Cat

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.

I totally agree!

I also find there is something special about the older ladies on these franchises, something about their additional experiences in life, their humor, their lack of [!@#$%^&*] to give. They have lived. They have these neuroses which can be out-there but also weirdly relatable sometimes. Whereas the younger mommies are more controlled and hyperaware of the camera. They kind of temper their natural fire a bit because they are so focused on projecting an image.

I feel ya. That's how I felt about Meghan for 3 long years. Will try to temper my gushing. Changing the subject, but has anybody heard any news about Season 5 of Melbourne? It's usually around this time they start promoting it. I've been missing it lately and really enjoyed S4. And TT has an article about how ATL's ratings are tanking, but Bravo does not mind because it is increasingly focused on attracting a younger female demo for ad sales. The article was interesting for many reasons -- 1. because it indicated that Michael Beck and his Don't Be Tardy crew had been replaced by a female producer and another team. And 2. because all that talk of the Young Female Demo took me back to the early 2000s, when Daytime soaps started casting young sexy looks over talent and sidelining its older, popular characters (and imo started on the road to cancellation and ruin). Since the RH franchise is essentially an evolution of Daytime soaps, this development is interesting to me. It explains why there has been so much Porsha and Eva on ATL this season (even though Porsha must be approaching 40 at this point). I can see they are already steering BH to towards this demo. I hope they don't touch NYC though: I love all those women, and do not want to see Ramona, Dorinda, Luann or the others sidelined for some newbie whose only qualification is 'younger.' http://tamaratattles.com/2018/11/26/exclusive-why-bravo-suits-are-actually-pleased-with-the-rhoa-ratings-this-season/

I get where you are coming from, and as someone whose own mother went through her own medical issues and slow & uncertain recovery process, I should have been more aware before using that word. I still don't think Peggy was a fit for RHOC. Maybe it was the recovery process that blocked her from connecting with the others, or maybe we had a group of personalities which just did not mesh. Certainly none of the other women had much warmth or sympathy towards her. And I think that is one thing that turned me off last season -- none of the women seemed to have real warmth or empathy with each other. I think that's why I am warming slowly towards some of the women this year -- Gina emanated empathy on Sunday's episode, and so did Emily. I also liked how Kelly was Shannon's biggest supporter this season.

Yep. And she even had the first 5 minutes of Reunion devoted to Andy telling her that Brooks duped her like Dirty John! This was Vicki's triumphant return from the wilderness years. But bless her heart, Vicki never changes and never learns. She doubled down on the David-hits-Shannon/Eddie-is-gay stuff in S11, and we got 84 years of nobody talking to her as a result. Now she pulls the exact same stuff with Kelly. Luckily for her, Kelly is not half the cast, but still... girl, you gotta pick your battles. And you gotta go after someone with some semblance of truth and proof! That's how Tamra gets her targets -- she is able to hit them with unpalatable truths and not just stuff she makes up. omg this so much. I break out in hives at the thought of Meghan, Lydia and Comatose Peggy. The cringe was real.

Basically tho Vicki knew Kelly would come after her for the double date thing, and she didn't have a leg to stand on in the fact that she didn't really care about Kelly's feelings when setting up Michael on a date. So she smeared Kelly. And the more I think about it, the more bad Vicki looks. Kelly should know Vicki is going to smack back hard, but Vicki looked bad with what she basically admitted was retaliation alone. I kind of felt for Kelly after a while because it's clear she is sensitive. This isn't just a Survivor like game for her. Maybe it's good that Reunion this time around drew a line in the sand about what is acceptable to say on the defensive, and what is just toxic smearing. It's a shame for Vicki because she had a good season... but she kind of messed up that goodwill here.

OC I... enjoyed the Reunion as toxic as it is so far, it is watchably toxic (unlike another Cali franchise I could mention). Kelly came into Reunion primed to go after Vicki from the very first minute, and so Vicki decided to go after an ant with a sub-machine gun. As always with Vicki, she WENT THERE with hearsay and gossip. People are shocked, but this has been Vicki's M.O. for many seasons. It has also been Tamra's. OC is the Survivor of the RH franchises. However, I was also glad to see Gina, Emily and Shannon telling Vicki & Kelly to cool it with the toxicity and attacks. In the past, we have never really seen other HWs speak out in favor of curbing the viciousness. Vicki lost me with not just the cocaine comment, but also the "Michael said it was 14 years of hell" comment, which was plain mean. And judging by Kelly's reaction, I am starting to think I am wrong in thinking she might be on the coke. Kelly was so adamant about it, in a way that suggests she was unfairly accused. Moreover, her getting Michael on the phone was a good move from the POV of the audience because he totally had her back. Gina, surprisingly, acquitted herself well this first part. She was on point, good with her answers, and said more than Emily, Tamra or Shannon combined. I wouldn't necessarily mind if she got a second season now. As for her ex Matt, the streets have been saying that he is (A) movie-star gorgeous, (B ) maybe had an affair, and (C ) maybe had an affair with a dude. And just to make that clear, this is totally Vicki-style hearsay and no actual proof of fact!

