Monica Garcia, who?
That’s one of our most significant observations after watching the action-packed Season 5 premiere of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
Whenever we count these ladies out, they pull us back and make us more invested.
That’s no easy feat, but it’s a testament to how much the RHOSLC cast clocks in when the cameras are up.
The good news is that there was minimal talk of Monica in the premiere, signaling that producers were aware that viewers had moved on from all things Reality Von Tease.
In perhaps one of the best storytelling techniques the series has employed, we spent the entire premiere at Lisa Barlow’s BESOS event that brought many of her friends and frenemies together under one roof, complete with flashbacks offering context to the drama.
Going into the event, Lisa questioned whether to invite Whitney Rose because the blonde bombshell had criticized her on a podcast.
Whitney called Lisa a ‘villain’
Lisa was confused about why someone who was supposed to be her friend would call her a “villain,” knowing that it would be circulated across social media.
Despite being the bigger person and extending the invite, Lisa was blindsided that Whitney showed up and didn’t introduce herself.
Instead, she spent time arguing with Meredith Marks over bath bombs. Yes, really. This has got to be the most unserious series on Bravo, and I’m here for every minute of it.
Meredith felt Whitney was trying to get under her skin by selling bath bombs.
This is the same Meredith who warned Whitney last season not to “come after my bathtub.”
As if that wasn’t bad enough, most ladies piled on Whitney when they sat down for dinner after she proclaimed to Lisa that she was not a liar.
Throughout the first four seasons, Whitney was the girl who would bring information to the ladies, even if there was no proof, and then sit back and watch them argue about it.
That’s why it was unsurprising when Lisa, Meredith, and Heather Gay screamed across the table about the times they believed that she lied to them. Hint: It was more than once.
Whitney goes too far at a cast event
Whitney found herself against most of her castmates, so the best she could do was scream “f–k you” while flipping the bird at Lisa.
Lisa’s reaction was as if Whitney had just said Vida Tequila was “trash” and gave and that she had gifted a bottle to Monica. It was sheer shock.
Before the ladies could respond, Whitney was told to leave, and she did… with Angie Katsanevas and Meili Workman in tow.
The screaming for a season premiere was off the charts, but there’s now a big glowing divide among the women, which could be the show’s saving grace.
Although bringing Monica back would have surely delivered drama, it would have been too contrived to enjoy.
There was also a hilarious argument between Angie and Meredith, with the Greek beauty offering a scroll featuring all the times her bathtub-loving co-star had wronged her.
The Real Housewives franchise has embraced darkness and toxicity with recent shows, but despite tackling some serious subject matters, RHOSLC somehow always manages to keep things lighter.
It’s still early, but RHOSLC could be in for another top-tier season if the women deliver the same energy throughout every event.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Bravo. Stream Seasons 1-5 on Peacock.