Bravo
After two painful episodes set in the drab town of Linville, the cast of Southern Charm—well, those who were invited on this woodsy excursion—have finally made their way back to Charleston. It’s nice to see the cast in their natural, pastel-colored habitat, drinking espresso martinis instead of blueberry wine. It’s even more exciting that the next group gathering on the docket is Patricia’s annual guys’ dinner, which always makes for a hysterical, sometimes dramatic episode.
Despite Season 9’s focus on Taylor and Olivia, tonight’s dinner proved—if it wasn’t already obvious—that the relationship between Shep, Craig, Austen, and even Whitney is really what anchors the show. I could honestly watch these four have tipsy, galaxy-brain conversations on Patricia’s porch for hours and be thoroughly entertained. I appreciate the series’ efforts to be more women-centric over the years. But these men are the true Real Housewives of the bunch.
First, let’s get Shep and Taylor’s makeout in Linville out of the way because I can’t bear to think about these two for another minute! I know I initially declared my hope for a healthy friendship following their breakup. (They had that nice walk on the beach that one time!) But who am I kidding? Shep and Taylor are two of the most emotionally unhealthy people I’ve seen on television. This was confirmed again when Taylor and Shep rehash their sleepover on the last night of their trip to JT and Patricia, respectively. While the two didn’t have sex—although, Shep claims Taylor tried to—they did kiss before falling asleep with their clothes on.