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RHoV: And did you see after Ronnie was telling the story about poor Remy not breathing for 22 minutes and then being in a coma (I honestly had tears listening to her), Jody has to try and one-up her with the tragic tale of Mia's busted rhinoplasty?

RHoNJ: Low-key episode, but for the first time, I really got hit by the inappropriate vibes between Teresa and Joey Gorga. Up til now I had attributed the anger to jealousy over a younger, prettier housewife (Melissa) and wanting to be top cat on the show. But when Joey came to the therapist's office and was all "You look... sexy" and Teresa giggled like an infatuated schoolgirl and crossed her legs, all I could think was woah there, you two. This feud/obsession has left Crazy and Ridiculous and entered the realm of All Kind's of Wrong. The therapist seems great, though. RHoNY: WTF? They still haven't left for London?! I enjoyed Holla driving Ramona to distraction, though. She really knows how to play her, to the point where Ramona threw her one ally, Aviva, under the bus! Carole is once again pure awesomeness, whether it is handling Pinot Grigio, going on a date or getting her pilot greenlighted. I kind of want to see this show she is writing. Luann is superfluous to requirements.

<div align='center'><a href='http://www.buddytv.com/closedquiz/closed-quiz.aspx?quiz=100000030'>Which Real Housewife of Orange County Are You?<br /><img src='http://www.buddytv.com/closedquiz/images/results/realoc_lynne.jpg' /></a><br /> More on <a href="http://www.buddytv.com">Created by BuddyTV</a></div> Gah. I got Lynne. She was a bore. I was hoping for Jeana, maybe Lauri, heck I'd be happy with Tamra! And I am NOT lazy!

In a movie-music frame of mind, I'm listening to John Barry, specifically the soundtrack to On Her Majesty's Secret Service: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.c...bed/CYt4XEhCeUs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I was thinking how much I liked that end music! I didn't realize they play it every OC finale, even though it is a familiar theme. It perfectly fits the theme of "two steps forward/three steps back" we get with what these women are saying and the choices they actually end up making. Dr. Terry is a break-out Househusband, up there with Chris Laurita as far as I'm concerned. He and Heather seem an especially well-matched couple.

Chris B's analysis is so on-point, I think he shouldl open up a consultancy and rake in $$$ as chief analyst specialising in the RH franchise. RHoOC: What to say about this show which has totally turned itsef around? That was the longest cocktail party ever! First of all -- the clothing. I'm not even going to talk about the wicked-witch cloak that drunken mess Sarah was wearing -- I was too distracted by Slave's (typo, and it stays) amazing turtleneck of Grey Poupon-ness. This was then overshadowed by Jim "Who wears the pants in this family?" Bellino dressed as a casino croupier -- I'm assuming that is his night job when he's not "investing." Finally, we have Vicki in that mangy dead bear that Brooks shot and skinned in the Bayou. Speaking of Brooks, we finally saw his true, manipulative conman colors. Not that we didn't see them before (remembering the way he talked to Briana when they first met still makes my skin crawl), but this time we know -- this guy is evil, a user and bad news. If Vicki wants to cut off her family and friends in favor of this free-loading loser, so be it. Speaking of free-loading losers, I was loving Gretchen right up until the end -- she wants to make a baby with Slade? Is she as dumb as Alexis? Seeing Jim tell his bimbo wife "I wear the pants in the family" made me choke. And she goes scurrying after Jimbo after he leaves her behind at the party, and when she gets to the car, she's all "Thank you, honey." Good grief. Andy Cohen, please pass her the name of a good divorce lawyer. I don't thinnk Jim convinced her to give up the Fox 5 job, though -- I think Fox 5 fired her because she was so dreadful. And now they are opening a "trampoline (which I read as trailer) park"? Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous! I wonder if Briana will become a Housewife next season? Can't wait for Reunion!

