Cat

Everybody here said it all. Monique owned Gizelle lock, stock and barrel. I couldn't believe Gizelle just sat there. Did she figure the jig was up and this wasn't the hill she wanted to die on? Does she have something up her sleeve? Is she just lazy? Did she believe she could just show up and deflect onto somebody else? Gizelle's stans on Twitter are HORRIFIED that Monique and Karen could come for her like that. Like Gizelle, they got complacent. They are so used to her being coddled by Andy, throwing the stone and then hiding the hand behind Ashley, Charrisse and Candiace, that they are literally stunned when she is held to account the same way. I mean, Ashley got dragggged last reunion. I actually feel more sorry for Candiace than I do Gizelle right now. Candiace is being played -- by the GEBs, by her pride, and by her anger issues.

This better not be false advertising! What's interesting to me is that Tom spent a lot of money on Erika's launch for stardom, presumably because if she made it big, the stardom would pay for itself and it might even contribute to his very comfortable lifestyle. Interesting that despite some dance hits, he still has had to fork out $$$ -- primarily for RHOBH. Now that she has set the standard with lewks and glam and such, now she has to maintain it, especially with Dorit and others in on the glam act. It just adds to the expenses every year. When I think of the current incumbent in the WH, I think immediately of Jim Jones. His core base are wedded to him body and soul. Religion generally seems to hold a lot of power in the US, because of its sway over some people. Look at how influential evangelical Christianity now is in the SCOTUS and the lower courts across the land. In addition, groups focused on idolising a guru or cult leader tend to crop up a lot -- Scientology, NXIVM. I feel like some of these religions incentivise cons, because churches/religions get tax exemptions. With Mary's Faith Temple, the more I see those parishioners are entranced at her 'speaking in tongues', the more I hear about the tithes paid to fund her lifestyle, or her anger and disdain at their 'cheapness'.... this all says 'cult' to me. A cult her grandmother set up, her step grandpa took over, and she inherited. There is something very dark about the whole thing.

1,000 times this. I find the BH ostentation suffocating -- as if I ate too much cake. And what monopoly money are the Kemsley's using to pay for sh*t? I also think this ostentatiousness is simply a replacement for an actual SL (20 minutes of glam squad footage and Kyle getting her new face contoured), and a replacement for an actual personality in the case of Erika and Dorit. The brands/outfits are what defines them. There is nothing else there.

