When the cast members of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” play games around a table, it often ends with yelling.
And when John Barlow, husband of tequila entrepreneur Lisa Barlow, asks in confessional this week, “Whose turn is it to yell at Lisa?,” it’s not the name of a new game, but it certainly could be.
In the latest (extra-long) episode, several weeks of Lisa being the pivot point for different disputes all converge as the Housewives and their husbands complete their couples’ trip to Palm Springs.
Lisa’s hard time at lunch
Last week’s episode ended with Bronwyn Newport’s husband, Todd Bradley, giving Lisa and John an ultimatum: Cool it with the drama or leave. As this episode starts, the Barlows agree they want to stay.
The Barlows’ decision gets its first test at lunch, not long after the argument between Lisa and Bronwyn that prompted Todd’s ultimatum. That argument centered on Bronwyn’s belief that Lisa hasn’t defended Bronwyn sufficiently in Bronwyn’s dispute with Heather Gay (who’s not on this trip).
Bronwyn, in confessional, says she’s not sure lunch together is a good idea. “I think there’s just nothing better we can do after a contentious morning than sit down and break bread together,” Bronwyn says with some sarcasm. “Bon appetit!”
[Read more: Bronwyn Newport, the newest member of SLC’s ‘Real Housewives,’ says ‘I’m learning a lot about myself’]
Lisa breaks the silence at lunch by talking with Bronwyn about why she defended Heather, because she was concerned about Heather’s feelings. Lisa actually seems on the verge of an apology, Bronwyn says in confessional.
That hope is snatched away when Lisa pivots to Whitney and Justin Rose to reprise their argument — over Whitney accusing Lisa of spreading rumors that Whitney’s jewelry line was getting cheap merchandise from Alibaba.
Angie Katsanevas and her husband, Shawn Trujillo, also confront Lisa, because a few weeks ago, Lisa called Angie a word that rhymes with witch. Lisa gives Angie an apology: “If I have hurt you, I am sorry.”
John tries to play referee, and Bronwyn, in confessional, mocks his approach. “All we needed was the men to come and solve our silly little women’s problems. The end,” she says.
The Bravo producers then cut to a phony end-credits sequence — when we still have an hour to go. It’s the first of two showy flourishes by the producers; the other comes minutes later, when the couples’ beach volleyball game is edited to a fake Kenny Loggins song in the style of “Top Gun.”
Mary and her son
The episode’s only scene in Salt Lake City follows Mary Cosby, who didn’t make the trip, at home checking on her 21-year-old son, Robert Jr. He’s still in bed, with his “wife,” Lex. (The title card puts the quotation marks around “wife,” because the relationship isn’t entirely clear to Mary.)
Mary asks Robert Jr. and Lex what they plan to do with themselves, either this day or in life generally. After a long silence, Robert Jr. says, “I don’t know, to be honest.” Mary, exasperated, tells the couple, “I feel like I’m talking to two little babies.”
In confessional, Mary worries that she’s spoiled her son. “I feel like I’m losing him to something, and it’s not good,” she says.
Settling Lisa vs. the Roses
The first day of the Palm Springs trip continues with an outdoor dinner party, where the cast members comment on Todd’s anniversary present: A $4 million diamond necklace around Bronwyn’s neck.
Bronwyn says in confessional that she may be reassessing her yearslong friendship with Lisa. “I’m starting to realize she might want to keep it more surface-level,” Bronwyn says. “And I’m sad about that, but maybe I have to respect that’s all I mean to Lisa.”
As the party starts, Todd throws shade at Lisa’s business — telling his lawyer friends that Vida Tequila is “mediocre.”
Once all five couples sit for dinner at the main table, the conversation gets both vulgar — Angie and Whitney joke about what Bronwyn will have to do to earn those diamonds — and uneasy, as Bronwyn gets nervously chatty in her “happy anniversary” speech.
Meredith Marks notices something’s off between Bronwyn and Todd. “It feels like there’s a mild tension there,” Meredith says in confessional.
