What do you get from an explosive season of reality TV? A spicy AF reunion of course. And the eighth season of Summer House is not here to disappoint (unlike some of our salty pals over at Vanderpump Rules). After a long, hot summer of hooking up and verbal right hooks, our favorite Hamptons vacationers have made me desperate to get lit in a bikini and/or get my heart broken by a summer fling. While reunions by nature are intended to be at least a little bit juicy, Andy Cohen worked his magic on this cast who was already v fired up to clear their names with some hefty truth bombs. This crew is kicking ass, taking names, and picking sides so hard that I’m literally cheering from the edge of my seat. Like, my Apple Watch is genuinely worried I’m having a heart attack because I’m so invested in the secrets revealed about the last 13 weeks of drama. It only feels right to round up the most shocking revelations from the Summer House reunion, for your entertainment.
Carl called the cameras before the break-up with Lindsay
Literal minutes into the season 8 reunion, Carl and Lindsay got to snapping at each other because, duh. After both admitted it was painful to watch the season back, they got to calling each other out on lies. Lindsay was first to confirm a long-held rumor: that Carl specifically requested Bravo pick the cameras back up because he planned to call off the wedding. While he insisted he didn’t know that’s how that brutal conversation was going to go (lol sure Jan), he did agree Lindsay came into his room before the cameras arrived to ask him if he knew why they were filming that day. He then stated or screamed (depending on who you ask) that Lindsay needed to change and get her act together or he was “this close” to calling off the wedding. Poor girl had her prescription shades on to be blindsided by Carl with this type of hurtful behavior going on just hours before he dumped her.
Carl lied about Lindsay saying Kyle couldn’t be a groomsman
Remember when Carl said in his confessional that the reason Kyle wasn’t a groomsman was because of Lindsay? Turns out that was a huge leap Carl made entirely on his own. He and Lindsay came up with a (gratuitous tbh) list of nine picks each for their wedding party and Carl chose his all on his own. When they realized Luke and Andrea, as well as Kyle, didn’t make the cut Linday came up with the slightly childish option of flower boys. Meaning she didn’t create the idea just to punish Kyle or nix him from Carl’s excel sheet. Lindsay backed up her claim by slipping in that when she asked Carl who would be her next alternative groomsman if someone dropped out Carl said Andrea, not Kyle. Ouch. Carl then admitted Lindsay never told him no explicitly, he just “felt” she would. Very interesting word choice buddy!! FWIW, to Amanda’s point, if Lindsay had shut down including Kyle, who has come for her character and their relationship 24/7 since it began, it would have been an understandable desire for her big day.
Paige says Lindsay had a plan to sabotage her photoshoot
At some point around Paige’s birthday in November, Paige planned a photoshoot at a venue owned by a friend of Lindsay’s. (God I hope it was one of her shoots with Craig which lives in my head rent-free). Anyway, a little 6’5″ birdie with brand new veneers told her he had overhead Lindsay and her friend planning to “sabotage” Paige’s photoshoot. When repeating the conversation back, it sounds more like Carl heard Lindsay talking shit about the fact that Paige would dare go to one of her friends for a service which is indeed petty AF but not equal to outright espionage if we’re being real. Because of this Paige said her relationship with Lindsay after their solid summer went two steps forward and one step back, per usual. Lindsay “did not recall” the conversation. Oopsie.
West Wilson was living in the comment section after becoming a Summer House fan favorite
The biggest shock from part 1 of the reunion was all the tea about how much West cared about how he looked on camera. He basically dumped Ciara so that he could thrive as a solo star in the Bravo social media space which he found incompatible with a relationship. At the very end of part 1, Paige goes further to elaborate that while everyone else was reeling from the gravity of Carl and Lindsay’s hella horrific breakup, West was busy texting the group text that this was “the best season ever” with presumably too many exclamation points. Cringe doesn’t even cover it.
Ciara and West might get back together
Ciara is proof that the girlie pops might be… how do I say this nicely… down horrendously. After crying about how poorly West treated her for basically the entirety of part 1, Ciara admits in part 2 she still has feelings for the guy. While the only emotion I would be feeling for a summer fling who played me like Jenga on national television six months after the breakup is pure rage, I understand that some of us are only ice queens on the outside. But she really had me gagged when Andy asked her if she’d consider getting back together and, as Jesse put it, she said there’s a chance?!?! Even though she said it would require “a world of change” from West, I’m confounded by the concept of giving a man that made you feel like trash hope so quickly. West himself said he was surprised that was her answer after everything she had let out earlier. Love is a losing game, y’all.
Amanda shares her experience with depression
It’s no secret that Amanda and Kyle have had a rocky year. She spent 15 episodes lamenting her husband’s childish and unsupportive character. And while it’s far from their first troubled summer, Amanda and Kyle opened up for the first time about a particular challenge she faced leading up to season 8 filming. Amanda said she has a previous history of depression, which runs in her family, so when the “post-wedding blues” hit in 2022, it wasn’t “out of the blue.” She empathized with Kyle feeling lonely in their marriage (a harsh reality Kyle laid out to Amanda on the beach during the summer) because she was withdrawn from her family and friends throughout the year because of her mental health. Amanda was happy to report, however, that antidepressant medications have greatly benefited her now.
Carl is opening up the sober sports bar after all (allegedly)
After revealing in part 1 that he did return to Loverboy, Carl also shared that the sober sports bar/cafe that will cater to the sober community by serving only non-alcoholic drinks is “about to happen,” despite Lindsay’s protests. Well, he at least has hired the initial team to plan the bar, which will then need a rented space, a sober specialized menu, and a permanent staff. So while we won’t hold our breath considering how long it’s taken other Bravo restaurants to open, and we’re not sure what the difference is between this and a regular old coffee shop, we looked forward to the inevitable Bravo watch parties to come there, should the bar open.
Is Lindsay still friends with Amanda, Paige, and Ciara AKA the Bed Bugs of Summer House?
While the fandom applauded the girls for rallying around Lindsay, unlike Ariana’s so-called friends on VPR, it seems the hot girl summer vibe we felt coming from the bed bugs may have been just for show. It seemed like every time Lindsay opened her mouth to tell her side of the story, Carl didn’t even have a chance to interject because Amanda jumped in to fight his battle for him. How in the world would Amanda or Paige know the difference between Carl and Lindsay’s income? Not to mention Amanda silently cosigned her husband berating Lindsay as delusional, hysterical, and the single reason her relationship spiraled out of control. What happened to advising Kyle to let Carl make his own decisions, Lady Loverboy?
While it was valid for Ciara and Paige to empower Carl’s sobriety, their snarky laughter as Lindsay struggled to explain why she was disappointed at seeing her fiance express “relationship ending” concerns to his stepfather (minister or not) felt low-key cruel since they had to have known what she meant after watching the show. Lindsay did find support from Gabby and Danielle who occasionally piped in to stand up to the mountain on noise coming from everyone else. But is she cool with Paige, Ciara, and Amanda after all their empathy for her frustrations magically dissipated once the fans could no longer weigh in on the regular season? Only this summer will tell.
