Cat

Condolences to Lisa. It is such a tough blow, losing both your brother and then your mother within a year. Just when you think you are getting past the grief of one passing, then another comes out of the blue. Lisa is such a family person too. I'm sure Ken and her children are sticking close to her right now.

Yeah, I think the women on NY know that showing all aspects of themselves is the show's strength. You cannot make yourself universally loved by the audience all of the time, and that's ok. The interesting thing is that in some ways, Bethenny and Luann react similarly. When they are on a personal/professional high, they become quite narcissistic and arrogant, lording it over the others. When they hit a low, it humbles them, and they become more reflective, clear-eyed and empathetic. Without giving anything away, it is these highs and lows you will see over the course of S9-11 as their relationships evolve and maybe even come full circle.

Glad you enjoyed S8! Can't wait till you work your way through to S10 which was INSANE. I too hate the nee theme music. They changed it again for S9 and it's even more obnoxious IMO. Jules was timid at first and in a tough place emotionally. I would have liked to see her come back in S9, to see how she had grown and changed. But it was not to be. I had a different reaction to the Luann/Bethenny fallout. Yes, Luann is a narcissist who was ridiculously tied up in Tom. I was disappointed that she reunited with his trifling ass at the end, after he humiliated her publicly. Luann was desperate not to lose this chance at marriage, and was willing to overlook every warning sign to do it. However, I found Bethenny AWFUL that season. The way she and Carole bullied and thin-shamed Jules was horrific (and said a lot about their own twisted relationship with food). The way Bethenny slut-shamed Luann as Carole cheered her on, tried to isolate Lu and Sonja from the group, and did everything in her power to dig up dirt on Tom... None of this came from a good place. It came from a spiteful, controlling place. Bethenny felt she was star of the show and treated the other women like her employees. As a result of S8, I have never quite come back to fully liking Bethenny or Carole. But I get that it's different strokes for different folks.

I'm surprised Meghan and Jimmy lasted this long TBH. For sure I thought he was out of there after baby #1. I hope this doesn't mean she crawls back to RHOC. I'm sorry she is going through tough marital times but I find her insufferable to watch.

@Antoyne Thank you for reminding me to get on the latest episode of NYC. I don't even know why I hesitated! Yes, Bethenny was a [!@#$%^&*] drama queen with her Oscar-bait 'panic attack', but you could see the histrionics were coming from a genuine place of hurt and anger. This is why I love RHONY so much: these women are all STARS. They are multi-dimensional, fully formed personalities (heck, even Tinsley was on point this episode) who expose their good and bad sides in equal measure. Luann is a prime example. She is insufferable, but it is also understandable why she has put a wall up between her and the women, and why she is clinging to cabaret like a life-raft. It IS hard being sober when you rely on partying to pick you up. Sonja having a tearful meltdown at the pool was also completely relatable. She encapsulated in a few sentences the fear of loneliness of going it alone as a 50-something vibrant female. We don't ever see a woman like that on TV anymore. These kinds of women are fascinating! Sonja truly is my favorite. I love that we are on this vacation, close up, with the women and it feels like we aren't missing a second! And the humor is so on point that it allows the show to touch on dark, even toxic issues without belittling the truth of those situations. RHONY and this group of women really are magic in a bottle.

It says something that the initial news of her 'firing' barely registered. Tinsley's ok, I guess (love Daaaaayyyle, the US's answer to Carole Middleton), and Bravo tried hard to make her happen, but she never really took off. I personally thought Jules was a better fit, although somebody whose name rhymes with 'Fethenny Brankel' obviously felt differently! Clearly Erika is the target next week, but it seemed like this episode, Rinna was the intended target. I assumed for a long time that Kyle's inability to stand up for Kim to Rinna meant that she valued Rinna's friendship over her sister. However, this episode it strikes me that Kyle might not care for Rinna at all. Part of it is the constant Kim bashing (Rinna's recurring SL the part 5 years). Part of it is Rinna calling Kyle an enabler. Part of it is Rinna bossing everybody around like she runs the show. Kyle would be more than happy for Rinna to be perceived as ringleader of the LVP takedown (which she probably is) and take the fall with the audience. Anyhoo, I thought it was pretty interesting that Kyle let TheVanillaFayeResnick go after Rinna/Erika while she sat back and watched. Same old Kyle.

