From afar, we’re fabulous. But up close, we’re a total mess.” Bingo, Jessel. On this episode of The Real Housewives of New York City, Jessel’s birthday party forces the group to come back together after the debacle out east. While Ubah and Racquel bond, Erin feels like her friendship with Jenna is fading…all thanks to Brynn.
Sai and her hubby, David, are out shopping for their garden in hopes of saving money on organic groceries. Sai got a new house upstate two years ago where her family spends summers and weekends… and what’s a country home without a garden?!
Sai talks about her aunt coming to visit and states this aunt is more like a mom to her. Speaking of her mother, Sai has decided to get her mom’s ashes out of the box and honor her in a way that she deserves. After much therapy, Sai has chosen now to handle her mother’s death, since she is in a more peaceful place. Sai thinks she will put her mom in an urn and take her upstate, but her husband’s plan is better. He suggests Sai take some of the ashes and plant them with a tree to honor her memory.
Pavit is rocking his AI glasses and Jessel interrupts his working to talk about planning her birthday party. The theme of this party is Clueless, and Pavit is clueless about this movie, since he has never seen it. Jessel always wanted Cher’s glamorous life, and so she will be rocking different looks from the movie throughout the party. Jessel rattles off the things she has to do and Pavit does little to nothing to assist.
Jenna is realizing her son is leaving the nest soon and so she has decided to busy herself with work. She is now a chief editor at large for Coveteur, an online fashion magazine, and she is thrilled to be back in the photo shoot aspect of fashion. Jenna wears many hats, job-wise, but it’s nice to see her shining in this role.
Racquel pays a visit to Ubah’s home in hopes of getting to know each other a little better. Ubah shows off some paintings that she has done and Racquel calls her an artist. In Racquel’s opinion, there is “no bad art.” Ubah talks about the American flag painting she did and the freedom that this country has. America is a land of opportunity in Ubah’s eyes.
Ubah goes on to share how her modeling career began in Canada before she broke into New York. It was particularly hard to model back then because, as Ubah explains, every agent had only one black girl. Racquel and Ubah bond over how modeling gave them tough skin.
Then the subject changes to the Hamptons. Ubah talks about how condescending Brynn is, especially when Brynn told Ubah she could be edited as an angry black woman. Ubah feels like Brynn was manipulating her and setting her up. Ubah is not ready to have that conversation with Brynn, despite Racquel’s best efforts.
Upstate, we get a glimpse into Sai’s home, which she has been renovating. Sai is there now with her entire family, including her aunt and the ashes of her mother. The plan is to scatter the ashes and plant a tree so that Sai can be with her mother outdoors in nature, the place she loved best. Sai relies on her aunt to open the ashes and put the ashes (with her bare hands) into the dirt hole. It’s a wild experience holding the ashes and they burn some sage as they pay tribute to Sai’s mom. In a lighter moment, everyone laughs when they realize Sai’s aunt is wiping her ashy hands on everyone.
Jessel rolls up to Alice and Olivia with Erin and Brynn. After some shopping, Erin talks about how Sai and Jenna seem like they are besties all of a sudden. Erin is going through such a hard time and yet Jenna has not reached out to her one time. Erin does not like how Jenna has time to hang out with Sai, who at one point told “all of NYC” that she hated Jenna, yet cannot pick up the phone to check on Erin.
Brynn claims that Ubah has been “crazy.” She goes on to mock Ubah, which is not a good look. Brynn feels like Sai needs to apologize to her, as well, and refers to Sai as a “miserable troll that lives under the Brooklyn Bridge.”
It’s the day of Jessel’s Clueless party and she cannot wait for all of her outfit changes. Jenna dressed as Cher’s dad is everything and she really leans into this role. She’s got the (big) fake cell phone glued to her ear and is serving everyone paperwork based on actions from the season thus far.
Jessel says that Pavit has not shared a plan for her actual birthday. According to Pavit, he hates Hallmark holidays, but alas, a birthday is a birth day, so he really should step up for his wife.
Brynn sits with Jenna and gives big mean girl vibes as she hates on Jessel’s looks and calls the party a production. Brynn also threatens Jenna about her new forming friendships and warns her to be careful of Sai. As Erin watches them from afar, she tells Sai that Jenna “annoys the f*ck out of her.” Erin is noticing that Jenna is not an actual friend to her and so, Erin is no longer interested in having a friendship with Jenna. Ubah joins Erin and Sai as they discuss the friendship that is not reciprocated.
Brynn seems to be on everyone’s list, even Rebecca’s. She is weirded out by Brynn pressuring her to drink and Brynn refers to her as a “buzz kill-boner killer” who is so boring. I guess it’s a good thing that Brynn is leaving the party early for a spray tan. Yep. You read that right. Jessel is less than pleased by this move.
I have to assume Abe had one too many Mezcals since he has decided to insert himself right in the middle of the Jenna/Erin situation. He mentions some “unresolved tension” between the ladies and Jenna is surprised and perplexed by this notion. Jenna refuses to break character as she discusses this with Abe- she holds tight to that damn phone…
In the meantime, Erin, I-Don’t-Care-About-Jenna-But-I-Won’t-Stop-Talking-About-Our-Changed-Friendship, continues to tell the group that she just feels differently about Jenna. Racquel wonders why Erin is not telling his to Jenna directly.
Jenna makes her way over to Erin and outright asks if she is ok. Although Erin claims that she is fine, she goes on to say that she does not want to be close to Jenna anymore. Erin says it was a rough year and she was hoping Jenna would have reciprocated the kindness and friendship she extended to her over the past year.
Erin feels like Brynn essentially ruined her friendship with Jenna by embellishing stories (hello, Uber!) and she is disappointed in Jenna for believing Brynn’s versions of events. Erin believes that Brynn was getting jealous of her friendship with Jenna, noticed that Jenna was gaining popularity, and saw an opportunity to break up Jenna and Erin’s friendship. That’s Erin’s side. Jenna admits that she’s not the best with the phone, but after realizing how needy Erin seems to be, she will be a better friend, which is all Erin wanted. Now, can someone tell me why out of all of Jessel’s outfit changes, not one looked like it came from the movie Clueless?!?
