Cat

*GASP * NO, Taoboi, say it isn't so! Hate? Please don't say you hate Karen Huger! 😅 She has disappointed you. I get it. For the life of me, I don't know why she would, out of the blue, do this. Obviously she's done petty sh!t like this before. I honestly think that Karen miscalculated. She may have thought this would be the usual, petty, 'duelling events' type stuff we used to see in S1. (Cue 5 straight episodes talking about etiquette). Instead, it's now become personal for Gizelle, and maybe parts of the audience who remember Gizelle's father and his iconic guest appearances (I mean, the tour of the plantation alone was up there with RHOA's episode in a township in South Africa. Also his hot mic moment about Jamal Bryant!). I imagine this drams will play for weeks. And weeks. If i were Production and Gizelle were my asset, I'd be thanking Karen for uniting most of the audience behind Gizelle for once, and helping to create a drama which prompted more viewers to tune in this week. As for the show as a whole, it is harking back to the early, lighter seasons this year. That's probably a good thing. For someone usually instinctively astute (if vicious in her execution).I am sort of stunned how badly Tamra has played her hand this season. There were signs of this last season when she went too hard at Heather and failed. I can't believe she thought ganging up on someone who had a DUI, has struggled with alcohol, and is facing lawsuits, would be a smart move this year. She keeps doubling down on her Shannon-hate, but now that her proxy Alexis has been almost run off the show, she's picked a fight with someone she thought would be the weak link -- Jenn. Completely underestimating how Jenn's naturalness and life story would endear the audience to her. This 'autism' move is so ill-informed, I have to imagine Tamra is now worried for her job and is just throwing anything out there to see what sticks.

See, now you are thinking like a top-tier RH producer. I'm not sure this crew running RHOP are that, but I am betting on what happened this episode being dragged out and talked about all season long. By the way, I like newbie Stacey. Does she remind anybody a little of newbie Katie on OC?

I'm glad you posted this, because I was ready to tear Wendy a new one for running to Gizelle in her most overpriced hoochie-bird outfit for that womp-womp of a lunch. Giz didn't even bother to change out of her floral hoisedress! It appeared as if Wendy was letting the whole mess fly by, like the root of the fight was Gizelle not saying hello to Wendy at some event? When all I remember with Gizelle doubling down at reunion (despite Andy giving her about 12 outs) on her assertion that it was cool that Wendy got assaulted by Mia "because I. Don't. Like. Huh." So I'm glad Wendy did namecheck the incident and im side-eying Production for once again covering for that harpy. Haven't seen the gala event yet so maybe my view on Gizelle will soften. However, I did love seeing Keairna again. I wondered why she wasn't part of the show this season.

I love NYC too -- it's the show I look forward to watching straight out of the gate each week. Love the fashions, decor and whole vibe. There's story with Erin and Abe and the women's interactions, and it feels fresh and well judged. I can't believe a 'newbie' show is giving me the entertainment I'm looking for, but here we are. By the same token, I'm also enjoying the grandmammy of RHs: OC. The fact that an organic, outside event is impacting the group has refreshed the show. Tamra is trying way too hard to force story, but we need a villain to root against, and I'm rooting for Shannon, who ended Dumb Alexis's brief tenure on the show in one elegant, fell swoop. Potomac: Karen is my fave HW of all current HWs, and I feel automatically protective of her. Even if she's going about the DUI in the opposite way Shannon is. I guess because Shannon couldn't hide from the CC TV footage we all saw. Karen seems to be following her lawyer's advice to neither deny nor admit to anything until the legal process plays out. We will see how she handles it this season. Mia and Wendy are gunning for her. And I wish she didn't have to cosy up to Gizelle who, I feel, is only nice to her in order to get the tea and bring her down. If Charrisse and Robyn were still on the show, they'd be going hard for her and bringing the entire group against her. Ashley got a reprieve and is trying to justify her place, but im not feeling it. I'm not feeling Wendy either, who is just not natural on camera in expressing her true self. Mia's story is compelling, but whenever Gordon is on, I find myself sympathizing with him much more than her. I still watch and want to watch RHs. It is far from its glory era, but i still hope the franchises pull through. The night ratings are disappointing to say the least, but it's clear so many of us stream the shows during the course of the week. I'd give anything to know the streaming numbers as well, because IMO they are the game changer. I suspect Potomac is doing moderately OK in streaming. The weird month of no RHs this spring did not help, nor did forcing NJ in its current incarnation on the world. People are exhausted by that cast. But to your point about tighter seasons and episode orders, I agree completely. The problem is that Bravo has become lumbering and slow-reacting, as opposed to proactive with these shows.

