Watch What Crappens – Episode #3166

"RHOBH S15E05 Part One: Vapid Vortex"

Release Date: January 16, 2026
Hosted by: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam

Episode Overview

This episode, titled "Vapid Vortex," finds Ben and Ronnie diving into Season 15, Episode 5 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ("Not Feeling the Healing"). The hosts deliver their signature mix of loving mockery, snark, and Bravo-insider wit as they break down the cast's trip to Sedona, fashion faux-pas, spiritual adventures (or lack thereof), and escalating frenemy drama—particularly between Kyle and Dorit. There's also ample critique (and appreciation) of new and returning housewives, especially Jennifer Tilly and Amanda, as the hosts ponder who is contributing most to the escalating vortex of vapidity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Boring Season, Getting Joy from the Details (~03:03)

• Ben: “How many more times can we say it's a dull season so far?... I'm getting my jollies where I can get them.”
  • The hosts are underwhelmed with the overall momentum of RHOBH this season and increasingly find entertainment in the smaller, mundane moments.
• The awkward Sedona airport restaurant is roasted for its lack of glamour, with particular focus on the infamous laminated menu.

2. New Faces: Amanda’s Vibe, Tacky Bragging, and Tilly Takes Over (~04:15–06:50)

• Ben: “Amanda's awfulness…is it fun for me or awful-awful for me? I haven’t made up my mind.”
• Ronnie: “It’s fun watching her torture everyone because everyone really does hate her.”
  • Amanda’s “brand thirst” is dissected, described as lacking the nuance of “proper bragging” as compared to Kyle, Jennifer, or Dorit.
• Jennifer Tilly’s tackiness is “cute and fun”—her love of snacks (donuts, chips, Tums) and quirky brand-bragging is endearing and more self-aware.

3. The Sedona Setting & Vortex Banter (~08:10–17:37)

• The cast's attempt at a spiritual, healing Sedona getaway is undercut by their shallow pursuit of glamour, with hilarious mockery of how little the vortex and the desert offer in terms of actual drama.
• Ben: “I just always feel like they think they’re breaking the Internet. And it’s so unbroken from them. It’s hilarious to me.” [07:58]
• Vortex metaphors run rampant, with the hosts comparing Housewives’ interpersonal energy-sucking to actual energy vortices.
• Extended, tongue-in-cheek monologue riffing on Sedona vs. Santa Fe, local art galleries, and West Side Story.

4. Fashion Brags, Quiet Luxury, and Brand Name Battles (~17:47–22:19)

• Amanda's overt Chanel backpack and sunscreen boasting is slammed for being “embarrassing.”
• In contrast, the other women’s more “insider-y” fashion bragging (vintage Saint Laurent, moisturizer exchanges) are considered more palatable—entirely due to tone and delivery.
• Ben: “There’s no reason to bring up the Chanel backpack when you’re talking about your sunscreen. The fact that she wedged it in there, that’s where it goes wrong.” [19:15]
• Erica is praised for sporting Patagonia pants (and the glow of practical “quiet luxury”), sparking a surprising moment: Ben: “You know what? I always knew I liked Erica. She’s been a great Housewife.” [22:08]

5. Stolen Valor, Housewives Style (~22:19–24:13)

• The theme of “stolen valor” is humorously applied: Erica’s DJ claims, Kyle’s title thefts, and Housewives’ one-upmanship.
• Ben: “This is very much a show about people sizing each other up and envying what they have... all comes back to stolen valor, on some level.” [23:36]

6. Hiking Sedona: Comedic Suffering & Jennifer’s Antics (~24:16–47:15)

• The hiking excursion into Sedona's heat (102 degrees) is ridiculed for its lack of luxury and general absurdity for this group.
• Jennifer Tilly’s relentless banter and snack obsessions are a focal point as she annoys the entire group; both lovable and exhausting.
  • Ben: “Jennifer is actually witty, or at least she aspires to be witty… That’s a concept that has never been present on Real Housewives.” [29:55]
  • Mo: “Vortex rhymes with Hortex. Horizontet. Those are working girls with two jobs. Cortex. I like that one personally. Do you know any store around here that sells Skittles? They’re my caviar.” [33:16]
• Kathy, meanwhile, opts for luxury over hiking, staying in her room with custom pillows and a white noise machine.

