Cat

I am watching S6 BH right now, which imo is a fascinating, ambiguous, but v painful season. It laid the foundation for the current toxic incarnation of BH, and it was also the first season I didn't like LVP. She prevaricated and pretended she wasn't involved in Munchhausen-gate when she clearly was. Yolanda and Erika did a masterful thing, flipping the script away from 'Is Yolanda sick?' to 'Who spoke about Munchhausen?' It became like a witch-hunt as to who DARED question Yolanda's Lyme journey and who was throwing who under the bus. BH has never been the same since Munchhausen Season, and to this very day is STILL playing out the petty power games for control of the BH narrative. To its detriment. Most of the women clearly despise one another. One thing that strikes me about THIS season is how much in common it has with S6 -- but how different LVP's reaction is. The difference is that LVP has been 100% consistent: I did not leak to the tabloids, and I did not make anybody close to me leak, and I know of no leaks from my camp. Unlike S6, she is direct and full-throated in her denial. There is no legal ass-covering. And the denial can very easily be disproved by both ROL and TMZ. These vengeful tabloids would NEVER agree to be used one against the other without striking back. They have brought down bigger names for less. ROL has also come out and said that LVP and her peeps are NOT the source of the leak. LVP has been consistent in her message for the better part of a year. Dorit and the others OTOH? Their stories keep changing. Dorit at this point is hanging herself with her own words. "First, a kind stranger knocked on my door and took the dog off my hands. Then the stranger dumped the dog at a shelter. Not at a kill shelter. Except they do euthanize dogs there. I know because I talked to the head of the shelter. Oh wait, no I didn't, the kind lady whose name I don't even know called me and told me about the shelter!" It's like, Stop Talking, Dorit! Erika literally looks like she wants to take Dorit out back and shoot her. I wonder if Reunion will air that clip from its BTS segment with Dorit outing herself as having dumped the dog at the shelter? If we think of Reunion as open court for the HWs to plead their cases, I consider Dorit's slip-up as evidence. Or will Bravo pretend it never existed, kind of like they are pretending PeeKay, Tom Girardi and Mauricio have no lawsuits against them?

BH: Why do the women refuse to believe LVP? Don't answer that, I already know! However, this is not some S6 bullshit, with LVP prevaricating and choosing her words carefully about who said Munchhausen first. How much clearer can you be than "I swear on my children's lives that I did not leak that story and I don't know of anyone who did" ? THIS is the hill Dorit, Kyle, Teddi and the others are choosing to die on? If it comes out that she leaked, or coerced somebody into leaking, this flat-out denial on television would destroy her credibility. I don't think LVP would say something which could easily be proven wrong. I am ready to give credit where credit is due if the women-minus-LVP manage to produce some entertaining reality TV. I don't ask for much, just to be entertained! However, most of them are giving me crumbs thus far. I'll give it to Kyle, lord knows I dislike her, but at least we are seeing her family and her spectacular house. What's Erika's excuse? She was on less than LVP last night. I can't remember one scene involving Rinna. Oh yeah, we did see her hip-hop exercise video! Actually, I enjoyed that. As for Teddi, I have anxiety watching her. One heavy rainstorm, and her new house is going down the side of that cliff!

Erika's look at the end of that vid is literally 'You [!@#$%^&*] idiot.' It's Dumb & Dumberer up there in Beverly Hills the Valley. Between Dorit, Teddi and Kyle, none of them can keep their lies straight. Rinna is no brain trust either, but she looks like a candidate for Mensa next to this lot. ITA! I really enjoyed TayShanna, and she should never have been fired from BH! She was the Original Grifter, much more complex and interesting than Dorit and PeeKay. If Camille shouldered S1's success, TayShanna CARRIED S2, and as a result, that season is one of the finest in RH history, alongside S3 NY and S3 Atlanta. She was an integral part of that Richies vs Wannabes dynamic which is so badly lacking on BH today. I remember when she tried to lock Adrienne down as godmother to Kennedy in case she died (a real and present danger while Russell was alive), and an uneasy Adrienne was like 'No way.' The years-long groundwork she must have laid for that grifting attempt was masterful! TayShanna is also responsible for bringing on Pam/Dana (who ended up doing prison time for her grifting ways). She also saw through Yolanda's BS from the start, having been longtime friends with David Foster's ex Linda Thompson. It was a hasty decision to fire her, and ever since BH has lost something nuanced, dark and interesting. Taylor was kind of a mystery and had more story to give IMO, and her ties with the other women were (and are still) evident.

