Cat

This is what I mean about Rinna doing victory laps around Twitter and Instagram before this season has even aired. She thinks she has this season on lock and that LVP is leaving Bravo in disgrace. Even those deeply lukewarm to LVP would rather make up their own minds once S9 airs. Rinna is so obsessed with getting rid of LVP. Jill Zarin was the same way about getting rid of Bethenny and Ramona. And we all know how that played out. And what the heck is Rinna offering the BH audience exactly? Potshots on Twitter? She's too cowardly to get involved in the show itself. If she were a true contender, she would SHOW us that she, Erika at al., are worthy of carrying RHOBH forward without LVP. Instead of telling fans we ought to hate her.

Tom Girardi is actually one of my fave RH husbands, and I wish we saw more of him on the show. But it's clear he's not there to get involved (as Nene would say) in women's business. I also suspect that he and Erika are living separate lives now and married in name only. She's basically living in WeHo and Mikey is her constant companion. This financial situation must have been coming down the pipe for a while, because there were whispers of this when BH aired last season. Rumor had it that after that season wrapped, Tom cut WAY back on Erika's glam squad expenses. She doesn't have a full team around her anymore, basically it's Mikey and likely a makeup artist on retainer. That's prob why she was in such a pissy mood at Reunion last year! I'd be surprised if Tom was using the loan specifically to support Erika's career, though. That would be so, SO dumb. The loan must be for business expenses but the business has not generated enough profit to pay back the loan. He (and Erika) will no doubt want this suit settled quickly and quietly. I wonder if any of this will be hinted at or featured in BH this season. Because I have a feeling Dorit & PK's grifter problems might be. The Kemsleys are in hock to a bunch of mega Vegas casinos to the tune of millions, not to mention some of their Beverly Beach financing partners. Not to mention the UK where he skipped out on creditors after his massively indebted property empire collapsed in 2008.

That's the moment I was thinking of. Skilfully done by Jennifer. I was almost impressed!

Yeah the last two episodes have been lulls, which makes this mini season less consistent than last year's. Watching two newbies fight who are not the calibre of a Danielle or an Aviva Drescher is dull, even though Jennifer's sh!t stirring is starting to grow on me a little. The real drama is with Margaret vs Danielle (and while I am Team Marge, I do think Danielle has been looking and dressing amazingly this season). Still, the end game is near: Reunion just filmed so we must be a few weeks away. And totally agree about Milania. That poor kid cannot rap. I hate to say it but Melissa Gorga has more chance at a rap career than Milania.

That's a good point about Teddi. She is someone who enjoys being part of a group, and therefore is more likely to follow the group direction. This push to alienate LVP has been on going for a while, certainly before Teddi started appearing on the show, so I wasn't meaning to imply that she was at the head of it.

She is? In the last WWHL of 2018, Kyle was saying how this upcoming season was all about big lies being exposed, the implication being LVP was the big liar. Basically, she, Rinna and to a lesser extent Erika have run a 5-month victory lap around Instagram, cawing with triumph, as if LVP were already gone from BH. I, too, believed the rumors that a new production team were basically ushering LVP out the door and giving her a terrible edit to boot. Imagine my surprise at the trailer, where LVP jumped out as one of the most sympathetic characters (yes, I know I am biased towards LVP, but I do try to view her somewhat fairly). And now we have this interview with LVP, which is by far her most open and emotionally honest to date. LVP is always good in her blogs at expressing things clearly, but I was still impressed at how she got to the heart of her feelings and emotions in that interview, and in such a relatable way. As @DaytimeFan said, for a British woman of her generation to open up about depression and medication is pretty huge. Until recently in Britain, those struggles were usually kept quiet. All this to say that I'm not sure how production are going to frame things with LVP in the BH universe, but it feels like something which seemed a dead cert a few months ago (LVP leaving RHOBH, possibly ignominiously) is starting to turn. The victory laps taken by Rinna, Vyle, Teddi et al seem a little premature. I cannot believe the previously empathetic Teddi of all people is leading the charge. As for Brandi returning.... Yikes. Her ego (and behaviour) would be out-of-control.

