Taoboi

7-11 Let me start by just saying that Devon is an a$$. LOL!!! I should have known this from how much I enjoyed Devon vs Nate, but good God! He's practically driving Lily away from the company by not trusting her. Whether he was right or not. Self-fulfilling prophecy much? Totally Team Lily with her wanting to join Billy. And not even her fault. Chelesa and everything connected to her again has become FF material again. I didn't mind the scenes with Victoria and all her kids. It is understandable and continues to be that there would be some adjustment to Claire being around. Though it is jarring that it was Johnny at first who had issues, and now it's Katie.

LOL!!! Especially that last part.

I guess time will tell. But hopefully he's not just gone with the wind.

Get out of those pictures and into my bed. lol.

7-9 You all were not kidding. That was juicy AF. I knew it was a matter of time (if they were going to go there) that Willow and Drew would kiss. But what I was not ready for was that Willow clearly started that. And SASHA walked in on it?? OOooooo MESS!!! And just as Drew and Nina seem to finally be acknowledging their feelings, too. AND Michael and Nina called a truce. That was all just great soap. Honorable mention to Sasha talking to Nina and how deep that conversation was. Meanwhile FINALLY!!!! Cody finally told Mac. Given it has been going on for two years, that was great. And the direction was good. The confrontation. And yes, JJY can still get it. lol. And count me in on everyone else who said that this pervious writing team have rebooted Maxie nicely. I loved her scene with Cody. While I liked the Portia v Laura scene, I admit that the main part of it was bad optics because it felt less like the other times when Portia was calling out people and making total sense and more like having someone look crazy to look crazy. Though I do love seeing Portia on the warpath. That brief scene with Tracy and the senator has me worried. They are not about to kill off Monica, are they?

IKR. Who knew?