Bingo! Kyle has laboured under the delusion that LVP did some kind of mind-meld with the audience and turned them against Kyle. And she worked to align herself with LVP as soon as she saw how popular LVP was. She does not realise that the audience saw Kyle's true colors from the get-go. In Season 1 especially, she was so disparaging of Kim, I really began to feel sorry for her. Ridiculing her in front of the other women, and generally putting her down wherever possible. She was a mean girl. Kyle famously claimed that she brought Kim onto the show in the hopes that it would help her. However, it always struck me that she had Kim on there to make her look better in comparison, to lord it over her with her perfect marriage and kids, and to make herself look like the kindly sister. That IMO has always been the crux of her problem with Kim and Kathy. They never felt Kyle supported Kim and they felt she threw them under the bus. And the audience, I believe, sensed that, too.

Only May 5th?? Damn, I was hoping Potomac would start this Sunday! This clip feels so fresh, like it literally picks up where Reunion left off. And yes @Chris B I know what you mean. There is toxicity and jealousy, and lord knows I cant stand Gizelle, but I do believe there is love between Karen and Gizelle. Karen's hair (which I am obsessed by) looked amazing too. @DaytimeFan totally underrated. She is definitely one of my faves of all the franchises. Delusional, but she knows it and plays up that image, ALWAYS with a twinkle in her eye and sense of humor about herself. Her wit and shade are cut-glass sharp and funny, that's why her VTs are always the most entertaining.

This post is amazing and hilarious. BTW I could have watched Ramona, Sonja and Luann at T Bar all night. It reminded me of RHONY's S1-4 greatness. Judging by the reactions of the people at the bar, this was the regular crowd and not just extras drafted in for filming. Zombies with rock hard boobs though they may become, something about the way these women conduct their lives is so uncontrived and honest. In a way, it is good that Ramina and Lu have zero self awareness. Then they would try to modify their behaviour and act out a script. I'm glad we get to watch them in all their social-climbing, clueless glory. And I want to see more of the real estate agent with the bad sunburn/overactive bronzer! BH: Oh Peekay. Once a grifter, always a grifter! They sidle up to you, tell you how pretty you are, link arms with you and whisper sweet nothings in your ear ("Let me help you bring down LVP"). Then they pull the rug from under you and run into the night with your life savings. Now Kyle knows how the Vegas casino peeps are feeling! The whole BH plot seems so scripted to me. Like Production and the women sat down and sketched out the SL. And like Kyle this week, I feel a little like I am being played. LMAO! The irony of the oldest BH cast member -- whom Rinna is always trying to age-shame despite being almost the same age -- getting her own videogame is not lost on me. Erika's head must be spinning Exorcist-style right about now. Wasnt she trying to be an emoji last year and being down with the kids? That opening looks a million bucks! The Grande Dane especially looks Dynasty-fabulous! Monique had a pretty good tagline too. So excited for Potomac. I feel like I've been waiting a long time for its return. Cant wait for the Darby mess!

It's ok! I have a strong reaction to Rinna at the moment. With Erika, I like when she drops the mask and is actually quite smart in her assessment of other people. But yeah she really turned me off on DWTS. She was so uppity and entitled about being there -- I think she truly expected to go all the way but was voted out in Week 2 or 3! The viewers did not take to her at all, and it was a big PR fail. Erika's gloating about money hides a huge inferiority complex, I think. She knows she didn't 'make it' on her own, and she knows everyone else knows, so she is forced to acknowledge it periodically. Her too-cool-for-school persona and not showing up at events is such a power play -- again, a sign of a massive inferiority complex which she is disguising as superiority. And yet there are moments when she is capable of understanding and humor, I just wish she cultivated those aspects of her personality onscreen instead of playing this empty cipher of an Erike Jayne role. I LOVE ROXANE GAY! Not only do I love her writing but I love how empathetic she is. She is a massive HW fan, and was on the Bitch Sesh podcast recently talking about the genre for an hour. It was fascinating and I would highly recommend a listen. She's not an LVP stan either but tends to be very balanced.