Joe Gorga: Hey Marty we were just testing you, man! Joe (VT): THAT WAS NOT A TEST! Great wedding scenes, and like everybody here, I echo the collective WTF about not giving Danielle a talking head. Her wedding planning etc., has driven most of of the season, as has the tension in the Danielle-Marge friendship (my fave on NJ until Danielle destroyed it). Even Camille got talking heads on BH last year, and she was just a FOH! Danielle deserves a say on her own Wedding By Bravo. She's doing more for RHONJ than a couple other cast members I could mention. Heck, so are Joe Gorga and Frank! Another reason I can't fully get on Team Jackie. This chick thinks she is too clever by half. Clearly this ex-Tre Superfan has been angling for a NJ spot for a while. Going for Teresa was a good move from her POV, as Teresa is no brainbox next to the 'Journalist' with Two Degrees. I'm sure at their lunch this week, Jackie will run circles around Tre in terms of rationalising what she did. However, the audience knows that she went after Teresa first with a low blow to try and bait the bear. Because she needs a SL. Not because she is 'defending my BFF Melissa'. Teresa may not be a wordsmith, but she is tough and strategic too. Jackie may say she has Teresa running scared, but Teresa seems to be biding her time. On pure history and emotion alone, I think Teresa still has many NJ fans on her side. Also Jackie going after Jennifer in an article -- if she tries to do that to the other women on the show, that tactic is going to fall flat very soon. Marge remains my fave and has avoided the second season curse thus far. I love how true she is to her feelings, and how she remains self-deprecating, natural and fun.

Thank you for the NJ tip! I had let it go in the run-up to year-end, but your post inspired me to catch up on the last 3-4 episodes, and you are right. It is a fun, fluffy ensemble show with some colorful supporting characters. IMO Jennifer has nothing to offer beyond her airs & graces and her tacky house, and will be a one-hit wonder. Jackie is much smarter, and has sniffed out an opportunity to antagonise Teresa. She has also allied herself with Melissa, acting like they are best buds when it is clear the two have barely ever interacted with one another. Jackie should be careful about Melissa alliances, though -- just ask The Wakiles and Rosie who all got iced out. Yes, I still viscerally dislike Melissa. She does try to say the right things so that she sounds like the Voice of Reason. But the fact remains that she and Joe dumped Nonno on Teresa and only ever bother with him when it is convenient for them (IOW, once every two months). Margaret continues to bring me joy, and if I am side-eyeing the Jackie-Melissa friendship, it is because I LOVE the Danielle-Margaret friendship -- before it imploded. Margaret is probably the most generous friend Danielle will ever have, but Danielle cannot keep friends to save her life. She has been a grade-A a$$hole during the wedding planning, and she deserves to lose Margaret as a result. At the same time, that Bridezilla stuff has kept my attention. I still don't understand why Danielle is only a FOH, especially as this year is the best she has ever looked or dressed. Re: your BH question, I worry and suspect that LVP will be powering this season right until the final episode. Her presence might be missing for 3 whole months, but her name will be on everybody's lips as they play the blame game. I am also curious what edit she finally gets because as you say VPR is STILL a Bravo ratings darling. The RH shows OTOH faced tough times in 2018.

This trailer is a lot better than the one for last season. It helps that Bravo have essentially been trailing RHOBH via viral marketing for the past six months. But seriously, in this trailer you can pick out about 3 potentially interesting SLs. For BH, that is a LOT of story. I loved everything Lisa Vanderpump. And this year there seems to be absolutely no bullshit about her. I am still STUNNED that nobody cares a jot about Dorit dumping a puppy at some animal shelter.... but LVP talks to TMZ about it, and she's the guilty party? Amazing. I'm sure she will get pilloried for the "You know I love you... Actually I don't" remark. I loved it! What is also amazing is that Erika seems to be defending LVP or at least seeing her side of things. I had always hoped that LVP and Erika would be closer. They have a lot in common in many ways, more than Kyle and LVP. You know, despite many predicting this season will be her last, I think it might end up being the reinvigoration/reinvention of LVP on RHOBH. Kyle still the only one honking in laughter at her own jokes. Ugh. Ken sounded DONE with her. I am liking what I see of Denise Richards. If Brandi is here to bitch and moan about how LVP Jedi-mind-tricked the audience into getting her fired, she can suck it. Camille is only a FOH? How?? She gets married, her house burns down, and she's fighting with Rinna. Three wins IMO. What more do you need to hold a diamond? I don't know what to make of her Kavanaugh support (he was a mediocre choice and totally unfit IMO) but I still like Camille. Rinna and Erotika were not in the trailer as much as I expected. Hmmm. Snipers from the side? Rinna has been throwing potshots at LVP from her Instagram for months. I hope RHOBH shows the post with the pills in the cupcakes that Rinna posted on LVP's birthday. The new seasons doesn't start til FEBRUARY though!