I guess I can accept that. She wouldn't have owned up if she hadn't got caught in going to Danielle behind Tre's back but Melissa is a smart lady and knew the best way was to admit it and apologise for it clearly and concisely. Not try to rationalize it because that is what Tre would do. Tre had no choice but to accept the apology -- especially if she wants to start an alliance with her family and a Twitter crusade against Caroline and Jacqueline. I don't want to say that Teresa has no feelings because I think she does -- you can see it in her eyes when Juicy Joe dismisses her. However, she has no empathy for others. She can't put herself in the shoes of somebody else and relate to the feelings they are experiencing. She has no clue how and why Jacqueline feels the way she does. She is just this cold machine, spitting out in VTs what she thinks the audience wants to hear from her. Her random "psycho bitch!" about Jacq was a case in point. WTF?

But there is a difference between "owning it" and getting caught out. That's what bothers me about Melissa -- I just wish she would be upfront. She is smart, she is ambitious, she wants fame and a great life and I don't blame her. I am not a fan of her singing but I am a fan of her excitement at talking to Ryan Seacrest. I am a fan of her joyous boogying to the remix. I am a fan of her dressing up and doing her hair for an over-the-phone radio interview. I am a fan of her being realistic about Seacrest and positive about her song despite lots of hate tweets. Then she goes and spoils it all by pretending she's just humble ole melissa and her husband is the one who is pushing her forward. Girl please! You are fooling nobody with that "Aww, shucks. Who, me? Lil ole me?" act. Not to mention that she and Joe Gorga (who I love) threw her sister-in-law under the bus in exchange for appearing on RHoNJ in the first place. They promised conflict with Teresa and they'd "unmask the real Teresa" if they could come on the show. It seems like such a little thing now given all that has happened, but if it were me and my brother and his wife did that, I would be majorly pissed for a while. Even Dina isn't pulling that [!@#$%^&*] with Caroline on the show. However, Teresa is a dead-eyed, crazy psycho who has NEVER wanted to come out and confront Melissa (or anybody for that matter) on any of this. She was FORCED to confront her in the last episode because Melissa wanted to know what she and Jacq were arguing about. Both Mel and Tre were caught with the cameras there. Teresa doesn't want confrontation because ( a ) she'd be called out on her own crazy web of lies, ( b ) she lives for Keeping Up Appearances, and ( c ) she thrives on having an "enemy" that she can constantly attack from afar without doing anything to resolve the situation. Tre needs negativity and a scapegoat to deflect attention from the fact that her marriage is a sham, she is a sham, the money is sham and always was and that she is fundamentally alone, apart from her parents. Teresa is so intent on preserving the image of herself created in Season 1that I truly think the loon believes this fantasy she has created is 100% real.

RHoNY finally got into its groove last night. Even though the show revolved around one incident -- Ramona not getting invited to London, I could understand both sides. Ramona is hurt but she's also only kissing up to Heather in order to get an invite. Crazy Pinona! LOVE Carole. LOve love love love her. She's so relaxed with herself and unstuffy and unpretentious. And smart and interested in things beyond the petty round of cocktail gossip. She totally zeroed in on LuAnn's "royal tourettes" and she looked as fabulous walking around the Occupy Wall Street encampment she was photographing as she did with her fabulous hair at Sonja's party. Can't say enough great things about Sonja who seems such a joyous, positive person, even when Ramona almost wrecks the party meant to celebrate her. I love her attitude. I love her house! Heather is still a giant, holla-ing ball of "meh" but at least she stands by her decisions. It's been a shaky few episodes but overall I am liking this season better than last. Mainly because Aviva and Carole are not the noxious and obnoxious Jill, Kelly or Cindy.

