Cat

This must be the most incompetent and useless production team on Bravo. Why are they editing out entire SLs?? Removing anything juicy? It's almost like they want ATL to fail! When a RH show engages or enrages an audience, it is winning. A show fails when the audience gets bored and no longer cares. ATL (with this production team) appears to want to replicate the BH model, where the women spend inordinate amounts of time Serving Looks and Serving Shade on cue. However, when it comes to actual interaction, everything is chopped up and disjointed and we only get petty fluff. This is one reason why there has been a high turnover of newbies. The audience as a whole is just not connecting to them. If I were Kandi, I would be FURIOUS. It's like production is focused on protecting Bravo's 'investment' in Porsha and Drew. Anything that interferes with that is brutally excised from the show. Kandi's mic was turned down when she tried to speak up for LaToya and Kenya? So they are literally trying to silence her now? Andy is all about the double-standard. What a flake he is. He only loves ATL on a superficial level -- he likes the rehearsed shade, he liked Apollo. That's about it. I don't believe he truly understands what 'type of show' ATL is and that IMO is holding the franchise back. Well, him and production. ETA: I loved Mama Elsa too. It's not too much to say that she WAS RHoM. Nobody else came close to dominating the screen like she did.

Leah went in on Ramona and her Covidscapades during much of the pandemic, so I'm hoping we see a lot of that confrontation on the show. Sadly, Ramona partying with Don Cokehead Jr at Mar-a-lago came out after filming wrapped (!!). She really is deeply selfish and uncaring of anything but her own immediate gratification. Dorinda: sometimes I wonder if she even needed a year off? The fact is, the viewer has had a year of No Dorinda, and oftentimes that is enough to come back refreshed? Dorinda could have had a redemption arc this season, but once again, I'm not sure she felt she needed to, and that may be where she and Bravo parted ways. Dorinda was not reading the room with regards to how she came across last year, and instead doubled down. She may still be harboring resentment with the other women and Bravo about not being invited back. Tinsley and Dorinda. I think Dorinda was jealous of Tinsley's looks and youth, and resentful of what she viewed as the preferential treatment Tinsley got from production with regards to her SLs and whatever was really going on in her relationship with Coupon Creep. Dorinda basically called her a kept woman. They also probably never got each other. Dorinda likely viewed Tinsley as really not that smart or interesting (I'm afraid I agree with that). And of course Tinsley knew a few secrets about Dorinda. John asking Coupon Creep for money obviously soured Tinsley and Dorinda's relationship. Tinsley likely also knew about the extent of Dorinda drinking and other proclivities, and Dorinda, I imagine, did not like her having the upper hand. So she thought she could intimidate her into silence. Clearly Production took sides on that issue, too, and that's why they leaked the blow-up about John.

I think you might mean Tinsley, not Leah? Dorinda liked Leah and kind of wanted to ally herself with her. Dorinda will be missed. The new opening credits feel a little empty without her and her multifaceted personality. But she was in denial about her anger and her drinking in a big way. To the point where the Acapulco trip was almost unwatchable the way she bullied Luann and Sonja into submission. I'm not sure if she fully understands or even feels at fault.

Lu looks epically stunning. She has not aged a minute since her Pirate Bootycall days! I like Eboni too. She is smart and realises that flattery gets you everywhere with the Ramona-Sonja-Luann triumvirate, but caution is also necessary, because newbies get burned with those three. You're so good! LOL. Each clip is under 2 mins so it really is only a few short segments being given away. (Nevertheless, I do want RHONY to get its rightful share of viewers on the night). I really missed them too, and you know what, Leah did not annoy me in these clips.

MORE RHONY SNEAK PEEKS. They are literally giving ep. 1 away LOL so don't watch if you would rather go into the first episode unspoiled.

