Real Housewives of New York Recap: Ramona Gets Ramonational When Confronted by The Gals [Episode 11]

 

We are welcomed back to the Berkshires with a house full of hungover housewives. Kristen, of course, has her game face on and looks like a bucket full of sunshine.  How? What? Wow. Sonja reflects on the night before and her 30 year friendship with Ramona. She feels awful to have been manipulated. As the women are creaking and moaning, Kristen is outside with the yoga master getting ready for their session.  The conversation in the house turns back to getting even with Ramona, Sonja wants a piece of that action.  The yoga session isn’t bringing the peace of mind it should, as Sonja is gassy and joking about it. Carole is annoyed as Kristen joins the “pass the gas” game.  Earlier Carole commented about the group being bonded over Ramona’s manipulation.  It shows. They’ve never been so friendly toward one another.

 

Back in the city, Carole is having her make up done for a photo shoot for Bella Magazine to discuss her book tour. Carole is also writing a Town and Country article on manners. I know. It’s a thing. It’s really happening. I had to pause the dvr so that I wouldn’t miss the rest of the show while laughing. Carole is beginning to remind me of SITC’s Carrie Bradshaw. Carrie’s column was something I never took seriously as part of the show. The other characters felt authentic in their occupational roles, but Carrie’s column, for me, was a gimmick – running commentary of her jacked up love life, or the jacked up love lives of her friends, but never anything I thought that anyone would read, even in the serialized version of such an amazing city.

Countess Lu calls while Carole is in the makeup artist’s chair and decides to ask Lu to stop by so she can ask] for tips for her T&C article.  And again, I’m laughing. Does LuAnn get a co-writer credit for this? Carole, who publicly shamed LuAnn over designer duds is now seeking her help about manners. Time does heal some wounds.  They are getting along so well that the Countess is thinking of a great guy she can use as a set up for Carole.

There is taking candy from a baby and there’s Heather.  Kristen and Heather are meeting in central park with Kristen’s son, Cash.  Heather asks if she can have some ice cream and actually EATS some of it.  They drag Cash into their Ramona-centered conversation asking him if he knows he’s not supposed to throw anything.  He’s annoyed and says that his mother tells him that all the time.  I’m enjoying the funny scene of Heather actually eating a little of the poor kid’s ice cream. I’m enjoying the city as a central character on the show.  I’m just in love with the architecture.  What I’m not enjoying is the constant discussion about Ramona. How do you make a housewife the queen bitch of the show? Keep talking about her. LET IT GO, people. I’d tell you what they’re saying, but it’s exactly what they’ve said in every scene for the last two episodes or so.

 

While the use of the word “intervention” is disturbing in connection to this planned confrontation, what’s more disturbing is the way these women go about it. I believe every bit of Ramona’s story, that her father was abusive, that her family was dysfunctional, that she still relives some of those days. I don’t believe she has been sufficiently remorseful, at this point.  She has had too much life experience to fault someone else for her actions. Having said that, the “get Ramona” attitude is insane – it is the grown up version of “mean girls,” minus the clever plots. They decide to literally trap Ramona in the booth so that she can’t get away from the table. Lu jokes that Ramona won’t get past her, because she’s like a linebacker for the 49ers (Didn’t Ramona call her a linebacker last week?)  This behavior is beneath these women. Marginalize Ramona and move on.  

Lu talks with Sonja about meeting Ben the one time in the Hamptons and uses it to segue to Ramona’s Great Big Hampton’s adventure at Molly Sim’s party. There is a lot of cross talk, yelling, and accusations. Carole is offended when Sonja keeps referring to “her” instead of using her name. Ramona thinks they should all just say what they mean and mean what they say instead of starting frivolous arguments. Ramona shuts down at some point and then comes back stating that her tears were real, she told them that the Berkshires were too much like upstate NY with her family.  Ramona is literally trying to push her way past LuAnn.  She’s yelling, they are yelling back at her, the patrons are turning and looking. The staff looks stunned. 