That moment was LOL funny. Joe Jr hit him pretty hard, too! Those Gorga genes -- like, Milania kicks grown men in the balls! I don't know what to say about the clusterfuck on RHoNJ except that EVERYBODY is in the wrong and holding onto damn grudges for far too long. They look like damn fools, every one of them. Jacqueline looks like a fool crying over Life & Style (which is no Us Weekly) and getting involved in Gorga family dynamics -- that was just going to bite her in the ass in the end. Caroline clearly has hated Teresa for over a year and so this whole "::Shock:: Our friendship was over yesterday" shtick is a sham. I love me some Caroline but it's the truth. She's been gunning for Tre since the beginning of last season. Yes, even before Cookbookgate. Then we have oh-so-humble Melissa whose husband is pushing all this promotion on her and throwing her a party. Aww shucks, Joe!Like she had nothing to do with re-releasing "the remix" of On Display and blowing up that "Lady Gorga" magazine cover from August 2011! Also she got majorly caught out by Teresa over the Danielle debacle. And finally we have Teresa who is still living in a fantasy world of macmansions, monopoly money and a husband who loves and cherishes her. She has nobody on her side and if her family are moving to reconcile with her, it's because they want to stay on the show next season and have only belatedly realized that she's the route to doing that. Chris Laurita, as usual, continues to be a god amonst men, watching out for his wife while extending the hand of friendship to Joe Giudice.

DaytimeFan is connected! IA with everything Cheap said about Vancouver, this has been a stellar first season and that finale EPITOMISES "satisfying pay-off." Finally, after all the lies and slander and nastiness, Jody is exposed. She is about as vile as Jill Zarin (who should have been publicly chastised by Andy Cohen at last season's reunion, but wasn't. What i would have given to see her face when she got fired!). I am glad Ronnie stepped up and took it upon herself to have it out with Jody in a pretty open way. Yes, it was a settling of accounts but I never got the feeling Jody was being unfairly attacked. She had plenty of opportunity to argue her side and make her case. But, as she is a liar caught in her confabulations, she couldn't. Ronnie seems to have mega standing with the housewives, she is certainly the richest, arguably the most attractive, with the most influence and connections. She was the only one who could have orchestrated this in an attempt to make Jody wake up to what she was doing. And I love the fact that she and Mary finally "made their way back to each other" lol. The formal apology that Ronnie made to Mary was touching. Ronnie's husband is hot but prob didn't want to be heavily featured in the show, so Ronnie's son Jhordan made more of an appearance. Jhordan seems to be a great son. RHoV has really breathed life into this franchise -- totally by accident and away from Bravo's immediate control. These woman are not yet caricatures (except maybe Jody) and seem utterly comfortable being themselves to a certain extent. I love the balance between "the dark side" and some of the kindess these women exhibit to their families and to each other. Let's face it, RHoNY is on shaky ground, NJ is going to implode unless Bravo get a rein on things, and OC feels like "end of days." I hope viewing RHoV from afar (I'm pretty sure Bravo is keeping tabs on the show) while provide inspiration to the execs in charge and really analyse how to get the US franchise back to basics.

OC: Heather is the bomb. And so is Jeana. Loved seeing Jeana and Kara again, and respect Jeana for having left the RH franchise on her own terms. Even though I wish she would return! Tamra's apology and reaching out felt almost genuine. Typical Alexis. Getting other people (Jim, this Sarah creature, whoever she is) to fight her battles for her. I have a theory about why Heather is officially taking her husband's last name. After looking around at the Housewives husbands -- Eddie is cute but no conversationalist, Brooks = leech, Slade = angry, self-entitled leech, Jim = controlling misogynist -- she must have realized what a GEM she has in the good Dr. Dubrow and wanted to cement that, fast. Vicki, sigh. Wanting to convince America that Brooks brought her the fur coat (in the OC?! When would she wear it?!). So transparantly fake. NY: at LuAnn thinking that she and Jack could have a baby. Heather still bugs the hell out of me, but I am already loving OCD Aviva. And somebody suggested bringing back Jill Zarin to spice up RHoNY which is COLLAPSING in the ratings -- All I can say is Please God NO. This woman is toxic and nasty, and after a while it stops creating drama, it just consists of watching one woman bully others and get away with it constantly. Last season's reunion was sickening and IMO Jill Zarin should not be rewarded for her behavior. And neither should Kelly Nutballs Bensimon. NJ: I am so ready for Danielle and Dina to return and blow the shitstorm that is this show out of the water. And why are they not showing or talking about the REAL reasons why these women all despise one another? When I watch RHoNJ now, I feel like hours have been edited out and I can barely make out people's reasoning. And these endless conversations pointedly avoiding talking about why everybody hates Teresa or Teresa hates them. This franchise is going to implode unless Andy Cohen steps in and does something.

