The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - Reunion Part Three

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The last installment of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion” started immediately where part two left off – discussing Russell Armstrong’s death.   We saw a repeat of the last few items host Andy Cohen asked Taylor and the end of part two (Russell was in severe financial trouble, and now she is because they were still married.  Andy asked her about a business associate of Russell’s that also committed suicide in the days following Russell’s death.  Taylor said she has no idea what the link is, but it would make her feel better to know that his death was at the hands of someone else as opposed to her husband being in such despair that he took his own life).  Then the million-dollar question was asked; did Taylor think there was a possibility that this could be a murder?  I don’t know if this was her actual reaction or if editing made it seem this way, but the expression on her face (one could call it a grin or a smirk) when she replied that “we’re gonna have to stop” made me very uneasy.   It’s not the facial expression I would have expected to see, but I don’t want to rush to judgment because I don’t know if it was edited to look that way.  Taylor discovered his body, so Andy asked her what her gut feeling was.  She said that Russell was such a tough person that she finds it hard to believe that someone could convince him to do it without there being signs of a struggle.  Then they discussed part of the book where Taylor says Russell used to spy on her by planting recording devices around the house.  She recalls how he even went so far as to make her take a polygraph once to prove that she wasn’t having “relationships” with people.  Taylor went on to recount an instance where Russell attacked her and some of her friends (who had showed concern for her and offered her assistance to leave her marriage) which involved him throwing people in the pool and holding Taylor under water to the point that she almost drown.  Russell wasn’t prosecuted for it because Taylor asked them not to (she didn’t want to be left without money to care for Kennedy).   A viewer question called Taylor out on saying that Camille “exaggerated” what she told her about Russell’s abuse.   Taylor said it was the difference between a broken jaw versus a dislocated one.  Brandi said that after her party in Malibu she decided to stay away from the whole Taylor-Russell situation because it didn’t make sense to her, Russell wasn’t here to defend himself and it creeps her out.  Camille agreed.  Brandi genuinely tried to apologize to Taylor for her snarky comments about the book but Taylor wasn’t having it, insisting that Brandi started it.  Taylor did apologize to Brandi in return for the tire-slashing comments, but it was not even on the same spectrum as sincere.  I don’t know if Taylor was just emotionally raw from all of the questions about Russell or if there was something really personal going on between she and Brandi, but there was definitely a nasty vibe.  Another viewer question asked if the reason Taylor finally left Russell had to do with the housewives “kicking her out of their group”.  Taylor went on to explain that when she was told she had an “orbital floor blowout”, would need reconstructive surgery and could have lost her eye is when she decided to leave.  Taylor concluded that she was ok with discussing everything because she has a lot of remorse – from dragging her friends in to her troubles, for her husbands death, for letting Kennedy live in a dangerous situation – and she is trying to dust her self and move on. 

