Cat

I find Sai hard to warm to for precisely the reasons you indicate. During the Anguilla trip, she did show her fun side, which was welcome. But she is definitely stirring the pot -- encouraging Ubah and Jessel to b!tch about Erin whilst getting Erin riled up about them. I see in the preview that she keeps gate-keeping the 'my trauma is worse than your trauma' stuff with Jessel. This is after her ridiculous meltdown on the boat because she didn't deem Jessel's history authentic. For the record, Jessel needs to stop with the false equivalencies of 'My uncle was an alcoholic, just like your mom!' (as next week's trailer shows). It is not the same, and Sai is 100% right to point that out. Nevertheless (and I know I've said this before), this very privileged group is strangely competitive when it comes to hard-luck stories. I see it in real life too, especially among connected, wealthy people. It's like they are low-key embarrassed about their wealth and background, and that only with backstories involving poverty/neglect/hard work/against the odds can they somehow 'prove' their credibility or authenticity -- and burnish their brand. Sai definitely believes she has already won that game, and it comes off as smug. Maybe she is entitled to be smug given all she has achieved in her life! She seems to have worked hard at it and was not handed opportunities on a silver platter -- of that I have no doubt. Sai can be unlikeable, and that's unusual on these RH popularity contests. "Dubai, BH, Potomac, NJ, and Miami are all going to pop up November/December" ---- Wait, what? All 5 shows screening at the same time?? That's too much! My sweet spot is 3 at a time, in case one of the shows is a dud. How can I choose between BH, Potomac, Miami?? I'm intrigued by Dubai's sophomore season for sure. (NJ if it weren't for the fact that I am now completely exhausted by the Gorga family dynamics). It would be nice if Potomac were starting about now, leading into a December start for BH and Miami. I feel like Potomac and BH wrapped up filming some time ago. Dubai too.

Thanks for the head's up, because that, and Jessel's digital Burn Book, was the funniest thing on the episode! I cackled evilly when Erin in her VT started welling up and getting shaky-voiced as she painfully gulped the words "Long.... Jaw.... Silver." We all have our cross to bear when it comes to middle-school trauma, but in the context of nu-RHONY's wealthy bubble, it's time for Erin and Jessel to give up: Sai and Brynn have pretty much won the Feel-Sorry-For-Me Olympics on this show, lol. Unless Ubah reveals something in next week's episode. Like many of you, I think both Erin and Ubah did themselves no favors with how they handled this argument. Ubah dragged out the anger and resentment for much longer than needed. She is super intense, a little anxious, and fixates on issues, making them bigger than they actually are (as a fellow singleton, i can relate to that; we don't have a partner to bounce things off of). However, one reason she was holding onto a grudge was that she never got a straight apology from Erin. Erin demands immediate apologies fron the women, but when they demand one from her, they get dismissed with "It's a joke! Don't you have a sense of humor?" Or "that was 3 months ago, get over it." (Both are like red flags in front of a bull for me). Erin can dish it out but she can't take it. Since the first episode, she's been picking on people's words and behaviour, looking for a stick to beat them with. (Notice how she and Sai are allied in going after Jessel going in next week's episode). Now that the other women have cottoned onto her game, she doesn't like being on the other side of their scrutiny. In the end, though, I like that the two pretty much got over it by episode's end. Until reunion, that is.

Oh this gives me a lot of hope! The glorious thing about RHOM OGs was how full their lives are. They are genuinely thrilled about their RH experience but continue to live their great lives fully. If the cameras are there, great. If not... life goes on. The fact that they reunited with Gina, Chyka (who went to London, Paris and Tuscany on an amazing holiday this summer) and Lydia makes me happy as a fan. Dancing to the goddess Kylie's fantastic comeback --- this is how life should be lived. 🙌 And yes Gina remains a MVP. Always! Lisa was hilarious. She really pricked the other women's pretentiousness and gave LOL moments. Krissy and Nicole can only wish. Speaking of Star Wars, didn't she call Krissy Chewbacca?

