Basketball Wives: Is the Outer Circle Collapsing?

I love watching an underdog win. There's something so wonderful and inspiring about watching someone fight and scratch their way to the top without the same luxuries or experience as their competitors. However, there's also an increased amount of pain whenever they get within one shot of winning or overcoming their demons. As much as I love watching an underdog win, it's hard to see them lose.

After only a few episodes of clique-dom, it seems as if the "outer circle" on Basketball Wives (Tami, Royce, and Suzie) may be in its last days. The three didn't end their friendship tonight, but the minor cracks that had been showing all season became full-fledged trenches due to Royce's insecurity with Suzie's friendship with Evelyn, Shaunie, and Jennifer (along with Suzie not jumping in to last episode's fight and later saying some disparaging things about the incident) and Suzie's frustration at being nagged about her personal life.

Even though I fully respect what Suzie's trying to do, I have to say that I agree with Royce, mostly with the point that there's a difference between being acquaintances/cordial and being friends. (Plus I completely understand the fear that someone as sweet and trusting as Suzie might be easily manipulated into not liking Royce.) It makes sense for her to try and get the rest of the wives to be able to be in the same room together without sending the weave a-flyin' (they're around each other way too much for it to be like that), but to be somebody's friend, you have to give a lot of yourself to them and expose sides to yourself that not everybody gets to see. I'm just afraid that if Suzie makes one wrong move or if she shows the slightest hint of weakness to Evelyn or Jennifer, they'll completely blindside her, particularly because I don't think Suzie's tough enough to deal with them. If Royce or Tami were in her position, I'd have less worries because the both of them can handle themselves when necessary, but Suzie's just too nice for her own good.

We'll see how it goes, though, because if Royce and Suzie drift away a little bit, it changes the dynamics of the show pretty significantly. With Shaunie a minor presence on the show, it's usually 2 vs. 2, with Meeka and Suzie afraid to take a side. With Meeka's latest blow-up with Tami, Suzie's the swing vote on Basketball Wives. Either this season is going to be a fairly evenly matched affair or Royce and Tami are going to be fending for themselves.

The underdog that gets beaten has two choices. They can either let it break them and forever remain on the lower tier of their respective field or they can muster up the courage, tenacity, and gumption to give it another go. I don't know what the future holds for my favorite outsiders, but I hope they put everything aside to finally take down the "inner circle" and win one for outcasts everywhere.

Random Observations:

• It is bizarre to think that Evelyn has a college age daughter, but Shaniece seems pretty cool. Also, how gorgeous did Evelyn look with little-to-no make-up in the scene where she's talking college with Shaniece? C'mon.
• "You're acting like you're Mother Mary and you're not Mother Mary."
• Are long dresses in style and nobody told me?
• Quick: finish casting Eric's movie about five beautiful women who steal from men. My idea? Throw together everybody from the Real Housewives/(blank) Wives scene and have them audition, making it a made-for-TV special.
• "This bitch right here and this bitch right here don't even like you...bitch." Don't ever, ever change, Tami.
• Who ever thought we'd go to a polo match on a "(house)wives" show?
• "I jumped up like a ninja." "You did nothing."
• "Tami, you been drinking?" The note I took when Meeka threw this shade at my beloved Tami? OH NO SHE DID NOT.

Do you think there's a chance we see a Royce/Suzie split this season? What did you think of Tami and Meeka's fight? Was anyone else surprised to see Ashley?