Summer House Unveiled: Female Friendships Take Center Stage in a Tale of True Bonds - lulu

Last night’s finale of Summer House was a doozy.

The summer ended the same way it began — Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke at odds. While there were many moments of levity, every episode seemingly centered around at least one of the romantic relationships.

Whether it was Kyle not considering Amanda’s desire to dial back on Loverboy, Ciara and West wanting different things, and the infamous demise of RadHouse, each episode proved that the couples were not on solid ground.

Conversely, for the first time in many seasons, the girls were.

Lindsay and Carl

I thought the house did a great job of rallying around both Lindsay and Carl while they navigated their relationship. Beyond Gabby Prescod, most of the ladies didn’t take sides one way or another. They were an ear and soundboard for the couple.

This was made even more evident following the three days post filming.

Danielle Olivera hosted the girls over to her apartment to discuss the aftermath of Lindsay and Carl’s breakup.

Amanda Batula, Paige DeSorbo, and Ciara Miller all thought the split was for the best and saw the signs a mile away. Yet, this didn’t stop them from being empathic to their costar.

*cough, VPR girlies, cough*

In an exclusive interview with Glamour, Lindsay spoke to how critical it was to have the support of the ladies in the house.

“Having those girls and their support last summer was just so helpful. Especially towards the last two weeks of the season when I could not understand what was going on with Carl, the girls were just so incredible and validating,” Lindsay began.

“I think they were more open and gave me more of a judgment-free space to share my feelings, and emotions without feeling like I’m going to get attacked.”

In case you missed it, last season Danielle and Lindsay were at odds over Carl not including Danielle in his proposal plans. Danielle voiced her apprehension about how quickly the pair were moving, which Lindsay received as Danielle’s lack of support. For additional context, Danielle and Carl previously dated, adding additional nuance to the conversation.

Ultimately, the ladies sided with Danielle – causing a divide in the house.

However, Lindsay was met with a different energy from the women this season.

“I was just happy that this year, they actually asked questions and they listened,” Lindsay said during the same Glamour interview.

“I think they saw, ‘Oh, well, maybe not everything is Lindsay’s fault all the time.’ So, it was really nice to have that safe space to be able to share my emotions,” Hubbard concluded.

It was such an impactful moment watching all the girls, even with their respective pasts with Lindsay, support her in her time of need.

Paige even jokingly quipped that the breakup was due to her being excluded from the wedding guest list.

Amanda and Kyle

Paige and Ciara were very vocal about Amanda needing to have an identity outside of Kyle and Loverboy.

Set to the backdrop of an Old Navy, Amanda voiced her desire for more creative outlets in her life. Amanda also revealed her finances alone kept Loverboy afloat in the beginning since Kyle poured himself and his savings into getting his business off the ground.

Now, that is is, Amanda wants to fly in her own right.

If Kyle wasn’t going to entertain it, her friends sure were.

Paige and Ciara blew up at Kyle over his insensitivity to Amanda’s wants (like settling down and having children outside of the city.) The bestie duo found Kyle to be immature and condescending in his reasoning for Amanda staying full-time as creative director.

Ciara and West

Every girl needs a Paige DeSorbo in their lives, and Ciara is lucky enough to have one. Paige was Ciara’s number one advocate in the West Wilson of it all. During episode 12, Rocking the Boat, Paige and West had a sit down surrounding his intentions.

Jury is out if it helped or not (the reunion will shed a light if they are still together.)

Final Thoughts

Summer House gave us what we desperately wish Vanderpump Rules had. The ladies still had drama among themselves but it was fleeting and infantile when real issues arise. You don’t have to agree with your friends all the time, but true friends are there despite it. That’s what makes reality tv so interesting to watch. Its real people, trying to navigate real life. It doesn’t look pretty and it doesn’t make sense. But it’s relatable.

Just like in our lives, where no cameras are rolling, sometimes there is no happy ending. But thank goodness you have your friends by your side to make it a little easier.

What are your final thoughts from this season?