Agreed. Although I'm not sure LVP's kitchen renovation is scintillating TV, I did notice how her Vegas opening was in the mid-season trailer! Production clearly needs her. As you point out, the other women are going to have to bring it in order to convince the audience that the show can go on as it is without her. And while I unexpectedly enjoyed the episode, I wasn't crazy about the trailer. Not that I want to see even more petty drama, but where are the organic relationships between most of the HWs? This is a big problem. Even the discussion about Kavanaugh -- and I do not agree with Camille at all -- was prematurely terminated by Kyle who wanted everything to be happy-happy-joy-joy, which is fake and ridiculous. She should have let it play out to an organic conclusion. Instead, Camille was left on the outs with everybody, and it felt like an excuse to go after someone else because LVP wasn't around. At least we saw Kim. Rinna was so shook! I like Lois too, even though Rinna is trying overtime to make her happen. There is no need -- Lois works on her own! The discussion about the serial killer was fascinating and real. I did not realise until the end of the scene that the attacker hit Lois in the frontal lobe with a hammer! Horrifying. I also can't believe those insipid Hamlin daughters didn't want to spend time with their grandma, but I've never warmed to them and still am in shock at their 'Instagram model' status. The Erika scene was telling. That was clearly an accident but the silent drama queen attitude of hers made me think this unlucky dancer is not long for a job. Also in her VT she was building up to a good point about embracing your dreams, but she spoiled it with yet another champagne gulp (are we going to get one every episode) plus her 'and a big chequebook ' line. Really? That's the best you can do? I like Erika despite everything, but she ruins it with contrived, superficial bs like this. NYC is such a relief by contrast. The relationships between the women, their lives, are watchable and enjoyable. I really liked Tinsley, especially her convo with Luann. I was also on her side when the women were pressuring her to call Scott. They just wanted to see her humiliated. And Bethenny is bothering me yet again. She is so demanding of validation. You can't just tell her she's fabulous -- she has to be the most fabulous in the room, the smartest, the thinnest, the richest, the most fuckable. She is hyper competitive with everybody, including the audience. It's exhausting. Even her 'advice' was all about Bethenny's happy-go-lucky ways (snort) and designed to put down Tinsley.

BH My esteem for Camille went down a couple of notches when she made fun of LVP's 'bad teeth and breath'. Camille is not really that close with LVP. Despite S1, Camille and Kyle are now pretty close friends. Also, Camille supported Adrienne in S3, and did that whole "No, you dont own Sur" thing that failed. I appreciate that Camille has always formed her own opinion about people, however, which is why the mean girl behaviour this episode surprised me. Maybe Camille wanted to fit in with the group, distract them from what she probably senses is Rinna's growing animosity towards her. Rinna, knowing that Puppygate has not panned out as planned, is looking for a new target. And currently that is Camille and her dislike of Dorit. (What is it with everybody this season defending poor, lying Dorit??). Of course Camille plays into Rinna's hands next week with her defence if Kavanaugh. A stupid move, and you know her BFF Kyle won't lift a finger to help.

For somebody who prides herself on having brains, Bethenny looked a damn fool opening her big mouth and spilling the beans on her BFFs Kyle and Rinna. She exposed them knowing BH is the one show where everybody pretends to be the innocent victim! Her wannabe-Sopranos language about LVP ("if they're trying to put her in the ground, and there is one finger moving, you better make sure she's dead, and she ain't") was ugly, violent and misogynistic. She wanted to sound boss but looked ridiculous It's a TV reality show for heaven's sake, not a mob shootout. This really highlights how much Bethenny, Kyle and Rinna despise LVP. They think she is blocking them from being the most beloved HWs in the history of RH and needs to be erased. Girls, it's not LVP -- she seems ready to quit BH anyway -- the problem is YOU ! ETA: I wonder if Bethenny blurted all this out because she wanted to kill the LVP-Kyle friendship and any chance of their reuniting once and for all.

