The Real Housewives of Orange County is full of backstabbing, ruthless women whose survival strategy is simply to get by at any cost. This archetype is defined by many in the modern world as a “traitor.”
So it’s only fitting that Tamra Judge—the woman who single-handedly propelled the Real Housewives franchise to focus on intergroup conflict—would host the ladies for a The Traitors-themed dinner.
Utilizing the sinister backdrop of a rustic mansion and the even more harrowing presence of Teddi Mellencamp, the dinner’s a dream, and the most invigorating group event of the season, despite a relative lack of drama. Every good traitor knows you must build trust in your fellow faithfuls before going in for the kill, and this episode serves as an expert reset before the second half of the season.
We open in the familiar enclaves of Orange County, where a DUI-inflicted Shannon Beador has to install a breathalyzer in her new car, lest she relinquish her license for six more months. Shannon’s old money confessional look is the perfect accompaniment to the scene. The art of Housewives is being able to make the serious subject of a DUI so whimsical and cutesy that you almost forget exactly why Shannon needs a breathalyzer in her car.
Poor diva has to blow into that thing while humming every five to 20 minutes at random. At that point, I’d rather just not drive. What this scene is an actual PSA for is a walkable city with good transit. You didn’t see Luann de Lesseps sweating over driving after her alcohol-induced arrest because she lives in a real city with sidewalks. Get it together, Orange County. Free Shannon Beador, in its essence, means upholding the constitution.
Next, Katie drives on over to Jenn’s house with no breathalyzer, which could be Shannon shade. It’s hard to say.
Thankfully, this week is a necessary venture away from Katie’s connection to the group drama and into her backstory. We learn about the tumultuous divorce between Katie and her ex, which has left her estranged from her son. Katie has gotten a stilted edit so far, as her drama with Heather has largely overshadowed her role in the group, but watching her bond with Jenn over their divorces is very intriguing. Katie needs to start showing more than telling, but she’s laid the groundwork for a solid role.
Already, the show is planting the seeds of Katie and Tamra bonding over their similarly aged daughters who are both estranged from their biological father, and that’s a storyline that has real potential. Tamra has been a one-note character as of late, and it’s a nice reminder that she has layers, too.
A solid throughline of the entire RHOC experience has been strained relationships between mothers and their children, whether it’s Vicki and Brianna, Tamra and Sidney, and now, Katie and her son. It’s part of the suburban backbone that makes RHOC so unique in the franchise.
It’s a more compelling angle than Emily’s continued arc, as our resident Maxxinista beats the same drum she has all season this week. We get it: Shane doesn’t take his health seriously. He doesn’t want to take Ozempic or stop eating french fries. And his refusal to yassify himself may lead to death. It’s all possible, but I don’t care.
What’s actually interesting, though, is Emily’s apology to Jenn at the Traitors dinner party. Realizing she’s been attacking her relentlessly, Emily offers a genuine explanation for her behavior. The conversation is revealing, and a rare moment of depth from Emily. Jenn’s overall demeanor really keeps things grounded in a necessary way, and Emily’s outsized response had seemed so disproportionate, even if entertaining.
Now, we’ll need to see if this will be a consistent change or if Emily will be back to ripping Rolexes off her wrist and calling the IRS, next week. Either is an improvement on “Emily worries Shane will die,” at least.
Amid this heart-to-heart is a game of The Traitors, inspired by the best reality competition series in years. Tamra’s actual role on the U.S. edition’s prolific second season was ultimately cut short, but our treacherous queen made sure to cash in for all it’s worth.
Just a few weeks ago, Vicki was calling her a traitor. It’s no coincidence she planned her own Traitors party with everyone’s favorite parasite, Teddi, as host. Tamra knows a thing or two about trolling, and torture.
Teddi’s new presence as a thorn in the side of two different casts and an entire fanbase is an admittedly smart use of her irritating aura. Watching Heather and Vicki bond over disdain for Teddi was such a great girls’ girl moment. Ally Lewber wishes.