7. Sedona Shopping Crew: Rachel, Dorit, Bose, and Kaleidoscope Mayhem (~36:22–41:36)

• The shopping trio is mesmerized by kaleidoscopes, art galleries, and Southwest tchotchkes—exposing their ‘tourist trap’ naiveté.
• Ben: “When Rachel Zoe made that joke, it made me wonder: If Zoe makes a joke in the forest and there’s no gay there to laugh, did she ever make a joke at all?” [38:57]
• Dorit splurges $482 on a “magic” globe; Ronnie: “Dorit, hi, this is Ronnie. I know we’re not friends, but I do like you and I just wanted to inform you: You’re broke.” [41:06]

8. Group Divides, Vortex Meditation & Kyle vs. Dorit Drama (~47:47–58:51)

• The Vortex hike becomes a backdrop for group confessions—though the hosts agree the cast shows little sign of real introspection.
• Kyle uses the moment to vent her frustration at Dorit, framing herself as a victim: Ben: “You are not in a catch-22 here... Just let her talk, eat some M&Ms, and then you go home.” [50:43]
• Ronnie and Ben analyze Kyle’s self-serving approach, the complexity of supporting friends in crisis, and the cycle of Housewives alliances turning toxic, especially Kyle’s pattern of isolation and undermining (target: Dorit).
• Erica offers actual good advice for once: Mo (as Erica): “If I were Kyle, I’d just block it all out. Like people do with my music. Just try to be there in the moment.” [57:36]

9. Cooking Catastrophe Forecast: Kathy Cooks, Erica Complains (~59:11–61:40)

• Back at the house, Kathy attempts a pasta primavera, which horrifies Erica: “Why are we cooking on vacation? Are we on a budget? What the is going on here?” [59:48]
• Both hosts agree: no one wants to eat food made by this cast, and the forced group dinner will be a disaster.

10. The Sutton-Avi/Amanda Assistant Rumors (61:40–67:09)

• Amanda seizes on Sutton's falling out with her ex-assistant, Avi, feeding gossip to Kyle with the aim of stirring drama. Discussion veers into “gay guy culture” around gossip, bar talk, and the likelihood that Avi’s trash talk is simply the norm and not particularly sinister.
• Kyle relishes the drama, clearly delighted by Sutton's turmoil.
• Ronnie: “It’s also so Kyle… Instead of being like, wow, I thought Avi was a really nice person. And going back and talking behind the back of somebody that you were worked for is really tacky…But Kyle, of course, is like, ‘Well, you know…must have been a bad ending. Sutton must have really fucked him over.’ Kyle’s whole face lights up.” [66:47]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Ben (On RHOBH's self-importance): “I just always feel like they think they’re breaking the Internet. And it’s so unbroken from them. It’s hilarious to me.” (07:58)
• Ronnie (On Amanda): “She makes it gross. She just makes it gross.” (05:37)
• Ben (On Chez Beverly Hills fashion): “It is totally the exact same thing…It’s just all in the tone.” (19:15)
• Ben (On Erica’s “quiet luxury”): “I always knew I liked Erica. She’s been a great Housewife.” (22:08)
• Ronnie (On Housewives group dynamics): “This is very much a show about people sizing each other up and envying what they have…” (23:36)
• Ronnie (On Dorit’s shopping): “Dorit, hi, this is Ronnie. I know we’re not friends, but I do like you and I just wanted to inform you: You’re broke.” (41:06)
• Mo (as Erica): “If I were Kyle, I’d just block it all out. Like people do with my music. Just try to be there in the moment.” (57:36)
• Ben (On Kyle’s lack of support): “You are not in a catch 22 here... Just let her talk, eat some M&Ms, and then you go home.” (50:43)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Discussion on the season’s dullness and Sedona arrival: 03:03–07:58
• Amanda vs. "proper" bragging: 04:50–06:50
• Vortex, Sedona, and Housewives self-importance: 07:58–17:37
• Fashion/brand wars and “quiet luxury:” 17:47–22:19
• Stolen Valor and Housewives group theory: 22:19–24:13
• Sedona hike, Jennifer Tilly antics: 24:16–47:15
• Shopping crew and kaleidoscope obsession: 36:22–41:36
• Kyle vs. Dorit: Meditative venting and group splits: 47:47–58:51
• Kathy’s cooking and culinary dread: 59:11–61:40
• Amanda, Sutton, and Avi gossip: 61:40–67:09

Overall Tone & Vibe

True to form, Ben and Ronnie keep things light, irreverent, and gleefully snarky. Their affection for Bravo’s messiest women is apparent—even when they eviscerate them for being vapid, tone-deaf, or hypocritical. They celebrate the show’s quirks (and the cast’s failures to heal) as much as they ridicule its lack of energy, creating a rich, hilarious, and insightful recap for fans and Bravo newcomers alike.

End of Part One.
Stay tuned for Part Two!