Cat

First of all -- who wanted Rinna to join?? LOL not the viewers! (The irony of Rinna turning down All Stars because money/she's above this. In the unofficial RH pecking order, there is NO WAY Rinna is above Teresa, Ramona, Kenya, Luann or even Kyle. And when struggling-for-ratings E! issues a press release to assure its 7 remaining viewers that Lisa and the Hamlins will not be getting a reality show... ). It also says a lot that even with Kyle on board, Bravo could not find another BH housewife to fill Rinna's spot. That doesn't say great things about the longtime core BH cast. @Soaplovers Imagine how the dynamic would have changed if Bravo had added both Gizelle and Karen!

Very brief clips from the new Melbourne. I am a little worried about this Foxtel clip which features a kerfuffle over the proper glasses for champagne. *cue visions of S8 BH* God bless Janet, lol. I've seen disappointment on social media over the trailer. There are some people who want to skip directly to the Bluestone Manor instalment because the lineup there is so iconic. I'll watch both. But LOL the trailer used a snippet of Melissa saying "Thank you Jesus" and it took me back to Melissa five nose-jobs prior (technically S3 RHONJ) when she was trying very hard to make that catchphrase happen. Trying and failing.

Maybe it will be like some of the VPR reunions, where Andy has Nicki sitting on his left like he does with LVP, and she interjects and asks a few questions of her own.

My hope is that, while Bravo is clearly hoping for some brief, meme-able fireworks from her, she chooses substantive questions over flashy, rehearsed reads. The situation with Candiace vs Ashley is underscored by the fact that Ashley is so amazingly effective in her pot-stirring. She is 100% in control when she starts something with Candiace, who is immediately triggered and flies off the handle. Because Ashley lives rent-free in her head. Candiace has no rationality when it comes to Ashley, and Ashley knows it. OTOH, Ashley has every right to point out Candiace's pattern of verbal attacks, first against Ashley, and now against Mia. The fact is, Candiace has become deeply mean and angry, and it is infecting every interaction in her life. The constant threats are a problem. Remember Porsha's anger issues on RHOA? Kandi and Nene called it out at reunion and made it very clear that nobody would film with Porsha or offer her job opportunities unless she did something about that. Why has nobody called Candiace out on her outsized anger? Gizelle referred to Candiace's 'garbage mouth' on WWHL last week, but I'm talking about the threats, not to mention the way she attempted to pummel her husband. I suspect it is because the GEBs and Ashley sit back and let Candiace's rage do all the work so they don't have to. Reunion would be a good place to raise these issues, and if the cast didn't want to really confront them, maybe Nicki did? (Cue Candiace bringing up Cardi B).

BH reunion sneak peak, and Kyle is at it again, walking that fine line between 'It's just a joke!' and 'I saved this evidence against you for reunion day.' Erika's face throughout 💀 Shes so bitter and has zero remorse for her bad behavior. Hurling more phobic insults at Mia's looks? She thinks it's cute. Her spoiled brat ass won't take accountability for anything, so I imagine she'll be doubling down at reunion.

When the angry chihuahua slapped her husband's hands away, i literally gasped out loud. It feels like we got a glimpse into their home life. What a dysfunctional relationship, and I'm not sure how long Chris is going to put up with having to parent an angry baby while getting hit in return. I don't blame Wendy for getting her own back at the Grumpy Evil Bandits, but having your period without access to a private bathroom is the worst, heh. Speakimg from experience. Interesting that, as sympathetic as Ashley and Askale were, no-one was ready to give up their en-suites to the two grumpy whomp-whomps. Seeing Kenya outright irritated by Kyle was a thing of beauty. Finally a production team that isn't there to cast her in the best light. Even though I think Purveyors of Pop are a lousy production team. They did M2M and got Mariah kicked off the show in order to re-center it around Quad (a move nobody but Fraud was asking for). Kyle may not have a producing contract, but she definitely wields power. She herself said that before every season, she invites the producers to a restaurant and they go through the upcoming season SLs. Ahem. Talk of a contract makes me wonder if Bethenny had one. She's always claiming credit for the hiring and firing of certain HWs on RHONY, and some SLs too.

