Bravo wasn't ready for Monica Garcia. The newest addition to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4 blazed a trail the franchise has never seen before, going from a promising newbie to the most polarizing woman in Braveland in just one episode.
RHOSLC Season 4 spoilers ahead . In the jaw-dropping finale, Heather Guy discovers Monica was involved in the Instagram troll account Reality Von Tease and has "receipts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots!" to prove it. Monica does not deny her involvement. But she claimed that others were involved and that the account's real mission was to expose former Star and now-convicted criminal Jen Shah.
However, Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose and Heather all said they were bullied by the account over a three-year period , was betrayed by Monica into their friend group without revealing her true identity. They dramatically kicked her out of her last dinner in Bermuda.
While the episode was a great piece of television (even Jennifer Lawrence said the cast deserved Oscars), People magazine reported, citing "multiple sources," that Monica will not be returning to the show. After the reunion, show producers confirmed her exit from the variety show .
This is not surprising as some of the women said they would never film with her again. Heather's issues with Monica have escalated into dueling lawsuits, and Lisa recently told Deadline that seeing her again would be difficult. "I just couldn't believe her," she said. "I don't want her in my house. I don't want her in my space."
However, despite her actions, fans are divided on whether Monica should return. I discussed this conundrum with Bustle writer and Bravo superfan Sam Ramsden, discussing the pros and cons of Monica returning to RHOSLC .
Pros: Monica's mother
Sam: Monica has the entertainment factor, but I also think her toxic relationship with her estranged mother is interesting to any viewer. Her mom seems to be desperate for fame, and then fame through her daughter. People can relate to parents trying to live through them.
Jake: Have you ever watched the Lifetime show Dance Moms ?
Sam: That's exactly what I was going to mention.
Jack: Great thinking.
Sam: This gave me a Dance Moms vibe, with moms showing off their daughters in a toxic environment. I'm lucky enough to have a good relationship with my parents, so when I see someone like Monica talking like that to her mom, or vice versa, I'm like, "Oh my God."
Cons: Monica's mother
Jake: As fascinating as this dynamic is, I never want to see Monica's mom on TV again. She's so thirsty it's beyond entertainment, just like Jax Taylor in Vanderpump Rules . He's reached a point where he's no longer entertaining, just annoying and repetitive.
Sam: There's a fine line between entertainment and cringe. But her family's chaos is one of the reasons the show should keep her around for another season.
Jack: The reveal of Monica's affair and her relationship with her children seemed interesting. I want to know more about them. But mom has to go.
Advantages: Embracing reality
Sam: Because Monica has infiltrated the show and it's too late to reverse it. Whether it's "Bravo" or "Bachelor Nation," the reality TV fan subculture is a reality. Bravo definitely tends to break the fourth wall. So maybe in this case, let's dig a little deeper into that as it reflects the current state of reality TV.
Jake: It would be interesting to see them come to terms with this reality. It's also dangerous to let that happen and send the message that any superfan can attend the show.
Cons: Reality can be harmful
Sam: It does set a bad precedent if you start hiring super fans, but it's happened, so why not embrace it?
Jake: The production team didn't seem to know about the live-action Von Teese until Monica was cast. If they brought her back, it would set a dangerous precedent on the show where superfans control the narrative instead of just reacting to it.
Sam: Coming up with a cunning and successful plan to get on the show is something we've never seen on Housewives - According to our understanding.
Jack: This is incredible television right now, but if they keep Monica and send the message that this is acceptable, the show will get even worse. The onus is on production to make sure it doesn't reach that level again.
Agree: Monica did not commit a crime
Sam: If you look back at the history of the show, you can't compare Monica's involvement with fan accounts to what Jen Shah did. She was convicted of fraud and was hired to return for the third season. So, is creating a reality TV gossip account more taboo than scamming money? I'd say no.
Jack: I can't argue with that at all. Nothing she does is as bad as Jan Shah.
Sam: Also, I'm 100% sure other housewives have burn accounts too. If I were a housewife, I would have a second account and share propaganda to support myself.
Jack: Absolutely.
Sam: They stay in touch with fan accounts and journalists. They share stories and tidbits. In New York , there's always a running joke like, "Oh, I shared a story with the New York Post ." It's the same thing.
Cons: She's still a liar
Jack: Every housewife manipulates to some degree. This is part of the game. But Monica's attitude has gotten to the point where you can't believe anything she says. Even if she seems genuine, you don't know what to believe because she doesn't like to lie. When the reunion revealed the casting email she sent immediately after lying, I was gagged. What made her so bold, knowing that the production department had all the receipts?
Sam: But to me, that's what makes her so interesting to watch. I don't know how long her behavior will be interesting or where it will lead, but for now, it's fun.
Jake: No one can deny that Monica breathed new life into the show. But I worry that her particular brand of Housewifery will age badly. As entertaining as her reads are, they're really just name-calling and age-shaming that gets old quickly. She reminds me of Brandi Glanville in Beverly Hills , who I liked at first but grew tired of.
Sam: I think she's Danielle Staub [from New Jersey ] style character, her time there was short, but she made a huge impact and that legacy continues throughout the show.
Jake: I think Brandi might be like that, but every time she comes back, she shoots herself in the foot. I don't want the same thing to happen to Monica.
Pros: Fans need closure
Sam: As an audience, we should continue or end the real-life Von Teese scandal. If the actors soften their stance and decide to move on, we should have a chance to see that. The reunion was so intense that we never really got closure. Maybe Monica will get three episodes to wrap up her storyline, like Tamra did before Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Orange County . Even if it's only a few episodes, it's worth seeing.
Jake: If they had given her three more episodes to wrap up the storyline, I think she would have left a legacy behind and there would have been a lot more opportunities in front of her. Just imagine the shows she could be on - Renegades , House of Villains , Ultimate Girls Trip ; she's perfect in all of them. Had she stayed in Salt Lake City much longer, she might have been completely burned out and not only unlikable but unemployed.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include reports of Monica's departure.
