by Gina Scarpa

The final reunion episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County kicks off with a little discussion about husbands. Heather has taken some heat from the viewers for the way she treats Terry, but she defends their relationship saying that not only does she give him a great life as a stay at home mom but their relationship is normal. They fight just like everyone else! That's more than the women can say for Alexis and Jim, who had quite a nice edit this season. They look like they're just having the time of their lives but Alexis says viewers have seen the other side of the coin for a few seasons.

When Briana takes the stage, the mood shifts dramatically, and things are about to get really personal. First though, the fight between Ryan and Lydia's mom is rehashed. Briana apologizes for what happened that night but defends her husband as well, saying he was just trying to protect Vicki's home. She also claims she cleaned mud and wine off of the couch, but doesn't point fingers at Lydia's mom. Implying it is enough...

Why Brooks insists on being at the reunion and continuing to come between Vicki and her family is beyond me. Though I've never liked or fully trusted him, I couldn't understand why Briana and Ryan were so against him - but we're about to find that out. Briana's hatred runs deep and has been bubbling to the surface for many years. When Vicki was still married to Don, she found an email between Brooks and Vicki where he said he loved her and asked her to leave her husband. The big one though is that there's a tape of Brooks telling Ryan that he should start hitting Briana to keep her in line. As if that's not horrible enough, she was physically abused as a child. The craziest part? Vicki jumps up to defend BROOKS!

Tamra can barely breathe while Lydia walks off set crying. All of the women are shocked and things get really uncomfortable, especially when Brooks admits that he said it. He makes excuses, saying he said it in the heat of the moment after drinking but that's never okay. Vicki says he's not dangerous and has never harmed her. Still, it's ripping her family apart so the pair agree to break up and he walks off. It's hard to believe it's really over, but based on Vicki's breakdown, maybe she's finally leaving him where he belongs: in the past.

On a positive note, who's ready for Tamra and Eddie's wedding?

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

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