In case you missed it, Keeping Up With The Kardashians ended on a Rocky Mountain cliffhanger last week. The Kardashian/Jenners, plus Scott, Tyga, and Corey are in Vail for a nostalgic family get-away. The feel-good vibes take a big hit when social media catches fire with Rob’s announcement of his engagement to Blac Chyna.
This week picks up with the family dealing with the fall-out from the news. Kris is out shopping with a family friend, but her heart isn’t in it, even with a fuzzy, purple coat. She tells her friend, “I guess it just kind of came out of left field. I’m still kind of in shock.” Kris is obviously hurt by her son’s silence on the topic of his engagement. She found out on social media with everyone else, much to her disappointment. "What did I ever do to him," she asks. “I didn’t do anything to him except give him an amazing life.” Ouch. Corey picks exactly the wrong time to video chat from the lift about his new skis. Kris barely even looks at her phone. Ouch for him, too.
The younger members of the family decide that Rob isn’t going to ruin their vacation, so they hit the slopes, tackling one of the big runs. Khloé starts getting nervous on the gondola ride up the hill. Kendall admits to being nervous, too. Khloé voices the obvious: “If a Jenner is scared, then we’ve got a problem.”
Back at the bottom of the mountain, it’s time for another meal, and Rob is the hot topic. Tyga and Kim, the ones who actually know Blac Chyna the best, talk it out. Kim is somewhat sympathetic to her possibly soon-to-be sister-in-law, saying she would never post a picture with Tyga on social media. She understands how Chyna’s feelings might be hurt. Tyga agrees, saying everyone should just sit back and let them be. Even so, he nominates Kim as the one who should reach out. “You’re the only one who could patch this all up, and you know it.”
Khloé’s not having any of it. If there is a theme for her this season so far it is how hurt she is by her brother. She thinks he likes the drama, the attention, and the wedge that has formed between him and the family. She also thinks he’ll come crawling back the minute he needs something.
Kris not only has to deal with her son getting engaged without letting her know (and the rest of her kids blowing up her phone with texts), but she also starts receiving texts from various random people pitching their services for the upcoming Kardashian/Chyna nuptials. Sheehs.
This happens at least once on every one of these big family trips, Kris plans a dinner for the family that is poorly attended. This one happens on top of the mountain. She is also, like always, hurt and vows never to do it again. (Until the next trip of course.)
The alternative program to Kris’ fancy dinner turns out to be fancy bowling. Kanye West bowling is almost worth the price of admission. (In other Kanye awesomeness — enjoy the understatement when Kanye tells Khloé that he is “someone who is particular about production.”)
Kim keeps saying that she doesn’t care about the Rob situation, but, unlike Kourtney, who genuinely seems uninterested in the drama, Kim brings it up repeatedly. Kim is acutely aware of how it is all playing out on social media. She reads aloud the TMZ article that points out that none of the women have congratulated Rob.
Khloé, exposed nerve showing, says no one should, that any well-wishes would be desperate and fake.
Kylie, once again the deer-in-the-headlights sister, is clearly uncomfortable. She’s only 18 after all and dealing with a very public relationship that is (now, was) super public. True or not, she wants the feud to go away. “People are trying to make this into a big feud. But none of us really care,” she says in her interview. Like with Kim, it seems the lady might protest too much.
The next day, after Kendall, Kylie, and Tyga jet off for warmer climes, Kim apologizes to her mother for everyone missing the dinner. Kris was collateral damage in the enormous effort not to care about Rob. Kim acknowledges that they should have shown up for their mom. Then they all toast to Kris, the best momager in the world, another well-worn family vacation tradition. They hit the slopes, but not before a big family photo op.
Kris finally hears from Rob. He asks her to call him, but only when she’s alone. Khloé again lets her anger show, calling Rob the weak link of the family. “I think he needs to be cut,” she says. “Let’s get a new link.”
Corey goes out on a limb with an opinion not just about his awesome new skis. “I don’t like the animosity with you two,” he says to Khloé and Kim. He’s not buying Kim’s nonchalance any more than anyone watching the show. Even Kayne throws a figurative bone Rob’s way, calling for a little empathy. “Both Kim and I have been with people that our friends hated,” he says.
The big headline of the trip, of course, is Rob, but the other news is how pleased everyone is that Scott made the trip and managed not to piss off Kourtney. Throughout the trip, Khloé and Kim both make comments about how great Scott is doing like he’s a new driver hitting the highway for the first time. Khloé notices that her big sister is letting her guard down (she actually says “guards” but we’ll give her a pass since they’re a family that travels with literal guards all the time) and enjoying time with Scott.
During the bowling excursion, Khloé asks Scott if he minds that they are drinking around him. He’s not not drinking, but he’s not drinking in front of Kourtney. It’s just what he’s willing to do to get to spend the time with his family.
Later, Kim brings up Scott to Kourtney, asking if Kourtney was nervous. Kourtney, always the boss of the Kardashian/Disick unit, is happy with her decision to “let” Scott come on the trip. He’s been on his best behavior, and she’s glad they’re making family memories. Again, he’s the new driver hitting the highway, and he’s managed to make it to cruising speed without causing a ten-car pile-up. He might have even earned a gold star on the chore chart at home.
The trip ends with Kourtney and Scott sticking around an extra day. Kris is pleased that they are having so much fun they want to stay. Her master memory-making plan was a huge success. Except, of course, for all of the Rob stuff.
On the plane ride home, Kris and Kim both mention Rob’s absence, even though he certainly played a big part in all of the conversations of the trip. “The only thing that will always be missing is Rob,” Kris says.
In the end, Kim makes the first move and reaches out to Rob. “Minus the Rob drama, it was such a good trip,” she says.
It is back to reality for the Kardashians, in so many ways.