‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’: Kyle Richards Finally Admits She’d Date a Woman

The curious case of Kyle Richards took center stage in tonight’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, peeling back the layers of the Beverly Hills OG to reveal her most interesting form yet.

Kyle has largely stayed consistent in her 13 seasons on TV (plus Ultimate Girls Trip and the forgotten special Stars in Danger: The High Dive). But the youngest Richards is going through a stunning metamorphosis.

The episode begins with a cute day trip to Ojai in honor of Annemarie’s birthday. Now, if you’re forgetting who Annemarie is after her sabbatical, she’s the new Housewife who’s done nothing aside from inform us her husband thinks she’s an 8.5 out of 10 and question Sutton’s chewing issues.

No, she doesn’t get a solo scene this week, giving credence to the theory she’s been edited down post-season after her husband was accused of sexual assault. Who knows what the reality is, but to be 11 episodes into the season and one solo scene deep as a new Housewife is rather unprecedented.

The women’s trip to Ojai comes minus one, as Erika is out this episode with COVID, taking a well-deserved rest after murdering Denise Richards last week.

The group take a sprinter van down, gabbing and giggling like real friends, dare I say it. Once they touch base in Ojai, we get a montage of these women in their natural habitats: Kyle shopping for hats and Dorit speaking Italian to a random woman.

As the housewives settle down for a wine tasting, Kyle says something truly shocking. And no, it’s not that she’d date a woman — though that too piqued my interest. Dolled up in her confessional, Kyle drops a bomb shattering everything I’ve known to be true in a mere instant.

“I will always have a love for Los Angeles, but I just don’t feel as connected to it as I used to,” she says. “One day, when Portia’s done with school, I’m going to choose some place to live that’s more conducive to what brings me happiness.”

Now, this is a shocker for a plethora of reasons. But, just take one look at Kyle’s roster of taglines and you’ll see why this casually spoken statement has me stunned. The woman who once championed Beverly Hills, who proudly claimed “this is my town,” no longer feels that affinity. This might be the most shocking reveal on a Bravo show this month—move over, Salt Lake City!

I could write a dissertation on this twist, but the show must go on. And it does, with another of Bravo’s new favorite pot stirring tactics: a little game. Who needs Lisa Rinna to instigate drama when you can just throw in a card game? Marysol Patton better hope the Real Housewives of Miami producers don’t catch wind of these and swap her out.

This forced foray of fun starts with Sutton excitedly licking Kyle’s toes. “This is the Kyle that I love,” Sutton exclaims in a confessional.

I suppose their earlier beef could’ve been resolved with some feet play, but Kyle insensitively deprived poor Sutton until this moment. I’ve seen at least one member of Housewives Twitter proselytize that Sutton and Kyle have unexplored sexual tension, and this scene will certainly further those wild theories. Now, if only the New York Times would publish that op-ed.

And Kyle throws more fuel on the speculative fire this week, first by spilling that she’s fought with Mauricio over his social media behavior with other women. The buttoned-up Kyle of seasons past, who wore her perfect marriage like a badge, would never be so candid as to admit to Mauricio’s flirtations. It’s almost alarming watching Kyle be “open and honest,” but certainly welcome.

Then, out of nowhere, she asks the group: “Would you ever date a woman?”

Now, maybe this is the product of editing, but as represented in the episode, it’s a truly random segue. Almost as if Kyle just wants to throw away the pretense and wink at the online rumors, she asks and answers: Yes. She follows this with a visual display of what scissoring is, with actress extraordinaire Dorit accompanying.

You can almost feel the other women’s bafflement at Kyle’s left turn. They’re too stunned to even make idle gossip, just basking in the evolution of Kyle Richards. Isn’t it funny that this event is about Annemarie? Sorry girl, you just can’t compete with 13 years of dramatic storytelling coming to such a surprising head. But happy birthday or whatever!

Next, we come back to Beverly Hills for another tired moment of boy mom Garcelle grilling her kids over sex and dating. Garcelle’s charismatic, but even she can’t make this scene anything more than a snooze.

