Cat

If Kathy is going to keep accidentally posting her business on public forums, I am going to love her. 🥰

Thank you for laying it out like that. Seeing Monique filming mostly alone on the show and After Show, it is hard not to shake the feeling that Gizelle has triumphed in getting Monique iced from the show -- kind of like the Manzos got Danielle iced from NJ, even though she was a fan favorite. I still feel like the deck is stacked against Mo, but I also recognize that production need her. Monique *IS* the only storyline this season. The 3 major physical altercations last season and this season have one common denominator. I actually feel empathy for Candidacy because, like Monique, she has anger issues that she is not confronting. She is trying to temper that anger, but a lot of the other women are more than happy to push her buttons in order to achieve a desired result. Candiace's rage obvs stems from her dictatorial mother and feelings of powerlessness over her own life. So she acts confrontational in order to feel powerful. Re: the bold. Wendy is in financial strife? Kathy seems especially close to Kim so we will prob see more of her. I do think you are right and Kathy will be there to pull a Faye and reinforce how 'wonderful' Kyle is. I enjoyed the glimpse of Kathy, Kris Jenner and Faye together at the charity auction last season because they looked like a power triumvirate. You know it must have intimidated the sh*t out of Rinna with her paltry charity bid. I remember in S5 when Kim's daughter was getting married, Kathy was helping Kim organise the wedding outfits. Kyle showed up pretending to be involved, and Kathy could 👏 not 👏 even 👏 look 👏 at 👏her 👏. Every time Kaftan opined about Kim's outfit, Kathy would talk over her and steer Kim back to Kathy's choices, lol. This is the Kathy we want to see! I hope you are right about BH keeping a lid on leaks. It has been egregious the past two years. Brandi was obviously flapping her gums on Twitter months before anything aired, but I'm sure she had the thumbs-up from production to build anticipation. And from a ratings POV, it did work. I like the look of the newbie but I also hope Sutton will be back permanently. Speaking of RHONY: Heather is cited by Eboni as part of the main cast. This group is looking good!

Karen did not hesitate or deviate! Candiace: You've made excuses for Monique. You have coddled Monique. You are choosing a side. Karen: No. Candiace: What I need to hear from you is that you understand that what Monique did was wrong. It is confusing to me that seeing what you saw, that you can still be this soft. Karen: One of the things that I know about you, Candiace, is that you are brilliant, your mind is just so powerful -- but so is your mouth. I'm a little insulted that you continuously return to say that I should be against Monique. Let me tell you, young woman, that I coddled you a year ago. I protected you a year ago. I had your back. When I was holding you down, I didn't always agree with what you had done or said to others. And I am doing no more for my friend Monique than I did for you. Monique did a horrendous thing, and I told her she needed help. And I will walk with her hand-in-hand. If the shoes were reversed, I would do the same thing for you. So, as much as I can be a loving, big sister or auntie to you, I will not be told what to say or think. I find it ironic that literally NOBODY has a problem with Ashley having Monique's back. Ashley is still invited to all the events and on cordial terms with everyone. So why is Karen different? Why are they trying to make an example out of her? Wendy... sigh. Social media and Bravo seem to love her, and I like her family and political engagement. But she is working too hard to keep this fight alive. She is all up in it and righteous and acting like she is deeply involved -- when she wasn't even around last year when the seeds were being sown! She really wants to Be Seen in this storyline. Her angle from the beginning has been anti-Karen, and that is also her angle with this fight, to target Karen as the 'bad friend.' Candiace is eagerly playing the traumatized victim role. Obvs a physical altercation shakes you for days, if not weeks afterwards. It takes time to process the feelings of anger and fear. Right now I am not sensing fear with Ms Candiace, but I am sensing a fair amount of self-righteousness and smugness (Not saying she isn't traumatized, but that doesn't mean she can't also capitalize on an opportunity). She has been jonesing for a confrontation with Monique since before the season started. She helped bring this altercation into the middle of the group. Now she is demanding that her friends pick her side. Has she thought about how all this might be affecting them? Candiace had a face like one of Michael Darby's pinched bottoms when she found out Monique was countersuing. Monique is out, isn't she? I cannot see her surviving beyond this season, especially if nobody will film with her.

