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RHOBH Rundown S11 EP13 Season’s Grillings

 

 

It’s still all about Erika. The women are talking to each other about Erika, to their husbands about Erika, to us about Erika, and even to their lawyers …. about Erika. But to be fair, they are talking to Erika as well. We can debate Erika’s involvement all day long, but for me, she deserves a lot of credit for just showing up. That being said, dare I say, I am beginning to tire of the entire ordeal.  Thankfully, it looks like new story lines are on the horizons. 

 

Sutton has called a meeting with all the women, except the defendant, but for whatever reason, the meeting is being held as Dorit’s. Sutton is definitely the ringleader here, the self-proclaimed voice of reason. She tells the group that she HAS to worry about her reputation, because she’s on several boards, and involved in many charities, and she cannot have them judging her. Of course the irony here is that you can bet they are already judging her. Also, in my mind, Sutton willingly signed up to be part of a very popular reality TV series that has already seen a cast member in NJ franchise get sent to the slammer, and another (in SLC) most likely headed in the same direction, not to mention countless other scandals throughout the years.

 

In an interesting turn of events (that I did not see coming), it seems as though the entire group has now turned on Erika. Although complacent to the other women’s faces, Rinna seems to be Erika's only true fearless friend, and in an angry talking head points out that a friend is hurting, and “Princesses worry about their reputations, queens don’t”. Incidentally, there is a story developing explaining Rinna's loyalty as we speak.  But Sutton isn’t having it, and even goes as far as saying “people don’t like cheaters, liars, and stealers”, but I can already hear her at the reunion telling Erika, “I didn’t call YOU a cheater, a liar, or a stealer”. For me, unless these women are fencing ill-gotten Louie bags and Louboutins, or storing Erika’s Cartier collection in their safes, I fail to see how any of them can possibly be implicated or involved, legally or otherwise. Their goal is to find out specifically what Erika knew, and at this point, their respective friendships depend on it.

 

 

In between planning Erika’s inquisition at Dorit’s, and executing it at Kyle’s, we get a (thankfully) short scene of Garcell’s hokey “Haitian” Christmas dinner with her long lost recovering drug addict son (the one with a face full of creepy tattoos) and his baby momma. Just don’t call her Granny Garcell.

 

As mentioned, Kyle is providing the location for Erika’s ambush, under the guise of a quaint Christmas dinner. Garcell is the first to arrive, and just as I’m thinking how canned and staged preparing an elaborate Christmas dinner just for her girlfriends cast mates appears, producer Kyle tells Garcell that Stoner Mo’ and the kids have already left for the snowflake gathering hole for the very rich (Aspen) and she will be joining them later (I hope she remembered to set the alarm this time).  After a few more minutes of awkward alone time with Kyle, John Mellencamp’s daughter shows up as Garcell tells us in a talking head that she “finds Teddi annoying … like a gnat”. Who knew? Rinna’s alter ego, sexy “Heather”, arrives, then Dorit after finally figuring out how to open the Kyle’s front door. A frazzled Kathy Hilton is next to arrive, and makes one of her trademark funnies by telling the women that she’s about to “have a gorilla” (because apparently wreath-making is really stressing her out). But for a refreshing change, not even Kyle laughs at this one, because she’s too busy worrying about Erika even showing up. Crystal C*nt Foo debutes a set of tata’s that the women (other than Sutton) never knew she had, and finally Sutton herself walks in, serving up some early1960’s chic’ eleganza. As usual, Erika is the last to arrive. As she gets out of her car, you can literally see her thinking “I know these bitches are up to something”. Kyle thanks Erika for coming, and no sooner do they even all finish their Hollywood double kisses and hellos, Erika mentions she feels rather radioactive these days, to which Garcell (from 10 ft away) lets out a loud and sarcastic “Yeah” (as in Duh!).

 

After a cocktail or four, the group sits down for Kyle’s Christmas buffet style turkey dinner. They waste no time going in. Although somewhat exasperated, Erika does an effective job answering all of the women’s questions calmly and coolly, and you get a sense that she’s not about to give the show a third breakdown scene, not this season. almost methodically. She is calm and cool, and yes, her demeanor is flat and exhausted, but she answers almost everything the women throw at her.

 

Dorit starts the ball rolling, but as usual, it’s all about Erika’s feelings. But Sutton is ready to get down to business and starts digging. So they go back and forth a few times dancing around the big question; what exactly did Erika know? But Erika has come prepared, and it’s going to take more than just a nosy fellow Georgian to get her to crack. Crystal brings up Erika’s questionable time frame; her claiming that Tom went downhill (cognitively) just three years ago, but points out that charges against him started TEN years ago. Erika has a simple explanation for that, citing that the case is just now being brought to light. Fair enough. At this point, Dorit starts to weaken, and tells Erika that she understands, but Garcell jumps in and says “That’s not what you said the other night”. This leaves Dorit no other choice but to come clean about having the women over to discuss Erika.

 

Erika handles the revelation surprisingly well and continues opening up to the group. Again, you have to give Erika credit for even showing up, because this is some serious stuff that could land her in prison along WITH Tom. Sutton also wants to know if Erika talked to Tom’s lawyers about “the story” because she’s suspicious that Erika and the lawyers are saying the same thing. In Sutton’s mind, that is proof that they cooked it up together. That could be true, or it could also be that the story they’re telling IS the truth and that’s why they're in sync.  The fact that they have the same story proves nothing.

 

Sutton then brings up the $20 million elephant in the room …. why was the firm’s money being routed through her Erika Jayne Global, LLC? She says she was kept away from the books of her own company even though she repeatedly asked for access. At this point, Erika seems a little amused by the women now calling each other out for changing their tunes and wussing out in her presence, and even though she’s clearly enjoying watching them now going at each other, she actually begins to help them out, even showing some remorse for the “orphans and widows” whom Tom allegedly stole from. She declares that they must be paid.

 

 

But of course, this is where it gets dicey, because there are no laws that require spouses to pay for each other’s crimes. To convolute matters even more, Erika HAS undoubtedly made millions on her own, and distinguishing her money from what (stolen?) money Tom gave her is not going to be easy. To Erika’s credit, she did re-emphasize that the victims should be the priority and that SHE is last on the totem pole, and then ended it with “No one knows the answer but him.  If Tom has hidden all the money, I’d like to know where it is”.  That of course, is the golden question.