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Joining the ladies next was Dana Wilkey (otherwise know to Kim as “Pam” at game night).  She said she was “classing it up” but I’m hoping that she was being sarcastic with shoes that had a diamond encrusted middle finger on them and say “f**k you” on the wedge.  That’s not super classy in my book.  We see a clip package of Dana highlights from the season - $25,000 sunglass, her Valentino hot pants, the million dollar lollipop holder, and her being a little “kiss-assy” shall we say with Kyle at game night.  It was pretty hilarious all things considered, and Dana was a good sport to laugh at herself as well as Kyle’s spot in impersonation of her.  Of course, the number one question that Andy had for Dana was why in the world would she spend $25,000 on sunglasses.  Dana was very honest in her answer – she looked around at the other women and didn’t think it was that big of a deal in comparison to things like Adrienne’s jet and Giggy’s extensive wardrobe.   She said they aren’t the most practical bunch.  Maybe Dana did brag about money too much in the beginning, but she owned it and explained that the other women aren’t “low key, humble chicks” and referred again to Giggy and his extensive wardrobe when trying to make her point.  Dana shared that she left home at 15 and built her whole life from the ground up so if she screams money a little and people think she is tacky for it, she’s ok with it because she knows how hard she worked to get where she is.  She talked about growing up really poor with her mother until she was killed in an auto accident with Dana was 15, and then lived with her father in New York who was very, very wealthy.  She went on to explain that she is two people; one who was from nothing who wanted badly to be a part of something that is full of money and glamour, and then another who had her face shoved in wealth and was surrounded by it all the time and still wanted to be included.  I really admired Dana for sharing her insecurities and being so open about wanting to feel included in the group.   Andy asked Dana about being the hostess of game night and allowing the craziness to happen, and she was quick to say that Brandi had been making comments most of the night so she wasn’t surprised when Kyle finally bit back and said something.   Andy then went on to ask Taylor if she was surprised by Dana’s “bragging and brown-nosing”.  Taylor said that Dana has always been a good friend to her, and Dana responded that she thought it was a compliment to someone to want to be there friend.  She was putting herself out there to Kyle, Kim and Camille by saying to them, “Hey, I really want to be your friend” and she’s never going to be ashamed for that.  I’ve enjoyed seeing Dana on this season, and I’d be interested in getting to know her more next season.

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Next on the hot seat were Ken Todd (Lisa’s husband), Mauricio Umansky (Kyle’s husband), and Dr. Paul Nassif (Adrienne’s husband).  They started by talking with Ken and his controversial comments regarding weak people going to therapy feeding in to the stereotypes and what his thoughts are now.  Ken was very honest that therapy doesn’t work for him and he can’t see how it would.  He would rather sit down with his wife of 30 years, talk it out and go from there.  He wasn’t trying to “have a go” at Taylor and they have talked about it since Adrienne’s dinner party,  Kyle took him to task over it, and every one is still friends now.  A viewer question regarding random women sending Mauricio nude photos made everyone giggle and blush, but he said that he hasn’t received any this year.  A clip package of Mauricio in all his hotness was shown (including a very brief naked booty shot that Kyle was shocked at!).  Mauricio was voted the number one hottest husband out of all the housewives shows – which cracked everyone up again.  Ken and Brandi seemed to have real chemistry in Hawaii, and Andy asked Ken if Brandi was the type of girl he used to be attracted to.  Ken didn’t really answer the question – he just said that he was attracted to ALL women and they were attracted to him.  When asked, Brandi said that she found EVERYTHING about Ken attractive and she tells Lisa all the time that she wants to sleep with Ken!  Andy asked Ken about Cedric being a life coach, and he said “he nearly fainted on the spot”.  Both he and Lisa felt Cedric showed up at SUR just to get on camera again and get more stories going in the tabloids.  Hen asked about Kim, Mauricio said they are still in limbo.  She didn’t formally apologize to him, but he is hopefully once she is out of rehab they will be able to sit down and work it out because it’s not fun having issues with a family member.  It was a short segment with the men, but definitely a funny one!

