Gray Bunny

How many hosts are they up to now?

It's crazy that it's already in its 20th year. But I would say at this point, its social relevancy is minimal. It's like a... soap opera. I watched the special, and other than the Rosie vs. anyone moments, I would've preferred to see more of clips of the pre-HD era with Meredith, Starr, Lisa, etc. but overall it was a decent special

Carole getting shut down and interrupted repeatedly was hilarious. Once again, she was reaching to dig up old issues with LuAnn for relevancy and totally failed. Yes, I forgot to mention Jules looked so much healthier in the face! Still thin as can be, but her face looks more filled out for the better. Bethenny, follow suit.

Agreed with all. LuAnn certainly didn't come off too well at the reunion so far, with poking at Bethenny's relationship. The thing with LuAnn is that whenever she's lying or gets caught in a lie, it is written ALL OVER HER FACE (no pun intended... ha). Ramona was definitely a fun, refreshing change of pace. She has really come out a better person after the whole Mario fiasco. The Dorinda revelation was quickly swept under the rug, but boy was it telling! Bethenny saying, "we agreed we wouldn't go there." It's interesting that no matter how ugly these things get, they mostly stick to their prior agreements of not bringing up certain topics (i.e. the women not mentioning LuAnn's marital problems during the first two seasons until it was officially announced she and Alex were splitting up). Sonja casually says, "we all know!" and Dorinda continues playing dumb. Oy, messy messy awkward. Fun! P.S. The set isn't so bad. In the photo, the "cardboard" backdrop of the NYC skyline looked cheesy, but it looks good on camera.

Makes sense. I wonder what the actual words are in his contract, considering it was VHS back in the 80's and releasing TV shows on VHS wasn't a thing back then. This cover is atrocious, BTW. Linda looks old and Joan looks like she's either holding in gas or smelling someone else's.

What a fun NYC finale! So much packed into that episode, it spilled into the next hour. I bet they could've cranked out 2 full episodes out of their footage if they wanted to flesh out the final wrap-up the personal lives of all the other ladies (Ramona, Dorinda, Sonja, Jules), but nonetheless it was crazy good. LuAnn made such an ass of herself when she came over at the party and demanded the ladies stop talking about her... they weren't. Oy. It was a classic case of "I don't want to talk about it... but let's talk about it." Despite that goofy encounter, LuAnn owned this season. Well done, Countess. I look forward to seeing what she says at the finale. And I'm very curious to see what juicy dirt they spill on Bethenny. Kudos to Ramona for not passing judgement on LuAnn, knowing from personal experience that you never know what's going on behind closed doors in a marriage/relationship. That is SO funny and shady that Bravo kept in the discussion where Dorinda revealed to the other ladies that LuAnn/Tom wanted to stage a scene where Dorinda would back up their cover-up about the waiter. Again, I look forward to seeing what LuAnn says and what the ladies say in retaliation. Memories of NYC seasons past as they used their old "final wrapup music" for Bethenny at the tail end. I would say this season ranks just under Seasons 2 and 3 (the originals just had *it*). NYC got their groove back and I hope they're able to secure the same cast next season! If Bethenny bolts, suck it up and bring Jill back. RE: New Jersey. If Danielle Staub is finally open to returning, they need to get on that. I could see it now: An unhealthy alliance with Teresa, wacko Jac going off the rails on her, and someone finally calling Melissa to task for conspiring with Danielle in the past to get on the show. Danielle is always such a loose cannon, even when Andy interviews her. She won't hold back and I love her delusional ass.

I was about to report the same Haven't watched OC yet (hubby still prefers NJ first; why, I have no idea) but NJ's problem is that it can't evolve. Ever since its Season 3 premise (which successfully transitioned from being centered around Danielle as the resident evil one), they just can't transition from Teresa & Melissa "working on their relationship" and Teresa and Jaq's fractured friendship. It's old, it's tired, it's been done. Teresa hasn't given two effs about Jacqueline for the past 4 years. Siggy and Dolores are cute, but are basically time fillers and don't really serve a purpose. At least there's the friendship connection with Jacqueline (unlike The Twins and Amber... I can't even remember how they were introduced... did someone visit a Dunkin' Donuts?), and perhaps it'll all gel together when they have their group trip next week. Overall though, New Jersey just seems stuck in a story rut.