It does make sense. Some of the best daytime soaps in the world, once upon a time, were able to balance exactly what you describe, alongside ramping up the drama. The 'breathable' stuff is basically hitting every beat of a SL and allowing it to go its own pace without rushing it. This is what I liked about this episode. For example, I would never have known Frankie cared as much about his mother as he showed in that scene. He didn't make a fuss but his intent and feelings were clear. Similarly, you could see sensitive Gabriella's tension ease when Jennifer explained her Nana's depression and put it into context. I appreciated both scenes because I learned a little more about Frankie and Gabriella than I normally would have.

RHONY sneak peek 🥰

@Antoyne @FrenchBug82 @DaytimeFan @Faulkner It does feel very Martha Stewart Apprentice circa early 2000s. And for that reason it also feels very NBC Universal -- ironic that Bethenny had to leave the NBC U 'fambly' to replicate its reality show template. Never let it be said that Bethenny doesn't know when to spot somebody else's good idea and try and appropriate it for herself. As I recall from The Apprentice, the contestants were the focus for much of each episode, but this trailer is very Bethenny-centric and, like @Antoyne I'm not sure I can watch this much BethennyBethennyBethenny [(c) Luann]. That would be exhausting! ------- RHOD: "I said to him one tiiime -- that's THE FATHER -- I said to him: 'Ooohh! I can't believe you married someone that unattractive' -- well, that's really gonna cause a problem! He said 'This time, I didn't marry for beauty. I did that the first time.' And I said: 'Then get her nose fiiiiixed.' " Not Ibsen. Not Tennessee Williams. It's Mama Dee. The amount of social media hate around RHOD this season is IMO undeserved. Yes, there have been some lame episodes -- not helped by the editing they had to do around Jen. This week's episode they kept it to D'Andra, Tiffany and Kary, and it was all the better for it. Stephanie and Brandi are slowly being eased out of the show. RHONJ: @Taoboi I've only seen half the episode so far but I knew it was going to be a good one when both Gia + Milania appeared! IMO RHONJ is the best RH show this year so far. Some thought it was a slower episode? I didn't look at my watch once. I am gripped by the individual scenes with family and friends, and by their group scenes too. It is really a perfectly-judged mix. I was even OK with Jackie and Marge. Best was Queen Jennifuh, recognising that Marge went through something awful, apologising for a genuine misinterpretation of the facts -- instead of doubling down and trying to make the feud her SL. It shows that she has other things to offer the show and that HWs don't have to follow the usual tired template. Marge has been intent on keeping their feud alive, but she had no choice but to accept Jennifer's apology, which she did graciously. It struck me that this season we have seen A LOT of Marge's VTs where she goes after Jennifer. We barely see Jennifer doing the same (and we know she can get spicy). As she put it in her VT, 'Marge has been picking at me a little bit, but I respect her and hope we can move forward.' Dolores telling Frankie about the biopsy, and Frankie saying "That isn't a girl thing, it's a health thing." 🥰 Frankie is Frank's mini-me. Teresa has been light and happy all season and it makes for a better show. Bravo, I don't need to see Marge's assistant who wears Marge's hand-me-downs anymore, thanks.

Trailer to HBO Max's The Big Shot. The reason I post it is that it has a longtime RH producer as EP (Lucilla D'Agostino, who was on RHONJ since its inception until 2019). And the trailer itself looks *very* Real Housewives. It could be Bethenny-only outtakes from RHONY S7-11, in fact. I personally am not sure whether I could handle multiple episodes of The Braggard's voice and abiding self-love. Also, as someone pointed out on Twitter, are people really pining for shows celebrating Devil Wears Prada-style toxic workplaces? On the whole, though, social media seems to be excited for this. P.S.: The prize is becoming Bethenny's personal VP of operations workhorse, which.....

