The Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion Comes to Its Bitter End With a Showdown Between Shannon & Vicki

How will these women be able to co-exist on the next season of the Bravo reality series?

By Billy Nilles Nov 22, 2016 2:00 AMTags
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Well, season 11 of The Real Housewives of Orange County has finally come to its bitter end, and after watching part three of the reunion special, we're left wondering how any of these women are going to be able to be in the same room should they all find themselves invited back for season 12.

We've seen nasty fights erupt amongst these women in the past, but there was something about this season that feels particularly irreparable—at least as far as Shannon Beador and Vicki Gunvalson are concerned. After all, it's probably pretty hard to bounce back into friendship after you allege on national television that someone's husband is abusing them.

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Thanks to Vicki's season-long threat about exposing a secret of Shannon's, as well as her decision to share her version of whatever Shannon once felt comfortable to confide in her with known loose cannon Kelly Dodd, Shannon was forced to relive a dark moment in her marriage during the reunion special, if only to diffuse the possible legal ramifications of Vicki's outrageous accusation.

So, what actually happened between Shannon and her husband David Beador that left her shoulder and her hip bruised two and a half years ago? Despite it being absolutely none of our business, we learned that right after learning about David's affair, they went to dinner, she had a little too much to drink and ran off a solid nine blocks from the restaurant without her purse or cell phone. After finding her and returning home, David locked himself in their daughter's bedroom and she attempted to knock the door down.

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"What you have done—now this is on the show and it's in the universe, and there will be people who will go up to my children and say 'Your father beats your mother,'" she told Vicki after tearfully recounting the sad night. "You're despicable. I will never, ever speak to you again."

Vicki repeatedly claimed that she never wanted this rumor about David, nor the rumor about Tamra Judge's husband Eddie's sexuality, to get out, despite sharing them with someone else on the show. Heather Dubrow was having none of it. 

"I'm am highly disgusted and disappointed that you would repeat such a dark thing," she scolded. "If you didn't want it to come out, you never would've mentioned it. Period. That's bulls--t." 

(The less said about Vicki's shameful and confusing attempt to wash her hands of spreading rumors about Eddie being gay by turning to host Andy Cohen, who is gay himself, and saying, "I like Eddie. I like you. I love—I'm good. I don't know why we were talking about that," the better. SMH.)

In the end, Vicki's behavior boiled down to what we all already knew: She was striking back after seasons of having egg on her face thanks to Brooks Ayers and the whole fake cancer debacle. She even admitted as much. "I was hurt, so I wanted to hurt them," she told Andy at the very end. "It's the truth. I was hurt."

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Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion: From Tamra and Her Estranged Daughter to Vicki Meeting Brooks in Heaven
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So, where do the women go from here? Shannon has every right to never want to see Vicki again and she shouldn't have to "get off [her] show," as Vicki infamously demanded in an earlier part of the reunion, to do so. "I do accept her apology, but unfortunately, my family is hurt from this. It's a problem. Spousal abuse is a very serious allegation."

"And so is con woman," Vicki predictably lobbed back. And it's in that response that we know Vicki will never change. Whether she had a hand in helping Brooks pull a fast one on the ladies and the audience (which she has admitted to) or she was truly duped by a despicable man (which she's since tried to convince everyone of), none of the reaction by her co-stars was the inciting incident that damaged her reputation. She only has Brooks and herself to thank for that.

With Meghan King Edmonds apparently unsure she even wants to remain living in Orange County, and Shannon, Tamra, and Heather all pretty clearly done with her at this point, it looks like the only ally Vicki has left is Kelly. And that's not saying much. (Sorry, not sorry, Kelly.)

Are you sad to see season 11 go? Or are you ready for a break from the ladies of the O.C.? And what about season 12—do you think a cast shake-up is in order? Let us know in the comments below!

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