Look at that soap goddess in her 90's possession heyday. It's so classically 1995. Watch the 1:48 mark where Melody Thomas Scott rolls her eyes and mouths the words "Deidre Hall." Ha!

lol amazing analogy! Carole's was the kicker. OMG, that Chic C'est La Vie had us cracking up!! Well, whatever the cause or backstory is, Bethenny can sell the tears (Heather Dubrow, take note) and make it look like genuine turmoil inside. P.S. She must've had some sort of work done, but I can't tell what. But it makes her mouth look different. It's the same way she looked when she appeared on WWHL during that timeframe, with her hair lookin' all good and her mouth looking like a barbie doll's that opens all cute when she smiles. I can't put my finger on it; maybe DaytimeFan can enlighten? (cute Christmas tree analogy, BTW. It works) LuAnn's reaction was reality TV gold. Breaking down before Bethenny even said the secret, fumbling to get into her hotel room, and breaking the fourth wall by telling them to stop it with the cameras. The season finale episode looks amazing, and one of those juicy situations where you can't believe all that is going to be wrapped up in just one hour. Can't wait for next week, plus the reunion! Luann's gonna be coming out, balls dragging and ready to take names. Plus there's the "revelation" about Bethenny brought up by the other girls. Oh, and let's not forget the hilarity of our jokesters. At some point every night, Dorinda will hit that mark where all her words are slurring. Kudos to Bravo for closed captioning her gibberish with unintelligible words! Ha! LOL to Ramona and Sonja being Ramona and Sonja and wanting to do something more fun on their own instead of attending the pre-planned event of Dorinda's. While they missed out on the gorgeous boat views of Miami, they definitely upgraded on the entrees. I would give Jules another season, if she were open to it. Post-divorce, she'd probably open up more so and give us the details. Way better than Kristen ever was, and Heather is old news. This cast is perfect for another round. *IF* they were able to put up with Jill Zarin, I'd be totally down for it, but their Nielsen ratings were too good this season to justify a need to bring her back. (Now a Danielle return to New Jersey is another story. That'd be pretty much a last-ditch effort, IMO. They did it with Bethenny and it worked. Perhaps the queen of delusion needs to return to The Garden State).

.... and a 1,775,000 for NYC last night, narrowly overtaking OC for the gold, but we'll settle for a solid silver. All joking aside, good for them! I think people had written this one off after the unsuccessful reboot between Season 4 to 5 when Jill, Alex, etc. got the boot, but they're kicking Jersey's ass easily, even without a cozy Sunday night spot. There's rumors Bethenny won't return. Thoughts? As abrasive as she's been since her return, she definitely helped make this season the success it is. On the sites reporting about NeNe's money woes, they mention she's a former RHOA star and isn't returning next season. I thought she was?

Ratings report! Orange County: 1.8 million New Jersey: 800,000. Ouch. We'll blame this on a post-Olympics slump?