NuRHONY: As lowkey as this premiere was, I am thrilled my insecure Millennial poptarts are back. Too early to tell how the newbie will turn out (and it looks like Rebecca Minkoff is being almost entirely edited out of the season), but I'm good with the dynamics between Sai, Brynn, Erin, Jenna and Jessel. Sai is owning it somewhat, so I'll give her props, even though her blow-up at Brynn at the end reminded me of the old, performatively-outraged Sai looking to blame someone else. Looks like Brynn is the villain this season -- or at least, Erin and Sai are super-eager to paint her the villain. I still enjoy her, and her new apartment is seriously one of the best single-girl apartments I have seen on a RH show. The design alone is Chef's Kiss. Erin is Erin, superbly self-centered, but the tension with Abe is a new twist. Pavit still entertains the hell out of me.

For me, it was during S1. Heather was such a doormat to Jen, but I just couldn't connect the words of self-deprecation she was saying with her confident smirk. So I figured she was playing victim. The S1 finale confirmed it, as did reunion. She was OTT in her self-righteous indignation. This is one reason I've had a hard time connecting with SLC sometimes -- Jen Shah was awful from the first episode, Heather was always suspect, Lisa has never deviated from her innate vapidity, Whitney is nowhere near as smart & strategic as she thinks she is. I've always rated Meredith, though.

And that is why DH's loss is so seismic: he was one of the most central figures on set for the cast and crew. They looked to him for support, love, laughs and leadership. He fulfilled on all counts, and now there is a huge hole in that Days community.

Catching up on OC, and wow Tamra is really burning those bridges with the audience. It's not even that Ryan is some stand-up guy -- he comes across as a kiss-ass. His podcast comments were not the smartest. But I respect Eddie's attitude of 'I'll say hello, but won't engage with you because I don't like what you did' versus Tamra's constant baiting and looking for a fight. The way Eddie looked at her, and significantly, did not follow her out when she did her dramatic walk-off spoke volumes. Also Tamra's glee over Shannon's legal troubles and the butt-dial thing wasn't her greatest look. I'm still trying to figure out if the butt-dial was scripted or legitimately happened.

He was so beloved by crew, cast, and Daytime peers.

I am in absolute shock. Drake Hogestyn as John was an indelible part of my life growing up. John & Marlena were the most magical supercouple experience that, yes, fulfilled my youthful need for romantic stories, but on another level, taught me about the importance of challenge, struggle, sacrifice in forging an honorable spirit. We don't write heroes today with the same depth that JER did for John in the early 90s. After I first read this thread, in shock, I stumbled to YouTube to find some Days scenes involving Drake from that era. I am guilty of having joked about his acting (the eyebrow) on this very forum, as Days edged into a more parodic era. Watching those scenes back today, though, I am touched by his presence, his talent, his commitment to the material. The quiet moments of pause in the dialogue, the intensity, the sheer charisma. Drake Hogestyn was the real deal. And by so many accounts, Drake was as committed, kind and giving as the character he imbued. He was devoted to nurturing a community of actors at Days, team players he called them, giving them space to shine as well as learning to support their colleagues. He seemed devoted to his family, too. It goes without saying what a huge loss he is to them, to his work-family at NBC, and to us all in this soap opera community. May he RIP. I am so sorry. I know you are a longtime fan of John & Marlena, and Drake & Dee, also. Thinking of you and all fans of theirs. I am so sorry for your loss to this horrific disease. Sending prayers your way.

You bet, baby! I love RHONY (old and nu), and I've missed my kooky Millennials! I'm very excited to have them back and hope it's soon because I need that upbeat energy going into fall. I'm even willing to give Sai her due! Yes, it's been that long. Jenna's tagline is the standout but, honestly they are all pretty good. Including Sai and Brynn's. Thank you for posting!

