#RHOP RECAP: Ashley Darby Has to Choose Between Her Husband And Her Mother!

Welcome back to The Real Housewives of Potomac. There’s some real healing going on this week. People are in therapy, making apologies, lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down, like they usually do. However short this break is, it’s nice to see it.

We begin with Candiace and Chris at their home the day after Monique’s shin-dig. Candiace is still put out with her man for acting like a drunk frat boy, but must act like everything’s fine. Her overbearing mother/landlord/business partner, Dorothy is visiting – which she apparently does often. Over breakfast, Dorothy explains her vision for the wedding involves walking Candiace down the aisle. Dorothy is not bossy, according to Dorothy, she’s just extremely suffocating lovingly involved.

Next we check in with Monique who still has a house full of people and still has no nanny. She tells everyone that Robyn has a problem with her over a snarky meme. Monique explains she would never pay someone to make a fan page and post bad things about Robyn when she can do it for free. Umm, was that a confession?

Across town, Robyn stops by Gizelle’s home to see how her weekend in The Hamptons went. After hearing what a total success Gizelle was, Robyn tells her what she missed at Monique’s party and how “her friend Ashley” acted like a bossy fool. Gizelle blames herself for leaving town for one day to become a makeup mogul. She vows to fix this.

Later in the week, Gizelle meets up with her ghost writer, Courtney. She informs Gizelle there’s interest in a book about her humiliating divorce. Gizelle was first lady, married to a cheating pastor. She claims to know all the secrets of the black church, where the closets are and who’s in them, but says she has no intention of jeopardizing the father of her three kids. Too late.

Yay it’s therapy time! It must be a Bravo requirement that one Real Housewife at all times be in therapy. Today we are with Ashley for her session. Ashley explains that her husband is unhappy with always paying for her mom. We learn that when Ashley was 4 her mother left her with her grandparents to go live with a boyfriend. It pains Ashley to admit her mother puts men first. As a result, Ashley doesn’t know how to let others do for her because she’s always had to do for herself. Ashley’s therapist tells her she is enough.

Next, Gizelle and Karen are meeting at a restaurant. Gizelle says her intentions are about making amends, but really it’s about her upcoming book reading. When Karen arrives, Gizelle is full of compliments and admits wearing that tee-shirt was tacky. At first Gizelle thought it was funny to make fun of someone else’s bad fortune, but then saw the error of her ways. Hallelujah. Karen orders the most expensive items off the menu plus champagne, but eventually forgives Gizelle.

Now for the real reason for the “apology.” Gizelle invites Karen to a garden party she’s having at her house to announce her new “fictional” book about her life. Karen is shocked. Does Gizelle think people are so dumb they won’t know who she’s talking about? Gizelle says she’s not powerful enough to take down a church, only Jesus can do that. She tells Karen that after her book reading, Gizelle wants to help the ladies put back the fun in dysfunction.

Up next, Monique and Chris visit the home of Pastor Chad and First Lady Gladys. Over coffee, Monique shares that she and Chris suffered a miscarriage recently. Due to their non-stop lifestyle, she has not dealt with the loss. Chris says Monique has not even cried yet. Pastor Chad explains that when you stretch yourself too thin, you’re no longer working on purpose, you’re working on passion – and passion cannot sustain you. Can I get an amen!

Candiace’s sister stops by to help with the family hair business. Mom made the initial investment she earned from being a successful therapist. Candiace wishes her mom would see her for the entrepreneur she is and not as the 12 year old who needs money from her mommy for just about everything.

Time for Gizelle’s book reading party! The ladies were told to wear their Sunday best, but some of the ladies don’t know what that means. Robyn, Charrisse, Karen, Ashley, and Monique are all there to listen to the excerpt about, Ginger Williams, the first lady and her cheating pastor husband who runs the fastest growing church in D.C. Gizelle fully admits she can’t write – and now we know she can’t read either. When she finishes, Karen lets her know that it sounds too much like Gizelle’s actual life. Ashley is intrigued and wants to read it – because it makes her life sound not so bad.

Gizelle then tells the ladies they are sitting at the “table of positivity” and no one is having fun anymore, least of all the viewers. Gizelle points her finger at Robyn and Ashely. Robyn is more interested in her plate of food, but Ashley says she’s been going through therapy and has learned she’s projecting her mom’s issues onto Robyn. With a mouthful of food, Robyn screams at Ashley, “What is the issue? What have I done to you?” The short answer is nothing.

Since Gizelle is losing control of her table of positivity, the other ladies take a stab. Karen says she’s glad Ashley is getting the help she so desperately needs. Charrisse says that Robyn is going to live her life so Ashley needs to let it go and live hers. Next to take the blame for making them such downers are Monique and Robyn. Poor Robyn, it’s just not her day, no matter how good the food is. Robyn says Monique goes from 0 to 100. Monique doesn’t like it when people question how she spends her husband’s money. The two makeup. This makes Ashley realize she’s the mean girl of the group so she quickly apologizes to Robyn, too.

Next we join Ashley at home as she prepares to have a sit down with her mother. Her mom says, “Spit it out, chile.” Once Ashley says Michael feels she puts her mom first, Ashley’s mom is like, Who cares what Michael thinks. Ashley hands her mother a checklist on how to give herself a life-makeover. Ashley then asks her mom to get rid of the boyfriend, even though she has a half-sister from this dude still living in the house. Ashley’s mom won’t. She needs him. But her mom takes the “homework” and leaves with kisses and good wishes.

Tune in next week when Ashley is told by Michael yet again to cut off her mom or else, and Candiace is called out by the women for letting her mom pay for everything.

 

“Like” us on Facebook  “Follow” us on Twitter and on Instagram