Don't worry. Shannon will play victim as always "I've been under a lot of pressure," "She pushed me to breaking point," "she made me do it," "I am usually such a peaceful person" etc., and her stans will eat it up because she is now Poster Girl for the Poor Cheated-Upon Wives Who 'Forgive' Their Husbands brigade. (And I do feel sympathy for her situation -- she exudes unhappiness and dissatisfaction in her marriage and her life). And IA with you about her wanting to de-throne Vicki. I think she genuinely was her pal the first season but last season with the fake cancer scandal, she saw her chance and cut her off. Honestly, I think that she let a lot of praise go straight to her head. She really acts up the family scenes in front of the cameras now. She has not realized two important rules of RHOC tho: 1. Tamra and Vicki will always make up and break up, and 2. Tamra will betray you in a heartbeat, cut you off and try and get you off the show. The fact that Shannon thinks she can ice out Vicki from the show AND 'manage' Tamra is the height of her delusion. Kelly is loud and unconventional and more importantly seems to want to enjoy life and live it up. For some reason, the latter really pisses some people off (see Lisa V's haters). IA with Chris B, Giraffe is literally the worst HW of all time. She was last year, too, when she was all smug and self-righteous and hiding behind Jim Edmonds' status. Yup, yup, yup. I really liked Shannon in her first season, and clearly she ate up all the praise and adoration and has been mugging for the camera ever since. Problem is, she now comes off as a Nelly Nag in every direction. Her husband, the other housewives, life in general. Dr. Woo (or whomever, wasn't that Vivian's doctor on DAYS?) couldn't pull a needle out of her butt with a tractor (that's a line from Roseanne about her uptight neighbor, BTW, and very appropriate here). She is a drain to watch. She hasn't been funny since her first season when she wasn't trying to be funny, and her marriage issues are uncomfortable to view. NJ... Oh my God, Jacqueline is still as sloppy as ever. She has learned nothing and reacts like a petulant child. Calling Teresa's own brother to confirm something he said to her two years ago, and then goes and says Teresa is the one bringing up the past. I guess rehashing something from 2 years prior is better than 5. Whatevs. Sloppiest of the sloppy and I look forward to seeing Melissa turn on her. I may finally like Melissa at that point. Thank God LuAnn and the NY pros returns tonight. It feels like longer than two weeks since their last eppy.

Oh boy, that Michelle... the turns, the linebacker walk, the "who just farted?" smile. I almost hope this airs in the U.S. just to ridicule.

Absolutely. Jill would totally blow up everything, from Bethenny to Ramona to LuAnn. I don't see the Big B or Ramonacoaster allowing that to happen though. I agree about LuAnn's story feeling authentic, which greatly helps the overall enjoyment of the season. Bethenny's friend that told her this big secret.... could his initials be A.C.?

NYC: 1,792.000 million viewers last night! So proud of my girls. This is reunion-like numbers for them.

OC: Last night's episode was pretty blah. Too much Meghan. She's a horrible public speaker. There's just something that's so unsympathetic about her. I like Kelly, but she's not the best at confrontation either. She either looks like she's drunk or about to cry, and stammers a bit. I didn't think she stood her ground as well as she could have during her lunch date with Shannon. That said, Shannon is looney tunes, a shrew, a constant Debbie Downer/Negative Nancy, and totally set Kelly up at her Mrs. Roper 70's party. I like when Businesswoman Vicki comes out, as she did when she was walking through Brianna's house for assessment. Nice starter home; I'll take that bathroom. NJ: 1.5 million viewers. Dang, even New York is gonna pass you up! I like Siggy. Her loud, bubbly personality is cute. Delores is okay. Her look kind of reminds of drag queen Shangela. Melissa's Envy store storyline is so tired. We get it; Joe is a caveman who wants you at home, barefoot and raising babies, ready for Little Joe and his poison at any given moment. We've heard this song 'n dance since Season Three. Oh, so Jacqueline's middle child still exists? He's hard to remember. Ashlee's botched up face at 25.... Christ, she's following in her mother's footsteps. Jacqueline is such a hypocritical mess regarding Teresa and their "friendship" and next week looks good when Drunk Twitter Jacqueline's messy antics are back on display, mouthing off to Teresa about her legal past yet again. Yes. Don't forget thirsty Kathy and her dry cannolis.

