Southern Charm Recap: Labors Of Love

There is a lot to unpack from last night’s episode of Southern Charm! Not only is baby Palmer (maybe) on her way for Cameran Eubanks, Craig Conover is finally coming into his own. Despite the boys versus girls theme that has dominated the season, there was a glimmer of reconciliation (or at least a melancholy trip down memory lane) for Thomas Ravenel and Kathryn Dennis. Even Austen Kroll is sidestepping the Shep Rose 2.0 comparison by coupling up, although it’s not with Chelsea Meissner. I guess her friend is a fine second for Austen…at least for now!

Last night’s episode begins with a very pregnant Cameran packing for the hospital. She is about to head to her last OB appointment, and there is a possibility she will be admitted to be induced. She calls her mom to reveal that she’s been cramping for a while, and her mom is ecstatic. That sounds like labor! Cameran has surprised herself by being super calm and focused on the end game. The anxiety she feared when it was time to give birth is nowhere to be found.

Kathryn meets Chelsea at the gym to work out with a trainer, who happens to be Chelsea’s roommate. Kathryn’s body has changed after giving birth to two kids, and she’s motivated to get back in shape. After their work out, Chelsea questions if Kathryn can see herself dating again. Kathryn recalls T-Rav’s unabashed flirting with her at Nico’s opening. She recognizes that Thomas is feeding his ego by playing up to both her and current girlfriend Ashley Jacobs. Kathryn isn’t afraid to play into T-Rav’s narcissism if it helps her achieve some leverage.

Austen and Craig jog down the Battery, and gahhhh I miss it! That’s where I used to run walk. The guys discuss Craig’s night out at Trio where Craig was hanging out as friends with Austen’s ex Victoria. Austen shares that Victoria booty called him late night and came over to his house. He initially ended things with her because he realized he still had feelings for her friend Chelsea. However, now that Austen thinks about it, Victoria is the life of the party and can dance her ass off, while Chelsea is a homebody. Perhaps he needs to revisit a relationship with Victoria. Craig can relate. He and Naomie Olindo were complete opposites, and he finds it flattering that girls are noticing him again. Craig is determined to find someone who adores him and his embroidery machine.

Speaking of, Naomie is playing house with her roommate Wilson who is far less domestic than Craig. She teaches him her shortcut for flat ironing dish towels instead of pulling out the iron. Her new nose makes an appearance in her talking head interview, but it seems she’s getting a break this episode after being front and center last week. On Isle of Palms, Shep chats with his father as his family awaits the arrival of the latest Rose baby. Shep apologizes for not adding to the family brood, and his dad jokes he could have a few kids around that he doesn’t know about. Shep is the process of decorating his beach house. His current mailbox money is the rent he’s receiving from his downtown home. He’s taking a break from investing in bars as he realizes it may not bode well for his liver.

Patricia Altschul heads to designer department store Gwynn’s to help style T-Rav’s latest fling. Pat doesn’t usually bother styling other people, but Ashley needs to get away from her normal California duds. Pat would like to see her in an outfit that doesn’t highlight her butt cheeks. Ashley fawns over Pat’s promise ring and hopes that Thomas will take the hint. As Ashley tries on Chanel and Jimmy Choo heels, she likens herself to a Barbie. Strike one. Patricia chastises her for such a comparison. In her third look, Ashley is convinced she’s Pretty Woman. Strike two. Pat reminds her that while she’s pretty, she’s not a prostitute. Right? Inquiring about the status of Ashley’s nursing career, Ashley cites that she’s having an issue getting licensed in South Carolina. Patricia subtly hints that men like Thomas aren’t looking for a Barbie doll to play house. They need to be challenged by a woman with her own life and career. Ashley’s eyes glaze over, but she’s brought out of the trance when Pat declares Ashley will take all of the clothes. Three dresses and $10,000 later, the third strike is against T-Rav’s AmEx. Ashley is over the moon. Thomas is due for some thank-you sex.

