Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City concluded on January 15, 2025, and the finale brought resolutions to some conflicts while highlighting others. The episode focused on the cast’s last day in Puerto Vallarta, where Heather Gay hosted a thank-you lunch to acknowledge Lisa Barlow’s role in organizing the trip.
The event, which included the cast dressing up as Lisa and mimicking her traits, led to moments of tension. Heather later introduced an activity during dinner, where cast members had to read aloud texts that they had written about each other. This was intended to address unresolved issues.
The goal was to confront past remarks and move forward. While the activity led to some reconciliations, certain disagreements remained unresolved, particularly between Whitney Rose and Lisa Barlow. The finale underscored the challenges of maintaining trust and navigating relationships within the group.
As the season ended, it set the stage for further discussions and potential resolutions in the upcoming reunion of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
The conflict between Lisa and Whitney in The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
The thank-you lunch planned by Heather Gay started with a theme centered around Lisa Barlow. Cast members dressed as Lisa and mimicked her phrases, creating a playful atmosphere in the finale episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. However, tensions surfaced when Whitney Rose joked about returning her outfit after the trip and accused Lisa of forming friendships only when they benefitted her. She referenced her earlier claim on a podcast that Lisa had “always been the villain.”
“Don’t be me, because you’ll never be me,” Lisa said.
During Heather’s text-reading activity at dinner, the conflict escalated further as Whitney shared a message involving accusations against Lisa. She alleged that Lisa had provided information to a controversial social media account.
The revelation caused a reaction from Lisa, who viewed it as a personal attack. During a confessional, she said it wasn't something one throws away and burns.
Whitney attempted to apologize, but Lisa rejected the gesture and left the table visibly upset. The evening ended with Lisa removing her microphone and walking away from the group, marking a significant unresolved issue in her relationship with Whitney.
Heather's reading activity for the cast members in the finale episode
Heather’s initiative to address unresolved issues through the text-reading activity produced varied outcomes. Some cast members were able to move forward. Heather Gay and Mary Cosby resolved their differences after Mary admitted to writing a message stating that Heather’s business success had made her “mean.” Heather responded that she understood why her co-star "felt that way," which seemingly marked a reconciliation between the two.
However, the exercise shifted focus as the conflict between Whitney Rose and Lisa Barlow escalated, drawing attention away from others. Angie Katsanevas also became involved when she was accused of fueling Lisa’s anger. The situation intensified when a frustrated Angie threw a flower arrangement at Lisa, leading production staff to step in and prevent further disruption.
As the evening concluded, Heather reflected on the challenges and value of maintaining friendships. She acknowledged the effort required to navigate the group’s dynamics. In a confessional, Heather shared that friendships were hard and took a "lot of work," but they "were worth fighting for."
Meredith Marks summed up the evening’s strained atmosphere, stating, “There’s nothing OK about any of this,” indicating that this fight will continue the reunion episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
The first part of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season 5 reunion is scheduled to air on January 22, 2025, on Bravo.