LOL, I noticed that, too -- they all got a flashback to the most iconic line they uttered, except for Kyle who got Ken's voice laid over her pic!

omg @Cheap21 I can't 😄 The inner part of my eye is hurting just looking at those pics. Real Housewives Ultimate Girl Trip trailer

I hope so, too, but it certainly didn't stop her from influencing her many fans not to get the vax. I'm not a particular fan of Ms. Minaj... though neither am I a hater. A lot of her commentary regarding RHOP probably aligns with my opinions. Like me, Nicki is biased. Should she have co-hosted the reunion? Not saying Andy isn't biased (!). But where things might go left is if the Minaj of it all overshadows Candiace's segments. Apparently NM dislikes Candiace, and Candiace may go: 'Oh, you brought in somebody who hates me,' and then THAT becomes the issue. And then we get pointy-napkin tears, walking off set and more self-victimization. I CANNOT listen to that spoiled child whine about how everything bad in her life is somebody else's fault. I want Candiace to hear why fans and castmates are put off by her aggression and respond to those allegations. Of course, am still going to watch! 😄

Did she get vaxxed for this? 🤔 ETA: Queens of Bravo asking all the questions I wanted to ask:

What everybody else said. There was no PTSD. Candiace baited Monique like she's baited people on prior seasons, and this time someone took her up on her offer. Her pride was hurt when she had to be led out of there holding her wig in place. So she leaned into her victimhood in order to get Monique off the show. Now she's gone, Candiace's trauma has magically evaporated, to the point where she is pulling the same failed tactic on someone new.

Team Mia on this whole altercation. This was the first time we saw a genuinely upset Mia. I still don't quite know what Candiace is upset about as it relates to Ms Dorothy! I don't recall Mia trashing her momma like this. I've seen toddlers conduct themselves with more self-control than Candiace. And did she just scream at Mia about breaking sh!t when we just saw Candiace was the one smashing baubles and dishes? I can't. She isn't showing an ounce of remorse either which, if I recall correctly, was the main reason for refusing to film with Monique last season.

@DRW50 @DaytimeFan You beat me to it! I remember Holly Valance on SCD, she was living in London at the time and dating one of the Candy brothers who were and are global property giants. I can see how PK might know them as he was on the London property scene back in the 90s and 2000s. What I recall from SCD was that Holly Valance seemed nice enough, but she didn't have an amazing work ethic and was a bit lazy about training. Which I put down to her being a beautiful woman who had never really had to 'try' in life. That and dating a billionaire. Therefore, I don't know if she will have the inclination to 'bring the drama'. One thing to note is that prior to her pop career, Holly was on Australian soap Neighbors, launching pad for many a rising Aussie talent (Kylie Minogue, Russell Crowe, etc). So she knows how soaps go. Something in common with Eileen and Rinna, maybe. ETA: Garcelle does need a real friend on the show. Crystal said she had no close friends but I really don’t believe that. Like @Soaplovers, I think she's keeping her real life circle close and away from the mess, lol.

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What shocked me almost as much as Andy asking the tough questions was Rinna and Erika getting the narrative setting segment at the top of the trailer! WTF was that ki-ki-ing nonsense? I assumed Bravo would be pissed at Erika leaking this early, but now I'm wondering whether they agreed that she could leak it on her SM? Reunion looks lit though. Erika still fails to muster any empathy for anyone but herself. Gaslighting like crazy. Screaming that Garcelle should have sought her out to discuss her insane behaviour? Garcelle sat down with her at least 3 times this season. And each time Rinna told her 'Maybe I'll turn on you, maybe I won't.' At some point you've got to stop giving a mad dog opportunities to bite you.

And Coco has joined Milou! She lived a good long life -- I'm sure Ramona spoiled her to bits. Confession: I am about 2-3 episodes behind on SLC. Two RH shows on the same night is more difficult than if three were spread out over the week! Potomac Agree with everybody who pointed out that the GEBs were not missed at Chesapeake, and that's why the producers told them to grab a toothbrush and get their ass down there if they wanted to maintain relevancy. I really dislike their stank-faced attitude/power play. The only reason the GEBs pulled this was to sabotage Wendy's trip and lord it over the others how 'important' they are. Maybe they thought filming would fold without them. Even Ashley does her job and makes an effort to participate! ITA that Mia does not fit, and her husband is doing too much and way too thirsty for camera time. Eddie's face listening to all that was basically: Napoleon complex! Candiace is very insecure about her position (literally and figuratively) with respect to the rest of the cast. She is also one of the most dissatisfied, entitled and bitter HWs on air right now (and that's saying something -- hello, Erika Jayne). Even during her music video, Candiace seemed to be seething with rage. She is apoplectic when Mia and Ashley do not show her the 'respect' she feels she deserves -- the respect her mother (who demeans her constantly) has clearly never shown her. And so she reverts to a teenager mouthing off, especially with the ridiculous baiting ("Drag me, Monique!"). I tried the baiting tactic once when I was 15 and had to backtrack super-quickly! It never ends well.

