The girls are back from Mexico and Lydia has been inspired by her Latin escapade because she has brought some inspiration back with her to the OC! This week, Lydia hosts a salsa dancing fiesta for all the ladies and in true Real Housewives of Orange County fashion, it’s another theme party from hell. But not as bad as last year’s 80’s party!

Things kick off this week with Lydia driving around Orange County in her Mercedes, talking to Heather on the phone. She convinces Heather to meet with Alexis before the salsa night so that they both don’t have a repeat of Tamra’s CUT Fitness dinner party which was a hot mess. Heather agrees to try talking to Alexis for Lydia’s party’s sake.

Meanwhile, Tamra and Vicki are basking in their newly rekindled sisterhood. Nothing like tequila, penis balloons and bulky strippers to mend a cracked friendship! I just love these two together. They’re literally sisters from other misters. They get their personalized wine bottles for Wines by Wives and have a chat about the salsa party.

Talking about Mexico, Tamra even reveals to Vicki that Gretchen is so hard to be friends with because she makes things all about her all the time, like making the bachelorette party goodie bags a Gretchen Christine product placement opportunity sometimes. and Vicki obviously loves it because she can’t stand Gretchen and frankly, after last episode, can you blame Vicki?

Heather meets with Alexis at the coffee shop that permitted RHOC filming this season. Things quickly escalate between the two girls when Alexis starts victimizing herself about Costa Rica (good LORD can we stop talking about this old crap already?), and Heather sticks up for herself and denies attacking Alexis.

Realizing that nothing will ever get fixed if they continue to dwell on their drama, Alexis and Heather agree to just drop everything and be civil. Side note: I love love love Heather’s perfect use of adverbs! Anyway, Heather admits that she does not want to be Alexis’s BFF, but she will be cordial and say hello to Alexis.

Gretchen meets with her mom, and apparently her mom finally accepts Slade as her daughter’s man. Yawn.

Over at Vicki’s lair, Briana and baby Troy are getting ready for Ryan’s departure to a military base. This is just so heartbreaking, because who knows what may happen once he deploys to Afghanistan, and he has this little infant son whose life he will miss out on.

Vicki reflects that she never thought she’d be that one family member sending someone off into the military with an American flag. Oh that Vicki, always making it about herself! Surprisingly she is very optimistic about Ryan’s upcoming tour and is very calm. And surprisingly Vicki finally came to terms with why Briana and Ryan eloped! Briana had just survived and Ryan had also just survived combat. Seeing Briana crying makes me sad.

Lydia’s salsa party is in full swing and the place looks amazing! On the way there however, Dr. Dubrow magically had Brooks’s phone number and invited him. Producer intervention much? He says he just got home for work (lol) and Terry asks him to put on his shoes and come.

All the ladies arrive and they all look great! Gretchen definitely dressed the part and has the best outfit here. Her costume attire came in handy here. Lauri Peterson and her husband George arrive as the producers’ Tamra’s guests, and Slade starts talking about how when he slept with Lauri, she was a 10. How vile. I wonder what Gretchen thought when she saw this footage?

Over at the chips and salsa table Lydia is chowing down when Slade makes a joke that he wants to nickname her “Cheeseburger” because she is too thin and he wants to feed her one. Honestly, one of the rudest things you can do to a girl right in front of her face is comment on her weight, whether you think she’s too big or too small.

Lydia asks Slade what he just whispered to Gretchen about her weight. Comedian Slade just claims he made a harmless little joke but Lydia isn’t having it. I am surprised Slade would say stuff like that considering Gretchen admitted to having suffered from anorexia earlier in her life. Just…ugh.

Brooks arrives with flowers for his honey, and Tamra looks none too pleased to see him! I am praying the evil eye doesn’t come out! They are cordial and Tamra reveals that she doesn’t have to love Brooks, but she’s not going to make a scene out of it for Vicki’s sake.

Vicki, having not seen Brooks in a while, is pleasantly surprised, but she is also confused as to why he showed up. Tamra is standing by Lauri, and Lauri takes the chance to slander Vicki again. She says that one of her daughter’s stripper/porn star friends is dating Brooks.

Now here is my issue with Lauri: she JUST greeted Vicki and acted like she had no drama with her but now minutes later she is bashing her to Tamra. Also, if your daughter is friends with people who do “questionable activities” for money, what does that say about YOUR daughter?

After some salsa dancing, and some bizarre shuffling of dance partners (Tamra and Brooks? Vicki and Slade?!) Lydia and Slade rehash their little spat. Apparently the producers are desperate for Lydia to get into some drama, so she calls out Slade for making fun of women’s appearances and driving them to plastic surgery. (Remember Miss Piggy?) Lydia is pretty much not into Gretchen, or should I say Malibu Barbie, and Slade.

Tamra is continuing to get the ball rolling on her wedding even though Eddie is not into any planning. She is having a wedding dress shopping day and wants to bring all the girls, Alexis included because the new and reformed Tamra doesn’t want Alexis left out! Gretchen gets wind of this and is not having it. How dare Gretchen not have a say in who Tamra wants to bring to HER dress shopping day? Ugh.

Next week the dress shopping date occurs and Vicki ends in tears when she confronts Lauri over the BS she’s been spreading! It should be a good episode with that and Gretchen dealing with Alexis being at the dress designer’s store.

But for now, let’s discuss this week’s show! Do you think Alexis will remain cordial with Tamra and Heather for the rest of the season, or will there be another blowout fight? Did Lydia overreact to Slade’s comment about her weight?