S1 was a turn-off (the lead storyline involved poo -- never a good sign) and I don't think Dallas has ever quite shaken off that stigma. It was the same with Miami, when S1 tried to make that lost Kardashian reject and the mediocre Cuban one happen (don't get me started on them). S2 and S3 were so much better, but viewers had been turned off by that budget S1. I also think their NJ lead-in is not helping. However, both shows are getting comparatively identical numbers, so RHOD has not been bleeding the previous hour's audience. This should stand it in good stead. I have noticed a spike in the amount of comments on different sites about RHOD which outnumber those for ATL and NJ. This suggests that people are watching -- and engaged. I wish Potomac and NYC were the next franchises to follow OC and Dallas, but I don't think they will be back til early April (even though Potomac filming is probably already finished!). We have BH scheduled for a January start, but I don't know which other HW show will be paired with it. I am also wondering whether Real Housewives of San Antonio got picked up for 2019. It was supposedly in development.

Agreed, and the fact that Andy was name-checking Pine Valley and Days during reunion made my night. I loved the discussion about Dallas 'society' and the judgement and scrutiny it exacts. Dallas has been one of those soapy shows that I want to watch within 24 hours of it being televised; the impetus to watch ATL and NJ has been much less for sure. I can''t stand that we are getting Tre vs Melissa Part 1,783. Can't we bring back Siggy?? Mama Dee did not disappoint and in fact she surpassed my expectations. I thought she was coming on to demean LeeAnne on behalf of her first-born, but she was very balanced, and made a good point about how the show had changed D'Andra. In fact, what was good about this reunion is how the women broke the fourth wall a little, talking about the camera crews and some of the unfavourable aspects of joining a reality show, inluding the added pressure it puts on you psychologically. I also felt that D'Andra's past with drugs/rehab added an unexpected dimension to the woman, as well as to her relationships with her mother and LeeAnne. I hope she and LeeAnne restore their friendship, but I am not sure it is possible given some of the accusations that have been tossed around. Nobody called Brandi out on her machinations, sadly. She was screeching at all the women "OK, BIIIITCH" at the end of every sentence, and it made me cringe . Like she's trying to be so tough and thug. I can only hope some of the women call her out one day, but it seems to me like some of them are actually afraid of her, with the possible exception of Kameron.

Kenya got an exclusive in People (and not the lesser usual RH mag, Life & Style), and she's flashing a big ole ring for good measure. Congrats, Kenya! Seriously tho I wish she was showing Brookyn off on RHOA. She is really, really cute.

Cheap let out all the feelings! I haven't watched ATL in a while tbh. Maybe I should check back in. IA OC reunion was decent after a slow-starter of a season. Kelly is good TV but, like you, I feel like her ultimatum to Bravo will backfire on her. I was also Team Emily in the Kelly-Emily confrontation. Kelly look ridic saying she was so scurrrrred when Emily 'threatened to kill her' -- while in the same breath hoping Emily would hit her so she could hit her back. Hardly the words of a woman afraid for her life. Kelly did ok in Part 1 of reunion but lost me here; similarly, Gina did the same. She looked like an idiot going after Shannon -- in fact she looked like she was trying to impress Tamra. I guess she want's to be Tamra's new bitch? Shannon just gave her the side-eye and told her she just didn't really like her. Shannon handled herself well given the onslaught, but I do believe most of the women had her best interests at heart. I also liked that reunion ended on a positive note. There is love there, as twisted as it may be.

Yep I agree, both D"Andra and LeeAnne were caught out in their own lies: D'Andra accusing LeeAnne of saying Cary was going to fat-shame her, and LeeAnne with her lie in her blog about taping a convo. There is no reconciling these two -- they despise each other. They need to be careful about infecting the show with that hatred, though, and letting Brandi win. Brandi was so smug and triumphant last night I wanted to smack her. Cary came into her own and she nailed D'Andra's ass to the wall. I fear D'Andra is out for season 4, and for Mama Dee reasons, that's a damn shame. I'd rather see Brandi gone. What the hell did she do in S3, besides pick a fight with LeeAnne at the 11th hour?

I'm sure Aviva is thrilled with the idea of Ramona as a potential stepmom-figure to Harrison. Because Harry Dubin is even thirstier than Tom D'Agostino about appearing on RHONY. The reason I'm surprised is because I thought Ramona & Mario were getting back together! And now Ramona is in a messy triangle with not one, but TWO ageing, cheating, neer-do-wells. Harry must be laying some major pipe. He looks like a balding pot-bellied stove, but Aviva still married his Lothario ass, and Luann, Sonja and Ramona.... lol. Why? HOW?

