The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Season 5, Episode 6: “Mafia Wives and Bad Vibes”
Grade: A+
Five seasons into The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, the show is at its absolute best. Some (misguided) fans insisted that the show would fail in a post-Monica Garcia era. But that lady is doing just fine over on E!’s House of Villains playing the house’s PA system or whatever, and our Core Fore has once again proved the show revolves around them. Much like the cast of Desperate Housewives dealt with new crises that banded them together each season, the heart of RHOSLC will always be Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose, Lisa Barlow, and Heather Gay.
Or, will it?
Desperate Housewives managed to add other lead characters to their roster over the years. Edie Britt. Katherine Mayfair. Renee Perry. RHOSLC has managed to do the same. Mary Cosby is an OG, she should’ve been part of a Core Five, but she always seemed too unstable to last on the series. In a shocking turn of events, Mary has returned with a renewed engagement in filming and an incredibly moving storyline involving her family. The Mary this season is one I never could’ve imagined in the show’s first season, but I’m extremely grateful for it. I’m also grateful for new housewife Bronwyn Newport, who is having one of the best first seasons of a new Real Housewife I’ve ever seen. She’s sharing real stories, like her estrangement from her daughter’s grandparents, she’s bringing fashion (some good, some wacky, which is exactly what we want), and she’s also unafraid to challenge the other women in scenes.
And then there’s Angie Katsanevas, who has greatly improved from her role as a Friend Of to a full-time cast member. She’s managed to take all of the shit that was thrown at her last year — rumors that her hairdresser husband Sean is gay, allegations of being in the Greek mafia — and made them work for her. And this week’s episode is a perfect encapsulation of her approach to the show: If you can’t beat ‘em, fuck THAT, because you absolutely CAN beat ‘em.
We open this week in black and white, with Angie greeting an “associate” as royalty-free mafia music plays in the background. She wants him to “take care” of some of her Salt Lake City compatriots. She wants him to invite them… to her Mob Wives-themed 25th wedding anniversary party. I’m sorry, but Angie is a genius. She supplies him with Wanted posters that double as invites and sends him on his way.
