The most resonant conversation of this week’s episode of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” isn’t among any of the Housewives — but among five of the men married to them.
Hanging at a pool in Palm Springs during a couples’ trip — at the invitation of new cast member Bronwyn Newport and her husband, venture capitalist Todd Bradley — the husbands chat in the water, while the Housewives hang in the hot tub at the other end of the pool.
Seth Marks, husband of Meredith Marks, says “One thing I always say: You judge a straight man by [his] wife. Period. … And we crushed it. We all crushed it.”
Justin Rose, husband of Whitney Rose, concurs, deploying a football metaphor to compliment their wives: “We outkicked our coverage.”
Todd, in a moment of brotherhood, disagrees slightly with Justin, turning that metaphor to praise his fellow husbands: “I think they outkicked their coverage.”
Todd’s love for Bronwyn shines through the whole hour — from his agreeing to host this trip to his reaction to the drama that follows.
The Heather situation
(Bravo) Heather Gay, Lisa Barlow and Meredith Marks, from left, talk at the Stillwell Spa at the Snowpine Lodge Resort in Alta, on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
The episode begins with Lisa Barlow and Meredith Marks getting massages at the Stillwell Spa at Snowpine Lodge Resort in Alta. While they sip tea on the balcony, Heather Gay arrives at Lisa’s invitation to talk about the disastrous conversation she had with Bronwyn earlier that day (which concluded last week’s episode).
During the chat, Bronwyn tried to reach some level of truce in their current argument, so she could invite Heather to Palm Springs; Heather describes it to Lisa and Meredith as Bronwyn asking her over “to tell me I’m a s---ty person.”
Heather asks Lisa, “what’s your version of your friendship with [Bronwyn]?” This prompts a flashback, also from the same day, of Bronwyn chatting with Lisa over FaceTime, inviting Lisa on the couples’ trip.
Bronwyn tells Lisa that she has also invited Whitney and Justin — with whom Lisa is feuding (over whether Lisa spread rumors about Whitney’s jewelry business) — and wants to be sure that Lisa and her husband, John, are OK with this. Lisa takes offense at this question: “Are you saying basically that me and John caused this problem?”
Whitney and Justin pack for the trip and talk about Justin’s lunch conversation last week with John. “I feel like John and I are going to be fine,” Justin tells Whitney. The Roses agree, though, that they don’t want to apologize to Lisa, as John has asked, for intervening in Lisa’s argument with Whitney. “No, she owes you an apology,” Whitney says.
(Bravo) Meredith Marks relaxes during their Palm Springs trip, on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
Meredith expresses her own qualms about going to Palm Springs. She’s unhappy with Shawn Trujillo, the husband of Angie Katsanevas, over something Shawn said on a podcast about Meredith’s 25-year-old son Brooks.
“A quick little jaunt to Palm Springs sounds like it might be more like a living hell,” Meredith says to Heather and Lisa.
In the end, Heather’s not on this trip. Neither, as last week’s episode established, is Britani Bateman, because Bronwyn says she doesn’t want to deal with Britani’s uncertain relationship with Jared Osmond.
Bronwyn also mentions that Mary Cosby isn’t coming, because she’s spending time with her son, Robert Jr. No one mentions that new “friend” Meili Workman isn’t invited.
Some Meredith updates
It’s been a couple weeks since we’ve really heard from Meredith, and this week’s episode gives us a few updates:
• Meredith is letting it be known more widely that she’s studying for her bat mitzvah — and tells Heather when they meet at the spa.
• Meredith chides Lisa for saying she doesn’t like the food in Italy because it’s “too fresh.” In confessional, Meredith says, “food being too fresh is not a thing.”
• Meredith, Lisa notices, has recently started wearing hearing aids, something she jokes will help her hear when the other cast members are talking about her. “They also work as AirPods,” Meredith says in confessional. “I can listen to my music and tune all those ladies out, and they don’t even know it.”
• On Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after the weekend trip to Palm Springs begins, Seth tells Meredith that he has to leave early Sunday morning for work. This upsets Meredith, who has seen this pattern with Seth before, where he prioritizes work over their marriage. “I’m so irritated,” Meredith says in a confessional. “It’s a couples’ trip. I’d like the other half to my couple.”