Some of that tension spills over when Angie passes out whiteboards to start a variation on “The Newlywed Game,” to ask the couples personal details of their relationships. One question is, “Who’s your wife’s least favorite person at this table?,” which again opens up the argument between Lisa and Whitney.
In confessional, Bronwyn says she’s sick of this argument. “I might use Todd’s phone later, and create a Twitter account and start a whole new rumor, so we can talk about something else,” Bronwyn jokes.
At the table, calm prevails. Justin apologizes to Lisa for coming on too strong in defending Whitney, and Lisa apologizes to Justin “for putting you in that position.”
In confessional, Whitney says she’s ready to cut her losses. “It’s enough for me to put a button on that, and be done with the Alibaba thing,” she says.
Meredith and Seth take the heat
The dinner soon moves to an argument that doesn’t involve Lisa. Meredith confronts Shawn about something he said on a podcast — accusing her of using her LGBTQ allyship to deflect from her own behavior. Meredith took this as a dig against her son, Brooks.
Shawn denied that he said anything directly about Brooks, and Whitney joins in by demanding proof. Seth Marks pulls out his phone, finds a gossip site’s story about the podcast and loudly declares, “Proof, beyotch!”
Whitney, in confessional, says, “I’ve got to zip up all my energy real tight right now, because it is taking everything I have to not leap across this table and beat the s--- out of this man.” (The next morning, Angie agrees that Seth’s comment was “so unnecessary and rude and uncalled for.”)
Shawn takes a calmer approach. “I’ve already told you twice,” Shawn tells Meredith. “I would never use your kid in a bad way.” He assures Meredith that if he said something demeaning about Brooks, he would apologize. Meredith accepts this, saying in confessional, “I’m moving on.”
Todd’s anger comes out
Angie tries to change the subject by asking Bronwyn and Todd about how Bronwyn’s daughter, Gwen, is dealing with the possibility that she might reconnect with the grandparents on her late father’s side — whom Gwen has never met.
Bronwyn and Todd quickly let Angie know this topic is off limits. Bronwyn starts to explain that Gwen hasn’t contacted her grandparents, but Todd cuts her off.
In confessional, Bronwyn says that Todd is embarrassing her with this behavior. (This pattern will apparently continue, based on evidence in a teaser at the end of the episode.) “Todd has a very specific stopping point, and there’s no going past it,” she says.
The rest of the dinner party, we’re told, was actually quite fun — with everyone enjoying a drone show and the Housewives having drinks in the pool.
Lisa and Bronwyn hug it out
The second day starts with the couples going to an Indy car race at The Thermal Club in Palm Springs. They meet pro driver Josef Newgarden, tour pit row and watch a race from a luxury suite.
Back at the house that Todd and Bronwyn rented, Seth makes his goodbyes. He managed to stay longer than he had planned before flying off to Ohio for work.
Meredith, in confessional, says she’s glad Seth stayed longer. “We reduced the immediate fire, but the smoldering’s still going,” she said. “We still haven’t fixed anything.”
Out at the pool, Bronwyn and Lisa have the talk Bronwyn has wanted for at least a day. For much of it, Bronwyn and Lisa seem to be talking past each other. Lisa defends her efforts to comfort Heather, who was emotional leaving Bronwyn’s house after their conversation. Bronwyn tells Lisa that after Heather left, Bronwyn was in tears — so why didn’t Lisa comfort her?
The conversation ends with Lisa declaring, “I want to be a good friend to both of you,” and then asking Bronwyn for a hug. Bronwyn has declared before that she’s not a hugger, but she obliges.
As the couples are set to leave Palm Springs, Bronwyn announces that she’s booked commercial flights for everyone. The plane’s small, with only four seats in first class — and Bronwyn made sure she and Todd got two of them.
The prospect of flying coach, even for a short flight, mortifies Lisa. “I haven’t flown coach since I was in college,” she tells Todd. They consider switching flights, but opt against it so they don’t delay getting home to their 12-year-son, Henry.
Bronwyn isn’t impressed. In confessional, she says Lisa “can sit in coach for 47 minutes.”
Next week’s episode is scheduled to air on Bravo on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 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.)