That whole table was amassed against Monique. Cha Cha had no business being there, after that vile rumor she invented and spread. But of course she was, because she is as bitter and jealous of Monique as Gizelle is. Karen and Ashley were quite simply outnumbered. Karen was looking at all the women like she was seeing their true characters for the first time. At one point before the meal, Gizelle was laughing about the assault charges and Karen got up and left like she was sick of the sight of her. Robyn watched her go like she realised they had gone too far. And then there is Candiace's mom egging on her deluded child. It felt like I was watching another Coven tbh.

Oh, it was MOST fascinating. Giz and Robyn's faces as their little weapon of mass destruction started boomeranging back towards them! They thought that by refusing to film with Monique (by my count, that is Giz, Robyn, Candiace and Wendy), that would be enough to get her off the show. The whole point of the table conversation was to pressure Karen and Ashley to do the same. I respect that Ashley and Karen held their own. But the more intransigent Candiace gets, the more she pushes them towards Monique. I hate that Ashley decides to throw Karen under the bus to Monique next week. C'mon, Ash. Are you doing Gizelle's dirty work now? Robyn's face was so hateful watching Karen defend herself at the table. Robyn has hated Karen since S3 when she heartily participated in the Humiliate Karen campaign and her feelings have never changed. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't a judge throw out both Monique and Candiace's lawsuits and told them to stop wasting the court's time and money? God bless whoever that fair-thinking person was! You are so right about Candiace needing to eat humble pie. It really bothers me the way she is milking this. She is also very high-handed. Honey, you are only 30. Stop pretending you are a 55-year old diva. That's your mother's role. This episode is the first time I warmed to Wendy. She was light and humorous, amd so proud of her Nigerian background, not to mention her mom. Her husband -- god! he is so effing handsome. He exudes kindness. That is an underrated quality in a man. My heart broke for him as he carried Kamryn (in her mini gele!) looking around to see if his family had showed up. That is so cold. I can't believe after all this time and 3 children later, his mother would not want to acknowledge her grandchildren. Wendy next week, though. Still working so, so hard to turn people against Karen and make this rivalry a thing. You know, I am still thinking about this. This fan 'brandsbybravo' put together a meme for fun which Erika then stuck on her Instagram. The fan, politely, asked Erika to credit them. Instead of saying 'sure' and saving herself some precious time, Erika proceeded to belittle and tear down that fan like he/she was First Season Teddi. It was so mean-spirited and rude. I bet 'brandsbybravo' felt like crap afterwards. It's like you knocking your wine glass over with your hand and then berating the waitress for having spilled it. Erika took this person's meme! And when she was called out, she basically shat on the fan's work. If it was so crap, why did you post it in the first place? Erika keeps showing us what a sh*t person she is. I used to defend her, but now... pfft.

"Now go make some interesting sh*t that I can promote" -- jesus christ! Erika's view of fans in a nutshell. I'm sure we will get a follow-up post saying she was on her period tho.

Same. I used to get the feels I heard the BH one. Like at the end of S1, S2 or S4 (when LVP left the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce party). That video omg I actually feel bad for the little girl whose birthday it was. So ofc no shock I'm more sympathetic to Monique lol. I'm a nerd about these, too. I've always loved soap background music from back in the day for the same reason. Santa Barbara had great themes. So too did Y&R and B&B. The RH ones are similar in that there is a certain 'cathartic melancholy' to them. Oooo now I want to hear the RHONY one. I did a search but couldn't find it.