@Taoboi So I am all caught up on SLC! I wasn't sure after the first episode whether I would take to it, especially after seeing all the high praise on social media. But Ep 2 onwards really got into its groove. It reminds me so much of RHOV, I can't even take it. Not just the mountain city locales, but the fact that Meredith looks like RHOV's Ronnie with a little Lauren Bacall (the icon in my avatar!) sprinkled in. I think Meredith must be one of the most beautiful HWs i have ever seen (next to Cynthia). And she is giving us relationship drama which I am sure we all sensed with her very first scene on the show. Meredith is mysterious and keeps her emotions under wraps, though in her scenes with Seth, there feels like a deep sadness within her. Did he cheat? Did she? Is she in love with someone else? Or are we watching the dissolution of a marriage, no third parties, quietly and for its own reasons? The Greek Chorus/voice of the audience are Heather and Whitney. I love them both. I saw some on social media say that Whitney should be the one to go after this season which truly shocked me. Whitney is our entry into Mormon culture. She explains things so well, so deeply, and her reactions to the Jen-Mary crazy are hilarious. I also find her a boss with the martial arts AND her SL with her father is authentic and timely. Prescription pill addiction is no joke. Heather...LOL. I love this chick. Guard the burger and the chicken lollipops! She has her feet firmly on the ground and, like Whitney, grounds this show. She is SLC's tentpole character as far as I'm concerned. Lisa is fun and I love her dancing machine of a son, Henry. Other than that... I'm waiting for her to step it up. Maybe this week at Sundance. Jen. Oh boy. My antenna went up about 2-3 weeks before the premiere of the show. Jen was retweeting all the JEN IS KWEEN OF RHOSLC comments. This is before SLC had even aired! And she was #ShahSquad on all her posts. So it turned me off a little. She's definitely in it to win it -- she wants to be the OTT queen bee who dominates the franchise, and in a way, she's a natural. The others are too quiet, too laid back or calm to really claim the crown. This ain't BH where at least 4-5 HWs hyperventilate for top spot. OTOH, when you want something too much, the audience smells desperation on you and withholds their support. And that's where Jen might be heading. It's all starting to feel a little contrived. The HW beefs, the meltdowns in parking lots, the glam squad, the Kardashian reject outfits, the rented chalet which I assumed was the weekend house but... it may be the only house. Having said that, Jen brings drama to the ensemble. And that's what this show is: a great ensemble with very different, complementary moving pieces. Without Jen, I'm not sure there would be much Drama. And then we have Mary. Whoever scouted her and convinced her to join deserves a raise. Mary is a magic component to this show. We need to appreciate her now before the Feds arrest her and Peepaw for embezzlement/fraud/tax evasion/slavery (I'm wondering if Charlinda is even paid). Her crazy eyes and kooky awkwardness remind me of Ramona. There is something... damaged and fragile about her which i have to wonder isn't due to her family dysfunction trauma -- marrying your step-grandpa to seize control of the cult and its money from your mother. I mean, that is bananas. At the same time, we know she is ruthless, if those recordings from her 'sermons' are anything to go by. I am just fascinated by her, and there are times when i feel sorry for her and impressed by her clear-eyed lucidity. And other times when I'm like 'Hey, cult leader.' All in all... fascinating show. Don't understand why either this or Potomac are struggling for viewers.

The Edelson PC lawsuit filed the previous week is a doozy and very damning for Erika. It alleges that Tom embezzled millions from the settlement of the Lion Air victims he represented, and used it to fund their lavish lifestyle. It points to her $40,000 a month glam squad as example. It alleges he transfered tens of millions of dollars this year to her company EJ Global LLC. Consequently, it alleges the divorce is a sham -- a vehicle to hide their assets from creditors. Finally, it names Erika herself as party to the lawsuit. I cannot see Erika even choosing to return to BH next season. I am not sure she will want these multiple lawsuits (which risk stripping the Girardis of all their assets to pay the settlements) to play out over the course of the season. @DaytimeFan Poor LVP. She and Ken adored Giggy. What a tough year for her, not to mention the restaurants and VPR on ice. @NothinButAttitude This screams cult to me. As watchable as Mary is on SLC, I feel like the Feds are watching that church and her lavish spending with interest.

Yikes. That is damning indeed. I know you've watched OC for a long time. Seeing this rampant selfishness (I don't believe it is ignorance as much as this particular stance suits their agendas. I want to do whatever TF I want, no consequences, why should I care about other people? They're all lazy/poor anyway!) in the context of a pandemic... I don't blame you for quitting. OC is also a lead-in for SLC and I worry it might harm SLC's chances.

Remind me again why Katie never got a contract after S1 ?

This is my standout Karen moment -- turning lemons into lemonade.

Damn this imagery takes me back. Brits have often had a schoolyard sense of humor. Tidbits (!!!!!) magazine certainly bears (bares?) that out. The butt cheeks on the Olga Korbut pages, and the Bond Girl references! I honestly cannot tell if this mag is aimed at men or women. Possibly both. The 70s really was this permissive decade which was also rather prurient. Kate O'Mara was stunning but IMO that picture does her no justice. Actually, I think she really grew into her commanding beauty when she hit her 40s and 50s.