Probably why I love '96... I loved me some Wendy Moniz

So, I'm currently watching GL circa 1996 on YouTube (I originally started watching in 1996, but didn't really dive in full-time til 1997). I must say, despite its bad rap, 1996 is highly enjoyable to me. Some kind soul has uploaded every single episode from 1994 to 1997, and watching it day in & day out for the first time, I couldn't help but notice a few things that were already phased out by '97 when Paul Rauch / Brown & Esensten took over... - Class. I see a true representation of the different levels of class in Springfield, from the wealthy Spauldings all the way down to the lower middle-class Reardons. You see it in the way they live their lives and in the company they keep. You don't see the wealthy hanging out in the "poor" establishments like Company or Wheels & Meals (unless Alan comes in to taunt Buzz/Reva). With this representation of a class structure, you get more of a feeling of the wider landscape of Springfield, from the rich Spaulding mansion, to the upper-middle Bauer home, to Company, to Josh & Annie's carriage house, to the Jessup farm. - Touching moments that didn’t necessarily advance the plot, but enhanced the relationships between the characters. This is why I always thought Josh Lewis was one of the best TV dads out there; there was such depth and closeness portrayed with him and Marah & Shayne. - Ensemble. Yes, Kim Zimmer had returned, but the show was still very much an ensemble. There was an ebb 'n flow to many storylines, and even characters who were usually permantly on backburner (Frank, Eleni) had ample story at some point. I never knew we had actually met Dahlia’s mother until now. - Supporting characters like Holly’s mom and Fletcher’s son Ben were rarely seen, but yet utilized during pivotal family moments and given decent material, rather than just filler fluff. - Beautiful Sets. Oh, my gosh! The colors! By the time Rauch put his mark on the show, everything was YELLOW! Josh & Annie’s house: from rich reds and touches of dark blue… to yellow. Spaulding mansion: from dark forest green accent walls… to yellow. Meals & Wheels diner: from a realistic-looking white diner… remodeled to a big yellow box with a fake looking backdrop outside the windows. Cedars Hospital: from dark green trims… to yellow. Company restaurant: from a more realistic layout of a bar on the left and ample seating on the right, mostly light brown walls… remodeled to being strangely shaped and, of course, yellow.

Exactly. There's an ick factor to it overall. Everyone trying to front for the cameras, but they're secretly struggling to survive.

New Jersey got only 1.626 million viewers on Sunday. Dang, the general interest in NJ seems to have waned. At this point, I could see them trying to lure back Danielle Staub. Even though I'm not a huge Jacqueline fan (and there's been *way* too much focus on her these past two eppys in), there's juicy history between her and Danielle that extended far beyond after Danielle left the series. It would also be interesting to see where she would align with Teresa nowadays. (Dare to dream. Danielle and Jill Zarin are the two wicked reality show ladies I'd like to see back at their old stomping grounds, respectively) For comparison's sake, even New York garnered 1.526 million last Wednesday, and 1.615 million the week before. Orange County got 1.798 million this past Monday.

They all look amazing except for Carole. Bethenny just needs some meat back on her bones to fill out her face. Everyone else looks beautiful. Ramona ditched her "Ramona Blue" and stuck with the theme. Hate that cardboard NYC backdrop though. That looks like Conan O'Brien's late-night set circa 1993.

Look at Lu grabbing that prime real estate! Haha... The two endpieces (Jules, Carole) are expendable, but the other 5 ladies are golden. I hope they all stay another season.

100% agreed. I have a love/hate relationship with New Jersey and their entire story arcs they've had since season three, and these two heifers irk me the most. Jacqueline and Chris are downsizing and sell off their jewelry, furniture, etc. yet she still could afford cosmetic surgery on her donkey head. Meanwhile, it seems the show is trying to pick up on Season Seven where Season Five left off: Teresa vs Melissa. Wasn't that squashed last season? Overall, I was intrigued the most by Teresa's homecoming. The new girls look like they have potential and the season preview looks juicy. But other than the homecoming, the first episode felt like a bad reminder of the toxicity of Seasons 3-5.

Who'd o' thunk eight seasons in, LuAnn is finally the MVP of RHONY? I love this unfiltered version of her!

Agreed. They both look sickly thin. And that's on camera where the "camera adds ten pounds." I can only imagine their skeletal figures in person. At least Jules' face isn't sunken in; bitches be jealous.