I can’t believe I’m somehow already recapping the penultimate episode of this freshman franchise, considering how much story and world-building (no, seriously) producers and cast members managed to cram into its first six episodes. Sure, at times, the pace felt a little breakneck. Yeah, at other moments, I wondered whether I could continue watching those on the cast who are clearly playing up a persona (that cough you’re hearing coming out of my mouth sounds like Juhlilly, but of course, it’s just a cough!). But overall — and full judgment withheld for next week’s finale — I think Bravo has a could-be hit series on its hands if it play its cards right with casting and turnaround time for a second season. What with sister franchise Southern Charm only (allegedly) picking up filming last week and with (allegedly) some of the main story-line drivers of that show missing in action (allegedly!). With Southern Hospitality’s cast feeling naturally and organically diverse, we’re ready to chalk this fledgling wannabe as a winner.
We pick things up the day after the peanut-butter accusation heard ’round the South at Reagan’s birthday party with the gang all reeling from their unhinged bar brawl. The first casualty is Joe Bradley’s friendship with Maddi, an already on-thin-ice entanglement that’s teetered all season. While Joe Bradley thinks it’s a “Will they, won’t they?” kind of thing, Maddi has stayed consistent in her “They won’t” attitude, a friction between the co-workers that comes to a head after they pick different sides in the Reagan fight. This is good television because, ultimately, viewers (like me!) like a more drawn-out, complicated, “They earned it in the end” relationship. I like seeing the two of them out of sync, never quite aligning, never finding the other at the right moment. Give me a kiss in season two and a full-fledged fling by season four!
As for a relationship I am glad to see thriving? Lovely, messy TJ and his Hinge fling, Cameron, who “just got out of an eight-year relationship with a woman.” As a former closeted man who also used to date women until he found his current partner of nearly nine years, I feel seen and represented on this here program!
Can you hear me deeply sighing? It’s because I’m being forced to return to the well of “Leva, leave your adult employees and their personal lives alone.” She shows up to dress down Joe Bradley for kissing Mia on the Jumbotron just after being promoted to a managerial role. That’s … fine… because, yes, managers shouldn’t be kissing their employees, I guess … but the way she talks to Joe Bradley is like a dog owner loudly scolding their Labrador for bringing a dead bird into the house. Empathy works, too, Leva!
In the grand tradition of nearly every Bravo show that’s come before it, Southern Hospitality is doing Pride this week with former frenemies Mikel and TJ joining forces to launch a very special celebration at Bourbon N’ Bubbles. The pair tell Leva of their plan to have Bradley and Joe Bradley get themselves into drag to work a shift at Republic during Pride weekend, which, yes, good — not as good as Tom Schwartz in drag on a toilet during the Vanderpump Rules “battered wife!” scene producers pray for but still good!
Mikel tells Leva that Pride has prompted him to finally process being gay in America at this moment in history, and TJ takes the opportunity to share details about his queer journey and the lack of any formal coming-out to his family. Not to compare apples and oranges, but Southern Charm gave us a fake dog wedding last season, and Southern Hospitality is giving us honest, moving conversations about LGTBQ+ life in the South, so do with that reality what you will! (This is not an invitation for Craig and Austen to kiss on the mouth next season, but it’s not not an invitation.)
A quick note to producers: If you want us to care more about your minor cast members like Lucía, give them more than 60 seconds of screen time at a time. This week, we got Lucía meditating with her partner, Davon, with some rapid-fire exposition about how they have a rough patch because of infidelity, but just as soon as we touch down, we’re immediately pulled away from the scene. Weird editing! Either show us more or lose it entirely! It’s 2023 — just the tip is not enough!
Juhlilly shows up for the first time 20 minutes into this episode, babbling about the sun and being misunderstood, and folks, until that moment, I hadn’t missed her. This clarified something for me: Juhlilly is a great supporting player. She is a Kristen Doute with training wheels. She is not a Stassi Schroeder. The prosecution rests.
Mikel and his father, Vince, a pastor, sit down for the former’s long-teased, semi-coming-out conversation. “I’ve never came out to my dad because … I just don’t want to lose my dad,” Mikel says, choking back tears. Although the words “I’m gay” never leave Mikel’s lips, it’s because Vince, between bites of his entrée-size mozzarella sticks (king behavior), offers up supportive words and affirmation from the jump. Mikel tells us he senses in the moment that his father is telling him he knows, that he loves him, and that they needn’t discuss it unless Mikel wants to because it won’t change the way he feels about his son. “This moment isn’t about me; it’s about us,” Mikel says.
Grace Lilly, an aspiring ally who probably thinks she can say the f-slur, puts Bradley (a.k.a. Rose) and Joe Bradley (a.k.a. Josephina) into lightly homophobic day drag. I screamed, not because of the “drag” “queens” but because there’s a quick cutaway to Pride patrons at Republic, and one of them, if my aging eyes don’t deceive me, seems to be Jackson of “Dakota and Jackson” TikTok fame (if you know, you know). I’d love to know what he had “for to drink”!
The episode ends with an entirely inconsequential fight at Bourbon N’ Bubbles between Bradley and Maddi about how the latter told the former’s girlfriend to “protect her heart” when it comes to dating Bradley. And you know if I’m calling a fight inconsequential, then you truly needn’t know another thing about it. And to end things on a “To Be Continued” card? Silly! Do better! I am docking you one entire star for this!
Next week: It’s finale time! Going entirely against what she critiqued them all for mere episodes ago, Leva is renting the kids a yacht for a party, so in the eternal words of Juhlilly herself, “Wavy, baby.”
Leva Leftovers
• “Everyone has their past, but … their past isn’t covered in peanut butter.” — Will, a scholar, a philosopher, a king.
• Leva should do RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race. She’s so beautiful, so confident, and the way she paints her face could make for — with good exaggeration obviously — fun drag makeup. Casting team, you are now on notice!
• In this episode, there’s a quick cutaway scene of Joe Bradley opening his nearly empty fridge, pulling out a jar of peanut butter, and eating it off a knife, all while shirtless. We thank Joe Bradley for his service.
• “I love love, so I’m just saying …” — Leva demonstrating how to be an ally.
• Somehow we didn’t get a chance to talk about Mikel’s cute date to the Pride party! Go, Mikel! We’re rooting for you.
• We’re skipping over most of Bradley’s scenes this week because they just weren’t compelling. Sorry! When you’ve got Grace Lilly rhapsodizing about herself for the hundredth time and Mikel coming out to his Christian father, you really have to sparkle to make yourself noticed. Bradley’s just not clicking for us even after Maddi spills the tea on walking into the back alley of Republic to allegedly find Bradley getting a blowjob from … not the woman he was dating. Allegedly! And if that’s your story line and you’re still not clicking, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
• I love how the onscreen chyrons always tell you when a Southern Hospitality employee is on or off the clock. Producers and editors: This is very helpful, and I thank you.