They've delayed filming RHOA because even Bravo admits the show needs some retooling. I think the first thing they should 'retool' is that uninspired, mediocre production company producing dull, wafer-thin fare for the past four seasons! Also, as soon as the Porsha-Simon engagement broke, Bravo cameras should have sped over there to start filming that mess and the rest of the cast's reactions to it. Sit outside Simon's garage, get Falyn to comment, all of it. But they wanted to give their precious princess Space, Prayers and Privacy During This Difficult Time and keep her happy for the spinoff, so the rest of us must now wait. 😄 I don't mind the wait -- as long as they get RHOA right.

BH was filler, but good-natured and relatively non-toxic filler (including Erika over-hearing Garcelle/Sutton/Rinna). Plus I needed a break from Bamboozle baring her teeth at Sutton. I liked Crystal the most this episode. She showed some of herself, and she exposed Rinna's manipulations on the bathing-suit front. The irony is that Crystal has an absolutely stunning 90s Baywatch Babe body and is naturally gorgeous. She was also a good sport. This episode was a turning point in that almost everybody was bitching about Erika in their VTs. Sutton saying NOTHING when Erika was being fake-nice suggests that Sutton knows the tide has turned. A few weeks prior, the cast would have fallen into Bamboozle's arms, sobbing in relief, like "OMG thank you for forgiving me!" Also the astounding amount of make-up on Erika's face -- I can't. She's been trying to channel Norma Desmond all season. Is there any Erika Chahoy Girardi left? Or are these melodramatic personas filling some kind of narcissistic/self-hating void? The role-playing Alters are the reason why no-one in the audience believes anything she is saying. Speaking of lewks -- I am beyond over 'Fashionista' Dorit. Her 10th nose isn't doing it for me, nor is the hair -- the dark roots with the bright blonde look ugly and unkempt, and those two long bangs on either side of her face are awful, too. Rinna looked great with her hair glossily slicked back. That's all I got. Garcelle's "Never have I ever stolen" -- I gasped. You know The Coven will jump on that at Reunion. "GaRcElLe WaS sO MeAn!!!!" Kandi and Kenya really exposed the heavy PR work that goes into making Porsha viable on RHOA, and that was an eye-opener for me. The Simon/Falyn mess doesn't help, because it looks like P's trying to white-wash her gold-diggery and husband-stealing (yes, I know Falyn and Simon were 'having problems' blah blah -- not a great excuse to come between them). Plus I wanted to see Thirstay Simon revel in the infamy on RHOA! You know he wanted to. But Porsha was too afraid of being called out. She cannot handle it. Trust that Pursuit of Porsha is going to be ultra-scripted, cutesy BS, aka Just Two Crazy Kids in Love. I'm not really interested in that -- unless by 'love', we mean Porsha in love with Hobbit's bank account. That's not to say I haven't enjoyed Porsha's comedic timing and her journey. What I didn't enjoy was the favoritism and endless propping, to the detriment of the other women and the show itself. It's no coincidence that Porsha became RHOA's star player at a time when the show was in noticeable decline (seasons 10-13). Nene was on the outs and no threat. Cynthia and Kandi = passive bystanders. Kenya was in and out and, anyway, she's the anti-heroine. The newbies were a revolving door. Porsha benefitted from RHOA losing its lustre so she could shine brighter.

Since that is unlikely to happen, here you go. You are most welcome.

