RHoDubai
Where do I even begin with that finale?
Well, I definitely thought it was a solid finale. I really liked that the ladies were with their husbands on this trip. It made me think of the good ole days of RHOA with Todd, Apollo, Peter, Greg, and Kordell. They let the ladies do their thing while they chilled.
And the majority of the plot for this season was resolved. Taleen and Brooks were friends who fought on camera and were back to being Dumb and Dumber Frick and Frack by the end. Stanbury and Sergio might have come to some balance over the baby issue if their ending tag is to be believed. Sara broke up with her guy...well her guy broke up with her. And then there's Ayan and Lesa...
Ah, yes, the fallout between Ayan and Lesa...
What can I say about that? I feel a lot of things about it. I was over Ayan when she let the other girls get into her head. And no matter of editing is going to make me dislike Lesa. I feel it was a case of jealousy if we are keeping it real. But the fact they fell out over how Ayan used a word. A word. It seems silly.
HOWEVER...watching this I had to keep two things in mind...ONE Lesa had Ayan's back all of Season 1 over Stanbury while still being friends with everyone. Yes, she can be territorial about it, but that was a talk Ayan could easily have alone AND off camera...which in the fight that happened...apparently her and Lesa DO have off camera talks so surely THIS came up; otherwise that is Ayan's fault for not speaking up sooner and that makes her look suspect. If Ayan was going to wind up friends with Stanbury, there was no reason for Lesa to dislike her, too, since she only did because Ayan did. Also, this happened to Lesa before with Nina who was also a close friend of Lesa's which was going to make Lesa feel a way to see history repeat itself, moreso now that Lesa does not like Stanbury. Finally, the fight at the end was only because the other ladies had finally gotten into Ayan's head and Ayan was feeling a way.
Which brings me to TWO...having the above knowledge and watching that joint party going down. Stanbury and Ayan at the entrance, seated and like queens. BFFs. Lesa was going to be triggered from the moment she walked in. And THIS was after how the other ladies tried to gang up on her on the cast trip. It was too much for Lesa and it was all over her face. Even the other ladies called that. Then you had the little video where Lesa was also seeing red, and again the other ladies called that. The lack of self-awareness on Ayan was just distasteful to me. This was her BFF. She had to know. She more than likely at this point DID NOT CARE. I could get behind that. I could even hope they have a one-on-one later. That was probably what Lesa was going for when she refused to talk to her at first in fact. Where Ayan went wrong was turning it into her being the victim AND lying. Over something silly. Lesa was putting it on her kids' life. So the fact that Ayan DIDN'T...was noticeable and then Ayan spiraled. Yeeeeah lost me. And Lesa warned her, too. All these ladies wanted was to break up their friendship and Ayan let it happen. So enjoy the ride. Either Stanbury will play another card, or the other ladies will tire of Ayan and gang up on her. Then who will have her back?
In the moment...Team Lesa. But I hope I explained why accurately. It was very much giving for me poking the bear which the ladies were already doing WITHOUT Ayan. Most people when they get poked enough...DO snap. Lesa is no different. And that I found relatable.
And to add onto it...two years have passed. Lesa has reached out to Ayan and that has been on deaf ears. BUT apparently it seems Ayan is running around saying Lesa has said nothing to her and yet demands an apology.
Which is it?
I like petty, too...BUT this is SILLY. Surely there is more to the story because that cannot be it, right?
STANBURY. It was funny to me during the finale how all of this drama came from her friendship with Ayan, and yet, she was very much uninvolved. I was right there with her when Taleen thought she was going to have a go at Lesa at the start of the episode only for Lesa to drag her ass again. Her party was cute. The fact that she's come so far with Ayan was cute. And her getting along with Sergio and being with her daughter was cute. So she recovered nicely from a bumpy first season for me.
TALEEN. So irrelevant outside of her husband who I find goofy hot. I take it back. I love every moment Lesa drags her. If she wanted an apology from Lesa, she should have talked to her one on one. Her doing it in the group simply stinks of her trying to have a moment. Lesa did right to drag and then disengage. Ayan did right by having her back then.
BROOKS. She was pretty much a non-entity in the finale. Outside of her being with Taleen to get into Ayan's head to turn her against Lesa, Brooks only had good comic relief moments because why was she with a male escort twink?
SARA. She had a bit more presence than Brooks. And that's because of her boyfriend. I hollered when he hang up on her on their voice call. I guess she really did use him for a storyline. And it seems clear she will never like Lesa. And now that Lesa is always with Brooks, I wonder who she hangs with now...did her and Stanbury make up?
LESA. A ticking time bomb really...ready to explode. I was glad that she at least had her husband (with his FOINE self) to have her back. But those ladies were definitely poking her. From the breakfast where she read Taleen. I thought her delivery could have been softer, but she was definitely being straightforward, and I respect that. And Taleen tried to be blaccent, and got gathered quickly. I loved Production at least did one meal with the BFFs. But once they got to the joint party...ooooo. If looks could kill...and Lesa is gorgeous. There were so many moments where it was written all over her face, but she tried to be herself while above it. And it was sad to watch. Those girls wanted her to break sooo bad. That her BFF wanted her to break, too, was what got me. Some undercurrent jealousy going on? Perhaps. And even as it was going down I respect that their husbands were STILL doing overtime to keep the BFFs together. But the moment Lesa cracked was when Ayan said to her 'those girls...' The look on Lesa's face. The fact Ayan was now talking to the other girls about THEIR friendship. When Ayan knew how territorial Lesa was. A friendship that is NONE of their business. A friendship they don't even like so why go to them? And then that was quickly followed up with Ayan starting to spill tea on camera between them a BIG NO-NO. It was the voice note all over again. And the look Lesa gave...she clearly had a talk with Ayan off camera about the potential of a friendship fallout on these HW shows...reminding me of the silent pact @Cat and @DaytimeFan used to say exist between Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson have during Eileen's time on BH. Ayan spilling that tea...Lesa went off.
AYAN. Second season curse. Territorial or not, I would think my BFF would pull me aside to talk about potential things that would irk me...not use me for a storyline and flaunt things you know I don't like in my face. And then to play victim, too. GIRL, BYE. I simply cannot believe that all of that energy she had Season 1 and now she's little more than a follower. How the mighty have fallen. For me, it's Fabulous Ice all over again. And the fact as the episode ended, Ayan kept changing her story, too...no longer a fan of hers though I will still like the fashion.
Bring on the reunion.
Coming into September and awww at that Sinn montage. I will always swoon at the reunion at the remote. It was so well done. Luna continues to give me life. I honestly don't know where Dollar Bill can even go from here with Poppy. And then there's Kate waiting in the wings? I want to wonder where RJ will go, but as has been mentioned, I expect him to be in a triangle with Will in no time flat.