Haven't watched RHOP yet... but I will later today! I am almost afraid to, because it seems like Gizelle and Robyn are getting away with their nefarious schemes. God, I am hoping for some karma their way. Seriously, Robyn would be the Teddi of Potomac if she didn't have an actual sense of humor! The only comfort I get is that Cha Cha, who tried to get on the show with that horrible rumor about Monique, is STILL edited out. Also this is making the rounds on Twitter today By way of RH nostalgia, you know that finale music on OC and BH which is played as the women muse on what they've learned this season? I found it. That music always hits me in the feels. I know @DaytimeFan loves the OC guitar ballad. I love the BH one also. It reminds me of the Richards sisters being torn apart, or LVP vowing to keep it moving even after another betrayal.

Leeanne Locken = Sheila Carter is a PERFECT analogy. A villainess people feel sorry for. But who is also kind of crazy. And whose pride always leads to a fall. And i don't think SheiAnne paid a penny on that wedding. Everything was negotiated to appear on the show for free in exchange for promotion. Hence why there was no food. RHOD is probably the soapiest of all the RH shows, and I am OK with that.

Ep 1 of OC had potential IMO and was well edited with nods to past seasons. However, like some of you, I think production will regret letting go of Tamra. She was an unapologetic team-divider and pot-stirrer and made their job easier. She was Shannon's BFF and Kelly's enemy, she knew Emily a long time and was busy manipulating a willing Gina. She probably knows Elizabeth! I also wanted to see how Eddie was doing. Anyhoo, if ratings continue on their current path, she could be back.

OMG. I am so excited to discuss this because despite being an 'imperfect' RH franchise, and the lowest-rated, I have so much fondness for RHOD. I love the snooty southern society stuff, I love the Mama Dee and Jabot stuff, heck, I even liked Cary Deuber! Yes, you read right. I liked her self-deprecation in S3, and felt she was harshly targeted by Leeanne in S2. Also, Mark Deuber was Dallas's Jim Bellino and, as awful as that is, it is also perversely crazy to watch. This is going to be hard to discuss because you need to finish watching the season! You thought the Guadalajara trip was nuts? Bangkok is INSANE. And so is the finale and reunion. As low-rated as RHOD is, this thread was hopping during the last few episodes of last season. There was controversy and people's opinions changed about some HWs. Like you, I have leaned towards disliking Leeanne. I found her funny at times, but also violently intimidating to the others, using her frankly horrific childhood as an excuse for ongoing bad behaviour. She was also very wrapped up in being the OG of the show. D'Andra and Leeanne are basically two sides of the same coin, as I've said before. They are both so fucked up by their mothers and childhoods. D'Andra was a coke addict for like a decade for crying out loud! They are both desperate for the adulation and attention that RHOD offers. Leeanne is a lot like a young Mama Dee in some ways and that's why D'Andra can't live with her/can't live without her. After watching this season, my feelings about Leeanne did shift and I felt empathy for her flawed self which is hard to explain. I also wonder if RHOD may regret getting rid of their Alpha dog. You may have a different view. My strong STRONG dislike of Brandi continues unabated. She is the true sniper from the side IMO. Funny how the election + pandemic + disingenuous Handmaid Coney Barrett changes and crystalizes our perspectives! 😰 Braunwyn's drama this year has amped way up. I appreciated the way she laid out the habits of her addiction in ep 1 which she did not want to acknowledge until now. The fact that she did it with Emily who called her out on it last year also made for an interesting dynamic. I think the few fans who watched responded to her authenticity.

Look at Gizelle and Robyn hastily backtracking from their 'THROW THE BOOK AT HER, SHE SHOULD BE PUNISHED AT ALL COSTS' stance. And Candiace is a snotty, petulant teenager with zero accountability on her side. I see Dorothy is there gassing her up. Agreed. It flowed well and this group has potential. The VTs though! The lighting was too harsh. Kelly looked like a 55-year old Maleficent in a wig. Emily looked tired. Gina seems to think she is cosplaying as Stevie Nicks. Only Shannon and Braunwyn looked somewhat professionally shot. Speaking of Braunwyn, what a revelation that at 5 minutes. This is what RH should be about, IMO. Yikes! Well I did hear there was an active social media campaign to boycott RHOC this year. Is 1.051mn viewers bad for a Bravo show?

Prayers to you and your mom @Taoboi ! Vitamin D, Vitamin C and ZINC is also being recommended by doctors here. Boost the immune system. Paracetamol to temper fever and migraines. Here in London, they are about to introduce Tier 2 restrictions (avoid public transport, no mixing with other households indoors) on Saturday. And last night, President Macron of France introduced a 9pm-6am curfew in major city hotspots. Ideas being discussed are of a possible 'circuit-breaker' lockdown -- a short, sharp, 2-week nationwide lockdown à la end-March.

Sending you hugs and prayers 🙏 Hope for a speedy recovery!

Potomac IA with everybody here that Potomac is the best RH show by miles. Not a wasted moment or story or HW. Loved the Karen-centric episode. Her family were thrilled to see her and show off the farm. I just could not love Karen more. She is good people. QUEEN. DOM! @DaytimeFan you are so right: Gizelle is seething with jealousy over everybody. The way she acted when Monique called Karen. Something tells me that Ashley and Monique were the ones meant to go to Surry with Karen, but after the fight, production decided to go with Gizelle. Also I hate the way Gizelle sneered that the people of Surry probably thought Karen was Beyoncé. Um, where were you born, hussy? This from the woman who used to tell people she 'always' gets mistaken for Beyoncé. Gizelle has never understood that Karen is actually very self-deprecating and constantly laughs at herself. The Surry folk seem in on Karen's joke. Gizelle is unable to comprehend because she has no real sense of humor. Robyn. Oh boy. Robyn is so, so concerned with driving a wedge between Karen and Candiace. The Big Fight is secondary to that. Gizelle and Robyn have been focused all season on breaking up the Monique-Candiace-Karen circle, and Karen could well be their end-target because they fear her popularity the most. Candiace threatening to see Monique in jail.... so nasty and so rude. I tried to have sympathy, but trotting out the dog rescue puppies was and her vengefulness regarding Monique is not a good look. She has ascended the moral high ground now, and uses it to kick others. Dorothy and her purse are getting a side-eye from me, too.

The filter on Vicki's face is something! She isn't lying, although she is a bit harsh on my Emily. I agree with @chrisml that getting rid of Tamra was wayyyy too hasty. Last season was a solid one for the OC, and that is in large part because Tamra kept it moving with her shameless pot stirring. Also Tamra had relationships with all the women. Without her there, the show is lopsided, weighed down by rage monster Kelly Dodd. Shannon is fine but I suspect her most impactful stuff will be her trapped in her house with the Covid. BTW, rage monster also got married this weekend: https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/rhocs-kelly-dodd-rick-leventhal-wed-in-romantic-ceremony/

Cynthia looks absolutely stunning. I am LOL literally at Mike palming her posterior. He cannot tear his hands away! Yeah I was not a fan of Kary tbh. Very manipulative. Leeanne was her only SL. Bryant?

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy S3 of Dallas -- there were some moments I really enjoyed, namely the Ultimate Living business stuff, and Mama Dee's cooking lesson at her friend's ranch! It felt very soapy and like we were at Southfork. I also really enjoyed Kameron. Kameron's and Stephanie's family scenes are very watchable. I think the shocker with S3 was the fact that D'Andra basically sold her BFF down the river for Brandi. D'Andra had had such a wonderful S2 but S3 onwards exposed her true flaws -- namely, jealousy. Dallas has never gone in depth about why BFFs D'Andra and Leeanne are so desperately envious of each other. They single-white-female each other's looks and are basically two sides of the same coin IMO. I'm sure their dysfunctional relationships with their moms also play a part. I am one of the few who enjoyed S4 because as toxic as it is, it shows everything and you come to your own conclusions. I am strangely excited about S5 although rumor has it that it will be a short season. Very sad! Brinkley seems like a sweet little girl. I hope she is doing ok and recovering.

