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‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ Recap: Kelly Dodd Slams ‘Puppet Master’ Heather Dubrow; Abuse Rumor Spreads

Pump it up! Tamra Judge’s huge fitness competition finally arrived on the Monday, October 24, episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, but it came on the heels of a massive fight that took place right before the ladies got home from Ireland. In spite of the feuding, they all showed up to the fitness competition to support their friend. Read on to find out what happened!

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Housewife vs. Housewife vs. Housewife vs. Housewife …

The episode started out with the ladies still drunkenly bickering on the 3 a.m. bus to the airport in Dublin.

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Heather Dubrow was busy telling Kelly Dodd that she was nothing but trash, and Vicki Gunvalson was begging everyone to just shut up. Meghan King Edmonds said it was unfair that Vicki, Kelly’s “only friend” on the bus, was “letting” the other Housewives pick on her but, uh, Meghan? Aren’t you literally the reason Kelly is on the show? 

Vicki

Anyway, to get back at Vicki for not having her back, Kelly told Shannon Beador that the OG Housewife had said that David Beador beat Shannon up, which started a fight between the blondes and allowed Kelly to slink back into her seat.

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There were some flashbacks then that seemed to indicate this was the big secret of Shannon’s that Vicki was hiding right before they all went to Ireland!

Eddie and Tamara

After that, Kelly popped her head back up to say Vicki also told her Tamra’s husband cheated on her and may or may not be gay. Naturally, everyone turned on Vicki … except Meghan. She didn’t defend Kelly, but she did call Heather’s attacks on her “conniving,” and said she saw right through them.

Kelly Makes Things Right, Tamra Keeps Things Tight

Back stateside, Meghan got lunch with Kelly, telling the camera she’s not a “fair-weather friend” and will stand by the brunette “even when it’s hard to do.” OK, but … what about the bus?

Tamara Judge

The pregnant Housewife told Kelly that Heather hadn’t been right to be so mean, but she needs to stop sinking so low when provoked. She also supported Kelly’s choice to go talk to Tamra, which is what her husband told her to do too.

Before she could do that though, Vicki came to her house later that day. The two friends hashed out their problems from the Dublin trip, and Kelly explained that she felt abandoned by the older woman. Vicki explained that after she finally, finally was no longer the victim of their attacks, she hadn’t wanted to make everyone hate her again. They came to an understanding and hugged.

David, Shannon, Heather and Terry

Kelly and Tamra met for dinner, but Tamra wasn’t eating much because her big fitness competition was in three days, and she had to keep her muscles and regimen tight. For the third time, Kelly aired out her suspicion that Heather is a “puppet master” and all the other women do her bidding. Tamra demurred, saying she didn’t mind Heather, but the other people Kelly shared her analogy with seemed to agree.

Tamra and Kelly worked out their issues, and Tamra told Kelly she was still invited to the competition, just as she had told Vicki earlier that day. Vicki, Kelly and the rest of the Housewives at a competition while their usual forgiveness-preaching mediator is on stage? What could go wrong?

Vicki and Kelly

In It to Win It

There seemed to be a reason that Tamra wanted Vicki to say around: She and Shannon were making a plan to confront her at an upcoming party Shannon was throwing. (How many confrontations can these women have in one season?!)

When the big day finally rolled around, Tamra was so nervous she started crying in the dressing room, but her trainer/spiritual adviser Mia told her to call on Jesus for the strength to put on her teeny-tiny bedazzled bikini and win. Whatever works!

Neither Jesus nor Mia would have been too excited by the icy way the women were treating one another as they sat in the audience, or the comments they made about Tamra’s competitors, but the muscular Housewife soon hushed all of the gossip with her appearance and blew them all away!

In fact, she ended up winning, so all of the drama was forgotten for a second while all the Housewives in the audience freaked out. Don’t worry, though — just moments later Shannon was fuming that she was expected to be in a photo with Kelly and Vicki during the post-awards celebration, so she walked away.

Good thing her big party for Tamra is next episode, and she won’t be able to walk away from that!

Tell Us: Is Heather really a “puppet master”?

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. 

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