Welcome back to Southern Hospitality Season 4 recaps! This week, Joe and Maddi work through their issues, Lake and Mia go head-to-head, and Emmy just can’t let it go. Here’s everything that happened in Southern Hospitality Season 4, Episode 8: “My Chemical Bromance.”
What Went Down on Southern Hospitality Season 4 Episode 8?
So, last episode, we took a break from the Emmy drama, but, like a hydra, another drama popped up to take its place. The Paint and Sip event ended on a sour note, with Mia and Molly essentially walking out after Lake accused them of not being good friends to Jordyn.
This episode begins with Mia calling TJ, who is in New York with Michols. She catches him up on the “middle school” drama. All of it has left such a bad taste in her mouth, and she’s done with Justin. She doesn’t need the drama.
At the same time, Michols meets up with his agent to catch up. His agent also tells him that Men’s Warehouse loved how he looked in the photos and wants to offer him a campaign. Unfortunately, there was another potential campaign on the table from a dating app, but it was rescinded because he was banned from the app (might be from posting naked pics!).
Joe and Maddi wade through his issues together
Joe is still working on his birthday party. He’s pretty stressed. Maddi messages that she’s coming over to talk, and Joe hopes they can work things out. They haven’t spoken or even slept in the same bed in a week.
Joe is definitely in his own head. He wants this party to work, he wants to impress Leva, who is coming to his bash, and he really wants Maddi to be there for him. But she has some things she needs to get off her chest first.
She tells him she’s concerned about him going out all the time and drinking. He claims he’s meeting investors, but Maddi asks where they are. It’s a harsh reality, but one he needed to hear. Initially, he takes it the wrong way and says she wants him to stay at home like a “prisoner.”
Maddi says she’s holding him accountable because she loves him and wants the best for him. He admits that he does drink to cope with social anxiety, and it is a problem. But when he’s with Maddi, he doesn’t want to drink. He wants to be better. She is glad he can admit there are things to work on and says she’ll try to meet him where he’s at right now.
Julia is pissed off, Emmy keeps running her mouth, and Brad is done
Julia calls Brad, and she is fuming. Apparently, she just got her hair done, and she heard that Emmy has continued to run her mouth all over town. Someone told Julia at the salon that Emmy said Brad was stalking her outside of her hotel room in New York.
Julia said they told her that Emmy said Brad was drunk and banging on the door while she was “naked in the bathroom.” Emmy is still talking about what happened (her version) and creating a new scary narrative, almost like she wants to be absolved for saying she felt “unsafe.”
Honestly, Brad is pretty understanding. He does believe Emmy feels remorse in the moment when she apologizes. However, whenever she goes home, whoever she speaks to (Will or her mom) riles her up and gets her fired up again. He’s had enough.
The crew gets ready for Joe’s big night!
It’s almost time for Joe’s Emo Night! Maddi picks up Michols and shares that she’s being allowed to make up some DJ gigs she missed while she was unwell. She also has a gig in Punta Cana. Michols is thrilled because that’s his hometown. He hasn’t been back since he was seven.
Michols caught Maddi up on what happened in New York. Apparently, he made out with three different guys when they went clubbing. He also made out with TJ in the cab while switching bars.
Everyone’s getting ready and getting EMO. Both Justin and TJ both had an emo phase, so they know the drill. Meanwhile, Mia and Brad did not. They both donned wigs and just tried to go with the theme.
Molly’s ready and is pretty sure the girls are going to be mean to her at the party. She doesn’t understand why they’re mad at her. Lake was really rude at Sip and Paint, and Molly thinks it’s because Emmy doesn’t like her. She feels they are both in an “I Hate Molly for No Reason” Club. She’s exhausted.
Joe and Michael reunite for Joe’s dirty thirty celebration
While the crew gets ready together, Joe opts to get ready with his older brother, Michael. Michael has a successful corporate job in Chicago, and it seems like Joe may have a bit of an inferiority complex when it comes to him.
The pair talks about their lives while they do each other’s eyeliner (that doesn’t sound weird at all). Michael thinks that Joe is doing much better now and that he has a good support system, like his friends and Maddi.
Joe shares that he loves Maddi and he wants to be with her. He is looking to propose within the year and admits that he’s been looking at rings. Apparently, fighting with Maddi has made him realize that while he remains uncertain about some things, one thing he is sure of is that he wants to marry Maddi Reese.
RIP Joe Bradley’s twenties!
It’s time for the big event! Joe is thrilled that people are showing up, including Leva. He is hoping to impress her. Leva admits that she is proud Joe is taking a risk on himself, and she’s proud of him for that. But she is wondering why he’d put all this effort in and not have the event at Republic.
Maddi is by Joe’s side the whole evening. She’s so proud of him. The venue is packed. Even Salley and Charley from Southern Charm make a cameo at the party, and we see that Justin and Charley have “found love in a hopeless place” (i.e., the DMs).
It’s everything Joe hoped for. People are moshing, the merchandise is popping, and Joe is feeling on top of the world.
The whole Republic crew is present and supporting Joe. Even a wild Oisin appears. He cozies up to Lake, and everyone says they hooked up at prom. It’s the second-worst-kept secret behind Joe and The Countess.
Tension escalates, and Emmy is not going to let anything go
While Joe’s event is a success, it’s still filled with tension. Julia is pissed at Emmy, Lake and Mia are shooting daggers at each other, and Jordyn is looking sad (again). The tension is so thick you can cut with a knife.
Eventually, Mia asks Lake if they can talk. She wants to squash the beef and move on, but Lake says no. She says she doesn’t want to talk because she wants to focus on Joe’s party. However, this doesn’t stop Lake from shouting that Mia is a b*tch. It escalates, and the emo overflows with the two girls yelling in each other’s faces.
And that’s not the only argument. Julia asks Emmy to talk, and she agrees, thinking Julia is going to extend an olive branch. Quite the opposite. Julia confronts her about what she heard. Emmy denies that she said Brad stalked her, but video footage comes in to show that she did and that she’s been running her mouth to everyone and anyone.
Emmy begins to spiral again and won’t listen to anything. She just doesn’t (or doesn’t want to) understand. Bella tells her to drop it for the time being, which is what everybody has been saying.
But does Emmy listen? Of course not, and she refuses to let it go. It seems like she needs to prove that she’s right. This isn’t going to go anywhere.
Southern Hospitality airs Thursday nights at 9/8c on Bravo. It streams on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK EMMY NEEDS TO LET IT GO? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE BEEF BETWEEN LAKE AND MIA?