Fooled? I'm not sure that's correct -- let me explain myself. I can definitely see the wrong on both sides with The Fight. It's not B&W. And none of these women are B&W either. Gizelle is stirring her ass off, and I know Karen is too, and so is Ashley. All these women have their own agenda, and all of them are trying to present the best possible face to camera. The issue (for me) is one of preference. I cannot stomach the GEBs. They never get called out on their skulduggery. I need a nice karmic moment of accountability for once! This has coloured how I view the fallout from this fight, because it has been in their interests to ice out Monique and The Fight is their perfect excuse. They gave us the offended-virgin routine about how they hold themselves to a higher standard -- even though we've all seen Robyn tussle with Monique/shove her finger in Ashley's face (gotta give it to Ashley, as hard as she stirs the pot, she doesn't back down from any physical intimidation). It's true, I prefer Karen. I prefer Karen to all of them, even though I know I'm being played to an extent. She is presenting an image of herself. With Ray and HSN and with her alliances with some women over others. I see it, I get it. I still enjoy her. I always have, as delusional as she has been in the past. The delusion is balanced with the tongue-in-cheek and a wink, like 'I'm on a TV show, everybody.' I'm also aware that she has an alliance with Monique, and Monique has an alliance with Ashley, and that is being played out. Will all these different alliances hold (hello, do we really think Wendy & Candiace are BFFs forever and ever?) ? We will see at reunion, or next season, if the cast return to the show. As for Candiace and Karen, I believe Karen was trying to be somewhat supportive of Candiace. But Candiace was leaning hard into her victimhood even after she admitted to instigating part of the fight. Not to mention some behind-the-scenes planning and plotting which IMO is very evident. I worry this is taking RHOP down a deeply toxic path. Do we really want a repeat of RHONY S4 or BH S9? As for Monique -- I have no doubt Monique had an agenda since Day One. Gizelle, Kyndall, Sherman, befriending Charrisse, promoting the podcast/brand thing , the fallout from her friendship with Candiace where it seems there is a lot more to that story. Maybe she will spill at Reunion. Is she sorry she got physical? No, I don't think she is. Even though her position on the show is not as secure as she likes to front with the laughing and happy-happy on WWHL. However, Candiace could have won over the audience, but she lost it because she has zero humility, zero chill and zero accountability for the part she played.

RHOP Can't believe I am saying this, but I felt bad for Michael Darby. His feelings for Juan are the worst-kept secret on the show. I don't blame him -- Juan is Fine with a capital F. Seeing Michael try and keep his frozen smile in place/booze away his sorrows... dude, we've all been there. The Ashley-Michael marriage has always been a financial arrangement. I don't believe she is even mad at his hook-ups. The problem is, Michael is increasingly unable to be discreet, and that is what Ashley is really mad about. The way she, fuming, watched Robyn and Juan tear it up on the dance floor. Then the end-notes with Baby #2. Like, why are we pretending anymore? He is bi and this marriage is, at the very least, an open one. At the very most, she's bearding for him. I feel like there would be a lot less anguish if they just owned it like Braunwyn on OC. Lots of people here felt that this episode was vindication for Monique, but from where I'm sitting, I am honestly worried Karen and Monique will not be back next year. That toast where the Hags (plus tubby-snake-in-human-form-Charrisse FOR SHAME who invited her ass) dumped their drinks on the floor re: Karen was gross. Ashley participating in that made me like her less. When you think about it, how f*cked up is it that Candiace is A-OK with hanging with Ashley -- but has major issues with Karen? The Hags wanted Karen and Monique on the outs this year, and they succeeded. This was a big set-up to bring the two women down, and reminds me of BH's takedown of Denise. The only thing that could save this is Karen and Monique destroying Giz/Rob/Cand/4Degrees at reunion, one by one. They are brighter than Denise so I'm hopeful. Gizelle saying Jamal was "at the pulpit" -- please, somebody, stop this women's ridiculous fakery! Did you all notice last week how when Giz called Jamal at the airport, he was getting a manicure? He couldn't give two hoots for Vanessa Williams' budget cousin! Wendy got her 30 seconds of screentime when she had a full-body meltdown like T'Challa had flown in her face. She's known Robyn, what, all of 5 minutes? Sit down, Thirsty! ETA: I just found out Candiace and I HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY. [!@#$%^&*] I am literally

Not to play armchair psychologist, but IMO Candiace is projecting the rage she harbours towards her overly-controlling mother onto Ashley, Monique and others. She cannot easily regulate her behaviour at the best of times. The way she antagonizes others into reacting physically, it's like a rush of power for her, and power/control is something she rarely has with her mother. You can see in that finale clip how high on the toxic energy she gets -- she literally thrives on seeing a situation escalate. I'm really hoping somebody points this out to her at reunion because she is a troubled soul, as you say, and needs a come-to-Jesus moment. Right now she is leaning in and embracing her dark side.

Woah wut Wait... are you being shady about the lady in green?? Because that lady is the Side-Eye QUEEN!

@DaytimeFan @Cheap21 I get major RHOV vibes too, not just because of the location and lifestyle, but also because Meredith looks like a cross between RHOV Ronnie and Mary Zilba.

LOL

I've seen Bravo fights, and I've seen real, messy, drunken, blown out of proportion fights. This is a Real Fight for sure. I'm not Team Anybody with this one -- both men blew this up bigger than it actually was. Michael was clearly drunk, and Chris was likely on his way there. However, like @Cheap21 I was struck by Candiace repeatedly daring Michael to hit her. Candiace is a baiter. And as reckless as she is, she knows exactly what she's doing. She gets a rush off the chaos.

This ~BETTER~ be on BH, but you know she will pull every string to make sure it won't. I wondered whether this divorce was a 'protect the assets' fakery. IMO Erika is in that marriage for the long haul. It pays for the tours, Mikey, the glam squad, and the clothes. Why would she walk away from all that? Karma is starting to become a real bitch for some of the BH chicks. oh [!@#$%^&*] I am 3 episodes behind you on SLC and probably like 17 behind on OC (work). I'm wondering if OC is really as bad as some are saying? I'm starting to see some opinions start to turn on that score. Which reminds me: one of these days (when it is slow on the RH front) we should post some of our UOs -- Unpopular Opinions about these shows. I love to read a good ole against-the-grain rant.

POTOMAC Karen was caught twice and each time she wriggled free! At the end of the telephone call with Ashley, she said "You tried, Ashley" and I cackled! I understand her playing both sides -- she wanted to reassure Candiace that Monique would not be coming, while at the same time assure Monique that she was not being excluded per se. Which leads me to... Candiace. Why are you boohooing again with the pointy napkin? Because Karen saw Monique earlier but then made her leave before you got there? And this is a bad thing because...? SHE PRIORITISED YOU. Also, I'm no Ashley fan, but Miss Traumatized Victim is vindictive and nasty calling her trash. Oh, Ashley. Why are you doing Gizelle/Robyn/Wendy/Candiace's dirty work for them? Is this to deflect from the character statement you wrote for Monique? Me watching Tamra Karen in the bath with Eddie Ray. Robyn sneering about Karen's wig launch in a strip-mall hair salon? Girl, you are back-paying the IRS on an instalment plan! AS IF you are above strip malls! AS IF that $1.6mn house you toured was ever an option. Gizelle. I wasn't sure before, but I am now. The Jamal fauxmance is as non-existent as Every Hue. I know it, you know it, the daughters know it. And they are DONE pretending. The thing that really sealed it, though, was Gizelle snapping at a producer in her VT. Way too defensive. Her inability to project any kind of emotion basically says 'This fake-ass SL was a flop. Not even the crew believes me.' I fully expect a "Sherman Jamal and I broke up" speech to her daughters next week. Wendy's bat-signal went NUTS when she sensed Karen was leaving. And those piss-poor dramatics as she shouted at everybody at the party? Good lord, this self-important twit. Even her mom was like 'enough' when Four Degrees berated her for -- yes, you guessed it -- NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT SHE HAS FOUR [!@#$%^&*] DEGREES. Oh noes. I missed that. Let me guess: they are hardcore Drumpfers/anti-BLMers. 😥 It's actually spooky how close D'Andra's New Face has gotten to its target goal!