Ramona made out with Harry Dubin in Miami. My eyes! http://m.tmz.com/#!article/2018/12/04/rhony-ramona-singer-harry-dubin-making-out-pda/ What does this mean for Sonja? For Mario?? I think im ready for RHONY's return lol.

OC Reunion Part 2 was subdued. Tamra seems done with Shannon. Not in an angry, door-slamming way, but in a 'I don't care about you anymore and I'm checking out' way. She begged to get back into Shannon's good graces back in S10, and now she has just fallen out of love with her. Her issues with Shannon have been coming down the pipe all season, but I expected more of a dramatic blow-up. Tamra just seemed disengaged. Unless of course this is a way for Tamra and Shannon stay on the show in S14 -- with a falling out.

Jeana. Dina Manzo. Even that Wig creature got a send off. And then the shows carried on. Your point is exactly my point. LVP has refused to film with the others since September. And yet this entire season looks like it is going to be edited to focus on one thing: LVP -- the Blofeld of RHOBH. I have to wonder what LVP did exactly to warrant this reaction? Give a quote to TMZ about Dorit's poor dog-rearing? The blowback seems out of all proportion. Do I think LVP manipulates and stirs the pot BTS? Of course I do. I'd have to be blind not to. But I also think it is very convenient for the others to blame the audience's negative reaction to them on her. It is not an LVP Jedi mind trick, lol.

There is something about the drip-drip-drip of info regarding LVP and what looks like her final season on RHOBH which seems very premeditated on Bravo's part. I don't believe Bravo has lost control of the franchise; instead this is clever viral marketing for a season which should be subtitled 'The Queen is Dead, Long Live the Queen!' I don't know how I feel about an entire season focused on bringing down one woman. This latest leak by housewives addicted (a Twitter account with some good sources) has actual footage from the final party that LVP did not attend. And yet the other HWs are talking and arguing about... LVP. As if they were confronting her face to face! lol Seeing the camerapeople and EPs directing the filming takes so much of the reality out of the show, doesn't it? Teddi, Erika and Rinna look like they are acting out a play. I believe the first let's-not-talk-about-it-oncamera saga for BH was S1 and Kim's addiction issues, until Kyle revealed them in the finale. But they had been the great unspoken all season. In S2, it was Taylor & Russell's abuse which was only inferred until Camille let it out ("We don't say that he hits you!... But now we've said it!"). It's been an issue of contention with me that BH's most interesting dramas are behind the scenes -- but in those two instances at least, the truth was revealed, as ugly as it was. Same in S3 with Adrienne. For me, these revelations are what made the show. What has ruined BH in recent seasons is the women all trying to take each other down but in very hidden, subversive ways, using other cast members to fight their proxy wars, and using petty sh!t to disguise the real issues they have with each other. We never ever get to an actual revelation of the truth -- just people talking in circles.

I'm not going to link to the People article about 'checking in' with poor Matt Lauer and how he and his kids have been through hell. Because I don't want People to get the clicks.So here is an article about it and the comments are predictably angry: https://www.celebitchy.com/601696/peoples_despicable_matt_lauer_profile_he_is_not_doing_well_has_too_much_time/#comments

We've had 3 seasons of the tightly-wound Cary droning on about her marriage with Dr. Moobs being "better than ever." What a relief to see her give no f*cks and put that snark to good use with LeeAnne's performative meltdown. While also contributing to the performative madness with her own drink. Yeah, I saw the crazy come upon LeeAnne, and I hope it gave Brandi a fright. And as much as I have defended D'Andra this season, she was reduced to a bully's pathetic sidekick this episode. Clearly D'Andra was the pudgy, friendless kid in HS who wished the popular cheerleaders would include her in their circle. Well, her wish came true. The way she begged Brandi to hoist her ass up above the keg was especially sad. "Brandi and I have a great friendship because she's so light-hearted" -- yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Morticia. Brandi is using you, and she will hang you out to dry. And if D'Andra is too dumb to see that, then she is too dumb to run Mama Dee's company anywhere but into the ground. Yep, I noticed that too. And her sheeple have fallen into line from the first comment onwards. The post already has almost 300 responses so clearly it was a smart move to create a mini RH polemic on her site to attract traffic.