The game kicks off and, in true traitorous fashion, the ladies assign each other superlatives. Who’s the biggest liar? Who is the most judgmental? Who do you trust the least? Oh sorry, that’s a Marysol Patton original. But they should’ve asked that. Teddi would’ve won, somehow.
The drama is so fun, especially as the show masks who the Traitor is, letting us play the game, too. The confessional of the hidden Traitor is an example of good over-the-top editing, as opposed to the cartoonish scenes that have plagued some recent shows, most particularly The Real Housewives of Potomac.
And the greatest thing about this game is that it truly embodies the spirit of The Traitors. The cast all slink around dark corners and gossip their hearts out, ignoring the convoluted competition at the center of it all. No one cares about those random challenges.
It’s truly an event for reconciliation, above all else. Heather ushers Katie away for a chat, and it serves as a segway to invite Katie to Sonoma for the season’s second cast trip “in the spirit of inclusivity.” That’s our LGBTQ+ hen mother putting her words to action.
While Heather has decided to grant Katie access to life in Orange County—having previously eradicated the existence of Noella—she’s still an ice queen, through and through.
“I don’t really have an interest in being friends with Katie, let’s just be clear,” she says in a confessional. “There’s no, like, reconciling here. We were never friends.”
That kind of duplicitous behavior is what makes Heather such a good traitor—both in real life and in the game. If I were Katie, I’d check to make sure I still have an active social security number. Seriously, give Heather a call, Peacock! She needs to join Season 4 of The Traitors. I want her to fight a Dance Mom.
The game also brings together the Tres Amigas. Hidden inside the mansion, the ladies finally break the ice after a season on the outs. Tamra says she feels stuck in the middle between Alexis and Shannon, a position she was helplessly placed in by falling out with Shannon just before she buddied up to her former enemy, Alexis, and ushered her onto the show to terrorize Shannon. I mean, she really had no choice.
It’s almost believable that Tamra thinks Alexis wants the best for Shannon. But that illusion is shattered by Alexis threatening to release videos of Shannon allegedly trying to run over John Jannsen’s daughter. Shannon has done nothing but exist all season, and Alexis wants to murder Shannon for that. It’s just not an even fight. To make matters worse, as of last night, Alexis and John are engaged, while paparazzi are snapping shots of Shannon blowing into her breathalyzer.
Obviously, releasing the video on top of all of that would just be cruel. But I do want to watch it. It would be a shame if Tamra released it the night before the reunion films, or even worse, it leaks onto Twitter! If that happens, please do alert me so I can be sure to block that disgusting display.
Despite all this character work taking place, we do get a few minutes of actual gameplay, complete with a soap opera vaseline lens for every Teddi shot, inexplicably.
The ladies divide into teams and guess their superlatives, and Shannon’s team takes the gold, scoring immunity. Next, a chaotic murder spree ensues, Heather accidentally killing Tamra, then Vicki and Shannon—yes, even Shannon, the only woman who could find a way to die with immunity.
With the Tres Amigas dead, we get a cute little montage in their honor, long may they rest. The morbid montage does make me think of how we’ve never actually lost a Housewife. Hopefully we find out one day that receiving a sacred orange, apple, or the like buys you immortality. These ladies really do deserve it.
The game’s just about to enter phase two when Teddi randomly pushes Tamra into the pool. In a few years, when Tamra ruins Teddi’s life, Ms. Mellencamp is going to lie awake wishing she never did that. After all, Tamra’s our most perceptive Housewife, and the only one (alongside Vicki) who properly susses out Heather as the Traitor.
The Housewives are far more cunning than the average person may think. This episode’s a stark reminder that Real Housewives is a competition series just as much as Survivor and Big Brother. In many ways, it’s the most nuanced of all, as these ladies have to fight for something the others don’t: longevity. These consummate professionals know better than to harp on the same drama and feuds all season, and understand the need for allies.
After all, RHOC has adapted superbly to each era of reality TV, standing strong as the franchise’s best despite being unrecognizable to its original form. That, too, is proof of the cast’s strategic prowess, and a reason to be grateful for every one of them.
The Real Housewives of Orange County are all traitors. Don’t you forget it.