I judge Gizelle a bit more harshly on this issue. No question it must have been terribly painful for her when she found out about his cheating and baby mamas. My question is, how can she ever trust him again? And I don't believe the 'keeping the family together' excuse because her daughters clearly do not care for him and are fine with it being them + their mom. Financially, the alimony should be covering their needs, because his parishioners are apparently obligated to give him 10% of their income! And that 10% tithe screams SCAM to me. Everything about Mr Chocolate screams snake-oil salesman, and his megachurch appears to be structured to prey on people's faith and prise money out of them. Let's not forget that Gizelle was married to that for some years. She was a First Lady, by his side, there to make him look good in the eyes of the parishioners. She no doubt had to attend all the services and church-related events. Do we really think that Gizelle didn't know how the church was making ends meet financially? At some point, you will be known by the company you keep. Now that she is back with him, people are going to associate her with his actions -- and his malfeasance. If I was part of his congregation, I would be asking questions about his involvement in the restaurant 'for his daughters' and what money was used. Gizelle chose to put a respectable face AND a TV camera on that, to make his business deal look anointed and legit. Once again. It would be nice to see Gizelle fall for someone she loves and who loves her back. But from what I am seeing (Sherman, Jamal) she is picking guys with tenuous relationships to fidelity and honesty. She seems attracted to money more than anything else. If she is going to exclusively prioritize that in her relationships, well... Gizelle could do so much better. But right now she doesn't want to. ETA: btw, I am sorry for your loss, Taoboi. I hope you have a peaceful end of October this year.

Thank you for this perspective. Given that the Swedish strategy is structured for the long-term and future pandemics, I think it might be the way to go. However, in the UK, the whole thing has gotten so politicised and agenda-driven that nobody trusts the government anymore about this, and their faith in public health institutions is also eroding. This makes the ability to enact a Swedish strategy here more difficult at this time. I wish we had more first-person assessment like this about the illness, about symptoms, about what the hospitals do, and about what the medication does to you! This is super informative, thank you.

I don't mind Quad back in a FOH (or should that be FOD?) capacity. I am still waiting for her to be properly called out on all her fakery and victim-playing (and any other shady stuff she has been up to). Still so excited about Kari and Lisa Nicole coming back! Like @Chris B I am more excited for M2M than I am ATL. Looks like it! Lisa Nicole is so messy. She seems to thrive on the drama with her husband. As of June 2020 they seemed to be together, bringing awareness about Covid-19 testing to local neighborhoods in Atlanta (under the spoiler tag). She and Dr Darren still seem to be promoting their marriage like it is some kind of brand.

It would be great to have @I Am A Swede's insight, because I suspect the Swedish strategy is a bit more complex than just striving for herd immunity. I was listening to this podcast this morning discussing the Swedish experience, it was pretty interesting, thought I would link it here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/audio/2020/oct/07/does-sweden-have-the-answer-to-living-with-covid-19

One of the things I appreciate about Potomac is that it has enabled discussion of the fight beyond Team So-and-So. There are a lot of complexities to process. This is why RHOP is the best RH show by a country mile. And we are always going to agree to disagree at some point on this thread! As a female, I don't think any woman, mouthy or otherwise, should get popped (!). If they are running their mouth, crying wolf or spreading lies, they do need to get called and held accountable, though. I think what this fight ultimately showed me is how Monique lost her position of moral superiority by getting physical. What Candiace said or did in the months leading up to do this is now overshadowed and, possibly, unimportant, because Monique resorted to fists. Candiace fancies herself some kind of drama queen, so I fully expect her to milk her victim status. That is going to irritate the sh*t out of me, but she can do this -- to an extent(!) -- because Monique crossed a line, and that is taking up all the oxygen in the room. That's because BH was trying to force an agenda down our throats and it failed miserably. It's a little like Frons/Guza on GH trying to force the audience to adore Sonny/Jason/Carly, and doing it by tearing down the other characters. Bravo isn't quite that way -- once the network recognizes which way an audience is going, it usually pivots accordingly and tries to profit from the shift. Not just that, but one of Gizelle's closest confidants, who is basically like family, is Kal. I bet he feels a certain way about Pastor Sleezy's comments. Gizelle may want to secure her financial future with proceeds from Jamal's megachurch. However, if she wants that steady Bravo cheque, she will have to make some kind of statement about how she's not like her gross babydaddy.

