Kyle?

i have really, really wanted to give Kyle the benefit of the doubt. and while it is still possible to do so, her behavior has posed some real challenges to doing so.  for me, the jury really is still out ... and though i want to believe the best, the best case scenario can't really incorporate all the evidence.

best case scenario:
Kyle was completely kind to Camille re: the Hawaii discussion (Camille overreacted).  Kyle really has been financially supporting her sister because Kim really has serious problems, and, although Kyle loves her, she has built up resentment, causing her to lash out or causing her to make "jokes" that don't seem terribly playful.  Kyle's mean treatment of Camille was a response to or retaliation for Camille's own nasty behavior.  Kyle really did try to protect Kim and never intended to call her an alcoholic, but it came out because Kyle was drinking and had reached her limit.  Kim's comment about the house reflected confusion on Kim's part.  at the reunion, Kyle deeply regretted her treatment of her sister and looked down in shame when people brought up Kim's alleged problem drinking, therefore failing Kim.  Kyle said she loved Kim at the reunion, but this was edited out (along with any other concessions Kyle might have made that were not shown).  nonetheless, her desire to make amends was sincere.

worst case scenario:
Kyle did ask Camille why anyone would be interested in her without Kelsey, but lied about it afterward.  Kyle deliberately tried to sabotage both Camille and Kim out of selfishness or jealousy.  Kyle had no intention of keeping Kim's alleged alcoholism secret (or Kim simply wasn't an alcoholic; rather, Kyle was) and only went to the limo out of concern for what Kim might say that would tarnish Kyle's image.  in a moment of treachery, Kyle and Mauricio swindled Kim out of a house in one way or another, and the financial support they have given Kim is nothing to speak of considering that it should be owed to her anyway.  at the reunion, Kyle was more concerned with repairing her image than she was with truly making amends with Kim - she was pretending to cry and she never told her sister she loved her.  Kyle conspired with her friends (Shana and Lisa) so that they would allude to and bring up Kim's alleged alcoholism.


the truth, like most of life, is probably somewhere in the grey.  the truth needs to account for the following information:


1. Camille seemed to possibly concede that Kyle did not directly make the comment about Kelsey going to Hawaii; Kim confirmed Kyle's account of the Hawaii incident (but left out what happened in between the discussion Kyle described and Kyle crying). *see subsequent post for additional information about this tho*

2. Kyle picked at Kim quite a bit throughout the season - criticizing pronunciation of "salsa," giving her a smaller "party favor" than everyone else, snapping at her when she tried to talk about her house decision or wanting to have a baby, etc, having no sympathy for Kim's insecurity around the other girls, Kyle was quick to blame Kim for the fights with Shana, Kyle deliberately ignored Kim's phone calls, etc.

3. Kim doesn't seem like she would have been particularly confused in the limo because just earlier at the party, she was making complete sense and saying things that certainly rang true.

4. even if Kyle didn't have tears running down her face during the reunion, her eyes did get red and she had trouble speaking (acting? genuine?  don't know)

5. Kyle never stopped the other ladies from attacking Kim during the reunion - she never asked them to stop alluding to the alcoholism allegations ... and she never apologized to Kim for failing to stop her friends (never apologized to our knowledge anyway).

6. Kyle was holding Kim's hand during the alcoholism questions ... with a pillow dividing them ... ?

7. during questions to Kim at the reunion, Kyle made some faces that looked menacing - whether they were meant to intimidate Kim or whether they were just awkward expressions of some kind of anxious emotion (??)

8. Kyle belittled Kim during the reunion, saying that it wasn't entirely accurate that Kim supported everyone because all the kids worked and their father was successful (despite the fact that Kim had already acknowledged that the others had worked, but just not like her ... and a quick search on imdb.com reveals Kim was telling the truth) - it's possible Kyle was trying to feel better about her own insecurity ... and/or it is possible Kyle was trying to destroy Kim's credibility.

9.  Kyle belittled Kim by pointing out that Kim was sometimes responsible for the clashes of personalities too (i.e., saying "right?" to Kim).  it's possible Kyle was trying to put Kim down to look better ... or it's possible that Kyle was just upset that she had come across as a villain when, in any sibling relationship, it's probably not true that one is perfect and the other is a perfect attacker ... nonetheless, Kyle was pointing out that someone else was imperfect too rather than just fully taking responsibility for her own actions and apologizing.

10. Kim affirmed Kyle's version of the Kyle vs. Camille debacle ... before then saying "and the next thing I knew, she [Kyle] was crying" ... sooo ... it was an ambiguous statement, suggesting Kim was leaving a piece out (either because she didn't originally hear it or she didn't want to say it).  plus, after Kim said what happened, Kyle shook her head (in the "no" direction). so ... was Kyle hoping Kim would say she heard something she didn't hear?  and ostensibly, Kim was saying what Kyle had said - why would Kyle be disappointed by this?  did she feel like it was too little too late?  not enough support even then? it was a strange and ambiguous interaction ...

11. Kyle's and Kim's kids attempted to reconcile these two.  can the relationship be completely awful if the kids care enough about their mom and their aunt to try to reconcile them?

so ... it's really muddy water to me ... here's to extra footage tomorrow!

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