Gina was the ultimate Real Housewife. Beyond Iconic. If we are compiling a true list of Real Housewife legends, alongside Nene and LVP, there absolutely has to be Gina Liano. I wish she and Lydia would return to the Melbourne retool, but I think they've moved on with their lives. Lydia would be more likely to return than Gina, in fact. As for SLC --- Little Girl was way too defensive, and I notice she saved all her F-bombs for the viewers questioning her about the photo (!), rather than the racist thirst-trap who showed up uninvited to her event. As a business, you absolutely have the right to quietly remove someone from your premises during an important launch. The priority is the event, which must not be derailed. What was Whit afraid that sad-sack would do? Boohoo outside in the snow?

Little Girl has responded very, very defensively. So the thirsty never-was that was Jennie decides (while SLC is currently airing) to show up at Whitney's event with her own camera crew?? I'm shocked Little Girl didn't have security escort her out. I get that in the moment she probably didn't know how to react, but im not sure I would have agreed to a photo. Because we all know a photo preserves that moment in time for posterity. I saw the 'trailer' for RHOSydney. I have thoughts. First of all, that trailer showed so little of the season that I have to hope another, fuller, better trailer will be forthcoming. Because this peek gave me no incentive to watch. Secondly, all they could get of the old guard was Krissy Marsh (who did some solid RH work, it has to be said) and her silent BFF Nicole? What about the three MVPs of S1 -- Victoria, Athena X and Lisa?? OK so Lisa was probably despised because she was trolling the cast the whole time, and Athena was legitimately batsh!t, but Victoria wasn't available? I'm surprised they didn't bring at least one of those three to the reboot. Thirdly....I miss my Melbourne ladies! A franchise like Sydney is 100% missing a Janet or a Gamble.

The gang up, as Taylor rightly pointed out to Heather, was entirely because of jealousy regarding Heather's money. Now that Heather has sold her house for $55mn, this puts her in a stratospheric realm of wealth that none of these women will likely ever achieve. And they're bitter about it. Especially Emily, Gina, Tamra and Shannon. Tamra has been angling to make Heather the target since she got back on the show. She never forgave Heather for returning to the show last season and not bringing her along then. The moment Tamra reconciled with Shannon in Montana, I knew Heather would become the target, and Heather knew it too. Do I think the Dubrows are obnoxious with their money? I do, but I also think Heather is a necessary component for the show. In fact, both Tamra and Heather are needed because I've never seen Heather so activated as she was this season. She's been front and centre in a lot of SLs. Judging by next week's trailer, Tamra is going to show her hand in the Get Heather plot. What's incredible to me is the way Gina is going to duck accountability yet again, playing the 'Poor me, I thought Heather was my friend' card. She's been waiting to play that card all season. If you rewatch the Mexico dinners, you will notice that Gina is the one who starts a lot of the initial, seemingly innocuous questions that put Heather on the spot and trigger the passive-aggressive attacks from others, but she hides it behind a bright, friendly smile. She's also been stirring her buddy Emily against Heather. I wonder if she and Tamra have had a quiet alliance all this time. Given the recent DUI news with Shannon, watching these Mexico episodes have been illuminating. From her Tequila tagline, to her barely-hidden drinking, to her insecurities triggered by John, a lot of the signs point to what was to come off-screen. I've been catching up on the last three episodes and this has been their best season RHOC has had in YEARS. Jenn Pedranti is a great addition, Heather is activated, Tamra is at Peak Season 7 ruthlessness, Shannon is Shannon, Vicki and Taylor are solid FOHs, Emily is finally settling into the cast... I have really been entertained by it all. A welcome return to form.

I feel the same way you do. Empathy because this is something real she has been struggling with for years. Horror that she so cavalierly disregarded the lives of people around her, her own life and the dog's too. You can see the way she careened around that corner that she was not in coherent control of the car. The crash itself was small, though, and for that, she is very lucky. It could have been so much worse. Your point about Jeff Lewis is a good one. With the show and Bravo fame and Tres Amigos shenanigans and all that, Shannon is just not incentivized to tackle her drinking in any way. I hope this wakes her up and makes her see she has a drinking problem. She has to cone to that realisation, though. If she doesn't, she's going to keep self-soothing her loneliness and anxiety with alcohol. Ubah probably does have trouble pushing teasing too far, and Erin too. The nice thing, though, is that the two seem to have got past it all. It's actually nice to see that they're not dragging this out in some RH 'feud' :

The statement from Patricia Miller is heart-breaking in its quiet strength. I feel heartbroken for her, his entire family, and Kelly Monaco who must be bereft. This has really hit hard,. So young, and struggling with bipolar disorder. I wish beyond the telling of it that he'd had access to the help and support he needed.

