Southern Charm is back for season 4 and everyone is just as rich, blonde, and collar-popped as ever. There is one huge change, however, for suspiciously older castmate Thomas Ravenel who is now a full-time parent to his two kids, toddler Kensie and baby Saint. The former politician’s response to having so many new daddy responsibilities in the premiere, “While The Kat’s Away,” is perfectly reality TV-worthy.
We’re reintroduced to 54-year-old Thomas by watching him stroll through his decked-out Charleston mansion in tight white pants. “My life has taken a transformative change,” he explains in a talking head interview. “I went from a situation of never seeing the kids to now having them all the time.” And where has Thomas decided to house his two tots? The guest house, of course.
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“The kids are living in the guest house instead of the main house because kids are messy and destructive,” the pristine, polo-wearing father says. “I want to be able to retain the piece of mind knowing that if they spit up it’s not on a $30,000 rug, but a $200 rug.” To prove this point, we see Thomas cleaning up Saint's spit-up off of a (presumably) $200 rug.
Although this is all lovably ridiculous in the same vein as the Big Little Lies seaside palaces, there is an actual undercurrent of sadness hiding beneath the farmhouse sink baths and acceptable baby vomit. Kensie and Saint’s mom Kathryn Dennis previously failed a drug test and headed to rehab in California to deal with her substance abuse issues.
“Kathryn has not seen the kids in a couple of months,” Thomas, who's dealt with his own cocaine arrest, says of his Charm co-star and ex. “She’s not allowed by the court to see the kids until she can pass a drug test.” Throughout the episode, we hear those closest to Kathryn questioning her sobriety. “I’m incredibly worried about her,” Kathryn’s alleged cousin Shelby tells Thomas. “She completed the [rehab] program, but does that mean she’s really better?”
At least “Kat’s Away” ends with a hint that Kathryn’s life may be back on track as she finally appears at a medical center for her drug test. While the socialite is still in the midst of a custody battle with Thomas, as she just told People, it's possible Kensie and Saint’s time in the guest house is now limited.