Ramona eventually admits that she was completely wrong.  She needs to make amends.  In her TH she mentions that she would have said anything to make them shut up.  It’s a clusterbang and my head hurts.  Licensed clinical psychiatry/social work is not in the futures of anyone at that table. Thank goodness they did one smart thing.  They didn’t have poor Kristen sitting there with them.

 

We’re back with Kristen and Josh. We see that Kingsley has a therapist who visits 3 days a week to help her develop the strength she needs to walk. Josh admits that he would rather be at work.  Kristen wants him there to try to motivate Kingsley. Josh is actually complaining to the therapist that he’s there because his wife is “busting his chops”  and that he’s there despite the fact that it’s hard for him to find two hours out of his day for this stuff. WTF?  The NY version of Vicki Gunvalson checks his emails while “watching” the session. He even takes a phone call. 

The couple argues in front of the seemingly uncomfortable therapist. Sad. The arguing gets worse when the therapist leaves. Kristen tries to convince Josh that he’ll miss the moments he’s not spending with the children when they’re older, even if he gets up with the kids (4 -6 days a week).  At some point she does what she seems to do quite often in talking with him, she begins crying and he tells her to not get emotional.   He must have a lot of money. Why would anyone put up with this guy?  She later tells him she wants him to do something romantic on occasion, and he tells Kristen he’d like the same from her.  He doesn’t come home that often because there is never food on the table. He must have a VAULT full of money. Dear Josh, keep in mind that Karma is not a bitch; she slays bitches and you might be at that top of her list. No food on the table?  Not worried about what the kids are eating when you stay away?  I get impression that he could afford to hire a chef for the family.  He could at least pick food up on the way home several times a week. However many zeroes are resting comfortably in his bank account could never be enough, for me.

If it’s not sad enough, Kingsley is crying and they continue with the arguing.

 

Ramona is working out with her one roller prominently displayed (also on display is a bottle of pinot, sitting at a table in the bedroom).  Mario comes in and the roller mysteriously flies from Ramona’s head to the floor.  He jokes with her about drinking wine instead of water when she tells him the wine was for him.  She puts the roller back in place and proceeds with a little whine of her own <— like how I did that?  It’s an art form!  She tells him about the dinner.  I can’t tell if Mario is amused or if he’s totally checked out.  I can’t gauge his facial expression when Ramona mentions their successful marriage and I also can’t tell if his slight recoil when Ramona kisses him is because he doesn’t want her to touch him or if he’s just not use to her being affectionate.  It was a strange scene.

 

The interstitial is of Sonja planning a dinner party and the interns looking dazed and confused.  What it must be like working in that house with her.

LuAnn and Jacques bring along Nick Gregory (an actor, ex All My Children, ex Another World) who is the set-up for Carole. She mentions that she talks too much when she’s nervous and it’s the first thing I’ve found endearing about her because she really is awkward. I’m in good company. Countess Lu thinks the same, before adding that she expects Carole to get better as she dates more –  noting that she can’t get any worse.

 

From fun to foolishness: Ramona and Kristen meet to talk, as requested by Ramona – who apologizes and says that she’s embarrassed by her behavior and repeats that she’s really sorry. I’ve never heard Ramona apologize repeatedly. Ramona even gives her flowers. I don’t know what to think. Kristen wants Ramona to know that it’s the first time she’s had anyone throw anything at her.  In a turn I didn’t see coming, Kristen asks Ramona if she is drinking too much, if she was drunk when she threw the glass, etc. WHOA! She asks one question that I find to be legitimate.  Is Kristen the only person toward whom she feels aggression. Ramona was as wrong as two left shoes to throw that glass, but I am surprised at Kristen’s lack of grace at this point. If the point is to meet and let Ramona know there is no forgiveness without her seeking counseling for her issues, I could understand that, but anything else was a waste of time for both women – and for the audience.