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#TBT: Vicki Gunvalson Sneak Attacks Michael at College

The RHOC star’s ‘Animal House’ ambush on her son goes down in flames.

By Pat Cauley Aug 7, 2014, 12:36 PM ET

Every Thursday, celebrate #TBT with us as we open the vault to share photos of Bravolebrities before they were famous--or revisit memorable moments from our shows. This week, we’re throwing it back to Season 2 of RHOC when Vicki decided to surprise her son at college.

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of Orange County on Thursdays at 9/8c and next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo App.

An intriguing voyeuristic aspect of Vicki’s life being documented for so many years is seeing how much has changed over time. From her love life, to her looks, and of course, watching her raise her children, it’s been an emotional roller coaster. As viewers, we’ve watched Vicki’s kids Briana and Michael grow up in front of our eyes.

In the current season of RHOC, Vicki’s separation issues with her kids have become increasingly apparent while she’s struggled with Briana’s move to Oklahoma. But one of the first times we saw Vicki battle with separation anxiety was back in Season 2 of RHOC when her son Michael was away at college. Much to the chagrin of Briana, Vicki concocts the idea to surprise Michael with a visit to the University of Colorado Boulder. To Vicki’s disbelief, Michael was not too happy to see her. Not even her signature ‘woo-hoo’ could warm the chill the engulfed the room at Michael’s Boulder residence.

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“When my mom showed up in the door, I was freaking out. I was just so embarrassed that my mom came in with me and my friends getting ready for the game,” Michael said. One of the shining moments in this utterly awkward encounter was definitely Michael’s roommate rushing to hide the contraband. Oh, college.

One thing we’ve learned from our Housewives over the years is that “surprise” visits rarely turn out how the expect. (Remember when Jill Zarin crashed Scary Island?) And leave it to Housewives matriarch Vicki Gunvalson to be the first one to teach us this lesson.