Season 18 of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is finally here after much buzz. Fans already know that former castmate Alexis Bellino is back and she has stolen the heart of Shannon Beador’s ex-boyfriend John Janssen.
Shannon is also dealing with the fallout of her DUI last year, which resulted in her getting three years of probation and 40 hours of community service, CBS News reported.
While sitting with her daughters, Shannon gets choked up because she wasn’t able to take her oldest daughter Stella to college this time after her run-in with the law. “I’m so sorry and humiliated that I disappointed you,” she cries. “Like, what kind of example am I at 59?”
She tells the cameras that the night of the DUI, she drove to John’s house and they started fighting. He told her, “You’re a drunken idiot. Don’t get in your car.” Shannon says, “But I got in an accident seconds later because I revved up the engine so he could know how mad I was. And I lost control of the car.”
At her house, Shannon tells her girls that nothing like this has ever happened to her. “This sucks but everything happens for a reason,” one of her daughters says. “God has a plan,” Shannon answers.
Tamra Judge is judgy
Meanwhile, Tamra Judge is working out with Emily Simpson and Jennifer Pedranti. She tells them that after Shannon’s DUI, she told people she wasn’t drinking anymore but saw her pour liquor into a cup on the down low.
“She could have killed herself. She could have killed her f*cking dog!” Tamra says. We must all protect Archie at all costs.
Tamra shades Shannon by saying the universe is out to get her after driving drunk and now John is with Alexis, who is someone Shannon “hates the most.” This comes after Alexis’ ex-husband Jim Bellino sued both Tamra and Shannon for defamation in 2018, resulting in hundreds of thousands of lost dollars from the housewives.
“That is some serious karma right there,” Emily agrees.
Heather Dubrow reminds us how rich she is
Heather and Terry Dubrow are no longer living in the Dubrow Chateau in Orange County and have bought another “fixer-upper” in Beverly Hills. As Heather is walking through the house, she asks Terry if they have any tea and he can’t hear her because the rooms are so cavernous. Okay, we get it, you’re rich.
The house needs a lot of work because Heather is Miss Fancypants. She tells the cameras, “They really wanted in the low 40s and we got it for 16 million. It’s 8.3 acres.” Heather says they still have the two-bedroom penthouse in Beverly Hills and are renting a penthouse suite at the Balboa Bay Country Club, which she wants to use for a party. Chi chi chi!
Flashback to Heather calling Tamra to tell her about the party and telling her she’s inviting Alexis because they’re friends.
“I’m in a better place with all the girls and I thought, ‘Okay, time for a fresh start,'” Heather tells Terry. However, she’s going to be cautious of some people, AKA Tamra and Emily.
Gina Kirschenheiter’s living situation is a Very Brady bust
Gina Kirschenheiter visits Emily at her modest Orange County home and she’s also going through renovations, but it’s likely nowhere near Heather’s bajillion-million-dollar one.
As soon as she walks in, Gina is ready with some tea. She tells Emily that former “Real Housewives of Orange County” castmate one-hit-wonder Elizabeth Vargas’ brother saw Shannon at a supermarket with a cart full of liquor. “That doesn’t scream, ‘I’m on a new track,'” Gina says.
She points out that Shannon talked about her own 2019 DUI to death last season and held over her head how she helped her out with a lawyer. “I just know that I got tortured by this woman over something that I took full responsibility for years ago.”
“I have no relationship with Shannon,” Gina tells the cameras. “And I don’t believe in kicking someone when they’re down. But seeing all the news coming in the morning of Shannon’s DUI, I mean this isn’t Hammurabi’s Code but an eye for an eye, you know?”
At Emily’s house, Gina tells her that things are great with her boyfriend Travis Mullen, but he’s still going through some stuff with his ex and is not divorced yet.
She’s living with all his baggage plus six kids who are getting older and are sharing a two-bedroom house. She admits to Emily that she thinks she and Travis should live separately “and see where the chips land.” Doesn’t sound too great.
Jennifer Pedranti needs someone to pay her bills bills bills
Jennifer and her fiancé Ryan Boyajian have dinner and they both order a Malibu and Diet Pepsi like they’re 19 and ordering drinks at a bar for the first time with their fake IDs. She’s also having a hard time of it after having to move out of her house last year and then being behind on rent at her new home.
She tells the cameras that her ex-husband Will is responsible for a large portion of the rent but hasn’t been paying his share. Her yoga studio isn’t making enough for her to foot her bills and now that Will isn’t working for her family anymore, he’s broke too.
“I would rather have you and the kids just move in with me,” Ryan tells Jennifer. She tells him, “What if you and I fall through? I gotta figure it out again.”
He thinks she’s just expecting the worst and wants her to be more optimistic. “Why wouldn’t it work out? We got this,” he says. Let’s see what he says after living with five kids, two dogs, guinea pigs, and who knows how many cats.
Alexis Bellino comes for Emily Simpson
Heather and Emily meet up for drinks with Alexis. They ask to see the promise ring John gave her, which is a lot more than he ever gave Shannon during their three years together.
Alexis tells the cameras that she met John at The Quiet Woman in Orange County. “Shannon does not own Quiet Woman. I’ve been going there for over two decades,” she says quite defensively. She reveals that John came in and sat at her booth and it was a chance to get back on the show love at first sight.
“We tried to fight the feelings. After week two, John and I knew that was it. I don’t know Shannon, not friends with Shannon, and unfortunately, your heart wants what it wants. And here we are. Take us or leave us.” We’ll leave it, thanks.
At the restaurant, Alexis brings up how Emily was on Tamra’s podcast and called John a “doucher.” She says, “It really hurt my feelings.”
Emily points out that she was around John for the three years he was with Shannon, who told her that he never paid for anything and took advantage of her.
“Do you trust a drunk who just got a DUI?’ Alexis asks. She’s coming in spicy trying to get that orange again!
Shannon Beador vs. Alexis Bellino
The “RHOC” cast is getting ready to go to Heather’s party and we meet the new cast member Katie Ginella who is new to Orange County and met Gina through Sutton Stracke from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
She and Gina walk in and say hi to Heather. “So good to finally meet you,” Katie says. “We almost met at Sutton’s house,” Heather responds.
Katie says in a confessional, “I’ve met Heather before very briefly but this is the first time that she’s said hello back.” Me-OW! The new girl is getting spicy already. We think she’ll fit right in.
Everyone has arrived and Shannon finally makes her grand entrance. She goes over to Emily, Gina, and Katie and things are awkward until Shannon apologizes for how she made Gina feel last year.
Shannon asks Alexis to talk outside and the rest of the housewives scramble to spy on them.
Shannon tells Alexis, “I don’t want to like, get into a deep conversation with you but there are a couple of things that I would like to say. I’ve been upset that you were involved in the lawsuit where your husband sued me.”
She says that for three years, she struggled financially as a single mom because of the suit. “I lost $300,000 defending myself for something that I didn’t even do. And you started the lawsuit by sending me a cease and desist letter.”
“I can be in the same room with you but I’m not interested in being best buddies. I hope you can understand that,” Shannon continues.
Alexis responds that she doesn’t want to be besties either, which would be awkard as the “new” girlfriend. She explains that she had nothing to do with the lawsuit and that she and Jim had been divorced for six months by then.
Shannon tries to talk but Alexis doesn’t let her. She thinks Shannon’s problem is that she has John and tells her to get over it.
“If you don’t like it, there’s the door, Shannon Beador,” Alexis says and storms off. “F*ck her,” Shannon mutters as she sips her water. She probably wishes it were something a LOT stronger.