I have not yet but I plan to very soon! Though I'm a little apprehensive about seeing Bethenny go off on Luann and make everything all about her.

I know Erika is not universally adored here, but I felt truly sorry for her having to sit through that meal with the dumb-dumbs and their combined IQ of 12. She is clearly way smarter than all of them. WHAT was that nothingburger fight? Rinna can only confront Kim as Pat the Puss? No wonder Erika's brain cells lost the will to live. Teddi should be fired for whateverthefuck she was trying to stir up/'understand.' Truly shocked that Rinna has been on the show second longest after Kyle. She still feels like a bit of an interloper to me. Has she ever even thrown a BH party or event? Or does she just show up at everybody else's looking for a fight? Re: the relationships, I have been missing Eileen for that very reason. I found her intense dislike of LVP offputting back in the day, but she was also a loyal, genuine person who was smart, self-deprecating, and truly cared for her closest friends in the cast. I miss her warmth. The show feels icy cold now.

100% believe it. I said a few months back on this thread that the LLAJ story was a set-up to trap LVP, before Bethenny confirmed it on WWHL. These twits are dumb AF. Not only do they believe the audience is dumber than they are, but they had to shut down a popular restaurant and make a public event out of it? These rich b*tches couldnt have hosted everybody at home? Mikey could have served the canapes! And Teddi brought a +1? We all know that was Edwin with his stencil eyebrows and ponytail! See, this is why I am disappointed LVP did not confront these women at reunion. It's like she ran away tail between her legs, and that just validates their hollow triumph. After this season, though, how can we ever trust the SLs on BH again? It's clear the women and production storyboard fake stuff to deflect from the real issues going on in their lives. I know storylining happens elsewhere in the RH universe, but more often than not the drama stems from true events and relationships -- that's why Potomac and NYC are working so well at the moment. IMO the BH HWs are 80% on their way to killing their own franchise.

Favorite LVP moment: Moments -- fleeting glimpses! -- when she was truly happy with her friends. The S2 Hawaii trip when she started to bond with Brandi, as well as support Kyle while she was going through her problems with Kim, was a high point. Obviously her walk-in closet, her hosting and decoration skills. I truly thought she was the third Collins sister for a while (after Joan and Jackie). Least Favorite LVP moment: S6. The tide turned; thereafter it was hard for me to see LVP with rose-coloured glasses. Though I don't think she is quite the evil Bond villain with mind-control powers that the rest of the cast paint her to be. LVP has been unable to fully open herself up and trust any woman on the show since S2 reunion, certainly not since S4. This has unfortunately steered the show into Kill or Be Killed territory and weighed on my enjoyment of BH. I think Bravo have already checked out replacements. One of Andy Cohen's BFFs, Bruce Bozzi, posted this yesterday, and the timing is no coincidence: Yep, it's Kathy Hilton -- somebody I wanted to join the show this season. I have since wondered if Kathy would bring it. Because what Kathy Hilton hates more than anything is airing her dirty linen in front of the world. Like Big Kathy before her, Little Kathy prefers the family's dirty little secrets on lock-down. I would love for Nicollette Sheridan to join the cast -- except that I actually kind of like Nicollette (she seems pretty true to herself, marching to the beat of her own drummer) and would not like to see her get mauled by the rottweiler Rinna. Speaking of Rinna -- that family lunch was all kinds of uncomfortable. Does it seem like she and Harry Hamlin live essentially two separate lives now? That may explain her relative lack of joy this season. The two snot-nosed daughters do not seem either very bright or very nice. The way they treated their father was horrible. The dark-haired one (sorry, I can't be arsed to learn her name -- Amelia Belle? Delilah Boo?) clearly was panicking at the very thought of eating solids and couldn't handle her father cooking a meal for her.

If true, that's a crying shame. I'll wait till Bravo or LVP confirms but I wonder if Bravo will tweet the reunion seating plan. LVP is a big draw. If true, I wonder if she intended to go but this latest lawsuit made her rethink her plan. She seemed to be implying that this season was an anomaly in terms of her participation. I feel a bit sad, it's an end of an era for BH. I doubt Barbara has been upgraded to HW. The show didn't seem interested in showcasing her any more than necessary.

I can sort of see the need for new blood. At the same time, I'm not sure I want it! I love this crazy, march-to-the-beat-of-my-own-drum group. Ramona is acting like she's practically FOH these days, but Luann will be devastated. I'm not sure why Tinsley is safe, or indeed the miserable B. New blood is fine, but if they're anything like Teddi or Dorit... no thanks.

@NothinButAttitude I don't know... I think this is LVP's last season with BH. Even with her large fandom, the other women have boxed her into a corner. She doesn't want to film with them, they probably dont want to film with her. It is like what happened to Danielle Staub in S2 -- Danielle was hugely popular but production could not make it work between her and the others, and they refused to film with her. And that sealed her fate. At least LVP has VPR and a forthcoming new show to soften the blow. She did say recently that production cut all her scenes bar the Las Vegas opening for the rest of the season. It's really crazy how so much stuff is spilling out outside of the show. It's like Bravo has zero control over their stars. The women are so volatile and focused on revenge that they risk bringing down the whole show. Mauricio's lawsuit now touches the other HWs, production and the writers (yes, BH has writers!). If that goes to trial, we may hear a lot about how BH operates behind the scenes and comes up with storylines. It will be fascinating, but I also worry it will cause the show's demise, mainly because we will no longer believe the SLs these women are selling us. BTW Camille wrote a great blog where she basically spoke truth to the puppygate gang in her inimitable bitchily-elegant-yet-direct Camille way: https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/season-9/season-9/season-9/season-9/blogs/camille-grammer

I would love her to go angry and categoric as she did with Kyle, but that's not LVP. Revenge is a dish best served cold. I think she will be like Eileen -- lawyer-like and cool in her talking points. She wont prevaricate. She won't pull out any surprise trump cards (Dorit already did that when she admitted she talked to the lady who ran the kill shelter!). But she will quietly decimate Dorit, and Teddi, probably, with her facts. I suspect everyone is right and she will only be on for half a day. I think it may be quite emotional for LVP fans, especially if they show a Best of LVP montage. I wonder if LVP will be emotional. I wonder if she will lash out at Kyle, Rinna and Erika. Those are the three that she probably feels forced her off the show behind the scenes.

@Taoboi (at the risk of over-responding to this thread the last few days) -- Contractually, LVP has to show up. She is still a main cast member. Plus Adrienne set a precedent. If you don't show, you get fired. If LVP doesn't go and still keeps her job, it will mean anybody on any RH franchise can treat reunion as elective and not mandatory. As I said before, the reunion is cathartic for the HWs, and it is cathartic for us. We need LVP there now that the other women have exposed their asses. IMO she has been unfairly treated, and this is her time to call them to account. Instead of pussyfooting around, she needs to confront them once and for all. And they have grievances they want to air, too. ALL these women have been playing games with the viewers for years over what to show and not to show. At reunion, we have this one chance to catch them unguarded, to crack the facade -- IF Andy asks the right questions. It's a small price to pay for the fame and lifestyle this show affords them. If LVP skips reunion, I feel like she will be robbing her fans of that chance, and as one of those fans, I will be deeply disappointed.

Agreed. Sometimes Bethenny is like a little grey raincloud that hovers into view when you've laid out to catch some rays. She arrived last and immediately tried to shoehorn herself into drama that had already gotten underway. It's like, girl, sit your ass DOWN. Dorinda, Ramona and DrunkSonja have already got this round covered. I noticed B brought a glam squad with her for the trip -- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't care about glam squads for fancy NYC events, but this is meant to be vacation! There is nothing I enjoy more than Ramona and Sonja glamming it up out of their own messy suitcases and sharing a straightening iron. The last thing I want to see is the Erika Jaynization of RHONY! I too have a good feeling about this trip. Like, St Barts/Turks & Caicos-good. Next week looks hilarious.

I know you really liked Seungri -- so did a few friends of mine. He was funny, but now it turns out there was a dark side. The scandal is pretty serious. He ran a club called Burning Sun in Seoul which was a front for running hookers to the rich and powerful. There were other serious allegations of young girls having their drinks spiked at the club, passing out and then waking up hours later having been raped by god knows who. He apparently was sharing sex tapes (filmed without the women's knowledge) in a private chat room on KakaoTalk. It is really awful stuff, and it is unclear what Seungri knew or didn't know. My feeling is that, as the maknae in BB, he was always trying to impress his rich and powerful friends and the head of YGE by showing how much money he was making with all these clubs and business ventures. And he got in over his head with the hookers and it spiraled. Anyway, here is an article which explains some of the basics: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/12/k-pop-scandal-big-bang-seungri-south-korea-charged-over-illegal-prostitution-ring Blackpink was fun and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed myself and how nice the fans were. BP seem to be huge across the world! Don't make me cry about CL, the way YG handled her US solo career literally makes me so angry. They did her dirty. I still listen to Hello Bitches periodically, though -- it is such a banger.

Thank you for the delicious tea! The fact that she and Dorinda are in a good place again leaves me thrilled. And Sonja too. I know Bethenny is considered the 'star' of NYC, but for my money, anything involving Lu, Sonja, Dorinda and Ramona is the most watchable. I am also glad she defended Barbara against the boos! That sounds like the 'old' Lu I know and love. I like Barbara -- she is genuine and true-to-herself. She is the one who reached out to Bethenny when Luann was spiralling out of control in order to stage an intervention. That is a true friend right there. While everybody else on the Miami trip gets piss-drunk on Dorinda's delicious-looking mojitos, she is probably going to be Luann's anchor. I always thought it was a shame that Luann and Jacques never worked out, he seemed to provide stability for her. When they broke up, that's when Lu went down a bit of a slippery slope. I'm shocked she didn't boosh the Pirate, but I still think they did more than flirt! Interesting that since S1, Luann and Jill have been close and never really had a beef with one another. That's nice of Ally to come see the show.

@Antoyne Sounds like an amazing night! Her shows always look like a lot of fun on the show. And Lu clearly ADORES doing #CountessAndFriends. It seems to make her happier than anything else in this world. It has replaced (some of) the drinking in her life, which is both a good and bad thing, because I worry that if the cabaret work dries up, she will be absolutely devastated. However, it sounds like the shows are very popular so hopefully she will continue to do this for a while yet! Her figure in that bikini in the last episode was INSANE. She does look incredible-- at any age. Did she spill any tea??😎

The BH women are *obsessed* with how they appear to the public and have too much control behind the scenes (mainly because of their money and high profiles). It is killing the show and explains why it has become so scripted and poorly contrived. When I think of Lynne's daughters served with eviction notices and Lynne's husband confessing that he had hidden the full extent of their money problems... or the police cam of drunk Luann losing it in the back of a squad car... those were gasp out loud moments. I'm sure both women would have preferred the footage not to air, but they also had an attitude of 'I am on this show which pays me and raises my profile, and this is the price to pay.' Certainly, in both instances, my sympathy grew for both women and I appreciated them showing ALL parts of their lives. OC and NY especially do not shirk from presenting the many facets of these women. Question about the Umansky case: From what I initially gleaned, this Sweetwater guy is a corrupt dictator's offspring, trying to launder ill-gotten gains (while his country languishes in terrible poverty) by purchasing high-end property in the US. The Feds are breathing down his neck (hello RICO laws) and this lawsuit is a diversion tactic to wash his hands of the money laundering allegations and turn it on Mauricio. In your assessment, would you say that the Umanskys are being somewhat unfairly dragged into a lawsuit by this unscrupulous individual? That is an argument I have seen posited elsewhere. That is not to say that the show should avoid mentioning the lawsuit. It should, and it is a fascinating case. The lawsuits I also wish they would talk about are the ones for fraud and debt featuring the Kemsleys. Yikes. I thought Ramoma is chummy with Jill now and wanted her on the show. But yeah I bet one person in particular was categorically against showcasing Jill.

NYC: The Miami trip is shaping up to be a bit like St Barts or Tirks and Caicos, and that's not a bad thing. Great to see Jill Zarin again. She was only on for 30 seconds, but she made sure she was in every camera shot, and somehow managed to hustle her way next to Dorinda for the tree lighting ceremony. I tip my hat. This is the kind of thirsty camera presence we need! Why were her scenes cut? Did Bethenny pull a fit with production? I like Barbara fine but Zarin on that trip would have been insane.

