Erika Jayne is Bringing Out The Best of Andy Cohen In The ‘RHOBH’ Reunion

It has felt rather yucky to compare The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills four-part reunion to the Super Bowl (and not even Tom Brand winning another ring, yucky). There are hurting families tuning in. This is not all for funsies. But when it comes to the anticipation, preparation, and appointment viewing, sure, I’ll concede. Those elements are present. And all eyes are on the Bravo quarterback himself, Andy Cohen, who at halftime, is so far leading the team to victory.

We all watched Season 11 of RHOBH unfold: as the news broke about Erika’s divorce from attorney Tom Girardi on Election Day 2020 and her castmates gaped at their phones in surprise; as the news broke about the lawsuits alleging he embezzled millions from clients and the women gaped at Erika in confusion, and as it only continued to get worse for Erika and the women gaped at each other in a variety of continued WTF moments. Upon car accidents and mistresses and secret homes, we’ve all been subjected to half of the information from one-sided stories and it’s been bewildering. It’s been good TV, again, if you aren’t one of the aforementioned former clients of Girardi’s waiting for answers and money. But if you’re a casual viewer at home, sure, we’ve never seen anything like this.

But that also is true of Andy Cohen’s reunion hosting so far. Now, he’s still got 50% of the way to go, but there are no signs of him backing down. The show has wisely sprinkled the promised Erika grilling throughout each episode because all roads lead back to this drama. How could it not? Like the season we all just watched, it has consumed at least a part of every episode. So when it came to the reunion, you couldn’t just save it for the end. It’s permeating each and every one of these women’s lives. And Andy’s! So we can raise our eyebrows at Dorit/Rinna’s squabbles with Garcelle, and take in the much-needed charm of Kathy Hilton once she appeared on the couch, and even applaud Harry Styles for recognizing the brilliance of this show. But we know it all comes back to Erika.

And Andy knows it too. He is more prepared than ever — not just on his notecards, but in his soul. That CBS news background is being put to use more than it ever has before in his years on Bravo. He wants the answers. His thirst for gossip is at an all-time high. He wants that tea spilled. In Carrie-at-the-prom-style buckets. It’s clearly the knowledge that he may be our only hope at getting the truth is what’s fueling him. He’s using the frustration (his own and viewers alike) to keep him focused. This is not the way he typically rolls his eyes or snaps his head back and forth at the couches when the women bicker. He’s not distracted by the cards in front of him or the producers in his earpiece. This man is on a mission, and so far, he is delivering.

The reunion has not been peppered with “With all due”s or “Sweetie…”s. Andy knew what was riding on this moment and he’s getting right to the point. His “I know what you make” comment when discussing Erika’s personal finances didn’t feel all that shocking. He knows that if he’s not gonna say it or ask it or question it, no one will. Sutton Stracke has done her best this season, in a way that has felt natural to her inquisitive nature and important for moving the show’s drama along in a way that feels both comfortable (drama via snapping at each other at dinner tables) and even brand new (drama via highly sensitive legal matters). Frankly, it’s been nice to see viewers come around on her as she is actually a great Housewife.

It’s been less nice to see the impact on Erika. I stand by my stance from earlier in the summer: I don’t believe she knew what was happening and I do believe she did the best she could and what she thought was right in a very complicated situation. I do not believe she has helped herself in the way she tried to walk the line of sharing enough, both in an attempt to gain sympathy from friends and viewers as well as defend herself, while also not saying anything that could entirely implicate her. The social media, oof, that’s a debate for another day. She’s in a tough place: you want to share your truth yourself, but you don’t want to dig yourself a bigger hole. She hasn’t…fully succeeded in either arena.

However, if anyone can help her with that balance, it’s Andy. And so far, he has. At this point, she has mostly answered his questions confidently and matter-of-factly, in a way that has satisfied him and the viewers (at least with the concise quality and amount of information she has provided). He’s been fair but firm. She knows he wants to make the best TV show possible, but she also can’t help but trust him (at least, certainly more than she would anyone on the opposing couch).

Andy has, in no uncertain terms, understood the assignment. He’s seen the tweets, he recognizes the holes in her story, and he needs to know the deal — probably professionally and personally. And hey, maybe the pressure of Nicki Minaj coming for his job helps too. But perhaps most importantly of all, he’s giving us closure. You know, mainly as viewers and not as victims, but it feels like a start. The whole purpose of the reunions is to put a cap on the season, and while Rinna can force a hug out of Garcelle, we all know they’ll be right back at it next season. But when it comes to the Erika portion of the circus, it feels like we can move on from this specific chapter — which is truly saying something for this show (see: Pantygate, Puppygate, and Denisegate, all STILL mentioned at some point this year. Eyeroll!).

Kudos to Erika’s attorneys for getting her prepped for the showdown, but Mazel to Andy for rising to the occasion and giving us what we deserve. Now, let’s work on those victims next.

Stream The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo