Cat

@Taoboi we can agree to disagree. 😃 And RHOV S1 would get an A+. Perfect mix of drama, location and casting. Clearly this is Garcelle. It could be a lucky guess on Enty's part, but I've been sensing that Garcelle's heart is really not into BH. I don't blame her. She has work and other priorities and life is just too short to tangle with The Coven who have nothing but this show to focus on. She's a breath of fresh air and would be a loss to the franchise which needs her more than she needs it TBH. She's doing the right thing for herself, though.

I would grade SLC's first season a solid B+. Atlanta, NJ and BH are the only S1s which get an A+ from me, they are so perfect. S1 NY and Potomac were B+ simply because of the gold-star seasons which followed them. SLC has great potential to build on. For me, there was a lack of story progression. This translated in repetition across episodes; for example, Jen's staged tantrums began to feel interchangeable. Meredth's story did have evolution, but judging by the reunion trailer, she and Seth might be right back where they started. Also, Mary was not a cohesive part of the group with that weird mid-season ouster, and that IMO affected cast dynamics.

Oh man! Christopher Plummer was one of the all-time greats! That voice was resplendent. There never was a false note in any performance I saw of his. Obviously The Sound of Music was such a megahit that this is the performance he might be best known for (and it is a movie I love -- it is literally so perfect in all its moving parts: music, location, cinematography, story, casting). BTW, he couldn't stand that movie. But two movies of his really stand out for me. One was The Fall of the Roman Empire, a 1964 Roman epic which failed at the box office, and starred Sophia Loren. He totally stole the show as evil Commodus who basically scratches his way to the throne, oozing with unspoken gay undertones and incestuous longing for La Loren. The Russell Crowe epic Gladiator is based in part on this movie, but I think Plummer played the villain role much more memorably than Joaquin Phoenix. The other movie was Syriana. Small but pivotal role in an under-appreciated movie where he was basically the Bush Administration's kingmaker in the Middle East. And one of his last roles was in Knives Out. I saw it in late 2019 in the movie theatre, and you couldn't take your eyes off him in the first 20 minutes of that movie. Experience and stage presence really shows out. I'm told from a family member who saw him on stage that his craft there was extraordinary, too.

SLC JEN. I feel bad starting in on Jen Shah again. I don't actually dislike her. But even before the show had premiered, Twitter stans were already calling her 'Queen' and she was #ShahSquad-ing and it put me off. This season kind of confirmed my scepticism, with the thirst and the 8 assistants (why does she need this amount of people again?). Is any of this a crime? Not at all. Was anybody else on the cast going to stir the pot like this? No. A couple were even giving me tranquilized vibes (naming no names, but both start with 'M'). Something I noticed is how often Jen's eyes dart to camera to make sure it is on her. Interestingly, in the scene dancing with Sharrief, Jen's eyes rarely looked around for cameras. She was present and focused. It was a gentler Jen and they seem to love each other. Coach Shah appears to be a great guy. She humbled herself momentarily at the end of the episode, but kept the apologies purposely vague so that she can beat a dead horse at reunion. HEATHER. "Shah Squad's on your payroll! I'm here cuz I love you and I care about you!" Heather putting things in their rightful context. This is the true OG of SLC and I hope she keeps herself grounded and self-deprecating, because that is what won the audience over. FTR, it seems like Jen was friends with Heather because she felt a little superior to Heather, and Heather would always be there when she needed her. Meredith and Lisa, OTOH, are friends she aspires to have. That's a different power dynamic. But now that the audience is invested in the show, that power dynamic between Heather and Jen is shifting, and it will be interesting to see where they are at reunion. WHITNEY. Looks and sounds exactly like Darla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer ! Whitney, like Jen, is strategic and knows how to play the game. Jen is definitely not feeling her and her smarts, so I'm guessing this is going to be the rivalry next season. Speaking of strategic... LISA BARLOW. It was nice to see The Boozelow get in the mix in order to secure a snowflake next season. Yes, girl, tell everybody to do one thing, then go do the exact opposite! I am lowkey looking forward to what she brings to reunion. Hope it's a Super Big Gulp because she is going to need it with that touch of thirst she's working up. MARY. Crack-voice cult leader, can we all agree? So why do I like and enjoy watching Mary despite my better judgment? That scene 'coaching' the choir was Some 👏Thing 👏 Else 👏. Usually cults can be secretive, but Mary is happy to show us these snippets and I am all here for it. The choir worships her and are terrified of her! Did we catch the painting of Grandma Cosby & Jesus frolicking in the clouds? MEREDITH + MASHK. MEREDITH BEHIND HER MASHK. You know Brooks was pissed that he couldn't go to that finale party! LOL! I love Living Mannequin in all her Dish-Engaged glory. She's just above it all, but at some point she will have to get down in the mud and wrestle with the rest of the peons.

@Taoboi Re: Kary. The last couple of years, we've seen an upsurge in people spouting dog-whistles/crazy crap. They throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. Many barely believe the dumb sh*t they are saying, and therefore discourse becomes largely meaningless. When anyone calls them out and tries to make them accountable, they turn it around on the other person, using gaslighting, false equivalence, the Victim Olympics, you name it. Right now, we are seeing in Congress this Marjorie creature doing and saying the most awful things. Now, I'm not saying that the Real Housewives are on a par with a fascist gun-toting sociopath and her dangerous agenda! I'm enjoying RHOD right now because it is keeping everything on a level of petty, relatable nonsense, and my brain is more than ok with that. However, some of the tactics are similar to what Andy once said about Rinna being "very Marco Rubio in your talking points." She could twist people's reputations, but couch it in "my truth." Munchausen, case in point. We also have Jen Shah throwing accusations against the wall to see what works. Maybe one day something will, honey. It's like every episode is a season-finale fight episode. Kary is not quite that noisy (not with that dehydrated vocal fry). But she is leaning into a lot of tactics at once. Using the xenophobia card, false equivalence (shilling merch part-time = being a doctor), gaslighting (as a doctor, you are exposing everyone to Covid), the Victim Olympics (my suffering is greater than yours). I am watching this and OTOH I accept that she is keeping the drama percolating with her messiness. OTO, I dislike her and cannot wait for her comeuppance. IMO Kary is seething with jealousy in regards to the other women. Especially DTM and D'Andra. 🤔 I'm on the fence about D'Andra's plastic surgery. She is going for a very 'Texas' look. It's not my taste, but I feel like a lot of socialite white women in Texas (of a certain age) have gone for the full lips, upturned nose. It's a very 80s look. In that sense, I accept it as somewhat normal given the show's location. Where did you find her p.s. a mess? There was a scene when in the store when she was speaking to Kary in profile and I thought her face looked well proportioned. Her nose isn't too small for her face (a common surgery mistake -- see Kelly Dodd Covidthal). Her chin balances out her face. IMO her make-up exacerbates the work she's had done. It is way too heavy. The dark eye shadow puts Melissa 'Raccoon-Eyes' Gorga to shame. The heavy red lip accentuates whatever she did to her mouth. The contouring on the sides of the nose and cheekbones looks ridic in daylight scenes. Last week, D'Andra has a scene at home with little-to-light makeup and she looked really, really good. Easily 10 years younger. Less is more!

Kary trying to play the Mexican card from last year and getting shot down was perfection! "Are you correcting me bee cuz I am Mexican?" DTM: "That may have worked with other women but not with me!" Yes, Tiffany!

[said in Danny Pellegrino's Meredith voice] "Hi, I'm Meredith Marksh, and dish is my dish-engaging mashk."

At some point this week we are going to have to talk about Living Mannequin showing up in this:

There's been some discussion on social media attributing Jan Shah's OTT reactions to being on Prozac/struggling with mental health. Jen has alluded to this a little on the show regarding being left alone a lot by Coach Shah. I can see that she might be struggling with loneliness and other things. However, this ^ and her fights do feel performative. It's the fingernails jabbed at people's faces, the screaming of "--bitch!" at the end of every diatribe (like Nene used to do). Like she's doing this for the sake of creating drama. Can you imagine having this in your face IRL? It would absolutely be considered threatening/bullying. ETA: And turning her behaviour around on the other women and calling it "a knee on my neck" ? WTF is this idiot in her chalet bubble squawking about? This was a petty argument over Whitney saying Lisa + Meredith are scared of Jen! WTF?

Didn't Thomas Kelly and Chris Cullen also preside over the Lucy Lucy Apple Juicy Let's Get LVP Off BH season 10? Their speciality seems to be getting rid of expensive OGs and rebuilding around less expensive target-demo HWs. This strategy has not worked at all for OC -- Bravo is currently in talks with Vicki, Tamra and Heather Dubrow in a blind panic! Bravo has had unexpected big hits during the pandemic, with BH, Potomac, SLC's first season and, after a poor start, RHOD slowly building its numbers. But it also is having misses with its rock-solid-certainty franchises OC and ATL. Some of that may be down to the 'Get Rid of OGs' strategy. Thomas Kelly will likely argue that Covid put a wrench in his plans for the season, but honestly you cannot manufacture the kind of anti-chemistry we saw on our screens. He needs to be moved on. In a bid to save her job, Kelly Dodd backtracked on her allegation last week that Thomas Kelly was personal buds with Brown Wind, to the detriment of the rest of the cast: "We'll always have Ireland." 😬 Is that a goodbye? LOL great trailer! I hate-watched Laguna Beach and The Hills back in the day, too. I never understood why the girls mooned over those douchey bros (with similar hair to SLC Whitney's dad btw). "Trying to fit a square into a circle..." Lord, what an awkward lyric! This song is taking me straight back to low-rise boot-leg jeans and Juicy Couture! But I've got to agree: Vicki, Tamra, Gretchen, Alexis, Heather (and possibly Shannon) would be an A+ cast. There is a lot of history between these women, and it's real, not contrived. THAT'S MY OPINYUN!!!!!

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this last episode of SLC, but it didn't disappoint. FI-NA-LLY everyone stood up to Jen Shah and told her they were sick of her pointing those Lil Kim nails in their faces and threatening them. Finally they called her out on her double-talk. Jen thought she was going to talk all over them and twist everything into being the victim. Wrong! That kooky hypnotist kept her in check too. I loved it! Also I have to ask, why does Jen travel with an entourage and glam squad? Is she famous?I love Sharrief, but he's a football coach at U of U. There is no earthly reason she should be traveling with a bodyguard and acting like she's in a J.Lo music video circa 2001. RHOC: OK the season was a bust, but I kind of enjoyed the last part of reunion! The looks on everyone's faces when Braunwyn tried to explain that Shari wanted her to leave Sean, but that Shari wasn't a lesbian. I shouldn't laugh -- but I did. Especially Gina's face.

@Chris B I love Kari too, since S1 Ep1. She was a good villainess. She and Mariah were friends for some years prior to the show. After S1, they reconciled, and I always appreciated that Kari and Toya stayed friends too. I never understood why Kari was never asked back for S2 as she was so good at stirring the pot, but at S1 reunion I recall Quad sucking allllllll the attention from everyone else and it seems production made a decision to run with her and reorient the show a bit. Bet Kari knows a LOT about what happened there, which is why I'm so pleased she, Lisa Nicole and Fraud will all be back this season. Unfinished business! Too bad Mariah will be missing. I didn't realise Bravo wouldn't hire Heavenly until she lost some weight! Shocked.

Agreed. Simply hiring Tamra back and putting it all on her shoulders to 'save RHOC' won't work. Tamra herself admitted in the Danny Pellegrino interview that OC has not felt right since Heather left after S11. Tamra seemed to imply it was due to Heather being the missing ingredient, but IMO it was more a case of OC was unable to coalesce in S12, S13, S14 and S15. If I'm being honest, OC has never fully gotten over the Brooks cancer scam. Having said that, IMO, S14 was the best the RHOC has been in a long while -- the chemistry clicked and there was not one filler episode the whole season. It was a fun ride! And it worked because Tamra pot-stirred like a champ throughout. Bravo was too hasty about getting rid of the OGs in its hunt for a younger demographic. Obviously the network had no idea a global pandemic was around the corner. The pandemic has definitely affected how I view Kelly and Braunwyn today versus what I 'tolerated' before (although I always thought Rage Monster Kelly was overhyped and a disaster waiting to happen without any checks on her behaviour). Honestly, they could have scrapped this season, we the audience would have been none the wiser! Then they could have launched a new S15 RHOC trying out a mix of current and new cast.

Regarding SLC. I, for one, am relieved that the finale is next week. I can't take another episode of no-neck Jen Shah having a screaming fit over contrived BS. It is literally turning me off the show. ETA: And this is exactly my point. I don't blame Living Mannequin (thanks @DaytimeFan !) Meredith Marks from disengaging yet again. Only 2 from RHONY is shocking. I thought Dorinda would be all over an event like this. I'm bummed Luann wasn't there to sing Feelin' Jovani and make Dorinda's head explode, but this might have coincided with Lu's Can't-Be-Seen-Drinking-In-Public era. I am not at all surprised Bethenny didn't show. She thinks she is bigger than Bravo so of course she didn't want to be seen associating with other HWs. The event wasn't about her, so no point in showing up. LVP wasn't there, either. I think was around the time she was being ousted from BH. What's interesting to me is that three-quarters of the RHOD and RHOP casts showed up! Also, the story goes that Danielle Staub showed up and wasn't on the guest list, but made such a stink that they let her in. Why isn't Teresa Giudice in the group picture, though? She deserves to be. Tamra looks damn amazing for her age here. It goes without saying that she is needed on OC. Some are saying that OC is so ruined now, there is just no reviving it (I think it still has potential, but Kelly and Braunwyn are poisonous for the franchise).

Why? Did you also spy Gizelle in the trailer? Singing a slightly different tune about cheating exes than on Potomac this season.

I am here for Toyah, my shady Kari and Lisa-Nicole and her brokedown marriage to Dr. Dickaround! That's a pretty great trailer, I must say. If Fraud is only a Friend Of, though, why are they giving her a talking head? Heavenly staying mostly below the radar in this trailer, hmmm.

RHONJ taglines! Not a stellar bunch. Margaret's is the best and possibly Melissa's.

Haven't watched RHOD yet but I'm going to in a few hours! Excited to watch after your report @Taoboi ! Twitter kindly reminded me about this moment, exactly 2 years ago yesterday. Ahhh, the good ole days! A simpler time, etc., etc. Yes, it was Andy's baby shower, hosted by Kyle Richards so she could tunnel her way up his ass just that little bit more! I consider this a turning point in RH lore. Maybe this was when it all went to Andy's head. It feels like his Truman Capote moment, with the baby shower akin to Capote's 1966 black & white ball (only low budget), and the HWs his 'swans.' Truman Capote had a pretty steep fall from grace after that, so word of warning, Andy. The pics in this Tweet are making me laugh so hard. Look at how Lisa Rinna glommed onto Kyle and this baby shower, acting like she was the co-host -- even though Kyle put together and paid for the whole thing! And yes, there is Rinna photo-bombing the OG HWs pic -- even though she is neither. The thirst is oh so real! Is that Andy trying a lowkey twerk on Phaedra? Not going to lie, I miss Phaedra on RHOA. How is Cynthia and her hair looking so perfect? So much to say about this shot (below): First of all, it was after this very party that Giz, Robyn and Charrisse took out Candiace (but didn't invite Karen!) in order to plot against Monique and spread that Trainer Baby rumor. OOOOO. Was Ashley invited to dinner too? Karen, Sonja, Marlo (and possibly Dolores) within close proximity of one another makes me want to see a show with just the three four of them! Cynthia came with a wig which take 25% of the space and you know that was by design. I love her for it. She knew that the wig and yellow suit would pop in every shot! [!@#$%^&*] Rinna worming her way into the photo next to Andy! Look at Ramona's face! You know she is pissed about that. Vicki Gunvalson's face is also a picture, and that picture says to me 'I should be standing where [!@#$%^&*] Rinna is standing right now.' Leeanne and Kameron trying to get in there behind Vicki like 😬 Jon Mayer and Tamra look like they are 30 minutes away from possibly hooking up.

