This week’s episode achieved, in my opinion, a thought-provoking level of social commentary. In fact, the entire visit to the Muskokas – and Joan’s attendant dock party – was something of a meditation on privilege. It was a veritable portrait of what it means to be in the 1%, and how their lives really are much better than everybody else’s. I found the whole thing very informative.

The episode kicked off in a meta fashion, because we met Roxy’s real friends. Unlike the women Real Housewives requires Roxy to hang out with for narrative convenience, Roxy describes these other girls as “her squad.” The collection of well-dressed young women hung out on a chic rooftop patio and gossiped about the other housewives, whom we have no reason to believe they actually know. But hey, why let logic ruin the fun?

It’s the IRL friends who warn Roxy that Kara has been subtweeting her on Instagram. Apparently she has been making references to learning to forgive someone who wronged her but never apologized for said wronging. In theory, this could refer to any number of people Kara has met over the course of her lifetime, but Roxy immediately assumes it’s about her, because obviously. This show only works if all shade thrown by the housewives is directed at each other.

Subsequently, Roxy learns Kara has uninvited Roxy and her husband from staying at their family cottage. Roxy is enraged, which is technically hypocritical, because Roxy did exclude Kara from her tequila party. I’m not sure I’d want someone who had mean-girled me staying at my home for the weekend either. Naturally, Roxy didn’t see things that way. If she did, perhaps she’d apologize to her friend, and then the drama would resolve. We can’t have that!

All of this social media shade manages to maintain the tension between Kara and Roxy for another week. Talking smack is the lifeblood of the series, so I approve. It sets the stage for some quality passive aggression at Joan’s Famous Muskokas Dock Party.

The Muskokas, the show tells us, are “The Hamptons of Toronto.” This description is important, because apparently we must validate everything in Canada by giving it an American equivalent. That, to me, is the most quintessentially Canadian thing we’ve seen yet on The Real Housewives of Toronto.

As someone who has never owned a cottage, I found this episode very educational. For example, Kara, who has a palatial lakeside compound, informed me that, “With the easy things of cottage life come the hardships of cottage life, like learning to drive a boat.” It’s good to know that rich people have problems too!

Not only can driving your boat be problematic, but so can packing. Because when heading into the wilderness, one wants to be prepared. Grego had to pack five whole bikinis for just one weekend. Apparently, it is gauche to wear the same bikini to dinner that one wore to lunch, so one must change. How exhausting!

I also learned that while it would be way too stressful to drive an Escalade with one’s children and dogs to the cottage, renting a private plane is stressful too. I mean, Ann wants to take a plane to the cottage like the fancy rich lady that she is, but her fear of flying makes the whole trip an anxious experience. One way Ann copes with the hardship of flying to the cottage is to ensure she is comfortable with her chosen pilot. Says Ann, “They have to look like a pilot. Someone you’d cast in a movie.” Ann is a very scientific person.

By the time we finally got to Joan’s famous dock party, it was fairly late into the episode. The whole affair reminded me of a party scene from The Great Gatsby, but with more maxi dresses.

At the party, there was so much tension between Roxy and Kara that you could cut it with a knife and spread it on toast like passive aggressive jam. You see, Kara took the opportunity to invite all the ladies to an Italian-themed dinner party at her home. This made Roxy angry, as she had been planning to throw herself an Italian-themed birthday party. Uh oh!

Not only did Kara steal a party concept from her frenemy, but she also decided to throw her event on Roxy’s actual birthday! Let the drama begin! You guys, next week’s episode is going to be epic.