RHoDubai Ahead of this, Caroline Stanbury made a comment online. It's all downhill from here. And well...that was apt. Omg! Great from start to finish. I pointed out the Brooks/Sara/Lesa trio last episode and they were a whole messy ki-ki this episode. The lunches. The fashion. The messiness. And I'm still giggling at Brooks saying 'come on, Sara' as all hell was breaking loose, giving pure Heather Chandler...if you know, you know. It just felt like everything was heightened this episode. Everything was on A-game. Ayan's opening event gave fashion that was rivaling fashion on RHOM. There was so many moments of architecture. For me, it was the set-up for Stanbury's dinner party, but I'm sure @Cat is going to lose it when they get to the brunch scene with the breathtaking view...you're know the one. The shade was good. From Brooks giving it to everyone and anyone to the Caroline money tea that will make people go hmmmm that we discussed here to the 4th Wall breaking to the dynamic duo of Brooks/Sara at the table to the ladies trying to use Ayan's sister to figure out Ayan's REAL age...oh, wow there was so much going on. I don't feel I'm even going to do this justice. Honorable mention: it's been very light this season, but I loved seeing the prickly Ayan/Brooks friendship of old last season on display last night. But let me get to the main event...Brooks vs Taleen. Or should I say Taleen vs the Mean Girls? In any case...I see online picked a side. I'm not sure if I have...yet...but the fact that I'm not necessarily on Taleen's side is telling for me, but I might still do a wait and see for next week on the fallout. In any case, Production appeared to be backing Brooks with the receipts, so I do believe her when she said that Taleen was simply a carry-on and in the background of Season 1 trying to join the show. I was shocked at the breaking of the 4th Wall early in the episode and wished Brooks had done it at the dinner party to back it up, but still. Meanwhile, Taleen seem too pressed at the dinner party when she should have just ignored Brooks, not helped by how I felt that she was saying she was trying to save her friendship with Brooks, but did not seem to be SHOWING that she was trying to save it. Meanwhile, though all of it, it appeared to be lost that Lesa was being a little sniper from the side, fanning the flame between them. Love her, but I noticed. Taleen picked up on it, but Lesa managed a good deflect, helped by the fact she was dealing with two drunk women. And the end? Taleen's husband was just defending his wife. Unlike Sergio (who got a firm sit down from his wife), Taleen's husband was trying to stay out of it. He seem generally hurt they were fighting like he had as much a friendship with Brooks as his wife. Sadly, it went left. Glad Lesa had Brooks's back. I didn't like Taleen and Brooks going low on each other. And the fact they were in a country where you can get arrested for yelling like they were. Ayan and Stanbury were in the right for staying out of it. And next week...we get to the REAL meat...what causes the Ayan/Lesa fallout? Great episode. CAROLINE. I see she was online trying to disprove that money tea. I'm sure she will bring receipts to the reunion so I'm not worried. Otherwise, I felt it was a good episode for her. She even got to maneuver a dinner party because Brooks made her work with that sage and that 'Uninvited Plus One' (Production clearly had a ball with the shade this episode). She looked gorgeous throughout and I loved that she got Sergio under control when all hell broke loose. Wise woman. SARA. Hehe. Production had fun with her, too, this episode. But Sara was hilarious anyway as Heather Number 2 to Brooks. I loved every moment of her and Brooks at the dinner table at Caroline's throwing so much shade. You would think she didn't like Taleen, either. And I see because of her hanging with Brooks, there's now some kinda underlying tension between her and Stansbury...which I believe will be part of next week. Color me intrigued. That said...Sara was also giving fashion, and I really enjoyed her this episode. And yes...what she said at the dinner table...no need to apologize for your light because it bothers other people's demons. Not her problem. Go deal with yours. TeamSara on that 100 percent. AYAN. Ayan's brother kinda FOINE. hehe. That said...I'm surprised how much Ayan continued to be above the fray this season up to this point. Her focus was on her fashion/makeup event. And I enjoyed it so much cuz that train...I literally gasped. And I loved seeing her with her family. And her sister is how old??? I was like the ladies and did not believe it. It was very nice to see the Ayan/Brooks friendship again. And I'm always here for the Ayan/Lesa friendship cuz they were totally Frick and Frack when 50Cynt was all 'we are still knowing each other' to Kenya during Taleen/Brooks apology talk. And she was wise to see at the dinner party that everything was about to go left and WENT HOME. Smart. LESA. I could go on about her skin forever cuz flawless. It was nice to see her with her husband and she vocalize how she has been feeling. I could totally relate. Meanwhile...sniper from the side. Taleen and Brooks had apologized and made up. And now here she come to stir the pot. Trying to get the tea about Taleen being a beggar. Running back to Taleen to tell her what Brooks said. And using it all to try for a checkmate at Stanbury. I wonder if that is what is going to cause the fallout with Ayan. Or something of that nature. TALEEN. My mind seems to be of a mind that Brooks was right. Perhaps it's because it just did not feel like Taleen was trying to save the friendship on-screen. Everywhere I looked, she was running behind Stanbury to me. So I felt Brooks was probably right about her trying to get on the show. And it's not that I don't like Taleen. I do like her cuz that new Confessional look was EVERYTHING. But she was a little too easy to manipulate this episode. And then her not taking the high road she claimed to want to take at Stanbury's dinner party. She was just as drunk as Brooks, and it has been well-established that Brooks is a horrible drunk. She knew that. So why poke that bear? Brooks got her back good, too, with the script flip. And the husband dig? I still enjoy her, but I can tell I am side-eying. BROOKS. Multiplier to paraphrase Carlos King. They could never make me hate you. lol. She was giving A LOT. But...DIVA. It was like if she was going to be HBIC or give that, she was going to play it to the hilt. And she was. I'm sorry that it appeared Stanbury was right and that she really does not like to see other women succeed, but she still gave moments all the same. The Plus Ones throughout the episode since she don't have friends. The 4th Wall breaking. Coming to the dinner party with SAGE??? GUUURL!!! The money tea that Ayan backed up. She was A LOT. As mentioned, she and Sara was a ki-ki. I even thought she was actually trying to ignore Taleen because she knew she would go off on her. She tried. But...alas. I mean...it's Brooks. Her personality has been well-established on this show so her going off did not surprised even when Production is holding her back to avoid her beating Taleen's ass getting arrested. Like I said...an great episode from start to finish. An appetizer to the main course next week...what caused the Ayan/Lesa fallout? My body...is READY.

OC TAGLINES got leaked early!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, first of all...GOOD. Love the actor. Love the character. And what he represents cuz Liason fan. And I've been liking Jason actually interacting with his kids since he made it back to town so I'm looking forward to those scenes.

I will always be for the Heather storyline because it was (under PM) giving an old school soap situation in that you got to see ALL point of views and there was no propping. It also gave a chance (as I've said before) of Heather being rebooted into a calmer, less-goofy, more cunning schemer again. But I trusted PM could do that. Now that he is out, I'm not sure if I would like the story to continue now. Moreso if it's more of the goofy. I honestly feel the same. re: Finn. Michael Easton definitely gave some good performances to the end of his arc though. But there has been all of us speculating about the BTS drama for months. In during that speculation, the idea was put forth that it seem clear it was not FV's idea to bring in PM so I would safely assume that the actual person who did also wanted FV's faves out and good writing to do that. Enter: Patrick Mulcahey. FV clearly did not take that well. So I feel He Who Was Behind It will keep Finn gone. We will see. I hate to say it, but I agree. It was just bad timing. But those optics were telling. A shame because there were so great scenes that came out of it (Portia dragging everyone about Heather and it made sense, Trina at Spencer's grave, Stella and Tracy). TBF it looked like Pikeman was going to be that, but we couldn't have that cuz BTS drama. And I would say the closest lately was the reveal of the Natalia recording because regardless of her newbie status, she actually connected to so many characters the audiences actually like. Hahahaha.

