Real Housewives of New York Recap: ‘Unforgivable Debt’ [Episode 8]

Sonja is hosting an afternoon luncheon for Aviva and Ramona at her “borrowed” S. Hampton home. We know it is borrowed because Bravo puts that caption up every time it is featured, as opposed to “Sonja’s Friend’s House.” Aviva wants to know if the bartender is single and points out that Sonja has great legs, not exactly her thing – she points out about herself. I’m a fan of dark humor so I get it. I also like the dynamic between the three women so it is disappointing when Ramona says she is not doing well due to the heat and an early morning run. Sonja feels something is wrong while Aviva tries to convince her that Ramona loves her and all is fine. I think Sonja should follow her instincts since we see, in what appears to be the same day, Ramona, Countess Lu and Carole touring a designer show house.

Lu and Carole reflect on the “Ramona-ness” (Lu’s term) they endure when Ramona actually peels the peel-and-stick wallpaper, which probably costs as much as my family’s annual clothing budget, simply because she wants to test it – thinking it would look great in Avery’s dorm. Ramona stands in the doorway as Lu and Carole marvel at the melamine plates – which Lu remarks are light enough to fly as frisbees…so Ramona flies one into the pool and it sinks. You just can’t make this stuff up! In her TH Carole refers to it as a designer show house not a frat house.

 

We get to the heart of the gathering. The women begin to discuss Sonja’s financial issues. Ramona, who in a TH states that she doesn’t enjoy being around a crabby Sonja, spills what she knows – including that Sonja (at that time) was being required to sell her home to pay her debts. Lu is surprised that Ramona is spilling. Are we not surprised that she is surprised? Sonja going broke must be a nightmare, for Ramona, who acts as if Sonja’s money woes are communicable.

Kristen, Heather and their families spend a nice afternoon together. They are joined by Carole and I begin to cringe thinking there will be more Aviva conversation but the focus is Sonja’s debt and the wives’ perceived betrayal of Sonja by Ramona. Ms. Ramona has done herself no favors by focusing so publicly on Sonja’s problems rather than her own.

 

After a flash of the Naked Cowboy’s happy backside, we see that Kristen is back in the city. Work is slow so Kristen, who has been modeling since roughly age 16, is looking for agency that wills take on someone her age – and since she looks at least 10 years younger, it’s shocking to learn that she has been at it for 25 years. I think the fact that Josh treats her like a 20-something kid makes her seem younger as well. She gets a douchey response about having good mileage on her but NYC agencies are trending younger and she should consider secondary markets (Chicago, Milwaukee, Atlanta). Since she can’t model, wants no more children, or to go back to school, acting seems to be the next step (maybe).

Next we see “Veevs” and Lu together at a wine tasting in the Hamptons. They taste a wine flavored with grapefruit that Lu says is too tart for her and that Aviva says is too acidic – like urine. The server is not amused. Lu is not horrified. I have to wonder if Aviva says it for maximum shock value since I hardly think it is an informed comparison. Ramona and Sonja join them. Lu lets the house sale slip and Sonja lets them know that she is not giving up. So Lu spends her TH knocking the toaster oven and home goods lines that have not come to fruition while Ramona rolls her eyes as Sonja explains the new plans. Aviva recommends a sex toy line (which I think would suit Sonja more than ATL’s Kandi, but there is room for both). As they take things outside things turn dark and Lu is told that she’s seen as too neutral. She feels she’s being attacked and calls Sonja a bitch.

 

Sonja does, sadly, seem to be all over the place and speaks about a yellow and white diamond collection, a clothing line, kitchen accessories, and it’s hard to watch because Sonja has been a ray of light on this show and she seems so lost. You stay wealthy by hanging on to your money but it is hard for me to believe that her friends haven’t rallied and helped her in some way – launch her line, as Heather tried to do several seasons ago – tanked by outside interference. Who will send the shark attorneys to help her? She’s getting lots of criticism, but very little real support.

Heather and Carole are in the city eating pizza & drinking beer and tequila while talking about Heather’s battle with the Spanx brand (haven’t followed it but I gotta say that on the face of it I’m #TeamHeather). Carole admits she edits people’s wikipedia pages when she’s bored. They are laughing and having a good time when Carole is asked to furbaby sit by her neighbor, who joins them for shot and a discussion about her desire for a facelift….ok!

Back in the city we see Ramona at Sonja’s whose laundry hangs in the shower as if washed by hand and whose toilets are being cleaned by her own hands -no maid service or care while away. Ramona wants to give her a wake up call. She wants Sonja to be realistic and find a nice place she can go to if things go south. Sonja feels that Ramona is not being sisterly but coming from a place of fear – the angels are on her side and she is off to light an “abundance candle.”

 

Daddy Harry visits son Harrison for fajita night before he goes away to co-ed sleepaway camp. Aviva’s younger children don’t like “daddy Harry” because he tickles them when he sees them (though they laugh uncontrollably, later, when he does it). This family has it right. The adults get along and the kids are loved and cared for by everyone. It may please you to know that mild-mannered Reid is the person who crosses the line. Despite the fact that Aviva says anything goes in her house, neither she nor Harry are amused when Reid warns against sneaking off to the girls bunks to play at night and Harrison thinks it sounds ideal.

 

In the rest of the episode we see:

• Sonja stood up by boy toy Ben.
• Carole pranks Lu, Kristen, and Heather with a fake engagement announcement and fake ring.
• Carole wants to renovate her apartment. She wants to turn her kitchen into an office since she never uses it other than to toast bread or English muffins.

During a spa visit:

• Ramona flips on Sonja and tells her Ben is too young. She then admits she called a friend of Ben’s mother. She strangely calls the relationship between Sonja and Ben incestuous.
• Ramona flips on Kristen who says Ramona is a meddler. Ramona responds by slut-shaming Sonja and says she thinks between her legs instead of with her head. When Kristen calls her jealous, Ramona throws her drink on her but later calls Kristen a bitch for splashing water on her fresh blowout.

 

Watching Sonja’s life fall apart is not fun. Watching Ramona make things harder for her and take what happiness she has is even less fun. True to form, Ramona tries to make it all Kristen’s fault. Sonja has the best line of the night: Ramona threw pinot on Kristen and took penis away from her. Kristen comes in second telling us that she teaches her kids not to hit or throw and that Ramona must have missed that lesson 65 years ago . Ouch!

 

If you think this episode was bad, the previews tell us things get worse.