Soaplovers

I read that David Jacobs was inspired by Ingmar Bergman's movie/mini-series Scenes from a Marriage. I do think the first several seasons especially the first five or six really drove that point home. I think the Latham's changed the structure of the series.. in some ways for the better and in other ways for the worst (i.e. diluting the 3-d character structure for Abby, Karen, and especially Val... and writing off Laura who could never be pigeonholed).

Saw a scene for next weeks episode, and Shannon appears to be calm so curious to see what causes her to start melting down and breaking the 4th wall. She said we would all see the truth and so far, I think that both she and Heather are at fault. I'm also seeing that Tamra is fueling the flames between Shannon and Heather.. me thinks Tamra is trying to get revenge against Heather and is throwing Shannon under the bus in her quest to bury Heather. However.. unlike Gretchen and Alexis.. Heather is no dummy nor is Shannon.

To me, it seemed like the last six months of the show was tying up all the old fashion stories while ushering in the newer stuff. I wonder if the show had been given another year, if the changes would have fully worked. I was encouraged in the last scene when Arlene refuses to forgive Ray that she would become a stronger character.

RHOC: Again, Shannon is the MVP of this season. I wish I could get paid to have marriage counseling on the air.. usually one has to pay for it, but they are doing it on reality tv. Comign next week... Shannon breaking the 4th wall.. I hope the producers don't edit out the camera line.

I do think that Montana and Berkshires were too similar of places to go in one season. Last season.. they went to London, Miami, and St. Barts... this season, they went to the Berkshires, Saratoga, Hamptons, and Montana. I wish more of the action was in NY since there are so many interesting things to do there.

I found Danielle's official twitter page, and back earlier in the year were photos of her in a pink puffy skirt along with the other five housewives. I guess she was downsized last minute like Fernanda was in season 6. The reasoning for her demotion was because producers thought she was boring during housewife get togethers despite the fact that she had a lot of interesting things happen in her day to day life. Makes me think that had she been cast in the earlier seasons, she would have been a housewife with no problem. So my understanding is that Lizzie was more active in housewife gatherings even though her personal day to day life leaves a lot to be desired. Makes me miss the early seasons where interesting day to day stuff was preferred over made up stuff. I guess that is why Tamra is doing the made up baby story since she knows as long as she brings it during housewife gatherings, she'll be in like flint. Shannon seems to be the only one with interesting day to day stuff while bringing it during housewife events ( I'm wondering if they will show her melt down with her exclaiming the cameras will show the truth.. I'm guessing that might happen in episode 13 where Lizzie hosts a dinner party and Heather/Shannon come face to face).

I'm curious if Adrienne and Camille are back full-time or just as friends of housewives? I do think being a 'friend of' is a great place to be. Brandi, Luann, and Camille used that position quite well... in fact, Camille was featured more in season 3 as a friend then Kim and Adrienne combined. One of the things lacking about season 4 of BH was a lack of friends, or supporting players. Season 3 had Camille, Marissa, and Faye serving up excellent support while season 4 just had Taylor appear maybe once or twice.

I agree with that to a point. OC took too long to get rid of Gretchen/Slade and the show is all the more better with them gone and Shannon/David in their place... wonder if Tamra will be cut? ATL should cut Porsha but I doubt they will. On paper, Joyce and Carleton were great choices. Joyce being married to a producer, being an actress and her beauty queen connections. While Carleton was married to a well known investment guy while she was a designer. However, I do think having Brandi on the show and demanding all the attention hijacked any potential for the show to evolve. The fact that Andy Cohen and co. awards bullying/racist behavior like Brandi's makes me sad. TBH, I think when Taylor's husband Russell killed himself before season 2 premiered is what started the unraveling of the show.

I'm curious why RHOBH had trouble evolving while Atlanta and OC thrive whenever they change housewives. Is it because the producers are putting their eggs in the wrong basket with BH?

Hulu Plus is showing the first 8 seasons of the OC.. and you can view the first few episodes of season 1 on regular Hulu.

Could you have imagined how this season would have been had Lydia not quit right before filming started? I could have imagined Lydia's mother Judy sprinkling fairy dust all over Shannon, or perhaps trading past lives stories. Shannon is a great fit, and she seems to be the main focus this season. I'll excuse Lizzie for still being a non-factor since she was bought on so late in filming. Kind of reminds me of how Quinn was a non-factor in season 3, but the difference was that in season 3.. it wasn't important to be integrated as it is now with the other cast.

I'm thinking that Lizzie is projecting her guilt over wanting a career onto her husband. I'm sure her husband says he'd prefer she stay at home because what husband wouldn't want that fantasy, but he seems capable of handling his two boys on his own. I thought the oldest was approaching three not four so I'm curious about the diapers at such an older age. I think there is an interesting story with Lizzie and her homelife, but given that she was selected weeks into filming, there might have been less footage to piece together the story. I do think Lizzie is caught between her desires and what is expected of her as a woman and mother. An interesting sociological portrait especially given that she was in the beauty queen circuit and feels regret over things not working out for her acting/fame wise. I did like the scene between her and Heather because Heather did offer good advice to rethink the baby thing a few months down the road. I guess Vicki was the lucky winner of the collective brain in this episode since I thought she was very logical in regards to shannon and David's marriage. I do think Vicki likes Shannon, and you can tell the two of them seem close to one another. Although, when watching them, it makes me miss Vicki and Jeana when they used to be friends and I even miss Tamra and Tammy K, who also were real friends as well. That's why even though Shannon is a walking contradiction, she is also fascinating to watch. She is quirky, but very sheltered. She does come from old money, and I think whoever cast her as a housewife deserves a promotion.