I've seen ads for this and have been tempted to check it out. I worked at one time in the industry and still work in financial services-adjacent, just not in trading or investment banking. My dad worked for investment banks for a while, though -- he was basically married to the company. It takes a certain kind of person to make it in that field -- single-vision focus to the exclusion of anything else -- to the point where bankers will show up at the airport having forgotten to pack a bag or bring their passport. Family/personal life takes a backseat. Many workerbees in the industry are on second or third marriages, and try and get out in their 40s because the pace is unsustainable. BTW I'm not sure when all the sex is meant to happen. I missed out, lol -- I was basically working day and night! We did hear rumors though of trader douchery, and people being on coke or Adderall.

IA with @alwaysAMC -- the trailer does seem more relaxed without 'the Locken' (c) and maybe a reset is what's needed. And yes, Tiffany is going to be a know-it-all and bossy, maybe annoyingly so. She is super Type A, and both Tiger Mom/Tiger Daughter. That's a fascinating phenomenon to me. Also, sometimes, what a viewer wants isn't always what a viewer needs. Tiffany looks like she will be messy and doing the most and I'm ok with that for now. A few moments that stood out for me: -Stephanie and Travis's chemistry must be one of the strongest of any married couple on Bravo! -D'Andra's New Face saying "You think I'm an opportunistic person that does things for personal gain." Momma Dee: "You're darned right I do!" 🔥🔥 -D'Andra's New Face and Brandi deluding themselves into thinking they are the heroines of this show. In actual fact, the audience is probably rooting for their downfall, and Kary's, too. -Karen Brandi trotting out the 'suicide' card after getting called out for racism.

Dorit was always so pretty. Now she's looking like a bootleg Kardashian. I will never understand this trend in surgery/fillers to look both fake and basic at the same time. All these peeps in Hollywood walking around looking completely interchangeable and unable to flex their new plastic lips.

Oh it is? Shoot, I need glasses to read Twitter now.

Bravo keeps trying to make Gizelle happen, ugh I would have had Wendy Robyn Gizelle Candiace ANDY Karen Ashley Monique. Why the hell is Karen islanded with Candiace and Wendy??

Wow. You responded quickly! How could I forget Ashley? The age list should read like this: Karen - 57 Gizelle - 50 Robyn - 41 Monique - 37 Wendy - 36 Candiace - 33 Ashley - 32 I always get lowkey surprised at these age lists; I don't think they really matter. Like, Wendy looks older than 36. Also, despite the age difference (or maybe because of), the Karen-Ashley antagonist chemistry is still the best and has been since Day One. These two will never be friends -- too much water under the bridge. But they both went through a season of reckoning (Karen in S3 and Ashley in S4). Both came out the other side stronger. Both of them respect each other to an extent, and on this Mo-Cand fight, both are in agreement: the two women were in the wrong to varying degrees, and Candiace should not pushing for jail time. You ask for a take on Karen. So, Karen will be accused of 'plotting' against Candiace now that she has revealed that Monique showed her Candiace's deposition. I don't think Karen is plotting, though. I *DO* think she is 3 steps ahead of everybody because she has to be. She doesn't trust these women, especially Gizelle. She knows the covenly ones are always strategizing against her, and wants to be ready for it. She did not pull out that tidbit about Candiace "releasing the glass" until the women began ganging up against her. Most of all, Karen won't be told what to do or who to like. Same thing with Ashley. Ashley straight up went to Gizelle and Robyn and told them about the letter. Told them they could tell Candiace, and she didn't care. Told them she was Monique's friend, period. She knows they are the source of the trouble and just laid it all out on the table. I honestly though La Dame was going to say "I saw something in the fight that you all didn't see.... and that was Gizelle pushing Monique on her collarbone and then stepping back like she did nothing." When is somebody going to talk about that? What do you think Karen knows about them? That Gizelle, Robyn, Charrisse and Candiace all got together BH-styles to plot taking down Monique, and Candiace told them the affair rumor was not going to cut it?