Just leaving this here in advance of tonight's 'scintillating' BH episode. We could be talking about this RL drama, but no. Instead we will get hours of glam-squading before these hoes sit down to stare at each other's greasily-contoured faces. Dale is amazing. I love her gorgeous, Southern, velvety-glove-hiding-a-fist-of-steel speaking voice. She looks so vibrant and naughty. I think she could definitely play the game with these RHONY women. And I couldn't tell if Ramona purposely ignored her, or if she can barely make out faces in her permanent Pinot buzz. I saw on Twitter something trending about asking Andy to have Dale and Mama Dee on WWHL as guests together. I think that would be fabulous! BTW, I just finished re-watching S3 of Dallas. The first 8 episodes could have been condensed into 3, but after that it was FIRE. I really hope the cast returns intact this season, including my three faves Kameron, Cary and D'Andra (which... I know. Weird mix. The last two are highly controversial. D'Andra was a neurotic, jealous, Freudian mess last year but I can't help but find her fascinating). And yeah, Mama Dee's pot-stirring Tammy Faye Bakker ass needs to be there, too! And Sonja is LOVE this season. She has finally come into her own.

Omg!! Congratulations!! You MUST report back on all the tea she spills! Money cant buy you claaaa ASS! Elegance is learned. MAH FRIEND!

IA. I felt warm and happy after watching this episode (BETHENNY CROYING ). I don't think I have ever seen Sonja this down-to-earth, carefree and comfortable with herself. Next week should be an interesting counterpoint to that. I never know whether Bethenny's grief is performative or whether she can only truly express sadness by leaning into it and feeling all the feels. One thing is for sure: Bethenny is a serial dater. She cannot be without a guy in her life, even while she mourns another. I don't think I have ever known her to be fully single on RHONY. Um, is Tinsley contract-stipulated to have Dale show up at least once an episode?! Not that I mind --- Dale is so thirsty this season but I love her presence anyway! She even silently suffered through Ramona blanking her just for some camera-time! Seeing her interact with Sonja and Dorinda makes me feel she would be a better fit on this show than Tinsley herself. Having said that, Tins had a pretty decent episode by her meh-ish standards. Good to now about the jaw botox! I grind my teeth in my sleep when I'm stressed. Melinda omg Dorinda's country twin! Crazy how they sound exactly alike too. I absolutely loved her. She is definitely the real deal. I am back to loving Dorinda again after this episode. The crazy decorations. The willingness to pander to the Countess's demands. Dorinda really wants their friendship back again and it broke my heart a little to see Luann so uppity. She threw away a lot of audience goodwill this episode.

Wow. What a genius move. Taylor would be perfect for the OC! She's got the neuroses but she's no pushover either. Neither Tamra nor Shannon would be able to manipulate or intimidate her. She is the original grifter, TayShanna, after all! And she has friends in high Calabasan places (Linda Thompson, for example). P.s.: OC only started filming a month ago so there is definitely time to add a new HW. What have they got to lose? Last season was slow as molasses until they hit Jamaica.

My feelings exactly. When Dorit was pretend-crying at the lunch, I literally cringed. There is not a sincere bone in that woman's body. Everything is so performative and false -- including this entire dog 'storyline.' The one question nobody is asking is, why would LVP jeopardize her longstanding friendship with PK just to make this a thing? It makes no sense. And speaking of performative, when Kyle posed her fuschia-pink Birkin on LVP's countertop -- so the cameras could get a good look at it -- all I could think was, is this one of the Birkin bags LVP gifted Kyle after the burglary? I have never seen LVP so angry on this show, not even when Brandi turned on her. Kyle was very proud of herself for confronting LVP -- she is too dumb to see how Rinna and the others pumped her up to go over to Villa Rosa and prove her worth to them. Ken's vibrating "Goodbye, Kyle" was a perfect meme for this season. The once-fabulous essence of the show has been destroyed. Most of the women clearly dont care for each other. At least we can understand the heat of anger between Dorinda and Luann on NY. It is real. These BH chicks' interactions with each other are so contrived and impersonal. I wouldn't be shocked if Rinna whispered this story to ROL, as a Plan B when the initial takedown failed. We are at episode 8. What else are these fools going to offer us for another 10 episodes? Camille's wedding, the fires, and the France trip could easily have been edited down to 5 shows. I dont know if I can bear 10 episodes of snarling about LVP or Rinna talking over her daughter with bulimia in order to deflect from her exercising 5 hours a day and not eating solids! Honestly, I would love it if LVP started hanging out with Nicollette Sheridan, Joan Collins and Naomi Campbell. The Brit Babes coming for Rinna, Erika, Kyle, Teddi and Dorit's jobs!

