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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season 5 Episode 12 [Review]

The season is in full swing now, and we've gotten pretty much all the major story lines (drama lines, more like) set up. Now we just sit back and see where the cards fall. The lines have been drawn and people are coming to the end of their ropes. Who will be pushed over the edge today? Let's find out.



The episode starts out simply enough. We go right into it with Kyle planning her gay mixer. This is something that had so much potential. I actually kind of liked this Kyle, reminding me of the first season when she wasn't judgmental and manipulative. She was simply having a good time with her gays, and even decided that if she was gay, she would be a top to help with the top drought. You go, girl.

We didn't get to see a lot of Yolanda this episode. She is off to Italy for a week with her husband for a fund raising event. Apparently they decided not to take the cameras with them this time because they only showed her packing, and she is gone for the rest of the episode. Perhaps next week we might get some footage, but there wasn't much room to squeeze her in this episode.

Speaking of not much room to squeeze people in, due to all the drama at the party (which I'll get to) we actually saw next to zero out of Eileen. She was just kind of there for various reaction shots. Lisa R actually got to speak a little bit, commenting on how she was glad Kim was in the hospital so that she could get her issues sorted out. More memorably, she tried kissing Lisa V to give Kyle the hint that her secret name as part of the icebreaker was Katy Perry. Fun. Also awkward.


Something surprising did come from this episode, though. I actually am starting to sway on my stance with Lisa V. Sure she can hold a grudge like no other and yes she has some very abrasive opinions, but the scenes with her son were so touching. In this episode, she was talking about the struggles of her adopted son wanting to know about his real parents. Lisa is internally torn on whether she should tell him what she knows about his biological family.

It was so sweet seeing Lisa so caught up in emotions about her children. We so rarely get to see her be a mother figure (except to Jiggy) because her children were grown by the time the show started. We only know her as the party-goer or the entrepreneur. Seeing her so conflicted on wanting to keep her son as "hers" and yet also not wanting him to have regrets made her the most human I think I've ever seen her in all these years of watching the show. This is what reality TV should be about.


The gay mixer, as is every party any of these ladies try to throw, was a disaster. Well, I take that back. The mixer itself wasn't bad. Although there weren't many guys I would find hot (am I that shallow?) it did look like everybody was having fun. Of course all the ladies showed up -- even Brandi. And that was the problem. Apparently despite being there when the plans for the party were made, Brandi wasn't "officially" invited, which really put Kyle in a bad mood.

After pacing the room over and over and over, Kyle decided to go up and speak to Brandi. At first it looked like things were going to be alright. She apologized for putting her hands on the other woman, but she followed it up with a criticism. The one thing you never want to do is say "I'm sorry but...". It sends the wrong message, and it really made it look like she was out for a fight. Then they get into the most confusing argument of all time, with each of them hopping from topic to topic, making it really unclear why they are even moving their lips in the first place.

Kim finally decides to stand up for herself and tell her sister that the apology wasn't good enough. It's still unclear if she is really being manipulated by Brandi, or if Brandi is just being genuine. I myself and not even sure what my opinion is. It was nice to see Kim finally take a stance and say something for herself. For too long she has let others talk for her, whether it be Kyle or Brandi, and she's finally letting her voice be heard.

Toward the end, Brandi tries to steal away Kim so they can leave, to which Kyle tries to get her to leave. She say's she's not wanted here. Brandi replies, "You're not wanted. Ask your husband." And in the famous words of Jiggly Caliente: "Oh hell no she didn't. Bitch."


I have no idea where to land on this situation. Normally, I would side with Brandi, but in this situation everything is different. Family bonds are really, really complicated, and putting yourself int he middle of a sisters fight is a bad mood. She really should have just let them have their battle and be there to help Kim pick up the pieces after it's all said and done. On the other hand, if what Brandi has said is true and Kyle is just acting concerned for the cameras, then she really is doing more harm than good and Kim's sobriety and her sanity may become sacrificed.

I really don't know if there is any helping this situation. The only real solution is to all talk now, seeing as Brandi has become a major player, and set boundaries for all three of them. Without a talk like this, there is no way for them to all continue to co-exist. If this continues, someone is going to be pushed out from Kim's life, and the way the tide is turned right now looks like that may very well be her own sister.

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