+2 regarding Cheap's avatar and that hot cuddly-bear of a man. He was even more fabulous in this last episode, talking about he and Jacqueline planning to buy Teresa and Joe's stuff to give back to them if ever the Giudices were forced to sell everything. FINALLY Jacqueline's ex sees Ashlee for what she is. I love the up-front and friendly relationship Jac and Chris have with Ashlee's father -- true co-parenting in spite of the distance. Another instance of Lauren starting a project, bitching about how much hard work it is, and then dropping it. That said, I do think that diets are destined to fail, and that Lauren's mantra of eating healthily, enjoying life a bit more and not stressing a mouthful of some good stuff once in a while is the sanest way to go. The Teresa vs. Jac and Caroline fight... I am still processing it because the issues involved are such a hot mess. It is a family feud + Danielle + Bravo's own decision to pull the rug from under Teresa + Teresa's crazy lies and her wretched hopelessness at pretending. She believes her own hype now, her own lies, and she has this haunted look in her eye... she is literally a shadow of the woman in S1. I do think Teresa has legitimate beef with Melissa and Kathy. Those two went to Bravo, desperate to appear on the show in exchange for selling Teresa out and being the Anti-Teresas. Bravo addressed it obliquely in Sunday's epi but that is what this is about. Having said that, it is old news now and Teresa needs to let it go. The fact is, she has no functioning alliances now that Caroline and the Manzos have effectively blackballed her. Her position on the show is akin to Danielle's in S2 and therefore precarious. Jacqueline was the one person who was actively her friend and now her refusal to even own up or admit that things are not hunky-dory has cost her that friendship. I am surprised Jac took a stand as she usually despises confrontation, but she did and she tried to do so in as calm and respectful a way as she possibly could, letting Tre explain herself and willing to hear what she had to say.

So do I. Laurita is a cool last name, though. He is... amazing. I know he's had problems with his business in recent years -- Jacqueline admited as much in Sunday's episode about not hiding their financial problems -- but the way he seems to dote on her and the kids (including Ashlee) is He always has a very cool, reassuring, non-petty way about him. He also tried to bring everybody together (Manzos and Giudices) by inviting everybody to Napa and pretty much succeeded. PLus I think he's hot.

Co-sign on the hubbies & housewives mentioned above. Chris Laurita And Dr. Dubrow is the bomb. I also think that Kyle's Mauricio on BH seems a pretty stand-up guy. ETA: I forgot my little Joey Gorgonzola!

*crosses fingers that Christina will be back on RHoV next season* Seriously, they can't let this girl go. She is just too fun and upfront! LOL, I didn't throw shade to piss you off, but I have had a hard time warming to Melissa since she came on the show, as you know. And I really did love Dina and Danielle as housewives so... Dina's pissed at all 11 Lauritas? Damn, girl. WTH happened there? Did she get a show on HGTV and suddenly turn all diva?

Well, shoot me but I sort of agree with Eric re: Juicy Joe on RHoNJ. Is he a drunken, abusive, misogynistic ass? Hell yes. But that wedding was so touching, truthful and beautiful that it managed to even put Joe in a good mood and crack a couple of ok jokes. Even Teresa looked thrilled and more relaxed, more like the Teresa of S1 when she wasn't fronting so awkwardly about her "perfect" marriage. Basically, that wedding also made me really enjoy the Manzo brood and I usually don't (Caroline and Albert Sr excepted). It was nice to have an enjoyable episode where nothing seemed forced. The only downside was Dina throwing a hissy fit and not showing up. Can anybody tell me what the real beef between Caroline and Dina is? Everything that came out of Jacqueline's mouth about Teresa was so right-on. It actually made me go back and watch the very first episode ever of RHoNJ. The difference between Teresa then and now is startling. She was so fun and natural. Now she looks awkward and tired-eyed all the time. She clearly spent all her husband's money (and then some) and now she's trying to make it up to him for leaving him bankrupt by "building an empire" and turning a blind eye to his boozing and slutting around. Teresa is also totally dickmatized. Also: the reason RHoNJ has been lacking in the past season or two is because Danielle Staub and Dina Manzo were such great personalities, SO bitchy and unhinged and diva and crazy about their daughters that IMO Melissa and Kathy just cannot measure up. Like, I love the way Kathy adores her family but other than that, she's a non-entity. And Melissa pretending to be all shocked when Joe played her new single was I will say this, though -- it is a pretty catchy summer track, and that's not something I thought I would ever say about Melissa Gorga's autotune singing.

