‘RHOSLC’ RECAP: Monica Garcia Went From Jen Shah’s Loyal Minion to Backstabber, Teamed Up With Feds To Destroy Former Friend!

‘RHOSLC’ RECAP: Monica Garcia Went From Jen Shah’s Loyal Minion to Backstabber, Teamed Up With Feds To Destroy Former Friend!

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 kicks off with a dramatically charged cold open, soon juxtaposed with a hilariously complex scene-setting sequence. In a forthcoming episode set in Bermuda, Heather Gay discreetly answers a phone call. “Hey, what did you find out?” she inquires.

The conversation escalates, “Are you kidding me right now? Shut the fuck up. I’m trembling, I cannot believe it’s her. How could she do this to us? I’m freaking the fuck out!” Suddenly, producers rush into Heather’s room, but she promptly shoos them away. Heather’s voiceover resonates, asking, “How did we all fall for it?” While viewers are left in the dark about the context, it’s evident the editors have more intrigue up their sleeves.

The episode truly begins with Lisa Barlow in a frenzy, orchestrating her upcoming Sundance Film Festival party with just a 30-minute window to pull it off. However, that hustle pales in comparison to the emotional weight of her son, Jack, contemplating a hiatus from college to embark on a two-year Christian mission. On the other hand, Heather has treated herself to a lavish new McMansion and expanded her ventures by inaugurating a second Beauty Lab outlet. Setting aside the tension from the previous season, Whitney Rose and Heather are giving their relationship a fresh start, at least for the time being.

Meredith Marks pays Heather a visit at her new home and Heather confides in Meredith about her recent meeting with Whitney, aiming to reconcile. She characterizes their conversation as somewhat ambiguous but ultimately optimistic. After Whitney’s public ridicule of Meredith and Seth’s intimate bath — painting it as unsettling and unhygienic, Meredith has decided she wants to distance herself from Whitney entirely. 

Meredith, in a whimsical Betty Boop-like voice, recounts Whitney’s words to Heather, leaving Heather uncertain whether Meredith’s jesting or genuinely livid. Given Meredith’s nature, it’s undoubtedly genuine ire. “You don’t go after my marriage. You don’t go after my bathtub. I mean, the only thing she left out was my children!” Meredith says.

The vibrant return of Mary Cosby is finally upon us. She reunites with Meredith over lunch. Mary seeks insights from Meredith regarding the altered group dynamics in her absence from the previous season. When the conversation veers towards Jen Shah, Meredith dismisses it with a nonchalant air. 

“Jen said she’s guilty and she’s going to serve her time,” Mary says. “Everyone can start healing and moving forward now.”

Angie Katsanevas and Lisa meet up with newcomer, Monica Garcia, for lunch. Angie makes an entrance attempting to channel her inner Kim Kardashian, donning a rather audacious pair of shield sunglasses but fails miserably. In contrast, her friend, Monica is refreshingly genuine, presenting a stark departure from the affected airs. Monica is Jen Shah’s former friend and emphasizes her relationship with the current jail bird.

The rest of the women recognize Monica Garcia, as one of Jen’s numerous past assistants. Monica reveals that during her tenure, Jen approached her with a shady business proposition. Concerned, Monica confided in a friend from the Secret Service about the matter, who advised her to distance herself from Jen, ominously predicting her incarceration.

“So, Jen had fired her assistant and I stepped in to help her. One night Jen asked me, ‘Do you wanna be rich? Do you wanna make $600,000 a year? All you have to do is put this, this, and this in your name,’” claims Monica Garcia.

Sure enough, within two months, Jen was taken into custody. “And that was how I became a witness with the federal government in her trial,” Monica says.

Monica is spilling all of Jen’s dirt in talking head confessionals. She reveals that Jen would grow bored of conversing with Lisa, often handing the phone to Monica to endure the chatter. Additionally, she discloses that Jen never had a kind word for Heather. “It is so crazy hearing them portray these perfect lives,” Monica cryptically says, “All their dark secrets are very heavy on my mind.”

But here’s the twist: with no direct line to Jen (unless carrier pigeons count?), she can’t exactly clap back at Monica’s juicy tales. So, Monica’s now the queen bee, buzzing around and spewing any honey she likes, citing Jen as her source. No referees, no red flags, just Monica playing a game of “Blame It On Jen.” Watch out world, unchecked gossip is afoot!

As Heather lays out her “new beginnings” brunch spread and Mary preps for her grand re-debut, I’m left utterly distracted. Why, you ask? Because those snow-capped mountains in the backdrop are serving some major winter wonderland vibes. Who cares about mimosas and awkward reintroductions when nature’s icy frosting is stealing the show? Talk about a scene-stealer!

While the room buzzes with brunch chitchat, Lisa’s eyes go wide as saucers at the sight of Mary. She takes a trip down memory lane, chuckling to herself about that knee-slapping text she once got from the pastor. 

“Mary and I didn’t really leave things bad … but the last text message I got from Mary wasn’t exactly nice,” Lisa says in a confessional before reading the message from her phone. “Lisa, you’re the biggest idiot. You’re a black widow. You are the biggest liar in Utah. You’ll kill people with your nasty tequila. You remind me of a witch. You evil person. You’re not interesting. You’re a horrible human being.” On the other hand, Mary is happy to see Lisa and even compliments Lisa’s stylish coat, “I like her coat.”

Mary doesn’t miss a beat, immediately diving into the drama surrounding Jen Shah’s fraud arrest by checking in on Heather. Much like Meredith, Heather downplays the once-tight bond she shared with Jen for multiple seasons, describing it as a boundary-less relationship that was more burden than benefit. She admits feeling a sense of relief with Jen’s absence. 

Meredith takes a moment to pull Lisa aside, hinting that she’s prepared to bury the hatchet. Lisa, with a look of sheer relief painted on her face, seems eager to break free from the chains of their long-standing feud. She later shares with us, “I would miss me too.”

Whitney finds herself in the crosshairs when she and Heather attempt a light-hearted jest about a ketamine allegation previously mentioned at the reunion. While Whitney didn’t actually voice the claim, Meredith suggests she’d heard rumors that Whitney was the origin. This revelation clearly catches Whitney off guard. “I have never said that you did ketamine,” Whitney says.

As the group gathers, Meredith takes the opportunity to address Whitney directly about a topic that’s been bothering her: the bathtub comment. “It was a dig on my marriage and a dig on my bathtub,” Meredith tells her. Whitney replies, “Meredith, I know you won’t get into a bath that’s not immaculate. You could probably eat a dinner off of your bathtub. Okay?”

As the episode winds down, the ladies trade their verbal jabs for snowball ones. Lisa chimes in, saying she prefers her snowballs packed with cream and wrapped in cellophane from the gas station. Meanwhile, Mary, in peak Mary fashion, watches the snowy shenanigans from inside — probably pondering the fashion implications of wet wool. It’s all icy projectiles and giggles but this isn’t just a snowball fight, it’s a frosty group therapy session! Everyone’s letting out seasons of pent-up drama. Who needs a therapist when you have snow? And as the snow settles, it becomes clear that this playful fight is symbolic – a chance for everyone to cleanse, reset, and start anew.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Tuesday nights, at 9:00pm EDT, on Bravo.

 

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