That definitely for me is a sour note in PM's run re: black characters. There definitely have been great moments with our black characters. And it was nice to be able to get the characters scenes that were given, but it would have been nice to see what direction they could have gone in. I still feel that was stalled due to BTS drama. I don't think Mulcahey liked the story, but I felt that when he started that the Pikeman story started to get focus and a direction and a way for Mulcahey to clearly define characters like most of his run was doing. And by clearly define, I mean set up a character's natural end. And by that, I would say Valentin. It was clear the story was leading to his exit. But again...BTS. YES. Oh, yes, totally. And like I mentioned, Mulcahey might not have liked the story, but he quickly started to build it into a potentially great umbrella story that would have had consequences as he set up new directions that led to some exits.

Very. I still remember Taggert's scene in the elevator once he found out that Trina was not his daughter. That scene resonated and I wanted to see where it would go. But alas. Hahahahahaha!!!!

Hmmm Karen. So much history there. I loved Karen. I don't think it was necessary either since Taggert is still in town...or is he?...because Taggert could have been used in the same way and has just as much history well more history than Jagger. That's just more reason for this Pikeman story/Jason returns story to end. With it over with, we can see what the actor can do if they plan to keep him around. I think the potential is there, but he could have been someone new given how they haven't touched on his history too much since he was in scenes with Sonny constantly taunting him over Karen.

7-10 YOU BETTA BRING YOUR A-GAME, AL AND MM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cuz that was HOT!!! But just as hot...was Nate and Audra. I really enjoyed their scene today. He was giving some pretty good advice to her. I mean Tucker. Now Kyle. She's playing a dangerous game for someone who plans to be the HBIC. I'm wondering if Faith is back for whatever Sharon's story is going to be, or is Faith going to be getting a story of her own? I assume her and Lucy being around each other is for a reason outside of Sharon. That said...I can't figure out what Sharon's story is going to be. Yet. At least with Ashley's storyline, Eileen Davidson was deliciously dropping hints to the audience before the audience saw the story in story. I don't have a clue. BUT back to Kyle vs Summer!!! Oooooo that was so good. And Kyle was nasty AF for throwing the fact Summer is not Harrison's biological son in her face. And Summer was on point when Kyle tried to deflect by throwing Summer's feelings for Claire in her face. The acting. The inflections (especially surprisingly MM) in their voices. Some of the camera angles were straight out of old Y&R scenes. I really loved their fight. Summer being on a warpath is bringing out the best in AL.

Awww thank you. I think it's safe to say that Wagger is a complete flop. In fact, I keep forgetting he is there until he pops up. And given his history and his importance to Jason's storyline and the Pikeman storyline that is surprising for sure.

Color me shocked as well tbh. I remember when I first started that I disliked her. But finally sitting down to watch and watching her, I have respect for her in a villain I loved to hate. And I LOVE Jessel destroying her ass in the finale episode. So to see they are actually friends now says a lot. And Sai handled herself extremely well at the reunion. And more importantly OWNED her crap.

While true, it's the fact that for the last decade or so, the writers barely try to write for Jax as nothing, but a white knight who dislikes Sonny. And when Jax tries to color outside that line, he winds up back. I would hate to see that happen to a fine (and FOINE hehe) actor like Charles Masure. I immediately thought Drew when this conversation started. Going back to what I said about a white knight. Drew kinda would be the closest to that. You're not. It might be somewhat subtle, but it IS there.

While I think it would be an okay idea as well, I feel that even with Charles's talent, being Jax would box the actor in. The writers would never really allow Jax to be a gray character.