Oh same here. During Jenn's fiesta party, I think the other women realised what it would mean to have Alexis around full-time and Shannon gone, and were like "Uh oh." It's really astounding how Alexis thought she'd show up, humiliate Shannon, and come out smelling of roses in all this. Johnny J is looking like a nasty extortion agent and she's backing him up blindly. Even Tamra and Heather are backing away from the mess. Do you think Heather meant to give Emily the 'fat' clothes, or is Emily just trying to have a moment? Tamra is awful. Gina and her shiny silver pants... I know she thinks she's making a fashion statement, but she looks so bulky and awkward rustling around in those things. Jenn Pedranti as a HW is awesome. She is like a through line from old OC to current OC. Especially that scene with her son.

RH live ratings are down across the board and I think streaming is the main reason why. I would love to see the +48 hours streaming numbers for SLC and every other RH franchise this year. Nevertheless, I totally understand your point comparing this opener with the TV ratings for reunion. Reunion was a watercooler hit for Bravo, in that word-of-mouth brought the live viewer numbers. I will never understand why Bravo put Monica out to pasture when she kick-started so much story for the show. As for this episode, I agree with you. It was entertaining and pacey, and way better than many episodes in S2 and S3. However, it was also very performative. Everyone bent over backwards to 'prove' they can make it without Monica. Lots of emphasis on wealth, given that this was the area in which Monica was lacking. Brittani had it out for Mary, in order to be relevant on this show after her calling card, the Osmond offspring, dumped her. I imagine the Osmonds were not pleased Brittani joined a show with a fair number of lapsed Mormons. Bronwyn looked ridiculous walking down Park City's freezing main drag in what looked like a cheetah bikini, pretending to be this edgy fashion plate. She looked like a clown. Whitney getting dragged by the three other cast members was long overdue. And I can see that Heather is really going to annoy me even more than usual this season. No, I'm talking about the story that Brooks put Ayan on speaker and Lesa heard Ayan disparage her, or something. Honestly, with all the screeching I had no clue what the story was. Is anyone enjoying OC? I really am. It's their best season in about a decade.

@Taoboi @Soaplovers @NothinButAttitude Someone will have to explain what the hell the Dubai women were screeching about in the last 10 minutes of that episode, because I could not absorb one iota of information from that mess. It was an awkward and chaotic end to what was a pacey and enjoyable season. I was disappointed, frankly. First of all: agree with @NothinButAttitude that Taleen needed to calm down and stop screaming, because she was exhausting. However, i was Team Taleen when Brooks came to see her at lunchtime and tried to sweep everything under the carpet. Brooks may have a got a beautiful new face, but she's so unlikeable. I much preferred her at Season 1 reunion when we got a complete, complex woman revealing herself and her vulnerabilities. This time around, seeing her cackle at Lesa and Ayan's fight, or admit to putting Ayan on speaker to catch her out, I feel like Brooks has lost a human part of herself that made her interesting and slightly mysterious in S1. And I wish I could like Lesa more. Lesa is soulfully beautiful. Whoever did her immaculate, glossy marvel wave of hair deserves an Emmy, because that was a work of art. But Lesa is a bit-player who thinks she is LVP. She thinks she can outmanoeuver these women, and Reunion proved she can't. Plus she lied about not knowing that Ayan had shared the voice note. Ayan may have only told her minutes before they started filming (so technically still in a grey area of shock), but the pretence of shock and anger she cultivated over an episode makes me look at her differently now. The fact is, Lesa cannot stand that Stanbury and Ayan are higher than her in the show's pecking order. And she is acting out because of that. Inchallah, as they say in Dubai. God willing Dubai will be given another lease of life in S3 -- with slippery Sara in the cast.