Don't you put that out there 💀💀 I mean, they are basically styled as you'd expect: Dolores = Italian starlet at the Cannes film festival. Melissa = sweet "but sexy" princess. Jackie = "I'm so much more SOPHISTICATED than those other Jersey chicks" Teresa: "Which low-V / leg-split dress shall I wear today?" Jennifer = Grecian (well, Turkish) goddess. Marge = Studio 54 poly-blend. DON'T YOU PUT THAT OUT THERE 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

RHONJ reunion looks

Oh God. You asked for it....

This season has been a revelation for D'Andra -- she is comfortable revealing both her flaws and her past, and she is self-deprecating about them. LeeAnne would have immediately weaponized these and used them against D'Andra. While I have no doubt that Brandi, Kary and Stephanie will attempt to do just that at reunion, D'Andra now seems to have the confidence to see off attacks from all sides. That confidence may stem from accepting herself for who she is, and not who she/Mama Dee would like her to be. Brandi loaded down with 4 feral children while the husband (allegedly) spreads his ginger DNA throughout the nightclubs of Dallas. First season, he could barely hide his hatred and disdain of her. The fact that her daughters show her that same disdain really illustrates how that terrible behaviour is LEARNED. I lowkey feel bad for her clinging to that marriage because she simply has no other prospects. She's willing to take his awful treatment and this is one reason why she so badly needs her close friendship with Stephanie.

ITA with you re: RHONJ. This was IMO the best episode of the season -- and coming after a run of action-packed epis. NJ is giving me comedy, drama and family/husband dynamics -- it's the whole package and very underrated. Even Jackie's family scenes were welcome relief from Melissa and Joe's 'marriage problems.' Nice to see this other side to her. Her kids with Evan are very sweet. Any episode featuring Gia is always going to be a good one. Plus she is so poised, smart and direct. Anything she says has purpose and common-sense. The psychic was the real deal and I was impressed. This was no Hollywood Medium with one eye on the Google Search (Kyle's psychic is the worst offender). Dolores is my favourite and I love watching her journey. Much as I love Dolores & Frank, it bothers me a bit that Frank's cheating ways are always celebrated as comedy fodder and no big deal. The fact is, Frank helped lay the groundwork for why Dolores does not think she deserves a loyal partner who loves her completely. Melissa bitching about Dolores's love for dogs in the VT while making a show of comforting her exemplifies who Melissa is. Anything for some fake-ass camera-time! Jennifer and her family gave us everything this episode. Finally we have some context to her mother's trauma and resentment. Married at 16, taken thousands of miles away from her family and friends to a country where she knew nobody, +45 years trapped in a loveless marriage. This poor woman must have suffered for decades and now it is all coming out. Seeing Bill & Jennifer take the parents into separate corners highlighted the fact that this is a story with two sides, and that Jennifer & Bill's own relationship is different (and much healthier) than her parent's loveless union. You are so right about Marge. Her resentment against Teresa is quietly building and will likely play out further. Right now, she is all about punishing Jennifer and it just makes her look bad. Please target the real focus of your anger, Marge. The Marge has been revealed to be rather hollow this season (pulling her punches with Tre like she's afraid of confronting the OG). Still love her friendship with Dolores, though. I would love a RHOL and (deep breath) would not even mind Dorit leading that show! In my mind, there already was a RHOL, and that was Ladies of London with the Danish Baroness and Queen Caroline Stanbury, but I'd be cool with this. However, the show PK and MauRICE are doing is just a London property-flipping show, which.... Zzzzz. We already have so many of those. Peacock seem to be all about Bravolebrities doing spin-offs to lift traffic to the streaming service. The problem is, I'm not sure all these shows have legs, or would even be green-lit if they were for Bravo. Shannon has seen the writing on the wall -- OC might not come back (or she might not want to film with Tamra if Tamra returns). So she's casting around for any spin-off opportunity. Honestly, given how much Shannon loves to talk about herself, IMO she'd be better off with her own radio show or podcast.

@Taoboi I heard that rumor when PK burped it out as a potential pitch a month ago. All I can say is, Peacock/E! must be *desperate* for content to allow this outside the pitch room. I would rather watch a stoned Maurice listen to Denise's husband talk about curing cancer again. This is going to be another Bethenny & Fredrik but without the toxic hatred.

