The Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2 Finale, “Best Friends for Never,” has arrived. This fun, petty season consisted of switching alliances, flashing vaginas, voice notes, VIPP Beyoncé seats, stunning homes, burgeoning businesses, and new loves. It was a wild, refreshing ride for an often messy franchise. But as we sit, it is time to say goodbye, for now, hopefully (Please, Bravo people, grant us a Season 3, PLEASE). Let us now check out how these uber-rich ladies shut their season down (including the endings of a few of their relationships) via our Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2 Finale recap.
“You can’t be b*tchy and not expect to be called a b*tch” on RHODubai
Last week, the ladies headed off for a golf trip. The sun is now rising on their second day away, so as the ladies (and their men) awaken, they gather in their respective cliques for breakfast. On a 7-star overlook, Stanbury and Taleen’s men joke about their actionless night, which sees Taleen noting, “Today, we’re going to have a fun day. We’re going to Soul Beach.”
Rafael Khanoyan questions the beach call. Sergio Carrallo agrees. Stanbury asks her man why he is getting involved. “Because he is sticking up for his friend,” Taleen pointedly answers, gesturing at Stanbury.
Stanbury tells Taleen to stop inserting herself into fights. We then see a flashback of Taleen jumping into a heated debate between Lesa and Brooks, causing Lesa to read Taleen down.
In another room, Chanel and Lesa are debriefing. Lesa remains annoyed that Taleen added fuel to her fiery fight with Brooks. “None of them have worked as hard as me or have a business,” Lesa quips. The cameras cut to Brooks, reciting this line to Sara and Saba, thoroughly annoyed, as she and many others also have businesses.
At Soul Beach, Taleen confronts Lesa, causing Stanbury to say nope and exit. Taleen apologizes for interfering, but she thinks Lesa went too hard on her at their dinner. Lesa answers, “You can’t be b*tchy and not expect to be called a b*tch.”
In her confessional, Taleen talks about inventing a drinking game for every time Lesa calls her a b*tch. Back in real-time, Lesa turns to Brooks, telling Brooks that she should never have come to her business and spoken about her own. Brooks tries explaining her actions, but Chanel interjects, trying to aid Lesa.
Chaos ensues.
Chanel shows maturity in conflict
Sara and Saba exit. Chanel and Lesa stand up next, leaving Taleen and Brooks alone in their cabana. Taleen stretches her arms out wide, explaining that she apologized. “F*ck your apology, b*tch,” Lesa responds, walking quickly to grab her man so they can leave.
Brooks and Taleen join Chanel, Saba, and the remaining men in their cabana. Brooks asks for “no more cliquey bullsh*it” to transpire. Chanel asks, “Who’s cliquey?”
Taleen turns to Chanel, explaining that she is a part of the problem. Taleen thinks Chanel is not shutting Lesa down hard enough. Chanel disagrees, but Brooks does not. Brooks thinks Chanel changes whenever Lesa is near, as flashbacks emerge, proving their points.
“Ayan is Lesa’s puppet,” Brooks says in her confessional. She then turns herself into a hysterical, Chanel-themed Marionette puppet.
As for Chanel, she is shocked. She had no idea Brooks and Taleen felt this way. Maturely, she understands their feelings. “A monkey doesn’t see its own asshole,” she jokes as the cameras return to the pool, where those who remain are now getting along in the water.
Summer plans, a newly single Sara, and the beginnings of a crack in Lesa and Chanel’s friendship
Summer is nearing, so many of these ladies are heading out of town. Therefore, Stanbury and Chanel are throwing a “Goodbye, Dubai” party for their cast.
Sara is not sure what her summer plans will look like, as she and her son are still traumatized from their vile nanny incident. In addition, her relationship with Akin is failing. She FaceTimes him, asking him for a break so that she can focus on her child, but he hangs up on her. In her confessional, Sara says this relationship is now over.
Stanbury and her daughter, Yasmine Habib, go riding. Yasmine and Sergio are doing well these days, which pleases Stanbury greatly. Stanbury has also decided she does not want another baby yet, and Yasmine calls her decision a good one.
Chanel rings up her sister to share her Huda Beauty news. Her sister is thrilled, and Chanel cries. Hearing sweet words helped her heart, and her ticker is still struggling after hearing what Taleen and Brooks had to say.
Chanel then reveals that she called Lesa, telling her friend that Taleen and Brooks find her behaviors different when Lesa is in her presence. But according to Chanel, Lesa said, “Don’t bring that up.” Lesa thinks it makes her look like a bad friend, so she wants these statements squashed.
Chanel is now annoyed. She thinks her friendship with Lesa feels like a one-way street.
Stanbury and Chanel’s Goodbye, Dubai party arrives
In a borrowed mansion, Stanbury and Chanel begin preparing for their Goodbye, Dubai party. As their guests arrive (including Nina Ali), they take their seats on matching thrones, extending their royal hands to each approaching guest.
Sara tells the ladies she ended things with Akin, but he is still trying to fix things. She does not know what to do. I do, girl. Run.
Speaking of likely fast runners, Brooks shows up with a young piece of meat named Max. She tells the cameras there is nothing romantic going on. Her costars ask her about her 12-year-old date, as Brooks laughs, asking them to “Stop it.”
When Lesa arrives, she refuses to kiss Stanbury and Chanel’s hands, which Stanbury boils down to jealousy on Lesa’s behalf. As for Lesa, she thinks the kiss the hand move is “giving thirsty” and “forced,” with a side of “nothing.”
Settling down the room, Stanbury and Chanel announce a surprise. They filmed a video for everyone to watch. As it airs, Sara jokes that it looks like a Tampon ad, making an unimpressed-looking Lesa chuckle. Brooks admits she cringed, but she thinks Lesa is about to explode.
Lesa thinks this video aimed to “rile” her up. She tells Chanel to enjoy her ride with Stanbury but to be careful not to fall off. Chanel is over it.
Everything comes to a head, closing out RHODubai Season 2 on a negative note
Chanel approaches Lesa to talk in private. Lesa says no. A bothered Chanel walks away as her costars take notice. Taleen encourages Lesa to have that talk after all.
Lesa finally approaches, and Chanel speaks on what Taleen and Brooks noted earlier. Lesa tries to shut her down, saying they agreed not to discuss this. She then grows hot, saying this is the second time Chanel has thrown her under the bus with their cast.
Cue Lesa, ushering in her tit-for-tat era. In an earlier chat, Chanel allegedly told Lesa that Stanbury felt like Lesa was bragging about buying an estate in the Cotswolds. So Lesa called Stanbury out on these claims, but Stanbury denied using those words. Chanel agrees, telling Lesa she twisted this story.
“You used the word bragging,” Lesa adamantly stresses. In her confessional, Stanbury says she never said bragging. Chanel agrees.
As Chanel digs in, insisting she never used this word, Lesa’s top blows. “I swear on my children’s lives. May God strike them dead,” she yells, as I cringed. Chanel, however, does not back down, even when Lesa calls her a liar and says this will end their friendship.
Chanel finally explodes. Brooks laughs, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen. I am not the problem.” Lesa sobs as the credits roll on RHODubai Season 2. To date, Lesa and Chanel remain at odds.
The Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2 Reunion Part 1 airs next Tuesday, September 10, on Bravo at 9/8c.
TELL US – DID YOU ENJOY SEASON 2 OF REAL HOUSEWIVES OF DUBAI? CAN ANY OF THESE FRIENDSHIPS SELF-REPAIR ONCE THE CAMERAS ARE DOWN? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS SERIES RETURN FOR A SEASON 3? IF SO, WHAT OR WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?