Brandi was pure evil. She was doing everything she could to trigger LeeAnne. Then she pretended to cry and got Stephanie back where she wanted her, dutifully by her side, comforting her fake ass. So ironic when Brandi called Kameron LeeAnne's b!tch. Who is your b!tch, Brandi? D'Andra? Brandi is clearly the real Sniper From The Side. And yet judging by the preview, she won't get called out at Reunion -- all we saw was her yelling and blaming LeeAnne for something. Looks like D'Andracula is going to take all the heat. Once again, Brandi skates by unscathed. At least Cary can see how two-faced Brandi is. I'm sure Stephanie does too, but dutiful loyalty to Brandi means she won't admit it aloud. Great season. I love a softer, gentler, self-deprecating LeeAnne. Kameron was this season's MVP. D'Andra was a great character study of conflicted, cowardly evil. Mama Dee was Queen Matriarch. Cary finally came into her own as Voice of Reason. And Stephanie & Travis are Hottest Couple. I wish this show got more love, and I'll be gutted if RHOD and D'Andra do not return for Season 4.

Thrilled, I would imagine! And that's not a diss at Eva, nor at AMC. But she is not a household name like Susan Lucci or even SMG. A daytime soap + CSI Miami does not an A-lister make, sadly. But she is a jobbing actress, and that is a tough hustle, so kudos. She's also going out on a limb by contributing in name to this article. Moonves still has some affiliation with CBS and the industry, and he is a vengeful prick.

Thanks for filling me in on what is going on with Bravo's promotion of the RHs... I don't get to watch live unless I am over in the US. I was there in early Oct and did notice the Bravo Home shows getting promotion, as was Jerry O'Connell's talk show. But RHOC and RHOD were also getting ads so I wasn't worried. Bravo is not ready to dump the RH brand just yet IMO. It is still the stellar, top-performing brand after all. Last year's ratings posted some weeks ago showed just how many RH shows cluster in the Top 10, with ATL at #1 spot (though that may change). I do think Bravo is trying to diversify its content and open up RH to younger female viewers for ad-sales reason. Not so long ago, it seemed that Bravo wanted to attract a male demo, like they were embarrassed of being too closely associated with female/gay viewers? Not sure how that panned out, but it seems like they now have sets of shows which attract very different demos. Diversification! I am seriously upset about M2M, not least with myself because ever since they moved it to Saturday, it has dropped off my radar. I don't know what Bravo's thinking is there. Thinking about this young vs. OG thing on RH... It must sound like I am against the young newbies -- that's just because I've been disappointed by Baby Tinsley, Dorit, Teddi, Meghan, Eva Marcille. What I appreciate is balance between the different age-groups, and there are two shows which are giving me that: Dallas and Potomac. Both shows skew mostly younger in terms of cast. In RHOD, LeeAnne is the oldest at just 51 (D'Andra is 49, and the other 4 are some way behind). And I think we can all agree that Dallas needs LeeAnne and D'Andra for DRAMA (not to mention Mama Dee who is forever 21 -- in cat years). Similarly Potomac is popping big time, with the majority of its cast below 40. Ashley is the youngest but she is stirring the pot like nobody's business! But the counterbalance is Dame Karen (55) -- without her, Ashley would not have a pot to stir in! That was FAR TOO SHORT!!! I need a +3 minute opener where everybody is getting their hair & makeup done and Andy is going from room to room watching these women shadow-box to Eminem's Lose Yourself in order to hype themselves up. Mama Dee made my life with her purse "cuz I gotta give mah daughter her allowance." The shade, the shade! This is why Dallas needs a S4. And this is why D'Andra needs to stay on the show as villainess -- those fucked-up family dynamics have only just begun to be explored. Brandi -- a non-entity. Even Stephanie and Cary got in more face time than her in that trailer.

Thanks for the update. That's a shame that Melbourne got tarnished by Sydney's poor showing. I thought season 4 was Melbourne's sharpest and most compact season, and Janet, Gamble and Giner were compelling to watch. However, sounds like Foxtel wanted to preserve the brand by resting it for a few extra months. Sydney had no likeability factor, with the possible exception of Maddie the Iraqi-born medispa owner, and the blonde singer chick (Zzzzz). What a contrived toxic mess. Athena X was literally out-of-control, and Lisa Oldfield was pure ice, free of all basic empathy (and married to a nasty 'populist' to boot). I hear it is returning in 2019 though. I hope they don't touch RHONY. I don't mind balance and fresh blood, but right now MY peer group (early 40s) is not bringing it like to the franchise like the OGs are. I like Tinsley, and suspect she might blossom, but for somebody married into the upper-crust Mortimer family (and having dated a Cuban sugar-baron heir), she seems strangely dumb and incurious about life and the world around her. Contrast her with Dorinda, Luann, Ramona, Sonja, Bethenny, who have LIVED, and lived to tell the tale, seen some of the world and reinvented themselves a few times over. There is no competition.