Tiffany and Stephanie look fine. Nothing earth shattering. Kary, as much as I hate her, has a great figure and knows how to hold a pose. Kameron looks a million bucks. D'Andra looks like she just walked out of a board meeting at Jabot, and I'm OK with that. This will sound mean but... Brandi looks a solid 10 years older than her actual age (42). @Taoboi Before and during the early part of the pandemic, PK was spending quite a bit of time in London while Dorit was in LA with the kids. I think they're 'comfortable' with time apart, and I honestly cannot see Dorit leaving Hollywood and a steady Bravo cheque TBH.

I know. I bring it up with trepidation considering the source -- it was FOUR Blind Items this weekend all seemingly targeting the same cast member (Tiffany). The Dallas-based details made me wonder if another cast member had reached out to TT directly. And then that got me wondering if it was brought up at Reunion. That's why I mention it here as a head's up -- just in case. ETA: RHONY Taglines! Eboni's is great! Luann and, yes, Leah's are decent too. Ramona's is a lie LOL The cast feels small, sort of has me wishing an anchor like Heather had been part of the official line-up.

@Taoboi @Soaplovers TT has a spate of blind items this weekend that all seem to point to Tiffany Moon -- or at least to her husband's family which owns the Sam Moon Group in Dallas. This may explain why Tiffany suggested a few months back that she might not return for a second season. Lowkey devastated because I love Dr. Tiffany Moon. I have to imagine that this info came out at the RHOD Reunion and that is why TT is hearing about it now from her source. Why am I picturing Kary as the source?? She'd be all over that scandal like a fly on sh*t. @Chris B Thanks, I wondered what it was. She does not seem to have had (much) work done on closer inspection, but it was so weird how I couldn't even recognise at first. Her face looks less round in the new wig, and contouring has helped. Totally agree with you re; RHOA needing a new production team. The editing (specifically the editing out of key scenes they later are forced to show a snippet of in flashback) is a total embarrassment. RH editing is usually top notch -- RHONY being a prime example with its clear through-lines and quirky details. With ATL, I guess that's what you get when you replace Carlos King's team (they did RHONJ's first season, too) with producers whose claim to fame was the basic, cheapo, dully-scripted Tardy For the Party.

To air this MONTHS ahead to any premiere date says a lot -- and to air it during ATL, which may be struggling creatively (unsure about the ratings). It's like Bravo is saying: hold out for Potomac, guys. La Dame is giving me her usual nutty greatness (will we ever see Karen & Gizelle reconcile, or is that relationship Done?). Candiace not in this one? I watched about 4 times before finally recognising Wendy's face. What's different? The makeup/wig?

So did I! Maybe with Bacall, it was a case of Like recognising Like. Helen McCrory had something very old-school movie star about her, but with acting chops. I saw clips of her stage performance in The Deep Blue Sea and she reminded me a little of Ava Gardner.

Helen McCrory was one of my favourite actresses. She was just SO powerful and charismatic to watch. They don't make actresses like her anymore. I remember seeing her for the first time in the Tv mini-series of Anna Karenina. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/apr/18/helen-mccrory-told-family-to-be-brave-about-her-death-says-damian-lewis

Porsha did not actually refute anything in the Vulture article. It does comes across as though she didn't want Kandi stealing her thunder/redemption SL. When HWs are able to get entire scenes/conversations cut from the show, that means they have too much power IMO. I get that Bravo wanted to tread carefully. Porsha said that she didn't want this disagreement to air because it would take away from BLM and the message on the show. Nevertheless, if production wanted to, they could have shown the conversation, handled it sensitively, and Porsha would probably have come out at the end looking better for it.

