen about his date with Olivia. He claims that Austen said, ” Olivia doesn’t believe this, but I really do care about her, and I want her to be happy.” The guy’s one smart cookie as he then shares, “Within six seconds he then pivots and says ‘I should let you know, I saw her at Sharehouse the other weekend kissing another guy.’” Okay, I love Rod for what he says next as he calls out Austen for “slut shaming” Olivia when we all know he has done far worse. Rod and I can agree that isn’t how a gentleman is raised. 

It’s pretty incredible how JT can’t let a sleeping dog lie as he brings back up that he still takes issue with Austen doing Shep dirty. The forbidden sleepover is still a hot topic, with both men agreeing that you don’t have your best friend’s ex stay over. JT said it best: “It doesn’t sit well with me.” Quite clearly, it takes two to tango, and the drama is only just being stirred up. 

For Austen to be the arms that Taylor ran into is reprehensible. Watching Shep lose his cool wasn’t pretty, but justified. There was no “brofessional courtesy,” with the episode poking holes in both their stories. When Shep was able to confront Austen about a possible smooch, the Charlotte native quipped, “Define hooked up.” As a famous housewife once said, “The lies! The lies!”

Southern Charm Season 9 airs Thursday at 9/8c on Bravo.

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