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100% Intense

Reza and his father' emotional reunion evoked waterworks from Bravotv.com's Senior Editor.

OK, first I want to admit that this episode made me cry. Reza made me cry. But we'll get to Reza and his father in a moment. Extra points if any of you can name which show the title of this recap serves as a tagline.

How to Watch

Catch up on Shahs of Sunset on the Bravo App.

OK, back to Shahs. Let's start with GG and Asa at Decades, which just so happens to be a new show on Bravo! Rachel Zoe fans might also remember the upscale vintage shop from Rachel Zoe's Birkin addiction. This isn't just a vintage shop, the stuff there is vintage couture. But GG's not having it -- what she is having is an awesome time with her new BFF, Asa! I have to say, that I love this friendship. They're honest with each other, and I think genuinely like each other -- just not each other's style. Since everyone is getting along so well, why not have a girls' night! So, they do.

Girls' Night. GG doesn't want any drama. Riiight. The girls head to dinner at Xai, but it turns into a disaster. First, GG confronts MJ about her tardiness at GG's parents' anniversary party. The whole exchange seems a little passive-aggressive, but MJ admits to needing to change her ways and GG makes jokes, so all is forgiven. But then, Anita decided it was the appropriate time to call MJ out for her catty behavior in Vegas. As a Housewife from pretty much any one of our franchises would say "This is not the time or the place." MJ already had to defend herself against GG, so it seemed like a bit much to talk about Vegas too, especially when not everyone at the table went to Vegas. The girls recount the dress exchange at Reza's birthday dinner and Asa's friend, Sunny, chimes in telling GG she's not a nice girl, etc. It gets heated, GG gets up, but Sunny leaves. Asa comes back and tells GG in a very calm way that she was mean to her friend.I actually watched the fight twice to see who really started it, and i have to say that I actually think Sunny may have been out of line. My officemates don't agree with me, and maybe, once again, I just want to defend GG. I don't think Sunny wasn't in a position to comment on the situation because she wasn't there. Did GG act like a calm, collected person? Of course not. Should people know that anything could set her off? No. But in her defense, she was provoked. That doesn't excuse her reaction, but I think it explains it a bit. And, hey, at least she kept her knives at home!

Later, we see GG talking to her sister about the situation and her sister expresses her concern about GG's temper, relating her to a ticking time bomb. True. We'll see if GG really takes anger management classes and can grow in that way.

OK, on to MJ and Reza. I just want to take a moment and talk about the ridiculously generous gift Sammy got MJ in the form of diamond earrings. Sure, he got a discount, but he still spent a couple thousand dollars on them. Mj thinks this is warranted for a 20-year friendship. Uhhh, if it is, i'm in trouble! I think the most expensive gift I ever bought a friend was a bottle of Johnny WAlker Blue, and I literally engraved it with the words "This is the last give you'll ever get from me"! I'll let him know, though, that I expect diamond studs for my birthday. I'm sure he'll understand.As we saw her agree to last week, Mj accompanies Reza to New York to see his dad's side of the family. Earlier in the episode we see Reza with his mother, they talk a little bit about his parents' history. Very briefly: his mom is Muslim, his dad is Jewish. Their union was a no-no in Iran, but his dad converted to Islam to marry his mother, and his grandmother hated that. Their marriage didn't work out, Reza thinks, because of all the pressure they had on them. Reza surrounds himself with photos from his parents' past, a time he said when everything was perfect. It's all just heartbreaking. Reza travels to Great Neck, Long Island to visit his father. I giggled a little when I saw the title of this episode -- "The Shahs of Great Neck" -- because I always joke to Persian people I learn are Long Islanders by asking if their family is from Roslyn or Great Neck. They usually are. My relatives are Roslyn and Woodbury, so go figure!

MJ and Reza stay in NYC at the Dream Downtown and talk about the Shabbat they're going to attend. Reza is nervous about seeing his "mean" grandmother, the one who he feels has caused all the problems. Before heading to Shabbat dinner on Long Island, the paristop at Bruce's, a place close to my heart as they have one of my favorite baked goods -- a Philly Fluff cake. There actually used to a Bruce's very close to me in NYC, but it moved down near Union Square. There is also one on Long Island. But I digress. About food. Always. They get to Reza's cousins' place and I started getting choked up. The scene was all too familiar, and I was just about to head home to my aunt's house in Roslyn for Passover seder. Still at work at 5:30, co-workers asked why I wasn't already gone -- wouldn't I be late? No, I replied. They're Persian -- seder won't start till 9. Persian Standard Time is all too real.

Reza's cousins seem to embrace him, whispering things into his ear as he hugs them. My relatives do this to but since I don't speak fluent Farsi I always just assume they're asking me why I don't have babies yet. Even Reza's dad gives him a big hug, but Reza is a little standoffish. Finally, Reza asks to speak to his father outside and they have it out about everything. Reza's father admits that his mother is to blame for his abandonment of his family. And while his grandmother isn't the stereotypical doting type, his father made decisions. I know it's hard to resist an old Persian lady, but it's possible. His father made the decision to convert to Islam and then turned his back on Reza. I'm happy to see Reza take it all in stride, though, and want to move forward with his father. His grandmother? Maybe some day.  

I'd love to end this on a light note, so I just want to point out two small moments that had me smiling. One, is obviously Reza hollering at twinks on the streets of NYC. Unacceptable, Reza! You're going to cause an accident! Equally as amusing was Asa declaring at Girls' Night surrounded by garlic-y goodness that if a man doesn't like some garlic on your breath, he's no good. Well, that just left a bad taste in my mouth, and I love garlic!

Can you believe next week is the season finale already?  

 

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