Can I just say how much I loved the look on Mary's son's face when he had to zip up Aunt Ronnie? Jody is so nasty and not in a fun way. Her treatment of Mary and now Reiko is beyond the pale. Ronnie is becoming my fave of the housewives, I think. RHoNJ: That whole sequence with Rosie telling Kathy's kids and then that random friend of the family toying with her in the hot-tub was kind of random. I also can't deal with the Manzo kids. Love Caroline, Chris Manzo makes me laugh, Albie whatever, but if I have to hear Lauren whine about why she's not magically rich and thin, I think I will have an aneurysm. Also not a big fan of Greg. But I do LOVE Teresa's kids even though I can't stand her. Milania asking Gia if she was texting her boyfriend and Gia giving her that "GTFO before I kick your ass" look was made of WIN. I could also watch Milania kicking guests in the balls all day long.

Absolutely. And somehat obscene considering wages in Ireland are a fraction of what they were 3 years ago. Don't get me wrong, Ireland is a great place for larger-than-life characters and fascinating people. I will be curious to see if this show is embraced by the Irish as pure escapism -- or whether it will be rejected as vulgar at a time when the economy is in serious, serious crisis. To the point where people are forced to immigrate again en masse to work and send money back to their families. Not to mention that some of these South Dublin housewives might well be married to unscrupulous property developers whose bad loans pushed the country's major banks -- and therefore the economy as a whole -- to near-collapse. Many still refuse to pay up.

No offence to South Dublin, Ireland is awesome, but RHoSD looks budget and a hot tackfest.

I like that I stumbled on this show by accident and you guys did, too. IA that if RHoV went on Bravo and was a hit, it would ruin the show and its participants. This last episode was absolutely great. The rich locales, production work and that sea plane are the stuff dreams are made of -- but the best bit IMO was showing the housewives getting their kids up and ready for school. It was incredibly relatable amidst all the glamour and I for one think it was all 100% real. Jody in hair rollers fighting with Hannah (SO adorable) over wearing an itchy skirt? Oh, yes! Brilliant. I loved when little Hannah went to tell her big brother that she was going to big-girl school. Also, Mary feeding her dog yogurt, finishing up the pot herself, running around in nightgown and slippers as she fought with her son over whether to take Grade 12 math. Also liked Ronnie extending the hand of friendship and inviting Mary to her birthday. Their extended hug spoke volumes about both wanting to make up. I am trying to decide if Ronnie drinks because she is sad or because she looks and feels so young and wants to have a second youth. I think it's the latter. I also think she and her husband are crazy in love with each other. Mia was out of line prodding Mary. TBH, I think she was just looking to pick a fight. But I can understand the cultural sensitivity. A lot of my very closest friends are Jewish. It is one thing when they meet somebody and ask amongst themselves "Is he/she Jewish?" It's actually pretty common. However, if somebody non-Jewish were to ask that question or tell them "I don't think so-and-so is Jewish," it comes across as highly ambiguous and somewhat threatening, and that's because there are hundreds of years of racism, apartheid, pogroms and annihilation leading up to this question of identity. Not so long ago, somebody would say something like that and it was a life-or-death assertion. I donlt think Mary meant it in any way other than innocent, though. Ronnie's eldest son + Mary Zilba make me go Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Well, technically they already have one -- namely The Only Way is Essex. They also had Desperate Scousewives which is in Liverpool but that was dire. My favourite glitzy reality show is Made in Chelsea but that is focused on the aristo twentysomething set and not housewives. Daytimefan loves it too. ETA: These are The HIlls rip-offs more than RH, though. RHoOC and RHoNY all appeared on UK TV. Why they never went for RHoBH with Lisa Vanderpump, I will never know.