At her house, Chelsea checks in with her brother. She reveals that after a few days of contractions, Cameran is still waiting on baby Palmer. Chelsea tells her brother that she and Shep have planned a road trip for the gang to their shared hometown of Hilton Head. That evening, Shep meets with T-Rav and Whitney Sudler-Smith for cocktails. Thomas adores Ashley. There is only one drawback–he can’t date. Shep asserts that he’s glad to see T-Rav and Kathryn finally getting along. He couldn’t keep up with her appetite for sex early in their relationship, but he’s settled for some hook-ups in between dropping off the children…before Ashley, of course. Of course. Shep teases that he may know someone to satisfy Kathryn’s cravings, but he hopes Thomas treads lightly with his children’s mother. Kathryn may be fun and have a biting sense of humor, but she’s still just as vulnerable as she ever was. He feels protective of his friend.

Gwynn’s is capitalizing on Bravo’s episode long commercial, and Kathryn has been granted an internship. Her first exercise is styling a fictitious on-the-go attorney and mom. She stresses over the task but has a good eye for fashion. Not bad for someone who’s resume boasts an ice cream shop, a gym, and the statehouse. Down the road, Austen takes Victoria on a date to Red Drum, and she’s everything he wants. She likes bourbon and wants to take care of him. Victoria is direct with Austen. He needs to make a decision. She doesn’t care if he hangs with Chelsea as friends, but he needs to be all in as a boyfriend to her. Austen is sold. A dancing bourbon swiller who booty calls him? It must be love! He pulls her in for a kiss to seal the deal.

Downtown, Patricia is doing one of her favorite things…hosting an all male dinner party where she’s the lone hen. The men arrive dressed to the nines, and even J.D. Madison crawls out from under his rock to make an appearance. T-Rav regales the group in the story of his first fight with Ashley. She tried to be a fun-crusher the night before by wanting to go home early and finding one of his jokes offensive. He brags that he threatened to ship her back to California, and Whitney laughs that T-Rav cannot be tamed by anyone. J.D.’s only purpose seems to be making fun of Craig losing beloved cat Gizmo in his break-up with Naomie, but at least we are treated to a montage of a man and his feline. It’s rich that a man who conned Craig out of an “failed investment” is so quick to put him down.

The gentlemen (and I use that term loosely), sit down to a vegan feast, and Craig is suddenly very thankful for the protein shake he downed earlier in the afternoon. Pat slyly shifts the conversation to a very scholarly article from the Times that states fewer men are buying cows because they get the milk for free. T-Rav practically high fives himself for this feat before graciously thanking Patricia for Ashley’s five figure shopping spree. Patrica poo poos the man child. Inquiring about the price of the gowns would have been so tacky. She gives her practiced soliloquy on the women in her heyday who had to married by twenty-five or were fearful of being shipped off to spinster group homes. Thomas announces to the table that Ashley is dying for a baby and isn’t on birth control. They practice what those kiddos on VPR like to call the “spray and pray”. Patricia interrupts to tell T-Rav that Ashley was quite complimentary of the doorknob she wears on her ring finger, and he gets a bit skittish. He drones on about his conversation about waiting for an engagement with Kathryn, and the table grows silent. Who? “Ashley.” Oh, no, brother. You said Kathryn. Thomas smiles slyly. Either works for him.

Cameran takes the walk of shame out of the hospital and back to her house. Despite a pitocin drip and contractions, her steel trap of a cervix is delaying Palmer’s arrival. Thomas is playing with his kids, and is it weird he has a watercolor portrait of he and Kathryn in Kensie’s room? It’s sweet, don’t get me wrong, but… As they run around the house, Kathryn leaves T-Rav a voicemail requesting they get together for dinner. They meet at Le Farfalle, and to outsiders they would appear to be on an intimate date. He fawns over how stunning she looks (and she does) as she playfully fixes a misplaced wisp of hair on his head. They toast (Kathryn with a water), and he orders them an appetizer to share.

Everything seems to be going well until Kathryn gets to the point of this meeting. Thomas posted a trick-or-treating photo of himself, Ashley, Kensie, and Saint looking like a perfect family of four. She fights back tears as she calmly explains how much it hurt her feelings. Thomas gives her what seems to be a genuine and sincere apology, but it’s Thomas, so who knows. The topic changes to co-planning a party for Saint, but Kathryn isn’t sure she’s ready to bring Ashley into their co-parenting fold. He tells Kathryn that Kensie put him on the spot asking why he wasn’t with mommy. The two share a tender moment where they vow to work on being friends. A handshake means it’s a done deal!

TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE? WILL THOMAS AND KATHRYN EVER LOSE THEIR EXPLOSIVE SPARK?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

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