Real Housewives of Atlanta tea. Porsha likely not returning... but Nene might get a Jill Zarin cameo: https://www.lovebscott.com/exclusive-real-housewives-of-atlanta-casting-is-finally-taking-shape-with-our-two-new-ladies-some-past-peaches

Kyle's been waiting a while to trot out her old LVP impression. That was one hell of a rehearsed read, and I notice she didn't fully deny the allegation, lol. Oh, Kyle. You tried. Also we got some RH 'Ultimate Girl Trip' tea: Still no release date though:

Agree, especially with the bolded. Something has to give. That old ki-ki-ki sisterhood (even when they were saying the most awful things to each other) is fading. Some of the cast feel like co-workers only now. I just hope Karen isn't one to go just yet! Ashley's pot-stirring light has been hidden under a bushel of babies, but I'm ready for it to emerge. Ashley instigates like no other (Gizelle and Robyn only wish!). And seeing Candiace driven into a blind rage by Ashley's mere presence is worth the price of admission. Last season, as much as I hated Wendy targeting Karen, I felt like there was more spontaneity in her game. This year, everything feels much more rehearsed, as if Wendy is terrified of being left out there without a script. Somewhere along the way, Wendy lost her confidence, especially to think on her feet and react spontaneously, and now she feels a bit robotic. Speaking of 'acting like she thinks a RH would act'... Mia. I think she is one and done, too. She's doing the assignment, I guess, but it's like she read the Real Housewives handbook and is ticking boxes on a To Do list. Her social media game came unglued this week when she tried to come for Askale and Askale ended her with ease. The mother convo is becoming repetitive, too -- her mom is now coming into every scene knowing that her bad parenting is going to come up. I would start declining that invite! Robyn isn't even trying to hide the fact that she is here to spur things on behalf of production. The picking on Wendy is just unnecessary and cruel now, and it makes me Team Wendy. Robyn is bending over backwards to make this new 'feud' with Wendy turn into a thing.

I hear that Vyle and Andy spent the rest of the episode cackling about how irrelevant LVP is -- despite the fact that LVP made Camille's allegation go viral. These two losers always fall back on 'LVP the villain' when they need to deflect. Kyle's face when she finally clocked that Andy was shading her. 😄

Y&R's iconic cues are, for me, the Gold Standard in background music. You can hear the complex arrangement, the first-class orchestration in all these clips. It was on a cinematic level and IMO part of Y&R's DNA. So integral to the show was this music that (like NYC in Sex & the City), I would class it as an additional character. As I've said before on this board, Bill Bell's prior work before soaps as a Chicago adman brought him into contact with (then) new concepts of human psychology. He imbued his writing of characters with this understanding. Recognizing that a person's psychology can be unspoken or even subconscious, Y&R's use of music in its first 30 years was meant to 'fill the gap' -- touch on a person's mental or emotional state that the dialogue might not fully reveal. This is illustrated so perfectly by the score @Dionposted, especially the creepy, ghostly, music-box cue that starts at 0.39. The tension it evokes! Goosebumps. I always associated this music with a character contemplating going mentally rogue. Like when Lisa locked Brad in that cage. This theme especially (but a lot of other Y&R cues) seems very influenced by the great John Barry and his seminal music for the James Bond films. John Barry was a genius at evocative incidental music, so Y&R's composers were borrowing from the best. I will never forgive JFP for trashing these great compositions and replacing them with her signature one-dimensional, generic crap tapped out on a Casio keyboard.

I appreciate that she never sugar-coated her marriage with Peter or the money problems/anxieties tied up with that. I always felt that Cynthia showed us pretty much who she really is, and for that I am grateful. Cynthia was both a complex, reserved person and someone who did put it out there -- without making a song and dance about how she was putting it out there. If anything, the problem in recent years has been production. With the change in production crews in S10, the drama has become much more contrived and script-y (as opposed to the largely organic stuff which basically reached an unsustainable crescendo in S9). There is more filler and fluff, and in that environment, Cynthia slipped into a Greek Chorus role, which eventually set the stage for her removal because she 'doesn't bring it enough.' Again, I view this as production's uninspired over-producing, rather than Cynthia's fault. When Cynthia divorced Peter, she appeared on a Daytime talk show and cut a forlorn figure citing the end of another relationship. She said that maybe she wasn't built for marriage or even another relationship, and maybe she was better off by herself. She did not seem to think she would meet anybody again. She laid it all out very matter-of-factly, not self-pityingly at all, but I really felt for her. I'm so glad she eventually met someone she connects with. Even though she is leaving RHOA, it sounds like she is stepping into a fulfilled personal life. I hope she gets some worthwhile projects too. What? No excitement about Pursuit of Porsha? 😄