OC That finale episode was rough. The anti-chemistry between some of the women (Kelly with Braunwyn, Shannon with everybody, Elizabeth with everybody) was glaring. Reunion was better, mainly because Andy and Kelly went head-to-head. Kelly is gone next year IMO. She clearly believes that wearing a mask is a huge imposition on her social life. The only reason to keep her on would be for one final standoff between her and Tamra. I listened to Danny Pellegrino's interview with Tamra a few weeks ago. The thing about it was how consistent and open Tamra is in her opinions. It struck me that the reason Tamra was missed this season was not just for her villainy and pot-stirring; it's because she is the social glue between all these women. Shannon's co-dependent BFF, Kelly's enemy, Gina's mentor, Braunwyn's friend-with-benefits, Emily's frenemy. This isn't just a job to her -- she actively builds friendships and alliances on and off the show. That's why Tamra is so good at being a villain -- because she knows these women emotionally and what buttons to push. I disagree with her about one thing -- she HATES Emily. Braunwyn. Sigh. What more can you say about this woman's narcissism? Seeing her at home, surrounded by her 17 adoring children, playing dress up in Cavalli all day with Shari (who she has now dumped for a new GF, according to the closing credits), listening to Sean tell her how hot she is... It is literally a full-time job for all these people to keep this spoiled princess happy. Is she even present for her kids? 'I need Shari around. I need to be selfish now.' Just exhausting. There will never not be a time when that won't be funny LOL

@Taoboi I totally missed that! I am curious about Jen and would like to see more of her personality. So far, I've seen a lot of her bikini body, and I've clocked her kissing Brandi's ass big-time. So Jen is trying to make inroads with the group. Speaking of D'Andra, remember the last two seasons when she was desperate to be Brandi's BFF? This episode D'Andra was going IN on Brandi's vacation to Florida! (And not a word she said was wrong). Seems like a shifting of alliances all around. Court's daddy's place was pretty gorgeous and the backyard was heavenly. It looked like a fun party tbh. But Mama Dee's gazebo garden edges it because it is just so exquisite.

RHOD I love Kameron and her humor. But that petty, contrived fight with Tiffany about, yet again, chicken feet was some bullshit. Was she really coming after Tiffany for stereotyping Chinese people? I can't. Kam, leave the tits on an ant nonsense to Kary. Kary has an amazing body for 50. I can't get over the confidence this woman exudes generally, which is amazing because she was deeply unpopular last season. Apparently she and Kam have a podcast now, so they're an alliance. Kary seems to be strategically changing friends and getting her ducks (D'Andra, DTM) in a row. I feel like her interaction with Tiffany, fine as it was.... she doesn't really like her. And Tiffany was skittish and insecure in her interaction with Kary, Kameron and Brandi. She wants to win them over. She wants them to accept her as a friend. But underneath the air kisses and pleasantries, she senses the underlying iciness, and I think the audience senses it too. Stephanie and Travis. Whatever this SL is, I don't care. Did anyone miss Brandi? I didn't. She should have stayed in Florida. Her 'jokes' set my teeth on edge. In the preview, we see her carrying a mini-toilet. I am dreading the 'comedy' that will be foisted upon us.

@Antoyne speaking of Jen.... she's basically become her own meme for how how her season is going

Dame Joan is All of Us. https://www.celebitchy.com/697573/joan_collins_called_the_police_on_maskless_workers_on_her_balcony/ "Even the great and good are struggling during lockdown. I hear that Dame Joan Collins contacted the police yesterday after being confronted by the sight of scaffolders with no face coverings climbing all over her flat in London’s Belgravia. ‘Woke up to find two workmen on my balcony not wearing masks and several of them maskless all over the building putting scaffolding up,’ declared the startled Dynasty star. Their presence was particularly alarming because of the efforts she and her husband, producer Percy Gibson, had made to self-isolate during the present lockdown restrictions. ‘Being careful to quarantine and having no contact with people,’ she added. ‘Why should others invade my quarantine?’ Metropolitan Police officers wasted no time in heading over to the couple’s home. ‘They are talking to Joan outside now,’ said Percy as I spoke to him on the phone. ‘What is so annoying is that these works are unnecessary. Surely, they could have waited until lockdown is over. Are they really essential? ‘I can understand works taking place to repair gas mains or build houses, but not this, which is external redecoration to make a house pretty.’ " https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9161523/SEBASTIAN-SHAKESPEARE-Joan-Collins-calls-police-maskless-men-swarm-flat.html

A part of me has always wanted to like her because she seemed smart and insightful. Then she continuously pulls this sh*t. Fronting at all costs. I am fascinated to see how she will come across this season, but I feel like we won't get an authentic picture. If she copped to being frightened for her future, I could feel for her on a human level. But -- if her Insta is anything to go by -- she looks more likely to pull the usual, sneering, I REALLY DON'T CARE DO U? shtick. That is going to alienate pretty much everybody.