Over at Dorit’s latest rental, she and PK sit down for some on-camera therapy. Still recovering from the trauma of her burglary, Dorit feels PK hasn’t been there for her, physically or emotionally.

While PK understands some of her struggles, he considers much of Dorit’s behavior “more obnoxious,” questioning: “When does high maintenance blend with PTSD?”

Oof. The pre-season rumors of the couple’s separation certainly haven’t been squashed by their scenes this season. Is there hope for our hamburglar duo? Only time will tell, but it’s not looking great. Dorit’s truly getting pulverized from all corners this year.

Another harrowing music montage—cut these classless songs out, Bravo!—carries us to Kyle’s “celebration of life” event in honor of her late friend Lorene, who died by suicide shortly before the season began filming.

Accompanied by those closest to her, Morgan Wade and the infamous Teddi Mellencamp, Kyle shows up sans Mauricio, who’s “on business.” I’d drone on about the appearance of Teddi, who Garcelle aptly compared to a gnat, but this is a sensitive event and Kyle does like her, for whatever reason, so I will reluctantly let it go.

Kyle’s budding relationship with Morgan takes the spotlight, as Kyle watches Morgan sing in awe, preparing for her performance at the event. I’m so entranced by their dynamic. It’s equal parts endearing and bizarre, and I truly can’t tell what’s going on.

Then, Kyle makes another revealing claim.

“Had this been a few years ago, I would have really relied on [Mauricio] on a night like tonight,” she shares in confessional. We don’t have the full story, maybe we never will, but Kyle’s perspective towards her marriage has shifted abundantly, and for her to reveal it so bluntly seems ever intentional.

Unfortunately, we take a brief detour for a spin on Annemarie’s never-ending carousel, as the new Housewife once again stirs up confusion regarding Sutton’s esophagus while sitting with Crystal and Garcelle.

“Why do you care?” Garcelle asks, and it’s a great question.

You can see the annoyance in Crystal and Garcelle, in real-time wondering why they have to film with Annemarie. After Annemarie tosses out the idea that Sutton has an eating disorder, Garcelle hops on over to the bar to grab a drink—and eagerly spills this info to Sutton.

Interrupting Sutton’s conversation with Dorit over the suicide of Sutton’s father, Garcelle comes in with the tea. It’s a funny juxtaposition, melding the serious and absurd as only Real Housewives can.

Dorit clocks Garcelle’s pot stirring, noting in her confessional she “likes to strike a match, throw it on the flames, and then walk away.” It’s true, really, but it’s ultimately a good thing, and certainly not an astute observation. Garcelle knows how to keep the show moving. If anything, she’s a bit too aware of her audience surrogate role, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Moseying on over to watch Kyle feed Morgan cantaloupe, Dorit lights a match of her own. In a confessional, she shares that she and P.K. haven’t spent much time with Kyle and Mauricio since Morgan entered the picture, dropping some less-than-subtle hints.

“This is exactly how rumors start,” Dorit says, eyes-bulging as she watches Kyle and Morgan.

In a moment of whiplash, we hop from this campy scene to Kyle’s speech honoring her friend Lorene. It’s a truly touching moment, and offers a nice moment of connection for Sutton, whose own family history offers layers that remind us she’s more than just comedic relief.

The subdued turn continues with Kyle revealing in her confessional that Lorene told her to “always appreciate” her marriage just days before she died. This information recontextualizes Kyle’s entire arc this year, the timing adding much-needed background to her changed outlook going into this season.

“Since Lorene died, I just think life is too short,” Kyle says, overlaid by Morgan serenading the audience in song. “I’m really just trying to be happy and live my life. I don’t want to have a wasted day of not feeling good or spending time with people I don’t want to spend time with, or people that don’t appreciate me.”

Episodes like this show why, despite the fan backlash and her frustrating tendencies, Kyle remains at the core of RHOBH. She may not be as bombastic as Vicki Gunvalson or as multifaceted as Luann de Lesseps, but Kyle’s a force of her own.

It’s not often I leave a Housewives episode in such somber reflection, but it’s a welcome reprieve. Next week, Crystal finally activates against Annemarie after a season-long slumber. Will it be enough to save her cracked diamond?