I get why Ubah was miffed. It's not that she's addicted to her phone (a problem many in the world share). It's the fact that people have EVERYTHING on their phones. Credit card, bank details, personal info. If they lose it, they panic, thinking how the hell am I going to restore that information? Who has access to my stuff? So I can understand why Ubah didn't find it funny. Erin is... one of those people who thinks she's hilarious and brays at you "IT'S FUNNY, HA-HA?, DO YOU NOT, LIKE, GET IT?" She's constantly demanding that the other women justify themselves to her and calls them liars if they don't conform to what she believes to be true. It's been an effective technique throughout the season, but now Ubah (flicking away Erin's Dior sunglasses) has essentially stood up to her. Erin was trying to pull the whole "Ubah is making me feel intimidated" spiel but Ubah cut that short. In next week's preview, I don't like the way Erin keeps telling Ubah to shut up. Erin is lowkey scared of Sai and would never talk to her the way she did Ubah or Brynn on this trip. Brynn and Jenna are hilarious. Brynn is definitely leaning into that sugar-baby persona. Thought Sai was out of line with Jessel (but not out of line with the pool-push, which was funny). Erin and Sai want everything complex explained in 120 characters or less -- in broad, simple, snappy strokes. If Sai cannot comprehend why Jessel was talking about her parents' experience and why that's imprinted on her, that's not Jessel's problem, that's Sai's. Sai was looking for a moment. One thing I will say -- I've been looking forward to watching the show every week. I feel like Reunion is now around the corner.

In total denial. Shannon hasn't been right with her drinking since she joined RHOC, but it definitely intensified after the affair came out. Neighborhood ring-cams have the footage. I really wish she had Ubered if she had been drinking. You hit the nail on the head. This production team wants to Potomac RHOA and it's like shoving a square peg into a round hole. It just does not work.

Yikes -- Shannon booked for a DUI. (And Archie was apparently in the car with her).

It's been truly devastating -- some ATWT greats have departed also. I'm still under the shock of the news this morning.

I think we can imagine, given his own significant struggles. Just devastating all around. I wonder if Billy Miller was ever on MB's State of Mind podcast. TBH I've always appreciated the actors telling their stories and journeys on that podcast.

Awww SMG! He and Liz Hendrickson must have dated. She sounds absolutely devastated. If the quote from his manager is true, saying he suffered from manic depression.... wow. I feel like that energy sometimes came through in his performance as Billy Abbott, a character struggling with self-esteem issues which were medicated with alcohol. I feel so sad that Miller's own struggle with depression ended abruptly and so young. 😥

I saw Michael Fairman's Tweet and came right here. I remember him on AMC, Y&R and GH and it was clear what a charismatic, talented actor he was -- too good for Daytime some said at the time. I was always surprised he never hit it big in Primetime TBH. I remember seeing him in a tiny role in a movie with Bradley Cooper, American Sniper?, and hoping it might lead him to other roles. He reinvented the role of Billy Abbott on Y&R and brought it into adulthood, and as @DRW50 said, it was MAB's reviled run at the show which perhaps prevented me from giving him his props on Y&R at the time. He later went to GH and greatly impressed me there. In recent years, did it seem like he had left acting and moved back to Texas, or did I imagine that? I believe he and Kelly Monaco were in a longtime relationship-- she especially seemed very much in love with him. I hope she is OK right now, this must be devastating for her.

There was (and still is in South Africa and parts of Kenya) a significant Indian population in Africa, courtesy of the expansive British Empire, and they were often in trade or commerce. Living in London, I've met many offspring of East African Asians. In fact, the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, his parents were born and raised in Tanzania and Kenya. I have a close acquaintance who was born in Uganda but had to leave with only the clothes on his back when Idi Amin came to.power. Amin came to power on promises of restoring Uganda to its native populations, and since the Indian communities in Africa had been rather successful financially, that had bred some resentment between groups. It must have been wrenching to leave and start anew with nothing. I can understand some of what Jessel was trying and failing to say. Sometimes it's hard to relate a more nuanced history to others who are used to brief, broad strokes. And maybe they are not as familiar with the painful intertwining of experiences under Empire and post-colonial breakup, when different groups were pitted against each other in the tumult that followed.