Heize is great, and I love that she seems to have a lot of say in her music and how she wants to be marketed. BTW I dont know if either you @Faulkner or @Cheap21 are fans of Blackpink, but I saw them in concert last week. My first kpop concert! I felt a bit guilty about giving my cash to YG (I'm sure you have heard about the hoorrificstuff with Seungri and Burning Sun). However, i had a fun time at the concert and danced in the aisle along with half the arena! Whistle, Ddu Ddu and their latest Kill This Love are such bomb ass songs. In other news, Xiumin of Exo and now my bb D.O. have enlisted in the military. 😪

Potomac is such a pleasure, I can't get over it. Travelling to NOLA reminded me of back in the day when the Atlanta ladies went to Savannah or Charleston (I forget which) and there was a truly hilarious and fiery ensemble dynamic. Candiace came off well this episode, especially the way she smacked down Ashley and her pot-stirring. Last season, Ashley was allowed to get away with this because her mantra was 'I expose everything about my life, can you say the same?' The truth is, Ashley was only exposing stuff that made her look good (put-upon daughter, self-sacrificing wife). She and Michael are not an open book, something this season is now picking apart. I mean, does anybody truly believe Ashley is lusting after the Crypt Keeper's bod? I am ready for some roosting chickens to touch down. Right now Candiace and Robyn hold the key, which in true Bill Bell form, they are waiting to use a little later down the line. Also -- Michael was referring to Juan, right? I don't know what to make of Katie. I'm happy she is back as I liked her S1, but something is definitely off. It does seem that she changes persona with each guy she dates/marries, and that begs the question, who is she really? She seems to be going through some frankly horrendous stuff off-screen.

I actually enjoyed this week's BH after last week's lacklustre Motel 6 Hawaii episode. Part of the reason Tuesday's episode worked was Kyle and her family. Love or hate the Umanskys, I do think what we see of their interactions as a family is warm and authentic. The highlight of the episode though was KIM. I cannot believe how joyous it was to see her again. The way she snuck up on her sister to hug her was cute. She looks healthy and grounded and happy -- and that may be why Rinna was so pissed. I've been done with Rinna for a while. I love her soap/QVC self, but she's so obsessively mean in her rivalries. She doesn't just want you to go down, she wants you ruined personally and professionally, completely obliterated. She always said that Kim was going to die as a result of her addictions -- seeing her in a good place runs counter to that, and that's why she had a tantrum. Because she was not proved right. BH has made LR arrogant and dictatorial. If Kyle went to LVP to accuse her, it's because Rinna riled her up and essentially made Kyle 'prove' her loyalty to The Clique. Rinna has been hating on Camille for a while, and now has stirred up the rest of the group just in time for France. The fact that she threw a hissy fit over Kim being at her OWN NIECE'S birthday party -- what did she expect?? Rinna is the one being invited to another family's event, not Kim. Rinna seemed to be annoyed that nobody outside of Erika really gushed over her costume (personally, I thought PK as Karl Lagerfeld was the best! I love KL). As Kim pointed out, Rinna needs attention, and when she doesn't get it, she acts out. I wish Kyle had shown Rinna the door instead of trying to keep things easy and breezy (sigh, Kyle. Shades of S1, when Kyle would not have Kim's back because she valued being part of The Clique more). I do understand that Kyle was focused on hosting a party for her daughter. But it was left to Kim to confront a rabid Rinna, which she handled perfectly. Kim definitely came out the winner without breaking a sweat. I sort of wish she was back on the show now! Rinna did herself no favours. And WHERE is Harry Hamlin? He has not been at any events. I can overlook Camille's wedding, but no-show at a Hallowe'en party? Rinna and Hamlin live for showing off their Hallowe'en costumes to the paps. I was really surprised he wasn't there and wonder if something is up. (Haven't seen NY yet, but just want to say that I loved the return of Ramona to the fold last week. I liked her talking about her childhood and bonding with Bethenny and Dorinda. I had missed her this season).

Thanks for reminding me! Total brain freeze (I actually posted about it last weekend). Yay! You may still get to hear her speak her way through Chic C'est La Vie! Although you are right -- she should have gone to jail if that's the punishment everyone else gets for violating probation.