Disclaimer: Spoilers for this episode of VH1's "Daytime Divas" after the jump! If you haven't seen it, do not click any further (until you've seen it, then definitely read)!
This week's special guest co-host is Eve, playing Cecille. She's written a book and spends most of the episode giving advice to the women.
While on The Lunch Hour, Cecille tells the group that she'd like to set Maxine up with someone. Being that she recently got into it with her secret boyfriend, William the doorman, she happily accepts the invitation but claims that it's only one date and that it won't mean anything. When she goes on the date she tells the waiter to leave the menus because it won't get passed the drinks. Her mood quickly changes when she discovers that he's fine, to her, and that they actually have a lot of things in common. She takes him to Kibby's party and long story short, he's kind of an asshole. Even though they're a match made in hell, that's actually the problem for Maxine. She's already so much of a bitch she doesn't have time for another one so she rejects him on the ride back home. Meanwhile, the cops are still looking into Maxine's association with her ex-husband's murder and come to question William. He doesn't say anything, but he makes sure that Maxine knows that they're beginning to ask questions.
Nina and Shawn are still on the outs, after she revealed that the article she won her Pulitzer award for (basically the foundation of her career) was stolen from another reporter who disappeared. She found the article, finished it and put her name on it. While attending Kibby's party, Maxine and Nina begin to talk and it takes her all of three minutes to smell something fishy with Nina and Shawn. In a very touching scene, Maxine and Shawn stand on the balcony and she admits that she tries to give him some advice on his love life. This is a very big gesture for Maxine, considering she's mostly cold when it comes to anything romantic, so Shawn and Maxine have a very nice moment. It's the first genuine moment where they've actually felt like mother and son so it was nice to finally see between the two of them. Shawn and Nina talk a little bit and things seem to be getting better, until Ben (Maxine's dad) praises her for her article. Shawn is visibly disgusted at how easily she's able to lie to the man and leaves her at the party. Before the next taping of the show, Nina confronts Shawn and questions if she can trust him with her secret. He's absolutely offended and officially ends their relationship.
Heather is confused about why her husband isn't coming to marriage counseling with her until she gets a news blast that shows him off with a new woman. Heather claims she's fine with it until she confides in Cecille and tells her about her marital issues with her husband. Meanwhile, Kibby's sober coach convinces her to throw a one year sobriety party for herself. On the way to the party, Heather calls Brad and starts drinking when he tells her that she's a model and Heather just continues to go through it as the night goes on. Kibby has begun to develop feelings for her sober coach and questions whether or not it would be a good idea to act on these feelings. Based on the advice of Cecille, she decides to go for it. Heather, completely drunk at this point, takes some comments from Kibby's sober coach and is convinced he's flirting with her. Cecille advises Heather, while angrily waiting in line for the bathroom, that she should move on from Brad by hooking up with someone. Right before Kibby confesses her feelings to him, Heather steals him away to talk with him so he isn't able to hear her thank him in her speech to the party. In another room, Heather tries to literally suck his dick and gets caught by Kibby, who calls her a whore and a bitch and causes a whole scene. Heather angrily blurts out , in front of everyone, that Maxine had to convince everyone to come so now Kibby feels like she's alone. 
Maxine finds her on the roof, with a box of wine, where Kibby confesses that she's actually only thirty one days sober. Maxine asks her if she plans to drink the wine in front of her, and if she plans to drink tomorrow and Kibby says no. Maxine tells her that she had a frelapse and makes her feel better. Once again, Maxine is has a really, really nice moment. She's mostly been a harsh rehashing of other bitchy, over the top antihero but it's nice to finally see some depth coming into her character. Kibby eventually meets up with her sober coach and confesses her feelings to him, then he tells her that he feels the same way but it isn't appropriate. He quits being her coach and walks out of her life which, actually, doesn't make any sense. Why would he walk out on her after quitting? Doesn't that throw out any chances of their relationship being "inappropriate." But it still carries emotional weight. He's been at the helm, holding Kibby together since the show started, so it's going to be interesting to see what she does without him now. Heather also come to the realization that her marriage is really over and cancels her future counseling appointments with Brad.
EPISODE GRADE: B+
It's nice to have a fun, campy summer show to relax and enjoy but there comes a point where you have to care about the characters. It's nice to see the show finally beginning to balance some of the more heightened reality of the show with actual realistic characters that are beginning to show depth.
Stray notes:
I'm starting to get whiplash from Kibby. One week she's the best, one week she's the work, and this week she's back with the strongest storyline of the episode.
"No fair, I was drunk." "...At my sober party."
Poor Cecile, she just wanted to pee the whole episode.
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