The ‘Real Housewives of New York City’ Scientologist vs. Serial-Liar Feud Could Save the Season

The Real Housewives of New York City are a mostly humorless group of women who lack the gravitas to carry on a true feud. Thankfully, after 10 episodes of meandering, the ladies have landed on a serviceable dynamic, as friend-of and perpetual punching bag Rebecca Minkoff has finally started to fight back.

Rebecca—who just yesterday revealed fellow Scientologist and convicted rapist Danny Masterson was “incredibly supportive” to her—has bopped around all season as a random entity, not quite discussing the organization or its controversies, but not quite promoting herself, either. She’s just a friend-of, after all, but she’s not of the Kim D. brand of creating utter chaos from the sidelines, nor is she a Kiki Barth type who fits right into the group.

She’s more like the Arrested Development gag: “Her?” Every time she pops up, it’s a reminder Rebecca exists at all, something easily forgettable if you’re not combing through Nordstrom’s many racks.

Yet, given her role on one of the weakest Housewives casts in history, she manages to be a shining star. So-bad-it’s-good is much preferable to the dullness that inundates the majority of this cast. Jessel freaking out over her lost suitcase because Brynn hid it? Not that funny. Rebecca telling Brynn she’ll understand needing her own room once she has children of her own? Funny.

The rooming drama may be a bit run-of-the-mill (although Ubah claiming she doesn’t care which room she gets before threatening to get a hotel room once she finds out her room is 7x7 feet is a good gag), but it finally kicks Rebecca vs. Brynn into high gear after a season of baby voice prodding. Brynn has been desperately seeking a reason to hate Rebecca all season, and here she finds one.

Of course, Brynn is more of a confessional warrior than anything. In the moment, she can’t even lock eye contact with Rebecca, her gaze glued to her phone. Brynn is simply better in theory than practice, failing to rise to the occasion when it matters. And her continuing the RHONY prank wars by hiding Jessel’s luggage is unforgivable. Not once have these pranks gotten even a chuckle out of me, nor will they ever.

Meanwhile, Erin and Ubah attempt to make peace with one another over their issue that has never made any sense. Truly, what are they fighting about? Has anything even happened between them? If so, let me know, as I haven’t a clue.

The two do come to an agreement, Ubah deciding that, even though Erin’s a gaslighter and vicious, awful person, they can be cordial. That, unsurprisingly, is not the resolution Erin was seeking.

Erin returns to the group, horribly upset at these labels, easily stirred by self-admitted pot stirrer, Brynn. Here, the pregnancy prank comes back into focus, as Sai calls out Erin for her constant lying and gaslighting. Erin may be the most Housewives-ready of the bunch, but launching this prank has taken over half the season in convoluted fashion. It’s so annoying.

It’s chilling to realize that an entire reunion episode will be spent relitigating the worst plot line in Housewives history. Put it to rest and never mention it again, ladies. Let’s focus on what really matters, like… well, there are a few more episodes this season. Something exciting could happen at any moment.

Here’s something exciting that happened this week, because I’m an optimist at heart. The ladies make fun of Jenna Lyons’ stoop sale, as Jenna reveals she’s been selling off her wardrobe due to a perpetual dental dilemma. If even Jenna has to sell off her prized possessions to afford healthcare, maybe we shouldn’t be shocked others resort to murder.

Here’s how this could’ve been better, though: Make digs in the moment! The ladies all prod in confessionals while sitting all smiles in real time. That’s no fun.

Finally, the most exciting moment of all is Rebecca’s fight with Brynn at dinner. Brynn is still disgusted by the insinuation she doesn’t deserve a solo room because she’s not a mother. She may not be a mom, but she is supremely busy with all these Russian billionaires courting her.

That’s a claim so absurd it almost makes you do a double take—and yet, no one says anything in the moment. What this cast really needs is someone who isn’t afraid to actually speak their mind. Maybe they need someone who owns a beautiful, haunted house in the Berkshires and has a drinking problem, leading her to explode at any random moment. You throw Dorinda Medley into this cast and almost every problem is solved, in all honesty.

At least Rebecca tries to lob it back at Brynn, even if her approach is much less effervescent. And just as things start to get good, with Rebecca calling Brynn a bully, the episode ends.

Have we finally escaped the doldrums of the season? For the first time in weeks, The Real Housewives of New York City is actually interesting, especially by its dilapidated standards. The remainder of Puerto Rico features Racquel’s reunion with her mother and a major blow up between Ubah and Brynn, promising that the season still has some juice left.

It’s obviously not a great sign when a character like Rebecca is doing such heavy-lifting—all accidentally—but it is fun to have the cast’s premier Scientologist go after someone else for being a mean girl. Hypocrisy is what makes the world of Housewives go round, and the further RHONY leans away from aspirations and into absurdity, the closer this show will get to success.