Cat

+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.

They made Dr. Nicholas Perricone look like a total quack in the RHoNJ episode. His skin, diet and exercise advice is, on the whole, realistic and full of common sense. And it works! [/NicholasPerriconpromotion] Speaking of quacks, Ashlee's on valium? Who the hell prescribed her that?

What a fascinating insight on what I consider one of the quality EPs of Y&R. They are so right -- his production style was indeed luscious. I love how he pays tribute to film (the Ross Hunter of Daytime -- Ross Hunter produced Doris Day/Rock Hudson's Pillow Talk which is a gorgeous-looking movie and, I think, still stands up to scrutiny today as being a truly funny romcom). However, he also has such pride to be working in Daytime and perfecting every little detail on the show. Of course, he made a lot of enemies, not least WJB himself, and his last stint at GL was completely panned. Still, I always love hearing about these ominpotent producers' trajectory and stories. There is method to their madness.

What a twit. Dana literally made me break out in hives whenever she came on screen. +3 with the Christina love. I was telling DaytimeFan how I could see why men were drawn to her even though she comes right out and owns the fact that she is a golddigger. She is charming, a good listener and glamorous enough to fit in any gathering. I also am warming to Ronnie (didn't at first) and even though Jody is in some ways monstrous, she drives an awful lot of the show and for that I really enjoy her snark. The dynamic between her and Christina (and the fact that Christina feels completely intimidated and powerless around her) is fascinating to watch. RHoNJ badly needs Danielle Staub to come back and kick things up a gear, otherwise it is going to be a loooooong season.

Teresa is the world's worst liar. She lies like she breathes and yet gets caught out about it at every turn. And the idea that Joe G wasn't shtupping half of Atlantic City's hooker population -- yeah right. I sort of wish we got more of Gia/Milania/whatever the Cabbage Patch Kid is called calling her dad out on his extramarital affairs/ Hot damn. I still have the biggest crush on Jacqueline's husband Chris. RHoV: Next week's bitch fight looks EPIC with drunken Ronnie slumped in that easy chair with a glass of chardonnay in her hand. Also Christina rocks. Oh, and why do they always refer to Ronnie's "niece" in inverted commas? Is this a euphemism for something? Her tennis instructor? House sitter? Barmaid?

I saw that video had been posted and was coming on here to alert you, Carl! Finally Kathleeen Turner in all her Veronica Lake-esque glory. It's funny how observers of the genre said that the decline for The Doctors came in the mid-1970s; this episode is 1979 and pretty good writing, I would say. Meg Mundy is magnificent as the matriarch. The conversation between Carolee and Steve is so tender. And when Nola hangs up on Carolee, lol. A classic soaps channel. That's what we need!

I am watching. And I am LOVING the show thus far. Partly its because RHoNJ, RHoATL and RHoOC have been such crashing disappointments this season. The upcoming RHoNY looks pretty dull, too. I am hopeful that my Jersey girls redeem themselves this season. Vancouver has a Beverly Hills vibe without the wife-beating and twisted emotional playacting. It looks absolutely stunning, and these women's spending habits could put even Lisa and Adrienne to shame. After the first two episodes, I am already loving Christina even though she is a big ole ho. And "30." Uh huh. I like that Christina actually stands up for Mary, unlike Mary's supposed BFF Ronnie who threw Mary under the bus the moment somebody more powerful and connected (Jody) came along. Ronnie is stunning on the outside but clearly petty on the inside and, if the boozing is any indication, in need of filling a void in her life. I also thought the way Christina graciously received Ronnie's mean birthday "gifts" was diplomatic and classy. Very classy. Mary... well, the jury is still out. I like that she's nice. I hope she develops a backbone hanging out with Christina, too. Otherwise she'll be like Taylor, getting other people to fight her battles for her. Reiko -- not sure. She could be smart and spunky. Or she could turn into a Cynthia -- a total bore. Don't hate me but even though Jody seems like a real bitch, I also think she's "my" kind of bitch, i.e. calls it like she sees it. And she's older and crusty. She doesn't need to impress anybody. Depending on how the season goes, I think I may grow to enjoy her.

Frankly, Heather belongs more on RHoBH than she does RHoOC. The OC women, god love them, are aging Barbies who lost all most of their viable financial assets in the subprime/housing crash of 2007-08.

^^ Oh, Slade (or "Slave" as the folks at Reality Tea call him) is just horrendous. He has been since the very first episode of RHoOC. The man is a misogynist control freak. i assume he tries to manipulate the women in his life to make him feel better about his own... shortcomings? Forcing his girlfriend (Jo) to give up a job she loved so that he could be the sole breadwinner? Yeah, she did well to move on without him. She was clearly going places and he wasn't -- and he knew it. It is poetic justice now seeing him subject to Gretchen's every beck and call, but that comedy routine he did really underscored the resentment he feels towards a lot of women. I'm actually kind of surprised given how cool and together his mother is and how tight he seems with her. Vicki is playing up her role as the shocked, religious, goody-two shoes this season, I think. That doesn't mean I don't love her, though. In a way, it shows that she can laugh at herself a little. And Briana's cancer is no joke. You could tell when V was talking with her at dinner how desperately worried and upset she is.

OMG. I just started watching this show -- zipped through the first 5 episodes thus far -- and I love it. Can't wait to watch more. Queen Victoria is the bomb.

Wow. I had forgotten how stilted the acting could be in those early episodes. Even old pro Susan Flannery looked stiff and uncomfortable (though it was nice of B&B to through her in head-to-toe Chanel -- a Chanel pantsuit would do wonders for her today). KKL, Jim Storm, Lauren Koslow and Joanna Johnson stood out with their naturalness and ease in front of the camera.

Ah yes, I remember that. I also remember Chubby CJ and Rick having a rivalry in middle school and TBH that was the best part of the entire "young Rick" story. Rick shooting Grant led to Ridge "bravely" deciding to take the fall for Rick and he nobly went to jail for a few weeks, where I'm sure his chiseled good looks made him the man-crush of the inmates. BTW, I thought Grant was just swoonsome and would have loved to see him pursue a relationship with Taylor, much to the consternation of Stephanie and Ridge. I also think that Grant was Macy's best pairing.

OK, so sue me but I loved Crazy Brooke in Barbados! It was part of a huge umbrella SL which started with Ridge finding a letter saying that the DNA test proving that Bridget was his daughter was actually false. Thank you for posting the first two episodes ever. I loveloveLOVED early B&B. I actually remember watching the preparations for the fashion show when it first aired. KKL was stunning back then. And woah @ Ridge's suit.