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Welcome to the first edition of Worth the Chat. I’m Meredith, the chronically online, reality-tv-obsessed managing editor at Pix. You may recognize my name from TV & Movie Pix, but I touch all of our newsletters, which are dedicated to bringing you the best picks in entertainment. Pop culture isn’t just my interest, it’s my life’s work! 

Now I’m coming out from behind the screen to bring you Worth the Chat, a part of Pix Plus—Pix's new subscription bundle that goes deeper into the entertainment picks that are actually worth your time. Every Tuesday going forward, you’ll get a new email from me about the biggest moments at the intersection of pop culture and entertainment. (You’ll also get full access to Worth the Watch, Worth the Read, and Worth the Listen!)

What to expect from Worth the Chat:

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This week, I’m starting with Summer House, because if you've been anywhere near the internet, you already know we need to talk about Amanda.

The Summer House drama, explained. Plus: your streaming guide to the reunion.

Amanda Batula had it all. After ending a 9-year toxic relationship (where she was embarrassed each season by her husband and castmate, Kyle Cook), her future was brand deals, paychecks, and millions of viewers cheering her on to find a guy who would treat her right. But she fumbled the bag so hard, and her goodwill disappeared instantly when she went after the one guy we wouldn't be able to get behind: castmate—and her bestie Ciara Miller’s ex—West Wilson.

Not since Scandoval have we seen such passionate responses to a reality TV scandal! (No, not even the shock of ABC pulling the plug on Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette matches up.) But what’s interesting is that, technically speaking, the Amanda and West affair is not as bad as Scandoval. Both parties were single, and Ciara and West dated somewhat briefly two years ago. But it’s hitting viewers significantly harder. Women who have never seen a single episode are losing their minds over this in group chats. So…why?

It's three things.

One: We have been waiting (and supportively cheering) for Amanda to have a backbone since we met her in the first season in 2017. It’s been nine years of watching her situationship-turned-marriage to Kyle. Nine years of putting up with the cheating, the drinking, the proposal that came four episodes after a cheating rumor, and the marriage her own parents had to legally protect her from in case they called it off before the altar. And she never stood her ground. Not once.

The first time Amanda Batula is ten toes down, immovable, unapologetic, it's to defend hooking up with her best friend's ex.

That's the part people can't get over. We were waiting for Amanda to finally stand up for herself. She did. And this is what she used it for.

Two: We don't brace for adult female friendship the way we brace for romantic ones. With a partner, somewhere in the back of your mind, you know it might not work out. But your best friend in your thirties? The betrayal hits somewhere a breakup can't reach.

The reunion is still a few weeks away, but leaked audio has been circulating online. In it, Ciara referred to Amanda as “a snake in the grass.” She wasn’t an enemy or someone who was ever openly a threat. She was the person sitting next to Ciara while she cried over West, and the person Ciara championed to demand better for herself—in her marriage, in her career.

Credit: Instagram: @westling.conrad | West Wilson, Amanda Batula, Ciara Miller

Three: Amanda said in the leaked reunion audio that she knew it would be a dealbreaker in their friendship. Then she did it anyway. But for what? 

The one thing that would make all of this worth it—the friendship lost, the goodwill burned—is if she and West actually went the distance. But anyone who has been paying attention knows this isn't going to last.

We watched West and Ciara's relationship play out with googly eyes during Season 8. The chemistry was undeniable, the foundation felt real, and things got serious after the cameras went down. But the moment the show aired, the DMs flooded in, and he chose the attention over her. He admitted at the Season 8 reunion that he had never had a relationship to the depth he had with Ciara, but he’s unable to commit to her. As confirmed in the leaked reunion audio, he is actively hooking up with other women besides Amanda, and from the Yankees game footage, things aren’t looking great for them. 

That's what makes this different from Scandoval. Scandoval was a bomb; big, loud Tom being exactly who he always was. This is quieter. A snake in the grass doesn't just blow things up. It makes you question everything that came before it. 

Every woman watching is having a reaction she can't fully explain. Because we all have a Ciara. Or we've been a Ciara. Or we're suddenly wondering if we have an Amanda.

If you’re reading this and haven't seen the show, now is the time to catch up! I’ve put together a few streaming guides based on your level of commitment to help you prepare for the reunion on Tuesday, May 26.

Watch Seasons 8-10 for the full picture or

Watch these key 10 episodes:

S8 E1- Ciara and West meet
S8 E4- Ciara and West have their first date
S8 E13- Ciara and West “define the relationship”
S8 E17- Reunion confrontation between Ciara and West

S9 E2- Ciara confronts West about his behavior post-breakup

S10 E6- West gets jealous when another guy makes a move on Ciara
S10 E7- Lines blur between West and Ciara
S10 E11- West disrespects Ciara again
S10 E12- Ciara and West bury the hatchet
S10 E13- Whoa, they’re flirting again?!

Currently watching: Summer House and Hacks

Meredith is the Managing Editor at Pix Media and has been covering TV, movies, podcasts, and books for 8 years. Raised on VH1's I Love the... series, E! True Hollywood Stories, and The Real Housewives, Meredith has been fluent in pop culture since infancy. She religiously watches every Bravo show, lives for HBO Sunday nights, goes deep on reality-scandal discourse, and has a TBR that is physically taking over her apartment.