RHODubai First of all, Bravo buried this on the same night as the presidential debate. Of all the times to take a pause during a season, this was one of them! Secondly, this cast really is the most photogenic out of the franchises. Most of the women looked like supermodels coming onto the reunion stage. Stanbury's facelift is top-tier work. She looks exactly like herself (and can move her face), she just looks a lot younger, like her Ladies of London days. I also loved her hyperclassic, minimalist 90s evening gown. Someone else also had a facial refresh: Brooks. And while she does look beautiful, she also looks different from how she used to. I can't quite explain it -- the nose, cheeks, jawline, lips have been perfectly tweaked. Brooks is very beautiful, but you get the feeling that life and some abusive relationships have hardened her to people in general. I'm not sure she likes or trusts many people. Even with this insta-alliance with Lesa, you feel that both of these women would throw each other under a bus at a moment's notice. This reunion is turning me off Lesa and Brooks somewhat. Both are insanely jealous of Stanbury. Both have come into reunion primed to attack. Ayan, too, by the way. I was actually shocked at how well Taleen handled herself, to be honest. Part 1 of reunion was a little slow in some ways, bit I'm hopeful Part 2 will pick up pace and ask the question: what the hell happened between Sara and Saba?? Ratings have been really low, but I hold out hope that Dubai is getting better streaming numbers. It's an insecurity complex which she tries to cover with superiority. I'm not surprised about Project Runaway, that she would try and humiliate someone she views as lower than her. It wasn't until her second season that i really understood how insecure Wendy was within this group, how lacking she felt about her looks (i thought she looked great first season, classy and strong), and how much she wanted to be part of the GEB clique. A classy post from a classy lady. I'm sad she's going through this, but as usual she looks for the positive while raising awareness about postpartum anxiety to her followers. When she said she was not returning as a 'full-time cast member,' this gives me hope that she will be back (if RHOM gets another season after this one), and may even pop up in this current season. After all, Nicole and Guerdy are close IRL.

ITA. Wendy's first season was her most authentic, as humorless and inflexible as she was. In the seasons that followed, I was torn between feeling bad for her (the GEBs were truly horrific), to wrestling with my inability to connect to her. Part of this was the inexplicable 're-branding' from university-professor/political commentator (which was really solid, I thought) to sticking her name on any old random crap. Part of it was the fact that she has no natural humor and therefore has to script/rehearse every one of her reads and VTs. When she's not in rehearsed mode, she's lecturing somebody. I've tried to listen to her interviews on a RH podcast here and there, but rarely make it to the end.

They put a lid on the outright toxicity, although the sudden love-in is a shock after +2 years of "BECAUSE. I. DON'T. LIKE. HUH." This was an easy shift for Wendy, though -- she has long craved Gizelle's approval, and it personally devastated her that Gizelle couldn't stand her. Without Robin and Candiace there to detract attention, though the trailer exposes the fact that Wendy is a so-so RH. She's not naturally funny or spontaneous or whip-smart. She feels rehearsed. I am waiting to see what the beef with Karen is about before I cast big judgment, though.

She is,too good for the show, and she does not need Bravo. Nevertheless, I will miss her and do think she is a crucial cast member. Larsa OTOH is completely dime-a-dozen expendable.

This is devastating news. It has crept up on me but Nicole is one of my favorite housewives, because she is an authentic and decent person. She has a job. She has real friendships. She showed her life. She became one of the lynchpins of the show, a voice of reason and intelligence. She didn't put up with any bullsh!t. Most of all, the support and love she showed Guerdy last season is what stood out to me. She'll be missed -- she stabilised the cast. That group of friends -- Nicole, Guerdy, Julia, i was more often than not Team Newbies. Like @NothinButAttitude I have to wonder why we lose the Nicoles while the Larsas, who think their OF careers are more impactful than the medical profession, never seem to leave. I hope this is temporary -- Nicole just had a baby and lost her dad, after all. I'd like to think RHOM started filming late because they wanted to give Nicole time to get back into the swing of things. But sadly, I don't think Bravo appreciates RHOM and the rest of this cast quite as highly as we do. Nevertheless, I hold out hope that this is just a negotiating snafu and that in a week or two, the lawyers will have ironed things out, and Dr. Nicole and Anthony will be back on board.