Nene is literally self imploding all over social media. I think she sees the writing on the wall (that Bravo is lukewarm about keeping her on the show) and she is panicking. The network is sniffing around a different demo and wants to get rid of some of its OG's this year. We saw how Vicki was treated when OC filming started a few weeks back. The LVP takedown could also be production mandated. I was sad to see so little Karen in the Potomac trailer. Nene has the biggest per-episode salary of any of the OGs, apparently. Given that fans have stopped clamouring for her, Bravo might be looking to offload that particular expense. Nene's downfall is largely by her own hand, though. Verbally abusing an audience member. Let go from some TV projects for her attitude. Her irrational jealousy of anybody who she feels is stealing her spotlight. The way she has treated Greg is appalling. I wonder if she has looked in the mirror and admitted to herself that she triggered this backlash. Not Porsha, not Kenya, not Kandi nor Cynthia.

I was just going to say... they could have filmed the text messages and called it a day!

I third that! Happy 9th! I'm so glad that @Cheap21 started this thread! The Housewives are basically my soaps now that my connection to Daytime is loosening. I personally love this thread and everyone who contributes and has contributed to it. Agreed on everything. I think Luann is close to getting haughty about the wrong Dorinda done her, but she is definitely in the right after the petty way Dorinda treated her at her own show. And all because of.... Jovani?? I think Dorinda is upset that Lu got into cabareting and doesn't need her as much anymore. I think they were each other's support system to an extent. I love Barbara and hope she stays in Luann-Season-7-FOH capacity, appearing in almost every episode. I think she's a keeper thus far. Sonja has blossomed so far without the weight of Grey Gardens on her shoulders! Lol I desperately want a gif of that goblin close-up and Ramona's words "it looks like Bethenny CROYING."

I actually felt sorry for Ramona. This is the dating pool in Manhattan for that age bracket: Tom D'Agostino, Harry Dubin and this pretentious blowhard. He almost got married 8 times?? I hope those women are respecting themselves more these days. I suspect Scott has a great life with girlfriends in Chicago and Tinsley in NYC who can promote Coupon Cabin every once in a while. I dont think he wants to marry her though. Why lose that lifestyle? I also dont think she wants to move her life to Chicago. Solid episode. Sonja still makes my day. And I liked Dorinda a lot more, until she threw Barbara out of her apartment (Barbara is right, it needs a repaint and a revamp). Dorinda really wants to get her closeness back with Luann but doesn't want to admit to the heckling and some kind of weird resentment Dorinda seems to have. What's also sad is that Luann seems to have moved on. I was really rooting for their friendship but each side is not willing to compromise.

Agreed about Barbara. She is the real deal, and I think it helps that she's known these women for years and runs her own business. The latter grounds her in terms of connecting with the audience. She seems like an authentic member of the cast and I dont know why she didn't get an apple. Sonja was MVP this episode. Warm, empathetic, incisive. I love her VTs and just the way she seems to dance through every event. I also loved what she wore to the clam bake. Ramona is being extra with her assholery this year. It's such a contrast with seasons 3 and 4 when she sat back and let The Evil of Jill manifest itself. She did the franchise a service back then, but she's doing herself no favors now.

On point as always. Especially your last sentence. BH is the Olivia Jade of the Bravo RHs. She's pretending to be on the rowing team and partying on the USC Board of Trustees yacht while more deserving students are studying for their midterms and holding down part-time jobs. The women of BH (as evidenced by Rinna's latest Tweet) think they are hot [!@#$%^&*] and kind of sneery about other franchises. But NJ had one of its best seasons in years, NYC is giving us true tea and real-life drama -- and Potomac just threw down an epic trailer! BH is mediocre, lazy and lying to the audience about what is really going on. I wish they did have the fear of cancellation in them! Make no mistake, I blame ALL the BH HWs for this. LVP should never have started this pot-stirring knowing the others are champing at the bit to come for her. I'm sure she thought it was a win-win with somebody as skin-crawlingly awful as Dorit (to paraphrase Camille. Same, girl, same). The focus on this instead of REAL stuff drives me insane. At one point early in the episode, Kyle tells Mauricio she has to run to a meeting at her store. Alene Too was shuttered months ago! Why aren't we talking about this? I would put it down to ATL having a cast that didn't quite gel with the audience this season, as well as the amazing viral marketing campaign which whet our appetites for BH for months beforehand. We waited for that first episode with baited breath! Like @alwaysAMC I too would be interested in seeing the ratings progression as the season rolls on. I don't know if it can hold up, but I've been wrong before. NJ's ratings makes me super happy!