Do you think Bravo would really do a major reboot and fire several housewives again? It didn't really work when it was done the first time, so why would they be stupid enough to try it again. I do think that how the OC introduced Shannon and Lizzie this season was perfect. Perhaps had NY did that in season 5, things would have been different.

I do like that next week Vicki tries to teach Shannon how to woo hoo I have a feeling Lizzie was supposed to have filled the gap Gretchen left. Especially with her being snipped at by Vicki, but the problem is that Lizzie is more intelligent then Vicki and especially Gretchen so the feud was basically over before it started. I do like that LIzzie is friends with Heather but did state that she could see why people would be bothered by Heather's tone of voice. Me thinks it would be fun to see Heather and Lizzie go at it. I think Lizzie could wipe the floor with Heather.

So far, Shannon seems to be the only housewife on the OC bringing any sort of storyline to the show. It seems like Tamra, Vicki, Heather, and Lizzie haven't bought anything to the table except to talk about Shannon. I actually like Shannon. She's fascinating and so far she doesn't seem to be hawking a product like the other housewives in the past have done. She seems authentic and at least she owns her flaws which is more then I can saw for Ms. Whoville Heather. What a witch. I'm curious to see 'fame whore' Danielle in action since so far, she seems nice.. if a tad boring. Tamra had gone on and on about her before the season started so I'm wondering when this side of Danielle comes out.

I'm thinking LIzzie hasn't gelled yet on OC is because she was included so late. If what we are seeing thus far of Lizzie is why she was picked over Danielle to be the fifth housewife, then Danielle's scenes must of been boring With that said, we do need a normal/boring housewife given that we have mean spirited Tamra, Spastic Vicki, consecending Heather, and kooky/neurotic Shannon.

I agree Courtney isn't the strongest actress, but she has a likable presence that has served her well since Melrose Place. In fact, her first tv show where she made an impression was Day By Day. I know she was the mean girl in Lucas and did another short lived tv show, but Day By Day was where I remember her from. She has done pretty well going from Melrose to Ally Mcbeal to According to Jim and finally Two and a Half Men. Pretty impressive twenty plus year presence. I do agree that Allison was a major presence in the first three season, but by season 4 her dominance over major story started to diminish and season 5 was just the Jake/Allison show separate from everyone else.

I thought the first half of season 5 was pretty good, especially with the back to basic approach the show was doing. However, I think the show was somewhat islanded, though not to the extent that season 4 was. I think Allison would have fit in well at D & D especially with the going ons with Billy, Amanda, Sam, and Craig. I did detect a bit of chemistry during a brief introduction between Allison and Craig that wasn't followed up on. I'm not sure what could have been done with Jake especially after Jane left the show, perhaps involve him with Sydney and Kyle?

Brooke and Sydney could have been friends and fellow schemers especially with their mutual dislike of Amanda.

Didn't it come out later that Katie was lying about Lyla neglecting her?

I thought the writing for Beth improved in the last year or so of the show. I think I understood what they show was going for with Beth and Coop, but the execution was all wrong. I did think Lillian and Buzz was interesting choice as a couple, but I always thought that the coupling was due to the fact that both characters were single. Though I did enjoy Hawk being jealous of Lillian and Buzz with a few scenes mentioning their former relationship and the graveside visit by Lillian to Maureen was long over-due and needed. Wasn't there a scene where Buzz's temper got out of hand and he accidently hit Lillian? I often wonder if more was suppose to come out of that given Lillian's past marriage to Bradley, but then they were cancelled so it was forgotten? I do think Billy and Holly were an interesting mix especially with the opposites attract possibility. However, it would have seemed like Vanessa/Billy part deux. I thought Vanessa was on the show during that brief attempt at a pairing, but married to Matt? That would have been an interesting foursome given that Holly helped saved Matt and Vanessa's daughter's life, plus Vanessa/Billy were formerly married. I do think the Nursery Rhyme Stalker story was a little too over the top especially when rumours originally had Holly becoming attached to baby Maureen and kidnapping her. That would have seemed more character-driven, and not so over the top plot heavy.. imho.

I think the Labine's were bought in to write up the mob stuff since they wrote it heavily into RH and GH. The problem was that both of those shows took place in NYC or the NY area where you could see mob activity happen. Had GL taken place in Chicago, it would have made sense to show mob action.

I wouldn't be surprised if true. You could totally tell in the reunion that she looked seriously done with the women as opposed to the other reunions where she was either having fun, being hurt, or being pissed.

Both Cynthia and Kandi have had storylines independent of Nene.. and I don't see that changing in season 7. Porsha's main story was Kenya.. but Kenya has a bigger story with Nena so Porsha isn't needed.

I always liked him, and felt sorry that he was caught up in that family. I was hoping his positive showing on DWTS's a few years ago might have helped his confidence. Stress eating can do anyone in.