So, I came away with a somewhat different view of the episode. For the record, I'm not Team anybody, and I'm not Anti anybody either. Lesa is incredibly beautiful, fiery, and a pretty fab RH addition. But she is also jealous and controlling, and cannot admit to her BFF the real reason for her anger. She has a great deal of pride, and admitting such a thing would be an admission of weakness. Lesa is jealous of Stanbury. For many reasons. For the fact that she's a Queen Bee of this franchise, for the fact that Ayan is now making heart-eyes at Stanbury. And she thought she could manipulate Ayan over two seasons. She didn't expect Ayan and Stanbury to hit it off. And so, she tripped over some of the groundwork she laid. Her intense laser focus on trying to outplay Stanbury alienated her from the rest of the group, who didn't want to be her proxy either. The fact is, Lesa is not warm with the other women. She tolerates them, but Ayan is (or was) her special friend. By contrast, Stanbury cultivates friendships and people around her. Lesa kind of islanded herself. I see she's tried to make an alliance with Brooks ahead of reunion, but Maleficent is going to bite her too, sooner or later. Do I think Ayan made too big a thing over absolutely nothing? Yes. That fake boohooing was the cringiest acting I have ever seen. Ayan saw an opportunity to play victim and have her moment. But two things can be true at the same time, and maybe she was tired of Lesa, the dominant figure in their friendship, directing her on the show. They've obviously both been strategizing with regards to the other women up until this point. Reunion will hopefully shine a light on some of these issues. Maybe I've read it all wrong, too.

Alexia is not about that broke-broke life and never has been. I knew she'd finagle her way back into his life -- or start dating his best friend to make him jealous! This is the high standard of Telenovelaness we expect from RHOM. I sure hope the cameras are capturing all this.

There is a ton going on (Nicole's baby, the Pippen-Jordan break-up, Marcus coke-bumping, Lenny getting his ass dumped)! I'd give anything to watch karma smacking Lenny in the face, after he tried to lock his wife and kids out of the house so he could turn it into a love-nest for the tacky side-chick. Lenny's mom must also be ruing her decision to welcome the trashpot with open arms -- she alienated the mother of her beloved grandchildren in favor of somebody who was clearly going to move onto bigger and better sugar daddies. 💀

I guess she healed from all his free plastic surgery that made her look like a Barbie doll, and swiftly embarked on a Hot Gorl Summer.

I thought it was Mercury Retrograde also! Certainly the intransigence of my boss aligns with the intransigence between the female friends I cited. The really sad thing is a lot of problems I'm facing have solutions, but everyone is digging in and being very My Way or the Highway. And it is killing morale, and affecting me emotionally. Because the solution, as I said, is within reach but no-one wants to compromise anymore or accept responsibility. That's the issue we are also seeing play out between these Dubai women, specifically Ayan and Lesa who have been on the outs for nearly 2 years now. Lol. Thanks for the hugs. Sending good vibes to you also. I won't see a small respite until Friday 13th (yikes) so I just want to make it to there lol. Honestly, the RHs and this thread will be my little distraction for the next little while, so thank you, posters here, and keep up the good work! Lol.

Finally catching up on Dubai (after another horrific week at work, sigh). My quick take is that if Brooks' spa never once crossed Lesa (and her event planner's) mind, then she is really not bright. As soon as Lesa verbalised the concept for this event, I thought 'Uh oh, why isn't she having this at Glass Door? It would have been a nice way to get Brooks' support for a Mina Roe event. I knew Maleficent Brooks would have a problem with the whole tjing. Lesa may dislike Stanbury the most, but that doesn't mean her rivalry with Brooks isn't percolating either! Brooks expertly sowed the seeds of discontent, and Taleen saw an opportunity to go after Lesa for her moment, and it escalated into a mini gang-up, which Lesa managed to bat away -- for now. But the bad feeling now has momentum, which I imagine we see play out next week. The Sara-Saba conversation was pretty compelling to watch if, like me, you like Sara. You're right, it was the authentic Sara we saw behind the mask.of perfection. And given everything that has now transpired between the Two S's, it was crazy to watch them so close. Female friendships of all ages can be intense, sometimes you kind of fall for people platonically, and when you later fall out, it is as painful and heartbreaking as a romantic relationship break-up. Sometimes even more so, if the friendship was a long one. I don't know what's happening recently, but I'm seeing really close girl friends suddenly fall out catastrophically with each other, and I don't understand why! And RHs is built on the ebb and flow of these very intense, close female relationships, so I hope Saba I'd back for S3. It's too bad reunion has already filmed.