IA Jessel has featured family and is enough of an odd bunny to be watchable. The insert-foot aspect is real, and her competing with Sai, Brynn and Jenna in the Victim Olympics (and failing) was actually pretty funny. She is not the person I would have picked to have been the most entertaining of the pack when this show first started, but im glad an unlikely audience fave has nabbed that spot. (I tend to chafe against the official Bravo picks like Jen Shah and Gizelle). Erin is probably the strongest personality in this whole group who always thinks she is right and won't try to sidestep a confrontation. I can see why she's seated where she is. Disagree on Jenna! Her special privileges and Bravo favoritism rile the other women up, and that's a good thing. Same re: Jenna. There's something endearing about her, but she also uses that endearment to curry favor and get her way. As a viewer, I can appreciate watching both contradictions in this woman. The show has been an entertaining watch, and I pretty much like all the cast. I haven't warmed to Sai and have this knee-jerk bias against all things influencer. I just don't think clothes should be a filler for personality (see Erika Jayne). However, this last episode, Sai was winning me over with her talking about her mom, and her generally confidently running this trip like it's her show. I like Ubah too and hope we get more of her before the season wraps up. She is gorgeous and brings energy to a table which often leans into petty complaints and competitive personal stories. Brynn is a classic teller of tales and over-exaggerater, and is bound to come up against Erin who parses every detail you say and uses them to come back at you.

Drew singing a breakup song *at* Ralph to end the show was truly one of the most insane and cringe things I have ever seen. Drew as a RH is almost proudly cringeworthy: the mix of tall tales/lies, her mana's religiousity, her trying to keep up with the cool kids in the cast but still singing a song with the word 'poop' in it.... I can't. In some ways, Drew doesn't quite belong on this cast, and I'm.not sure the audience fully embraces someone they know is lying on some things. On the other hand, this was the only crazy drama this season had and it culminated perfectly into a surprisingly compelling reunion. Courtney is awful, and from Tampa apparently, and I can totally see her being Ralph's sidechick. She tried to get on the show; I hope she didn't succeed. Ralph is a soulless individual out for himself. Drew and Kenya are 100% right: instead of supporting his wife, he sides with all her enemies and attempts to sell her down the river for a spot on the reunion couch. Just trash. Kandi actually did a lot of work this,season to bring Drew's marriage and affair to the fore. The fact that Drew didn't really seem bothered by that makes me wonder how much she wanted to embrace this leading-damsal role and what exactly was seld-scripted and what wasn't. Next season needs a partial retool but not a full reboot. I'd like to see the left couch return KKD) but maybe not the right couch (SMS).

Nu-RHONY Reunion seating chart! I'd say this is fair. Would have possibly swapped Erin for Jenna. Erin tries to make the drama, but Jenna kind of *is* the drama. Jessel is where she should be. Brynn and Sai must be seething. Not just thirsty. She's one of those people who thinks she is inherently fascinating and 'in the know.' I can't bear the podcast where she's all "Here's the thing, guys" and bragging about her WhatsApp group with The Coven.

@Cheap21 is going to be thrilled about Meredith leaning into that bathtub 'SL.' 😅

First of all, November 5th? This promo is about a month too early! Secondly, if I were Toya, Simone, Jackie, Heavenly, etc., I would be pissed that Phaedra gets a stand-alone promo. What are they, chopped liver? They helped make M2M great, and now some RHOA transplant sashays in?? LOL, I exaggerate. I am looking forward to the season promo, though.

We really don't! I'm hoping this is unsubstantiated rumor. I've been enjoying how light and uncomplicated the show's first season has been. And I don't want that rageful, entitled narcissist to stomp in (with her scrawny ass hanging out of a g-string) throwing toddler tantrums. Retool vs completely Reboot. Would you do a complete revamp? There is also the RHONY S5 option: fire 50% of the cast, hire a new 50%. Personally I liked it, but it all depends on cast chemistry. Currently ATL is half OG, half relative newbies, but that mix isn't gelling. I never want to see Miami on OG RHONY again! Terribly dull episodes. I only want to see it on RHOMiami where it has been lovingly showcased in all its glory. I always wanted Eboni for the reboot rather than Leah, but im.not sure how she would fit with this group of (largely) millennials who can't get over how achingly trendy (they think) they are. She's a Gen X newsy broadcaster who would fit perfectly with The View.