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The last half of the reunion was a private sit down with Kim Richards taped one day after the reunion was wrapped.  Kim looked healthy and fantastic, and she said she was happy to be home and feeling good.  Andy came right out and asked her what she went to rehab for.  Kim admitted very quickly that she is an alcoholic.  She has been struggling and working on it for quite some time.  Kim told Andy that this was her third time in a rehabilitation program, with the first two not being as successful as they could have been because she wasn’t truly ready then and she finally found what she feels was the “perfect place” for her to go.  Her family had an intervention the day after Thanksgiving, but she had already decided that she wanted to go.  The anxiety medication she was on made her feel off, she didn’t feel like herself any more and she couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror.  Kim went on to talk about how she suffers from high anxiety and panic disorders when she is sober and the last time she was in treatment they placed her on medication.  If she isn’t careful with her meds, or mixes them with alcohol it can have horrible side effects (some of which we saw this season).  As the season began, Kim said that she wasn’t drinking and you can tell in episodes like their trip to Colorado – she was confident, sober and the voice of reason for Taylor.  As the season went on, she lost her confidence a bit, started to drink and it all went downhill from there.  The behavior at game night was just the medication from the doctors.   Andy told her that Brandi felt like maybe bringing up the topic of Kim having a problem helped her seek treatment.  Kim didn’t see it this way at all, and indicated that Brandi’s words and actions (acusing her of using crystal meth) had a tremendous negative impact on her entire family.  While Kim may feel that she only owes Brandi an apology about hiding her crutches, she feels that Brandi owes her one for hurting her entire family.  Kim stated very honestly that she will never forgive Brandi.  Andy asked Kim about her behavior throughout the season, and specifically at the opening of SUR.  Kim acknowledged that she hadn’t seen the episodes – she stopped watching the show when the behavior she saw on television didn’t look like “her” any more.  Andy brought clips of the SUR episode, and asked Kim is she wanted to see them.  You could tell that she really wasn’t interested in seeing them, but she reluctantly agreed.  What was aired was Kim being scattered in the hotel room and really out of it in the limo ride to SUR.  Kim was visibly shaken and had a hard time watching it eventually asking Andy to stop the tape.  Kim said “she feels bad for her” like it’s a different person she’s watching.  That’s what she believes - it’s not her.  The voice isn’t her, the mannerisms aren’t her.  Nothing about that person is her.  At least she can look at it now and realize how bad she was.  Andy asked about Ken, and Kim tells him that they are no longer together, she moved out, and is living in a hotel until she moves again soon.  However, her relationship with her kids is awesome!  Kim goes on to say that the kids couldn’t bear to be around her before, and now she either talks or sees them almost every day.  Something that she is very grateful for.

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Kyle joined them for the last part of their conversation and Andy commented what an interesting relationship the two of them have.  Kyle said when she looks at Kim now versus the Kim at SUR that night, she sees the real Kim sitting next to her.   This is the Kim that she grew up with and she loves; the person at SUR was someone different.  Despite Kyle suggesting that Kim be on the show in the first place, she doesn’t regret it because she through, ultimately, it would be good for them.  Both Kyle and Kim feel bad about the limo scene at the end of Season One, and Kim’s alcoholism being brought up, agreeing that there was a better way to do it.  The difference between this years reunion and last years reunion for Kim and discussing her alcoholism is that she is willing to own it.  Last year, she was still filled with guilt, shame, and embarrassment.  Kyle feels that it is a big relief that Kim can be honest, even in front of the cameras, and feels that she is on the right path.  Kyle was very stressed being in the show with Kim, and it was difficult for her to watch Kim be exposed because she was angry with her but still trying to protect her.  By the time the Hawaii trip came about, Kim said her sobriety had gotten away from her and her behavior was that of an alcoholic.  Kyle just couldn’t let it go because they had all been discussing it and she expected her to say something.  Traveling was all part of the fun and Kim missed a big part of the trip.  Kim apologized for not being there but there was nothing then and is nothing now that she can do about it.  It happened, and I think that Kyle is still holding on to it.  At SUR, Kim told Kyle that she was pretty sure that she was pregnant.  Obviously, she wasn’t and she isn’t, to which Kyle responded “Thank God”.  I think we all felt that way!  Kim explained it the best; she drinks, Kyle gets angry and treats her differently and then Kim does things that aren’t right and they spin around in a circle.  Kim as an alcoholic doesn’t remember everything and doesn’t always understand why Kyle is angry or upset.  Kyle really believes that Kim’s sobriety will stick this time because she really wants it.  At the time Kim left for rehab, they had both been so angry at each other for so long.  But when they hugged goodbye, both Kim and Kyle felt a difference.  The Kim that Kyle had been angry with was gone and the Kim she grew up with was back.  Kim really wants her sobriety; she will own her stuff, but her sobriety is hers and she will work really hard for it every day.  It was a nice, positive and hopeful way to end the season!

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). 

Later this week:  A Lost Footage Episode!!

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