This The Real Housewives of Orange County in a season of new beginnings.
In its 17th season premiere on Wednesday night, Tamra Judge is back after being fired from the series two seasons ago, and her life looks a little different than when she left the series in 2019.
Tamra and her husband Eddie have closed their 10-year-old gym, CUT Fitness. marks the end of an era.
“People weren’t coming when the economy was like this,” said Tamra, thinking about the changes in her life since the last time viewers saw her on their screens. “Cut Fitness It was Eddie’s baby and now I’m worried about what’s next. How will you feel?”
“Is it going to get on my goddamn nerves? I don’t know,” she wondered.
The conversation about Tamra continued as the cameras cut to Emily Simpson and Shannon Beador discussing the return of their co-stars during the march.
Emily thought about her difficulties with Tamra and brought up a comment she made with her old friend on her podcast. RHOBH star Teddi Mellencamp described how Emily “danced on my grave when I got fired,” and Shannon noted that Tamra “hit below the waist.”
“There are a lot of things he said about me that weren’t true,” Shannon added.
Shannon and Tamra’s severed friendship was a hot topic throughout the episode – the two had a difficult relationship in the seasons leading up to Tamra’s breakup, and Shannon’s lack of reciprocation in the relationship brought the former best friends at odds.
They apparently finished season 14 on a good note, but Shannon said everything changed when Tamra was fired after “six years” of friendship.
“Tamra and I have a really long history of getting really deep with each other,” Shannon explained. “So, I witnessed Tamra being baptized. She helped me officially remove my wedding ring. I gave her an enema. I traveled with her. I’ve never laughed so much with a person in my life, and all of a sudden this cut was devastating for me because I was really there for her as a friend. ”
Shannon said that even though she thought Tamra was a good friend – despite claiming to have reached out to Tamra many times to no avail – during the two years she left the show, Tamra constantly “found new lies about me”.
“I was crushed,” Shannon admitted.
Tamra took a different view on what caused a friction in the relationship, and in a confession she said she was “telling the truth” when she publicly said that Shannon had stopped reaching out to her.
Returning Shannon told the cameras, “Tamra wants to try and push my buttons so I get to the point where I’m going to the press and we have this big discussion everybody knows and it becomes relevant again.”
When Emily told Shannon that “it would be good for your heart” to repair her friendship with Tamra, Shannon agreed but also stressed that she needed to “stand up” for herself.
“I need rest,” he said.
The next scene reveals another icy friendship, showing a flashback where Heather Dubrow tells Emily that there was “radio silence” between herself and Gina Kirschenheiter, whom she considered a good friend last season.
“Gina has canceled multiple times for me, but at one point I see her going to events on social media, so I guess I’m not at the top of that list,” Heather told her husband Terry, before continuing to say she won. If Gina doesn’t make an effort, don’t try.
Terry guessed his friends found the Dubrows too “fancy” – after all, Heather’s longtime RHOC nicknamed “fancy pants” – but Heather recalled that she and Gina felt like they were “friends” when they took a private jet to New York in season 16.
Cameras were then turned to veterans RHOC member Tamra met new housewife Jennifer Pedrati, who revealed to viewers that she owns a yoga studio she opened during the pandemic and is excited to organize a yoga retreat that week.
CUT Fitness Later It came to light because this is where Jenn met her current boyfriend Ryan. “It was like Rico Suave constantly staring at himself in the mirror,” Tamra said.
Jenn admitted she had the same first impression, but later developed real feelings.
Tamra later expressed her fear that her husband, whose medical journey with atrial fibrillation was documented in the program, would feel the loss the most.
Tamra admitted, “I’m very worried for Eddie because I don’t know what will fill that void. He’s always been an athlete and educating people and connecting with people at that level was everything to him.” It was never about money.”
Concluding a conversation between Heather and Gina over coffee at Heather’s house, which recently sold for $55 million, Gina shared that she got the real estate license before Heather asked Gina why she was “MIA.”
“I totally understand how crazy summers are, but I mean, never a message, never anything and I invited you to all this, I [had] Your family is over – I felt so close to you and then you disappeared completely,” Heather said.
Gina revealed that she had problems with her boyfriend Travis Mullen “somewhat” because she didn’t have children, so Gina’s children were upset, upsetting Gina as well. She said she went to New York, where she came to escape her problems.
Still, Heather said she thought Gina was “avoiding conversation” and asked Gina and Emily’s charity event where Heather never got an invite.
Gina admitted, “Heather Dubrow won’t be coming to a dive bar that doesn’t serve food. Heather Dubrow wants to be invited to the dive bar just so she can say no.
Gina and Heather eventually agreed to move on.
Viewers then got a glimpse into the life of new cast member Jenn, where she introduced her five children – 9, 12, 13, 16 and 18 – and twelve of her pets. Jenn also revealed an even more unusual part of her life.
“Are you and your ex-husband still living together?” asked a producer from behind the camera.
“Will and I share a house,” Jenn replied, as the camera jumped at her after she and her boyfriend agreed that the arrangement “works for now.”
Tamra, Heather and Gina later got together for a pickle game, where Shannon’s name came up once again. Tamra expressed how hurt she was that Shannon betrayed their friendship, saying that Shannon was “an egocentric person who cares about herself”.
A few days later, all the women were reunited at the group yoga retreat. After a conversation between Tamra and Emily – here she tells Tamra, “Deep down you have a really childlike, kind soul, but you have this tough exterior” – the duo rectified the situation.
The actors caught up with each other after yoga, Gina said she thought she was less “injured” than her ex-husband, John Jansen, with her boyfriend of three years, whom Shannon broke up with after filming for season 17. David Beador.
Jenn later revealed that her parents were disappointed with her when she decided to divorce her ex-husband in the past, even going out to “interfere” with her.
As the episode ended, Emily, Gina, and Tamra started arguing about Shannon, but when Shannon entered the conversation, she and Tamra had to come to terms with their hostility.
Face-to-face for the first time in years, Tamra cried while telling Shannon about her recently dying dog, her ex-husband being diagnosed with cancer, and Eddie’s loss of CUT Fitness.
“There’s a lot going on, I miss my best friend,” Tamra admitted.
Shannon said she’s been through a lot too, and the two decided to mend their relationship.
“It’s good to see you, I know we both have a lot of scars,” Shannon said. “I am at a point in my life where everything is very good and I do not want to have difficulties with anything or anyone. Let’s get together and start talking about it.”
Then, “One week later” was written against a black screen as the screen progressed to a teaser of next week’s episode where Shannon and Tamra sat down to talk about their complicated pasts.
Don’t miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from compelling celebrity news to compelling stories that engage people.
The Real Housewives of Orange County It airs Wednesdays at 8pm ET on Bravo.