1. I don't count the Hamptons as it feels like an extension of NYC. I actually loved that the cast went to Anguilla, it reminded me of the glorious proper vacations the RHs used to have before they went budget and settled on Miami or San Diego. However, I get your point about Where is NYC? I feel like a lot of scenes have occurred either in apartments or in places without much NY character. The exception was Jenna walking her brother around Rockefeller Center which looked gorgeous. 2. It was mini-pile-up. Not a full take-down but just letting Jenna know that they can see through some of her excuses. I can see both sides -- if I had a chance to take business class and stay at the Four Seasons? I'd take it! An anxious control freak like Jenna wants mastery of her surroundings first. At the same time, she got a lot of outs in her contract (not having to show her GF or her child, for example), and the other women are clearly resentful about that and want to knock her off her pedestal a little. Jenna does have physical issues that she feels she must manage but I agree also that she uses them to get sympathy, favors, etc., too. 3. I loved all those individual vignettes, and shout-out to Brynn's ex-fiancé Gideon last week who seemed totally in love with her. All those individual scenes rounded out the character of these women individually. I'm starting to think that Jessel & Parvitt actually work as a couple! LOL. Jessel and her mom also was a great scene where she revealed her IVF trauma. I love Ubah too and feel like she brings a certain element of joy to the proceedings. I worry that she's not as embedded as much in the drama as others and that will mean one-season wonder. Erin is a walking 'force multiplier' as Carlos King likes to call them -- someone who will always look for drama with someone. I'm still not feeling Sai. I'm sorry, I'm just not. A rumor doing that rounds that sent cold chills down my spine: Leah McSweeney has apparently (in the mind of someone on Twitter X whateveritscalled) been asked to join the next season of the RHONY reboot. ------------- RHOBH AmsterDAMN episode with Barbies

Why is it that RHOA reunions are often better than the seasons themselves? The cast feels more interactive and coherent in real time. Like, obviously Kenya despises Marlo, and Kandi has fallen out with both Drew and Sheree. But sometimes the way they interact... there is a long-time understanding there. These women know each other very well, and we get throw-backs to Marc Daly and Marlo tried to sidle up to him. Or we get the acknowledgement that Drew is not honest about herself on camera and everybody knows it. Speaking of Marc... it is crazy how that divorce is not final and he is still suing Kenya for every little thing he can think of. I cannot get over how much he hates Kenya. It is approaching Jason Hoppy-hates-Bethenny levels. Sheree should never have touched her proud, distinctive nose. OTOH, she made an attempt to come and play this reunion. The She News thing is so budget-word-doc-on-Kairo's-14-year-old-laptop... but it is so her. I cackled. Neither Monyetta nor Courtney do anything for me.

Gotta agree with all of you, that was a great premiere for RHOSLC. The fact that Jen Shah is mo longer on the show has liberated the cast who, in previous seasons, were forced to centre their entire story around her -- while at the same time trying to distract from talking about her trial. It made for a schizophrenic, dissonant show. This premiere could finally discuss Jen at liberty (thanks, Monica), without taking away from the core of the show, which is now going to be these women's stories. Even Martyr Heather is moving onwards and upwards in her life. Even boohooing about her BFF ( @Taoboi we called it!), she seems hugely relieved that Jailbird isn't around to suck the oxygen out of the room. Lisa Barlow remains as narcissistic as ever (cool to see her in work mode at Sundance), and her hubby is over it. I actively giggled when LB started sobbing about her son telling her that he wasn't like her. She simply cannot fathom anyone not being like her, or relating themselves to her. Mary is a sight for sore eyes! Her puncturing the other women's made-for-TV fakery is very welcome on this show. Meredith seems more upbeat, in control, energized, and out of her valium haze. Little Girl is still the same. It's weird how she hasn't really evolved since S1.