Vanderpump Rules Recap: Hope and Pride (Season 7 Episode 2)
On Vanderpump Rules Season 7 Episode 2, “Hope and Pride,” Jax and Brittany celebrate their engagement, and Kristen ambushes Raquel and James.
It’s happened, Jax, aka “Jason,” is officially off the market (women everywhere can sigh in relief). Jax and Brittany’s engagement is still on.
Following Jax’s proposal, the couple enjoy a pre-engagement party (their official engagement party will likely be setting for some major season 7 drama) organized by none other than Stassi.
Even Lisa Vanderpump makes an appearance to offer her congratulations. Brittany is so ecstatic she’s bagged her dream man, she literally shouts “I’m engaged!” from the rooftop (actually, her balcony).
Now that Jax has blown the better part of his inheritance on Brittany’s engagement ring, he finds himself short on cash and crawls back to Lisa to ask for his old job. Obviously, in the real world, Lisa would never in a million years welcome Jax back into the SUR fold.
But because Jax makes for good TV, Lisa offers him a second chance to work the bar for the LA Gay Pride Festival.
Jax and Brittany aren’t the only twosome enjoying domestic bliss. Things are going well for James and Raquel. The two are living together with their Labradoodle puppy, and they’ve upgraded to an apartment with a washer and dryer. Apparently, for twentysomethings in LA, this is a big effing deal.
James may be a happy camper, but his crappy behavior towards Brittany — and everyone else — is all the motivation Kristen needs to try to blow up her ex’s (not Tom Sandoval who already endured her wrath) happy home. Kristen is an expert on finding skeletons in closets, and she’s dug up some serious bones when it comes to James.
It seems James may be cheating on Raquel with a young woman named Hope who just happens to be friends with Kristen. Hope and James even allegedly had sex one night when Raquel was asleep in the other room.
Hope claims she kept quiet because she’s been masterfully manipulated by the British DJ, but thanks to some prodding from Kristen, Hope is ready to come clean. Kristen plans to reveal all during Pride.
Pride kicks off, and the theme is the ’80s, which means everyone parading around in leotards and headbands — basically looking like extras from a Jane Fonda workout video.
James apologizes to Jax and Brittany for composing and performing a rap about Jax’s infidelity and hands over a peace offering — a huge gift basket full of tequila.
James is able to worm his way back into Jax’s and Brittany’s good-ish graces, but just as he puts out one fire, Kristen is lighting another. She and Hope corner Raquel and inform her James has been dipping his wick, well, elsewhere.
Let’s just take a moment to examine the twisted inner workings of Kristen’s mind. She’s already pulled a very similar maneuver on ex Tom Sandoval, bringing a heavily-botoxed bimbo to SUR way back on Vanderpump Rules Season 3 Episode 13, “Miami Vices.” Her attempt to ambush Tom and break up him and Ariana fails, and Kristen loses her job.
Kristen’s campaigns to bring cheating men to justice are laughable given news of her cheating on then-boyfriend Sandoval with his bestie Jax (Stassi’s squeeze although their romantic status at the time is murky) came out during Vanderpump Rules Season 2.
Of course, Raquel questions Kristen’s motives because she’s crazy. Kristen defends Hope, telling Raquel how tough it is to admit that you slept with another woman’s boyfriend.
Raquel has her doubts regarding Kristen’s and Hope’s credibility, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And there’s a whole lot of gray matter floating around James. Jax offers the most astute comment to the cameras, stating he has dealt with his fair share of cheating accusations, and they were all true.
James does what any man guilty of infidelity would do: he denies it. James swears everyone is jealous of his success. He’s got the girl, the gig, and that washer and dryer.
Then he goes on a rampage, verbally attacking Lala who believes James is in desperate need of some intense therapy.
James also calls Katie fat and abandons his teary-eyed girlfriend to take to the streets and snap selfies with the crowd. No, this guy isn’t a complete D-bag at all.
Raquel would be wise to heed the words of one Lala Kent: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you. Fool me three times, you’re dead to me.”
What did you think of this episode of Vanderpump Rules? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Vanderpump Rules airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.
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Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.