I can see that standing your ground regarding Monique means a lot to you. Respectfully, I would argue that some of the opinions expressed on here about the fight have been more nuanced. Like @Antoyne, I believe they are both at fault of riling each other up and totally acknowledge that Monique should not have gotten physical. I give production credit the last two episodes for showing the altercation in its entirety, without commentary, and for devoting an entire episode on Sunday to the other women confronting Monique on what she did. We were treated like grown-ups for once and allowed to make up our own minds without (so far) undue influence on the part of editors and producers. You are right -- I am somewhat biased re: Candiace. My POV is that Candiace has decided that her SL this season is going to be Let's Bring Down Monique, hence her aligning with Charrisse, who spread the baby rumor, and with Gizelle who is looking to get Monique out. And Candiace can be an annoying barking chihuahua who thinks they are a rottweiler. Candiace has been trying to deal with her anger issues, though, and she did not give in to her worst physical impulses in this fight. However, she has been taunting Monique for a while now, and that has to be pointed out -- not as an excuse for Monique's fisticuffs, but as a factor behind why things spiraled. As Sunday's episode broke down, there were hands to the face, Gizelle's little shove of Monique, some waving wine glasses. Neither party covered themselves in glory. A week after the fight, neither Monique nor Candiace feel they are fundamentally in the wrong. That is problematic. As Wendy pointed out, Monique regretted her actions but was not remorseful. Clearly it is too early. When this initially all went down, it took a couple of months before both parties dropped their lawsuits/charges against each other. Won't deny that Monique needs help. Monique has undirected rage towards her husband; Gizelle; Charrisse; and Candiace. What's more, Monique refuses to confront them. Therefore, things fester to the point of implosion. Monique is easy to rile up and takes things personally. She is highly competitive and wants to be Top Dog, with the houses, wealth, successful business ventures, successful marriage, children, etc. She is piling extra pressure on herself to maintain this image. (Candiace needs counseling too, because that [!@#$%^&*] with her mom is some straight up abusive nightmare. Candiace and Monique are a lot alike actually. Maybe too alike to ever be friends again). My love for Karen knows no bounds. She is literally my favourite RH across all the franchises. She has been accused of favoring Monique, but I think it's too early to make that judgment. Candiace was not there in person and we couldn't see how Karen would have handled it had she been. Karen tried to offer a safe space to Monique in which to express herself, and I think she would have done the same for 'Candy.' And if she feels empathy for Monique, it's because she sees the forces of Gizelle and Robyn aligning against her, and doesn't want to leave Monique floundering. It was such a simple episode -- production really let that story breathe and hit all the beats. Which is why Gizelle's shenanigans stuck out like a sore thumb. Ridiculous self-production and a straight rip-off of Kenya. I couldn't stand the way she rolled her eyes, pretended to text, and then when she launched into her rehearsed speech, basically got high off the sound of her own voice. I don't believe she or Robyn are personally offended by this fight at all. Robyn continues giggling through half of this. And that BS about her and Mr. KnockUpSomeChocolate protecting their images -- Why is Bravo still trying to make this loser happen? I hope Twitter dragged her good. I sure hope so. The previews of the upcoming season are surprisingly light and fluffy regarding Kelly.

Holy [!@#$%^&*]. That Potomac mid-season trailer is IN. SANE! Are we already mid-season?? Feels like Potomac has only been on a month!