E!’s House of Villains is in full swing, and with that comes our House of Villains Episode 2 recap! The first episode was everything and more. Not only did we get a trip down memory lane with OG villains Tiffany “New York” Pollard and Omarosa, but we’re also getting some newbies, like Corinne Olympios from The Bachelor and Bobby Lytes from Love & Hip Hop to keep things fresh as well.
For the Bravo fans, you’ll be happy to hear Jax Taylor from Vanderpump Rules is one of the show’s stars. However, you’ll be disappointed to know he’s one of the three nominees on The Hit List and in jeopardy of being the first sent packing.
However, anything can happen in a game like this, as we’re about to find out. Here’s what went down in Episode 2 of House of Villains, “The Lesser of Three Evils.”
Who needs the $250,000 most?
After leaving The Stronghold — the villains’ iconic super fortress — some cast members begin chatting about Omarosa’s nominations. Jax, of course, isn’t too happy about being up on the block. He’s not used to this sort of show. The Pump Rules alum figured you show up, go balls to the wall, and try your hardest to come out on top. He didn’t know that the first to win challenges are almost always considered the biggest threat.
The next day, Jax sits at the kitchen table with his fellow Hit List nominee, Shake Chatterjee, and they give each other the 411 about their home lives. Jax reveals that despite filming this show, he’s rolling in cash. Apparently, the villain has made a whopping $450,000 by doing Cameos (custom videos for fans) alone. And if that’s not enough dough, his wife Brittany Cartwright signed a $2 million contract with Jenny Craig.
From Shake’s perspective, Jax boasting about his sponsorships and brand deals only hurts his game. Do you need to be in the House of Villains if you’ll be well-off, regardless of whether you win this show?
The Love Is Blind star began his crusade against Jax, and he started with Bobby. Shake tells him that Jax doesn’t need the money as badly as the rest of the cast since his family signs million-dollar contracts in Hollywood. But he didn’t know Jax was around the corner listening to his every word.
“Yes, I do need the money,” he says to Shake. “Here I am, trying to be a friend, and you’re talking behind my back,” Jax said. “You don’t live in California, you don’t have a mortgage, you don’t pay California taxes. You live in Florida; you don’t even fu*king pay taxes in Florida.”
House of Villains Episode 2 recap and spoilers: Can Jax earn his safety?
The cast met up with host Joel McHale for their first redemption challenge. Here’s how it works — all three nominees will compete. The winner comes down while the other two face banishment. By then, the rest of the cast will vote out one of the remaining two.
This competition was called Blind Trust. Corinne, Jax, and Shake had to successfully make it through an obstacle course while driving a golf cart … blindfolded. They would be following instructions from their co-driver, a cast member of their choosing.
Shake chooses Johnny Bananas because of their relationship in the house. Corinne picks Bobby and Jax … he picks Jonny Fairplay. One of the most savage reality TV villains this genre has ever seen — that’s who Jax chose to be his partner. Let’s see how this one turns out.
The competition begins, and the first two groups, Shake and Bananas and Corinne and Bobby make it through the course unscathed. Their times are impressive, and they are probably neck and neck with each other. But Jax and Fairplay, on the other hand, was quite the embarrassment. To be fair, it wasn’t Jax’s fault. He had no idea Jonny would sabotage his game to ensure he had no chance of winning. But we are in the House of Villains, dude! You can’t trust anybody.
After the groups finished, Joel revealed the times. To only Jax’s surprise, he and Fairplay came in third. Corinne and Bobby were second, while Shake and Bananas came in first. Now that it’s between Jax and Corinne for banishment, the villains are working, and we know by now that anything can happen.
Who is the house’s target?
After the redemption challenge, the cast was off to the races. The girls agreed that Jax was a “douche” that had to bounce. While on the other side of the house, Jax was campaigning for his safety and offering promises he likely couldn’t keep.
Later in the day, while everyone was hanging in the jacuzzi, Shake aimed at Jax. “You remind me of every high school bully I grew up with,” he said before letting him know he wanted him gone. To nobody’s surprise, Jax flew off the handle, letting Shake know he’d gladly go back to jail if he ran into him on the streets of Hollywood.
After some time apart, Jax went inside the house while Fairplay, Bananas, Bobby, and Shake stayed in the jacuzzi. Of course, drinks are flowing, and Bananas is somehow able to manipulate Bobby to go into New York and Corinne’s room to start a little drama.
He happily marched up the stairs and told New York he couldn’t trust her or Corinne because they’d been slandering his name behind his back. New York fired back, letting Bobby know he was out of line.
The next day, Johnny cooked a big dinner for the cast, and it was the first time New York and Bobby would be face to face. “Oh, Bobby, please don’t even start to look this direction,” she told him. Bobby attempted to apologize, but New York wasn’t feeling it. And we can’t blame her. Bobby interrupted the HBIC’s beauty rest.
House of Villains Episode 2 recap: Did anybody go home?
Once again, the cast met to gather in The Stronghold. Omarosa sat on her throne while the two nominees stood before their fellow villains. Before they began voting, Joel opened the floor for people to share any final remarks. New York took a moment to say a few words.
“This one right here,” she said, pointing to Jax. “I see your heart. And it’s black, it’s ugly. … I know why you’re in the house. Because you’re a demon, and you’re demon-possessed.”
Not only did it take Jax by surprise, it shocked the entire cast. “I think I’m a good Christian father,” he said. “Do I look like a fu*king demon? I’ve never been called that in my life,” he finished while wiping his tears.
But was all of that enough? It was clear the house had their minds made up before heading into the banishment ceremony. To them, Jax is too big of a threat. And keeping Corinne is better for everyone’s game in the long run. Unfortunately, the episode ends on a cliffhanger, and we’re left waiting another week to see who was sent out the front door. But if we had to guess, it’s not looking too bright for our Bravo pal, Jax.
That brings our House of Villains Episode 2 recap to a close! House of Villains continues Thursdays at 10/9c on E! and is available to stream on NBC.
TELL US – WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE FIRST VILLAIN SENT HOME? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE GAME SO FAR?
