It's a great time to be a fan of the Real Housewives, as the franchise is airing a number of seasons in addition to a few of the women being on the cast of The Traitors Season 2. Season 4 of RHOSLC recently wrapped, and it was a great batch of episodes that shows why that franchise is top-tier Housewives. Much of the drama surrounding the season surrounded newcomer Monica Garcia, especially during that wild season finale. After Salt Lake's explosive reunion, Andy Cohen himself explained why Monica won't be back for next season.
After a less than stellar Season 3, the fourth season of Salt Lake City (which can be seen on Bravo or streaming with a Peacock subscription) has been breaking the internet. Fans were fascinated by Monica's tense relationship with her mother, and more invested once Heather Gay reveled in the finale that the newbie was one of the people behind the troll account Reality Von Tease. Bravo boss and WWHL host Andy Cohen spoke to Variety about the way the show ended, and explained how Monica's performance during the three-part reunion sealed her fate. As he put it:
What I love about reunions is it’s like the Housewives’ court of law. I think if Monica had come out and was able to sway even one of the women back on her side, it might be a different conversation right now.
Fair point. The reunions are where Housewives are tasked with sticking the landing for their performance on the season. Whether its apologizing for bad behavior or standing in one's power, the stakes are high. And unfortunately Monica failed make any headway with the rest of the cast, which essentially banished her from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
While the cast all said they wouldn't film with Monica, some Bravo fans were holding out hope that she'd still be included in Season 5 of RHOSLC. After all, who wouldn't want to see this story continued? In the same piece by Variety, showrunner Lori Gordon shared more about why Garcia won't be back, saying:
The whole franchise is based on friends, and people who know each other and circulate in the same circles. And at this time, the women just need a cooling off period. And I think it’s too soon — they’ve articulated it. It’s too soon for them to reenter into a friendship, a trusting friendship. Not enough time has passed.
She's not wrong. The whole concept of the Real Housewives franchise is that we're following affluent women from various cities and the drama of their friendship circle. And the fact that the cast of Salt Lake all seemingly hate Monica, the show might not work... even if there was drama.
While Heather Gay struggled last season, she was a breakout star of Season 4. Her confrontation with Monica in the finale broke the internet and has been turned into countless memes. Gay also spoke to Variety about her unwillingness to be around Garcia, saying:
Monica has no connection with any of us right now. There’s no chance that she will be in my home, in my business, or around me anytime soon.
Monica is officially out of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and it should be fascinating to see how the cast shakeup goes down for Season 5. Maybe she'll be able to be used in other projects like a season of Ultimate Girls Trip or even in a future installment of The Traitors. Only time will tell, but her impact will surely be felt on Salt Lake moving forward.
The Real Housewives airs new episodes on Bravo, before available to stream on Peacock the next day. Check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
