The Real Housewives of Potomac is in a very interesting state. Hell froze over when Dr. Wendy Osefo and Gizelle Bryant found a way to bury the hatchet. The Grande Dame Karen Huger was knocked down a peg with her DUI. Then, with the departure of original cast member Robyn Dixon prior to the season, there was a bit of an opening to find some time in the spotlight. Insert Mia Thornton. In her hopes of rising to the top, Mia's made a mess in the process.
On top of her very interesting romantic and parenting situation, Mia desperately tries to carve out lead character energy, but the reality star is just causing unnecessary drama. She’s showing why she is two-faced and how she’ll try to beat others down to make herself seem angelic. She is quite calculated, but she’s miscalculated her standing in this group.
Mia's Trip Didn't Go According to Plan
The main storylines this season have revolved around Gizelle Bryant and Karen Huger. Without Robyn Dixon, Gizelle Bryant is opening up a new chapter. She's establishing a new identity while maintaining the Gizelle we're used to. Karen Huger has been dealing with some extremely serious issues which have caught the attention of other women. With very little room to sneak into the top, Mia Thornton is managing to make herself the season's villain. She doesn't quite seem to grasp how poorly she's playing her hand.
For the first big girl's trip of the season, Mia invited the ladies to her lake house in Lake Norman, North Carolina. As the host, she felt she could rule the roost. But trying to control the narrative has backfired. Her girl’s trip to Lake Norman had brought out old wounds (and scars) as Mia had hoped to assert her dominance over Karen, but Karen put her and her bestie, Jacqueline Blake, in their place. When Mia invited her local friends to dinner, she felt this was her chance to flex and bring out some three-year-old story. She thought it would be something that would minimize Karen. But who really cares about a butt dial that may or may not have happened while Karen was intoxicated calling Jacqueline a sidekick? Instead, it infuriated Karen. She took aim at Jacqueline. Throughout her confessional, Karen slammed her for being a "backstabbing heifer" and "irrelevant." All this because of Mia Thornton. Meanwhile, Mia still stands by that Karen "didn't want any smoke from Mia." Unfortunately, Mia would likely have been inhalated, so perhaps Karen spared her the humiliation.
Since Karen's DUI will never not be relevant this season, Mia and her sidekick felt it necessary to ensure that everyone shared their same opinion about the incident. When messy Mia tried to turn Karen’s bestie, Stacey Rusch, against her, it backfired. Accusing Karen of having a problem and needing rehab took Mia’s devious plans to a whole new level. Instead, as the conversation made its rounds, it caused the women to believe that perhaps Mia didn't have Karen's best intentions at heart. Perhaps she was trying to use her circumstances against her. But, if Karen is this woman in need as she says she is, shouldn't Mia be actually trying to help her?
The Men of It All
The friend group is in an interesting state of flux when it comes to their current relationship statuses. Some are unhappily married. Others are newly divorced. Some have partners that range from sex-hungry to celibate. But when men become the topic of conversation, everything becomes a mess. While one would think they would unite and celebrate whatever situationship each other is in, it's become a point of contention.
At the trip's final "red hot" dinner, Mia was eager to mock and interrupt Keiarna Stewart’s attempt to relate to Jassi Rideaux by questioning if they slept with the same football player. Trying to pull out her skeletons showcased Mia's inability to read the room. It wasn't a funny joke. It wasn't intended to make the table laugh. It was meant to humiliate Jassi. Why would Mia try to expose her salacious past, as many are questioning her current situation? Mia is currently living in the same apartment complex with her estranged husband, Gordon Thornton. Why? For the kids. Well, in the same breath, she's willing to flaunt Inc, her current boyfriend, like it's completely normal. There's certainly trouble brewing, but by trying to expose others and their dirty laundry, it's very likely they'll use this against her when she ticks them off.
Mia Thornton wants to be the center of the intro package, but she's still one spot away. If she continues to play this messy game, she will earn a target on her back and become a top-tier villain in the franchise. But hey, who doesn't want to earn a second gig on House of Villains potentially? Mia Thornton is a drama queen. It's not a great look, but that's Mia!
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sundays at 8:00 p.m. on Bravo. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
