‘Southern Charm’ Recap: Let’s Focus on Kathryn Dennis, The Only One Worthy Of Attention Right Now

Ashley sucks. We all know that, she’s given us repeated examples of her unladylike words and actions this season of Southern Charm, and so let’s move on to what matters.

Kathryn should be commended not only for the mom, friend, ex-girlfriend, and Gywnn’s intern she is, but for the human she’s become. Right in front of our eyes, she’s given us a display of what it looks like to overcome some real shit and turn it around into a sensible and responsible adult woman. She’s being challenged at every turn, and it might not be accurate to say she’s holding her tongue, but she’s employing some serious self-control practices that prove she’s better than all of us that would’ve surely been compelled to flip a damn table during that interaction.

The end of last week’s episode felt rough when Ashley declared she sees Kathryn’s kids more than she does, and now in hindsight, that was just a pleasantry. Thomas’s wannabe baby mama went on a tear, and for way, way, way too long, criticizing Kathryn’s ability to parent and care for her children, even as the other women calmly told her to not bring up that topic. Sure, Kathryn let out a few STFUs and was naturally bothered by the comments, sticking up for herself where she saw fit and simply crossing her arms and dismissing the rest of the garbage as falsehoods.

Kathryn was snarky but ultimately calm and classy in the face of a tornado of lies and personal accusations. She got her, “You’re probably not gonna be here in a month, hun,” jab in, which has unfortunately not come true, and confirmed she would indeed put Ashley in her place, but she barely raised her voice and only sparingly even sat forward in her seat. We later learned via Naomie that the anger was there — her hand was shaking — but she managed her emotions and didn’t act out in a drastic or violent way.

After Thomas finally fumbled around and found his balls long enough to pull her away from the group, Kathryn was met with confirmation from her pals that she handled that situation better than could ever be expected. “Two years ago you probably would’ve stabbed her with a fork,” Whitney laughed.

“I would be so upset if I wasn’t with my friends,”Kathryn confessed to the group that offered her pats on the back and hugs and even made Chelsea tear up at the thought of what just went down.

“The reason she handled it so well is because she’s sober and crushing life,” Craig announced to the group.

And he’s right. This is Kathryn’s recovery working right in front of everyone’s eyes. Even Thomas admitted, “I’ve never seen that kind of self-control in anyone, least of all her.” She’s learned the tactics she needs to weather moments just like this in ways she won’t regret. And while the class of a reality TV star tends to trend downward over time, the complete opposite can be said of Kathryn. Just think about her journey on this show! All the total facepalms, from awkward to unfortunate moments we’ve watched her go through, to the progress she’s made now as a 25-year-old woman. This was a big moment for her: it was uncomfortable and infuriating and confirming of the fact that she’s made a big adjustment and she’s got the people in her life by her side to prove it and support her.

And so this is the moment to think about and to talk about. Not watching a woman judge, shame, and scream at someone who could be in her life for the, sigh, foreseeable future. But celebrating the fact that Kathryn rose above the situation, handled it in a way we all can respect and learn from, and follow her lead in the way we remove ourselves from those emitting nothing but bullshit and bad vibes, on TV and otherwise.

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