Something else concerning Potomac. Michael's 'issue' is right out there for all to see. Bet the Darbeys would have loved to work a deal with Bravo to keep it behind closed doors, and I bet Bravo told them "We can show anything we want." It makes me wonder if the BH women have different contracts from the rest of the franchise. Contracts where they can block Bravo from showing or talking about certain things. Maybe that explains why we have all this scripted petty nonsense the last few years instead of actual stuff that is happening. Anyway. I am very curious how Ashley, Miss IAmOpenAboutEverythingWhyArentYouKaren, tries to dress up what happened between Michael and the cameraman. I cant stand Gizelle but I admit I giggled when she said "He likes big butts. And I cannot lie."

Same. She was such a bitch to Monique in particular, and when it came to Karen, always played both sides. However, I am not losing sleep over her missing as Katie is back and this season looks like fire!! Ashley still as messy as ever. My only complaint is not enough Karen in the trailer!

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the producers of BH eschewed organic, REAL drama in the form of Dorit getting doorstepped by pissed-off creditors, Mauricio's lawsuit (from a shady central African dictator, so I'm leaning towards Mo a bit on that one), or Tom's lawsuit which has meant a sharp reduction in Erika's expenses. Heck, let's talk about the LVP lawsuits from last year. Instead, they thought Dog-gate was the better idea?? This is like last season's fuckery all over again. Sometimes the BH women are so arrogant about their standing in the RH pecking order that I wish Bravo would cancel the show on their under-performing asses! No way would NYC or OC be able to get away with sweeping their scandals under the rug. NYC has thrived because it talks about those things openly, even when it embarrasses or humbles them (Luann). I remember the early seasons when we had real-life dark secrets exposed, juicy scandals, Hollywood cover-ups,and the richies mixing up with the wannabes. Now the show is constructed in Erika Jayne's image: there is a lot of glammed contrivance, and nobody dare exert themselves lest they loosen a hair extension. And despite having just dissed Erika above, I do agree with you about Erika Girardi. There has been something fun and down-to-earth about her the last few episodes. I cannot dislike Erika completely (unlike Rinna or Dorit), and I think it is because of these moments. I especially enjoy her wily understanding of human nature, when she drops the wannabe cool-girl script. And in another shocking moment...I actually enjoyed the scenes of Kyle dropping off her daughter at GWU. It was real-life, and at least the Umanskys are not encouraging their daughters to be 'models' or Instagram influencers (*cough*). And while I really like Denise, I think her fiance Aaron sounds like a bit of a new-age con-man. *hides* NJ: Sad it is over. I had a fondness and emotional investment in the show this year. Margaret is definitely in my Top 5 HWs now. There was lightness and humor to the season, too. And when they brought out the kiddie car for Andy at the end, I was actually moved, especially at the parenting advice they gave him. You felt they were really thrilled for him. NY: Felt like I was watching Season 2 RHONY with the focus on the Hamptons and Ramona's poor tennis game! I wonder if Mario saw that she hired his younger mini-me to give her lessons? Ramona and Dorinda may hate Luann, but imo she is the emotional centre of the show. I usually adore Ramona and Dorinda, but wow they are being so hateful. Dorinda is so mean and self-pitying. She is snarly because she thinks Luann exposed her drinking problem in Cartegena. Girl, YOU exposed your alcohol/substance abuse all by your lonesome! And speaking of substances, I suspect that is what is happening to Ramona's left nostril.

Gretchen's face has hit Peak Barbie in terms of the work she's had done. And Slade is still as cringe as ever. Congrats to them both, I guess. That entire reel reeks of two people who would love this pregnancy to be showcased on RHOC.