The Bloom Ball may be over, but the fallout is only beginning. When we left off, Ashley and Stacey were mid–divorce document duel, while Kierna and Wendy were dissecting the corpse of their friendship. And as if Potomac needed more drama, word on the internet is that Dr. Wendy’s name has been dragged into an alleged fraud scheme—sending fans into their favorite pastime: messy speculation.
The thing about Stacey Rusch is that she’s either the villain or the underdog, depending on the light. The women don’t seem to like her, but the audience does. She’s unserious in a deeply refreshing way—half-defensive, half-delusional—and refuses to explain herself. In this franchise, that’s practically spiritual enlightenment.
At the party, Gizelle takes a break from the shade to check in with Cookie—Karen Huger’s friend and official Grand Dame correspondent. Meanwhile, Tia and Wendy share a moment over their Nigerian heritage, and Stacey (naturally) jumps in to say she’s Nigerian too. Whether or not that’s true, she delivers it with her signature funny.
Ashley’s Bloom Ball wraps with an unexpected turn: an “entertainer” who performs what can only be described as a striptease. The audience is confused.
The next day, Stacey stops by Wendy’s home, where she tries to play peacemaker. Wendy asks the obvious in regards to situation with TJ: “Do you have receipts?” Stacey, in true Rusch fashion, dodges the question. (Sidebar: if Stacey really did hire TJ to play her boyfriend, he deserves to be sued for bad acting, not fraud.)
Then, in a move that no one saw coming, Stacey announces she’s back with her husband. You can almost hear Wendy’s PhD brain buffering. To top it off, Stacey admits she is launching a cannabis brand—the same idea she denied at last year’s reunion. So… everyone’s high, metaphorically or otherwise.
Over at Tia’s immaculate home, we meet her husband and four kids, plus a soft launch of her “unbothered but aware” energy. Meanwhile, Ashley introduces her half-sister and preps for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with her situationship, Josh, who looks like he just graduated from undergrad.
Angel and her husband go on a sweet date, discussing their temporary living situation and her cautious approach to the group. For now, she’s Switzerland.
Elsewhere, Kierna invites Gizelle over for a gossip session that quickly pivots. She insists she’s “chin-checked” Angel—which leaves Gizelle (and America) speechless. “We don’t do that to friends,” Gizelle mutters.
Angel’s Truth & Tranquilitea Party brings everyone back together for what should be a healing moment. Spoiler: it isn’t. Wendy and Kierna pretend their friendship is fine; Gizelle admits she prefers “lies and foolishness” to truth and tranquility. Angel gets confronted about Kierna’s “chin-check” comments, which Kierna admits to only after Bravo rolls the tape.
Then comes the breath jokes. Stacey walks in, and the women can’t resist bringing up last week’s “halitosis” storyline. It’s juvenile, but Stacey handles it with grace and gum. During the group sound bath, she even leads a collective “cleansing breath,” which prompts Gizelle to whisper, “Has she put a mint in?”
After the meditation, the women share heartfelt moments—Angel praises Kierna’s friendship, Tia thanks Gizelle for the invite into the group, and Stacey leads one last deep breath before pulling Ashley aside for a rematch over her divorce papers. The receipts she produces are… questionable. Gizelle claims they look homemade, like something whipped up on Canva.
Later, Gizelle and Ashley meet with Kierna (and, of course, Cookie) to discuss the missing Grand Dame. Cookie reveals that Karen’s in an alcohol program and might be out soon. But before anyone can properly “cheers” to that, Cookie announces she’s getting a message—from Chris Samuels. Cue Ashley dropping a bomb so explosive it could register on the Richter scale: apparently, Stacey has been trying to get with Chris Samuels.
The episode ends there, because Bravo knows when to fade to black—right before the group chat explodes.
Watch The Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 every Sunday night on Bravo.