Teresa's an idiot. For the years that this show has been on, stuff has come out about dodgy [!@#$%^&*] the Giudices have done, Teresa's fantasy life, Juicy Joe's mistresses, the money, everything, and Gorilla Face acts like it is all lies and that she can pull the wool over the audience's eyes. Teresa, we know it's true because you admit it to In Touch! And Bravo will replay the flashbacks if need be to clarify what you said & how. Also, she was looking for a fight when Melissa came to her table expecting an apology. She didn't want to say she was sorry at any cost and instead blew something up out of all proportion so that she could stalk out of there and play the outraged party. And, like Cheap, I tend to agree that Melissa is fake a lot of the time, but she was in the right calling Teresa out on her BS and it was cathartic to watch. Teresa needs to be put in her place. I love Jacqueline but honey got off your cross, other people need the wood. She either is a martyr or a little scaredy cat. I know Italians don't play when it comes to "famb'ly" and "respect" but she's tough enough to stand her ground, surely? Instead she's running between Teresa and Melissa to try and get everybody to play nice, and she can't even bring herself to confront her daughter on her assy behavior or drive her to the airport. Contrary to lots of people here, I think Kathy is ok. Also, forget all other RH spin-offs. I could watch a spin-off show consisting of the Giudice/Gorga/Wakile kids all day. Gia as the exasperated eldest daughter bearing all her family's responsabilities on her shoulders, and Milania as the terror. No wonder Rosie needed some cigarettes and a GINORMOUS vat of wine to handle looking after all the little ones. Caroline and her daughter Lauren... sigh. Firstly, Lauren is veering into dangerous Ashlee territory here with the "I wannabe rich and thin and beautiful (but I don't want to do the hard work that will help me achieve that)." The way Caroline talks about her daughter's "spectacular personality" but also references her "belly" could be construed as cruelty and bullying. However, I think she is concerned for her daughter's health and truly believes that, if her daughter succeeds in her battle with weight, her confidence will soar. It is hard to hear a mother talk about her sons the way Caroline does in front of Lauren but I think a lot of this stuff is prevalent in our own RL families, too. TBH, these family relationships are why I keep watching RHoNJ.

^^ OMG, thank you for pointing out the HORRENDOUS make-up job on Reiko at the fashion show. Girl looked like she was 65 -- and she's the second youngest of the women on this show (the youngest being Christina). The bullying and ganging-up on Mary was awful to behold and, as Mary pointed out, it was so high-school. Jody thinks she is Queen Bee but in actual fact Ronnie is Queen Bee and that's why some of the other women sided so readily with her. They want to keep playing tennis on her ocean-side open tennis court. Jody seems to spot softness and vulnerability from a mile off and homes in like a shark. I am so ready for Ronnie to be exposed AND get the help she needs. And, while it is a co-dependent relationship, I do hope that Ronnie and Mary eventually patch things up. After rehab. Christina is The Awesome. And I feel her with those press-ups. After 15-20 of those, my arms turn to jelly. I think she keeps in shape from horse-riding (which is quite physical), skiing (well, they are in British Columbia) and... you know. That other stuff she is good at, lol.

IA, it really is like the RHoBH and I love the glitzy, social feel of it all. Most of these women are properly RICH. Ronnie is so in denial about her drinking that it's not even funny. I'm wondering if she really is a drinker or just playing it up for the cameras. The name "Rehab" for a wine seems like such a wink and a joke to me. She has a sense of humour and approach which is very masculine. And for a drinker, Ronnie looks flawless and surprisingly healthy. I feel bad for Mary that she is being frozen out of the group so horribly (it really is like high school), even though her little-girl voice bothers me. Christina continues to be fab. Jody is a [!@#$%^&*]-stirrer. Vancouver looks so gorgeous.