I tuned into Ep 3 thinking I would have to FF most of it -- color me shocked but I really enjoyed the trip to Oklahoma! It reminded me of RHONY's S6 trip to Montana (but less fancy). Taking the women out of their comfort zone was great, as they all seemed ready to try new things. There was also the right mix of lightness, and drama (Tre vs MeHo). Margaret is coming into her own this season without Siggy baying in her face! I love her and think she is a great find for the franchise. She organised the trip, and you could see how cool she was with the hostess, the ranch hands, and the hostess's grandson. She was having a good time, and her positive attitude calmed some of the toxicity, without losing the drama. Teresa... I don't know whether it is the steroids, the protein-heavy diet, or bad fillers, but she looks like a bulldog in a wig. Having said that, I am firmly Team Teresa in this fight with MeHo. Meho & Joey only want to help Teresa out when it is convenient to them, and not because it is the right thing to do. Of course MeHo would rather be posing in her bikini in a promotional trip to the beach than holding Poppa Giacinto's hand and listening to him weep about his wife! Teresa has all the responsibility of him and her daughters so I don't blame her for wanting Joe Gorga to participate more. Is Jackie the Turkish one? Because I'm ok with her, but the boring blonde one, I don't care about. They should have switched her out and brought Danielle to Oklahoma instead! I don't understand what Bravo has against Danielle that they can't give her HW status! As for MeHo moving to LA and joining RHOBH... ... that budget JLo karaoke singer?? You actually need some semblance of money to get on RHOBH! Money or fame connections. The Gorgas have neither. Remember when they tried to sell their McMansion monstrosity and the prospectives went into the bathroom, turned on the 'gold' taps and the playdoh taps came off in their hands? That cheapass shody Jersey contractor work stacked up against Smokey Robinson's mansion (now the Umansky's abode) and LVP's walk-in closet is not going to work. Not when Bravo sells BH as the 'aspirational' franchise. Can she even afford a glam squad? She is more boring than even Teddi. I don't think even OC would want her.

I just watched the latest episode today! And I am shocked by you saying that D'Andra might be out, and that the show might be cancelled?? Say it ain't so. Where did you hear this? Why? We NEED Villainess D'Andra for season 4! And Mama Dee! And RHOD is the RH show I am most enjoying at the moment. What is clear is that we have an LVP situation. The other women cannot stand LeeAnne. Or they may like her (in the case of Stephanie) but they feel intimidated by her popularity with the audience. So LeeAnne cuts a rather lonely figure on the show. And for that reason, I feel sorry for her, because none of these women are her friends, except Alien Kameron who is friends with her because she could never be friends with Brandi. D'Andra was once a true friend, but Bravolebrity fame, plus Brandi yapping in her ear, plus her own deep insecurities, have driven a wedge in that friendship which cannot be repaired. As far as LeeAnne is concerned, on the one hand, she is hilarious, a firecracker, I love how she interacts with her fans, and I thought she handled that rottweiler Brandi PERFECTLY in Copenhagen. If Brandi walked off in a huff from dinner, it wasn't because she thought she had one, it's because she knew she had lost. LeeAnne was just too calm, clear-eyed and composed for her. God, I really hate Brandi and I see she's making one last bid for relevancy in this finale episode. I guess she peaked at just the right time, because she was a no-show the first half of this season! But when she was greeting all the people for her fashion show, I thought she came across as fake and OTT. Maybe it's a Texan thing where everything is praised to the heavens. Anyway, it made me look at her jabs she made towards D'Andra a little bit differently. LeeAnne and D'Andra made progress in Denmark, and now LL set them back again. At the same time, maybe no real progress can be made when it is clear that D'Andra is so deeply jealous of LeeAnne. See, this is why the reunion trailer cannot drop quickly enough! And yes, I am loving Cary as Voice of Reason this year. She may be boring as she tries to sell her and Dr. Death's marriage as the love of the century, but when it comes to the women, Cary is pretty clear and direct to them.

That guitar music is incredibly evocative and seems to sum up the bittersweet elements in these women's lives -- the picture-perfect yet sterile gated communities, the uncertainty/lack of fulfilment in their personal lives. RHOC clearly should have been cut down to 11 episodes. We would have warmed to some of the newbies more quickly. I was very dismissive of Budget Jeana initially and now feel like she has a chance for S14. And as uneventful as S13 was, reunion is going to set us up well for next season. I will be sorry to see Kelly go, she was a star this year. She + Tres Amigas = the core of the show. Is she still having an epic snit over the fact that Steve Lodge set-up her ex on a date? Or is Vicki's cocaine accusation at reunion prob the real reason she cannot forgive? I'm also guessing it is not 100% unfounded. Steve Lodge's mother clearly cannot stand Vicki. Steve Lodge is never going to marry her. Speaking of not liking people -- Eddie seriously dislikes Shannon. I really like how Eddie gives no [!@#$%^&*] this season. Shannon is in a precarious place. OTOH, she IS the RHOC. She gives the viewers EVERYTHING -- the good, the bad, the ugly. OTO, she can never accept criticism, and this is a fatal flaw. Tamra managed to hoodwink the newbies yet again into doing her dirty work, especially Gina. However, the Afghan Hound bit back, and Tamra was desperately trying to regain control of the narrative. I appreciate she has ditched the Chrishun with her Pasture baloney and is back to the pot-stirring Tamra we all know and... [fill in the blank]. Emily's marriage to Lil Shane is so dead. He could barely suppress a yawn when she was in that corset. I think next year may be time to bring back Heather and possibly Lizzie.

The annoying thing is that Leeanne is going to play right into Brandi's hands with this phone-cloning thing. This is going to allow Brandi to play victim, just as Leeanne predicted this last episode. IA that Brandi needs to go. I am actually kind of stunned at how poorly she went after Leeanne, especially as she had all her ducks lined up (namely D'Andra). Brandi is a trashpot, but she is also a high-level manipulator and I expect her to do better! I wonder if Stephanie -- who positively glows in the presence of everybody other than Brandi -- realises that she has outgrown Brandi? She and Travis are traveling in different circles now, and she is in her element. Brandi certainly realises Stephanie is moving in different directions, which is why she is acting out and trying to hold on to Stephanie at all costs.

OMG THAT OC REUNION TRAILER IS SO GOOD. I still say this season was warchable. I preferred it to nasty S12.