NY Why, yes, I finished the NuNY reunion. LOL. And I felt that it was a solid reunion. After a good 'first' season, the reunion did what it should have...allowed the ladies to see each other again, rehash, and then (usually) have resolution. And what I also liked about this reunion was that it was clear set-up for 'Season 2.' As for how I saw it...PART 1... UBAH. Came in looking for a moment. Cuz what was all that with Jenna. Even if she was right...which it does not seem like she was...it was the delivery. At least she had some tea though in terms of Erin/Sai. Speaking of... ERIN. Well at least she didn't run. lol. But everyone and their mama was coming for her in Part 1. And it's telling that her and Sai were currently on the outs...and Sai had to bring receipts on her doublespeak. Cuz who would know her better than her BFF anyway. It seem like she came to the reunion to try to look better in the audience's eyes, and so far...failing. JENNA. So far, so good. But she definitely needs to learn how to maneuver more. JESSEL. Got to be the cliffhanger!!! And good on her for coming for Erin and holding her accountable for talking on her husband. My eye cocked at her and Sai being on such good terms now. Alliance? BRYNN. They could never make me hate you. She had me laughing all over the place. And her vs Sai. Just woooow. Stopped talking to her for six months? And Brynn's response was soooo Aquarius. But she called Sai out so good. And her shade at Sai being at the end of the couch was chef's kiss. SAI. They could never make me hate you, too! For me, honestly, she has come off the best reunion wise. She's standing in her truth. She's apologizing for those moments where she was in the wrong. SHE...HAS...RECIEPTS. She's played it extremely smart, no-nonsense. If her image has been hurt, she's working her ass off to fix it, and it shows. She was perfection in Part 1. And just the reveal that it's clear her and Jessel have become friends off screen was an interesting tell. But like I mentioned above...so was the tell about how she and Brynn had not talked in six months. PART 1 was totally solid. I feel the only thing that bugged me was Ubah being extra out of left field and Andy clearly by way of their religion having Erin's back. Erin deserves to be held accountable. PART 2. Hmmm. Not as enjoyable as Part 1 for me. But I felt there was true resolution as I mentioned. And it made it very interesting going into their second season where the friendships are going to go. Though Eric Fuller being over there at Production worries me. UBAH. Still searching for a moment. I did like that she was able to explain herself and the phone a little bit more. And also explain that tea she was talking about in Part 1. But her vs Brynn was totally left field and not liked. But I liked when it mattered they forgave each other. ERIN. Finally!!! Some accountability!!! And I loved Jessel taking her to task. JENNA. I felt she was totally more of the meditator among the group this part than even Andy. And it was no more clear than when she worked through Ubah's conversation and showed that it was all a misunderstanding. JESSEL. You betta get in Erin's ass!!! lol. And she did work her way down the couch to Sai as well. But I was happy to see that she was able to explain herself. And she gave more of the HW delusion that I've come to expect from her and what made her a fave this season. I feel she found a good groove after a bumpy start. I did notice Erin give a look while Sai and Jessel were talking. Potential drama next season...? BRYNN. No truer words were spoken than when she said why would she say yes to an engagement that happened AFTER she broke up with any of those guys when they had her and lost her. I FELT THAT. I get readings and I continue to hear there is an ex around me...one of whom might be the person I dealt with all last year. And...it's much too late. So I understood. And I liked hearing the response to her from the audience about her being biracial. However, I can't help but feel the tension between her and Sai. There were moments where they were good, but there were moments when the shade WAS real. SAI. And see we get another layer from her. I felt her story about her mom dying and the conflicting feelings that brought up for her and her family. She was showing realness. And as I mentioned there was so much tension between her and Sai. That said...she was actually my favorite from the reunion. Bring on next season.

I miss it, too. Bring it back!

Uhhhhh

You betta put that bold on that always. I agree. For all the things that I've loved (Alexis's journey, Finn's storyline, Jason&kids, Nina/Drew, character scenes, Sonny's meds) that had a clear direction, there has been things post May that has been giving off signs that PM has left the building (the vanishing of the tween set which says A LOT, Valentin aka Ho, Why You Still Here, Pikeman) because they have stalled or up and vanished. But...like I said...BTS drama.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Quit!!!! I'm trying to not read Y&R, but I was so upset with how the Lily/Daniel/Heather story went down in the end (and @DramatistDreamer gave them an excellent outline that they were following to the letter, too ). Light spoilers sound like Daniel about to get a story at least because it seems like all the potential storylines with him, Heather, or Lily or all of them together has just washed away in the tide. I definitely am liking Billy with this more vicious version of Lily, but it looks like Lily is about to come down again so le sigh. Very. I would suggest that, but Kyle's head would reeeeaaallly explode at that methinks.

I still believe what we have discussed on this and the PM thread briefly. There was (is?) some BTS drama going on that we are not aware of. At least publicly. Just looking at the last month and a half...what stories appeared to be IMHO PM...were hitting the middle of their arcs...revealing why those stories went in THAT direction in the first place. And that goes back to me discussing stalling on some of the stories in order to have a fast reason (ratings) to get rid of PM. The irony of that with them given what they did to Chase would be delicious. We did. Often. There was quite a lot of clowning around on it and speculation.