Todd shows his mettle
(Bravo) Todd Bradley delivers an ultimatum to John Barlow during their Palm Springs trip, on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
Before getting on the plane, Todd tells Bronwyn, “I really don’t want to have a weekend of drama with these people.” This is a sure sign that Todd is new to the “Real Housewives” franchise — but, as it plays out, Todd steps up for Bronwyn when the drama arrives.
The couples arrive at Salt Lake City International Airport and board the private plane Bronwyn and Todd have arranged for the trip. Bronwyn, in confessional, puts on her best flight-attendant voice: “I doubt some of the baggage you ladies are carrying will fit in the overhead compartment.”
On the plane, Bronwyn talks to Lisa about the conversation Lisa had with Heather at the spa. Lisa stands up for Heather, saying, “When Heather’s your friend, she’s really your friend.”
Bronwyn questions why Lisa and Meredith, because they’re taking Heather’s side, would want to accept Bronwyn’s invitation to Palm Springs. “If you agree with Heather that I’m two-faced and b--chy, and Todd’s too stupid to realize I’m a golddigger, then why the f--- are you here?”
The couples take two SUVs from the Palm Springs airport to the house Bronwyn and Todd have rented for the weekend. In one car, Seth talks to John and Todd about the “pact,” or “brotherhood,” the husbands on the show have. “We’ve got to stay out of our wives’ business,” Seth says.
(Bravo) Lisa Barlow, left, Meredith Marks call up their absent friend, Heather Gay, during their Palm Springs trip, on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
Everyone gushes about the house, which has enough space that, as Lisa says, “I don’t have to be near Whitney if I don’t have to.” One drawback Seth quickly notices: The bathrooms don’t have bathtubs, one of Meredith’s regular demands.
This trip is Bronwyn’s anniversary present to Todd. Bronwyn also arranged Todd’s gift to her: A visit from her personal jeweler, Racqui, who drove in from L.A. to show a couple of items Bronwyn wants Todd to buy. One is an opera necklace, featuring 170 carats of diamonds, that costs $4 million. The other is a pair of diamond stud earrings, 10 carats each, that costs $1.4 million.
At the pool, as the women sit around the hot tub, the Heather drama returns. Bronwyn steps away for a moment, and when she comes back, she finds Lisa and Meredith calling Heather, and telling her, “We miss you. We wish you were here.”
Bronwyn gets upset that Lisa, in particular, seems to be taking Heather’s side over Bronwyn’s. “Heather’s allowed to tell you two how she feels about me, and that’s totally cool and you guys have to listen,” Bronwyn tells Lisa. “But I’m not allowed to tell anybody how I feel.”
Bronwyn makes the case (backed up by flashback clips) that when other people say mean things about Lisa, Bronwyn defends her. Bronwyn says she would like Lisa to do the same, and bristles when Lisa says she doesn’t want to be in the middle of Bronwyn and Heather’s dispute.
“When it’s me and somebody else, it’s my responsibility to work it out,” Bronwyn tells Lisa. “But when it’s you and someone else, I’d better” — (she says something unpublishable here) — “like it’s my job.”
(Bravo) Bronwyn Newport, left, and Lisa Barlow, have an argument by the hot tub during their Palm Springs trip, on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
Bronwyn retreats to the rec room. First, Whitney comes in to check on her — which, as this argument has taught us, is what a friend should do. Then Todd comes in, and tells Bronwyn that he wants Lisa and John to either stop the drama or leave.
”I’ve had enough of this,” Todd tells Bronwyn. “I’ve had a whole weekend’s worth in three hours.”
Todd, Bronwyn says in confessional, “can be an a------ sometimes, but he’s my knight in shining a------. He is riding into battle for me. I would like Todd to come to my rescue with a Nerf gun, not a machete. And I know Todd only operates in machetes.”
Todd delivers his message to John, who relays it to Lisa: “If it can’t be settled out, then he wants us to go.” Then the screen goes dark, with the words “to be continued.”
Next week’s episode is scheduled to air on Bravo on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 9 p.m. Eastern time — and airs at 7 p.m. Mountain time on DirecTV and Dish, as well as at 10 p.m. Mountain time on Xfinity. (The show streams the next day on Peacock.)