@Taoboi Thank you for giving me the full picture! A couple of thoughts: -- Bravo doesn't know how lucky it is to have Kandi. She offered them workable solutions for inclusivity. She laid out solid proposals, essentially doing the work for them, and essentially saved their bacon. -- The other women, I'm sorry to say, sound jealous of Kandi going straight to the top and coming up with ideas Bravo took on board. There is no need for ONE person in ATL or ONE person in Potomac to be the network's Face of BLM and everyone else stay in their lane. Being a black person, a black woman, in America today can be a SHARED experience, am I right in thinking? Everyone can participate and do something in their own way. Kandi took the initiative and these women were all going to benefit from it. Didn’t they appear in the Bravo specials? -- The production team on ATL needs to be fired ASAP. This is not the first time they have f***ed up with the editing. Carlos King would never. Yes we got Bolo After Hours, but so many scenes which gave context to the women's disagreements with each other were cut for no reason! It reduced the bulk of this season to a mess of Who TF Cares? A very poor job. This production team just doesn't get it. -- I disagree with Porsha. The argument should have aired in its entirety, with all the nuances. These women are multifaceted and not black-and-white angels or demons. It is perfectly conceivable that Potsha wanted to headline the show with her social activism, knowing it would help her standing. It got her signed to a powerful ent agency, after all. But I also don't doubt that what is driving her and others is a deeply personal, unselfish desire to meaningfully improve black lives and root out racism. You can both care about changing your world for the better, but also want the glory, where the audience associate you, and only you, with these good works. What's hard with Bravo is that (A) the network believes that America doesn't always do nuance, and (B) ATL and Bravo are competitive environnements where the women are often pitted against each other. The show would have been vastly better for having this discussion aired in full. It is authentic, in the cultural vanguard, and at the end, the two women came to a resolution. @FrenchBug82 Kenya is like Cassandra sometimes -- no-one wants to believe her or believe the best of her. However, IMO, the reason why this happens is because Kenya targets other women, digs around for salacious info, finds their weak spot and attacks. It may be the truth (and for that she is doing the viewers a public service), and I'm sort of on her side in this particular argument. However, sometimes she is so hateful and gleeful about other people's misfortune that I just cannot lean into her. Is she so perfect that she can pass judgment? A lot of stuff with Marc she did not want the cameras to see and was obsessive about controlling the narrative. She's a necessary part of ATL, though. This season without her would probably have been full-on borefest.

A small part of me feels pity for her because she built her image entirely around physical appearance: the glam squad, the outrageous spending, the costumed designer LEWKS at every outing. Every detail on her had to be airbrushed, unblemished perfection. And now she is trying hard to keep up appearances on the glam front, but is slipping and HW Twitter is all over it. Best case scenario: she has to shoulder a massive financial liability for years to come. Worst case: liability + prison. It's a slow moving car crash, and that's why she is willing to play the villainess on BH right now. That scene with Sutton was pure performative soap opera. If Tom was still swimming in millions, she would tell Bravo where to stick it, but she can't now. Hubris, thy name is Girardi. I did not see Porsha's Insta Live, so I imagine she is defending herself against charges that she is not really a social activist but more using the movement to burnish her own image? And that she didn't want to share the BLM limelight with Kandi or Kenya? This is why Bravo's embrace of social justice has been a little shaky. Because the expectation is that some of these women must speak from high moral authority. However, as we all know, these women are flawed. Porsha is flawed. Gizelle too. And social media jumps on any flaw and it overshadows the message sometimes. And because they are flawed, it makes us wonder... are they doing this because they care? Or for their own image? I will say that I appreciate that Bravo is mixing up its casts and trying to embrace in its own superficial way.... I think many casts are all the better for it. And honestly, there were many things that were lacking on ATL this season, but the BLM segment was not one of them.

Scott Barnes and Preston Meneses did her makeup back in the glory days and they are meant to be top-notch. No way would that demarcation line be left unblended. Mikey would have thrown a fit! They also wouldn't have gotten foundation on her collar: