Cat

Agree with so much of this. I liked both Peggy and Lydia (both in S8 *AND* S12). The problem with Peggy was her inability to verbalise her side of things and pin the other women down. Part of it was the fact that she is probably speaking Armenian half the time and so English is a sort of second language. Part of it was the fact that she was traumatised by her double mastectomy and the loss of her parents, and was on Xanax. And Kelly, Tamra, Shannon and Meghan played on that and gaslit Peggy all through reunion so that she could barely get a word in. I include Detective Meghan amongst the OCoven. According to Peggy, Meghan was ki-ki-ki-ing alongside Shannon and Tamra to Kelly's ISIS remark. Meghan has always been one of the most irritating RHs IMO. To see her lecture Lydia about the Bible and homophobia at reunion, and then learn she was a total Karen when it came to Peggy's culture kind of justifies my bias against her! LOL. I also agree about Emily being a hidden gem last season. She brought the authentic SL, the pathos and even a few laughs. I honestly would rather have Lydia there than Gina TBH. Emily can stay. I am not sure Tamra should have been fired either. It's not that I need to see her being a mean b*tch -- it's that I need to see her getting called out on it and held to account! I enjoyed last season, and a lot of the pot-stirring she did was fairly inconsequential and gave some impetus to the season. Without her there, I feel like the show is lopsided. We know there are a bunch of Trumpers on the RH shows, but up until now, I've been ok with all those hoes keeping their political opinions largely to themselves. I am not interested in seeing a party political broadcast on behalf of the MAGA Party, especially not this close to the election. Got to say, Kenya looks absolutely flawless here.

@Chris B It really does feel like the last good season in some ways. OC seemed to be trying to become something else, something it is not, in S13. I can't explain or put my finger on how, it just felt.... different. The trailer does look kind of juicy. There was a moment there that it gave me a sort of Vancouver vibe. I know people are uncertain about the role religion(s) play in these women's lives, or the fact that Utah isn't that well-known as a state, but i'm looking forward to this rather unique vibe. I've been to both SLC and Park City, the locales are stunning. Also, it's a heartland state, not a coastal one, and that's different from some of the other franchises. Also the cast is truly mixed in terms of background, religion and race, which hasn't really been Bravo's M.O. up until now.

The usual targeting of somebody (Vicki, Lydia, Peggy) whereby she makes herself the victim so that she can hold a grudge against them. I suspect this is how she has dealt with conflict all her life. It will be interesting to see how she stands on her own this season without being highly co-dependent on Tamra. Melbourne just has this naughty, no Fs to give, sense of humor. Love it. Same. Those comments about 'we need to thin the herd' were so awful. She is the kind of person who seems to rejoice in other people getting punished and penalised -- which perhaps explains why she is supportive of the WH's current miserable squatter. I guess if I hadn't started watching S12, I probably wouldn't be into this new series of OC. A few HWs on that show felt played out last season, though i enjoyedthe season as a whole. As someone else on this thread mentioned a few weeks ago, the current cast feels like the B team. Still, I'm ready to give them a go.

Thanks for giving me the heads up. My schedule totally had a new episode flagged for tonight and even subtitled it Season 15. Yeah, i like her chemistry with Diko. IA it was an unusual, transitional season and therefore it felt off. But still a pretty easy watch.

So apparently OC is back tonight for S15? I'm kinda looking forward to it. Even though I'm not sure how this season will go. I've been watching S12 RHOC recently which I have never watched before (the Peggy Sulahian season). I refused to watch it when it first aired because I didn't like how Shannon and Tamra were trying to passive-aggressively ice Vicki from the show. Anyway, it's actually much better than I expected (even though it includes that snot Meghan King Edmonds, whom I couldn't stand. Sadly, very little Jimmy Edmonds). It's better than S13 which followed it, that's for sure. I think they should have kept Lydia and maybe even Peggy. I know everybody was like 'Peggy doesn't belong on a RH show,' but I have a soft spot for the nice girls like Kathryn Edwards, Lydia and Peggy Sulahian. Peggy was genuinely nice in her understated way and had been through major trauma. Also Diko was a great house-husband, plus they actually had a monied lifestyle. The other thing I noticed about S12 was Shannon's manoeuvres. Shannon has been manoeuvring behind the scenes for years and yet rarely gets called out on it. I doubt she will this year either. Watching the season, you can spot the moment in Iceland when Bravo cut out nasty Kelly Dodd calling Peggy 'ISIS.' I can't believe Bravo would cover for this massive-toothed hoyden. What am I saying? This is Bravo. Of course they would. I wonder if S15 is going to be Kelly Dodd's downfall, Dorinda-styles. Also, for those of you who are fans of Melbourne and Janet.... she posted this on Instagram recently. Savage!

Heather McDonald interviewed LVP at the gorgeous Villa Rosa in mid-September. She shoots the breeze and talks about her life, so it is a very relaxed interview. Starts @15.50

I know Nene is a hypocrite, but I also think she has been poorly treated by Bravo sometimes. Bravo and Andy play the long game. They don't want to be seen driving these HWs off the shows themselves because they will get the blame. So they lay the groundwork over a couple of years and it is a steady drip-drip of a whispering campaign against that HW. It really is the BH method -- it reminds me of S9 and how the other women set up LVP with that Apple Juicy 'leak' (which I still do not believe she or anyone in her team leaked. Melanie Bromley of E! News said it was somebody else from the show). I like Eileen so it disappoints me a lot that she had no empathy for LVP when she was mourning her mother. She of all people would know how that feels. It is obvious they've been trying to get her out for a couple of seasons. She has been super-ill-tempered with production for years. She wanted Carlos King gone, but Bravo replaced him with a production team that did Nene no favors. And Kenya better keep watching her back because Bravo may turn on her too one day. I'm not sure Andy adores her like he does some others.

Catching up on some alleged RH news: https://dlisted.com/2020/09/27/sophia-hutchins-and-caitlyn-jenner-are-reportedly-in-talks-to-join-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/ And Nene is going in on Andy Cohen and Wendy Williams. Actually, I agree with a lot of what she says. She is gone now. No need for AC or WW to utter her name. @4.27 is when she goes in on Andy.

Interesting visual breakdown/play-by-play of The Fight: https://jezebel.com/what-viewers-missed-during-monique-and-candiaces-epic-f-1845204452

Color me unshocked that Candiace is milking her role as victim for all it is worth! And I didn't like her harsh words about Karen. That contouring and look is... A LOT. Is she trying to channel Dominique Devereux? (Not that there's anything wrong with that 🥰 )

Potomac: Not a single wasted minute this episode. What stood out for me was the crew. They rushed in right away to break up the fight. On other shows, they milk it before getting in there. Also, one of the producers called Candiace "baby." The mic lady comforted Karen after Ray doubled down on his ambivalence. Even Gizelle's dad went off on Jamal to one of the crew. Cast and crew seem tight-knit. Also interesting: no ki-ki-ki-ing talking heads during the fight. Production let the fight speak for itself and didn't try and turn it into comedy. This fight was serious and affected everybody. The fight: It wasn't the fracas itself where Monique lost some audience sympathy. It was afterwards, when she ran up to Candiace getting into the car and tried to smack her again. I thought the producer had calmed Monique down, but that calmness was really a white-hot rage. Monique seems to be harboring lots of resentment, with her husband as well, and 'putting it in a box' is no longer really working. She needs to find a better way to confront her issues. Having said that... I do agree with @NothinButAttitude that Candiace runs her mouth, both on Twitter and in person, and tries to provoke very angry reactions. Thus far, she has got away with it because Ashley is in full possession of her emotions at all times. But at some point she was bound to come up against somebody who would lose it. That's when you ask yourself: How far do you really want to push it? Karen is one of my fave HWs of all franchises. These are both her friends fighting. I admired how she stepped in there and attempted to talk Monique down in the middle of the fight. Gizelle, her dad, her girls, and Jamal. WOW. The ashen faces of her daughters and her dad at that restaurant opening/press-conference (whatever the hell that was). Their slow realization that this restaurant 'gift' is not about them, it is about Jamal packaging a business opportunity as some church-y Teachable Moment. The whole thing reeked. I felt so sorry for them. Gizelle's dad could not even look at Jamal and I don't blame him one bit for his words of deep concern. All this begs the question: WHY would Gizelle agree to do this? Why would she force her daughters and her dad to play along with this farce? Is she really in love with Jamal? It is so hard to read past Gizelle's icy exterior. I feel like part of this is about greater financial security for her daughters and herself. But another part of this might be about Gizelle missing the First Lady life, when she had status and people deferring to her. If that is the case, it is sad to me that Gizelle (who talks the talk of empowerment) cannot see that she actually gained in stature when she first left him.

Finally caught up on Potomac. I can only echo what everyone says here: RHOP is the best of the franchises, and for a second or third straight year. I still feel like I am Team Monique, even though I wonder if that will all change after tonight! I didn't like the way Candiace and Gizelle dismissed Monique in her own home. Candiace can pretend she is done with Monique all she wants, but really Monique is done with her. Can you forgive your friend aligning with Charrisse who spread that rumor about an affair and baby paternity? I don't know if I could. Also Candiace has been in Gizelle's back pocket for at least 2 years now. Her motives are untrustworthy. Monique seems desperate to launch the Not For Lazy Moms podcast but she is going about it wrong. First of all, as Danny Pellegrino (a RH podcaster I love) pointed out, no podcast should cost $200,000. That is ridiculous for something that can be done in your back bedroom with cheap equipment. Secondly: paper flyers. Highly unnecessary. Thirdly, Not For Lazy Moms. That finger-pointy title has got to go! It's too judgmental. JMO. The scene where Michael shouted at the producer, seemingly breaking the fourth wall, felt a bit performative. I also wasn't convinced by Ashley's confessions to her mother or the group. She looked like she was about to burst out laughing. Maybe that was her nerves or embarrassment. Nobody seemed surprised in the least. Gizelle, interior designer. I am bracing myself for 90s decor and purple painted walls. RHONY: Yeah, the season wasn't exceptional, and people be clamoring for younger HWs. And yet the chemistry and love between these women is second to none. Andy was so present and engaged this reunion. He really enjoys these women and so do I. I will even miss Dorinda next year when S13 comes around. Are you kidding me? I was lowkey joking! I see Kyle keeps trying to make Encino happen. I have to imagine the Arroyaves put down US$6.5mn in part expecting that RHOBH cheque to keep on coming. Yikes. Seems like Meg Ryan's ex-stepdaughter is taking the fall for the Coven as a whole. Bravo fired an unpopular cast member, and it was a no-brainer. But while Kyle, Rinna and Erika are around, BH's bullying and inauthenticity problem continues. Right now, RH viewers seem to be looking for more organic relationships, nuance, laughter and authenticity in their shows. Kyle and Rinna are good at cribbing from other HWs who brought originality (LVP, Yolanda, Erika). But when it comes to pivoting, evolving or coming up with something fresh, I'm not sure Kyle or Rinna can drive that kind of shift. They wait for someone else to do it, then they jump on the bandwagon.

Imma give Kyle the benefit of the doubt. She needs Teddi to need her. She will wait until Mauricio sells Teddi's sheer drop off a cliff home and then unfollow her.

Of course! She is called BAT for a reason. However, it might have been interesting to see TXIVM play out next season and her defend the 500-calorie limit. LOL! Just kidding

Putting to one side that NXIVM diet cult she was trying to build Teddi's announcement is pretty self-deprecating...? She knows how the viewers feel about her, and she doesn't hide the fact that she was fired. I mean, obviously I want her smug, hypocritical ass fired. But she shouldn't have been fired before Erika. Erika did F all this season. Teddi was production's bitch and drove that Denise-Brandi SL like a mack truck through the Rome trip. It was a nasty job, but Kyle, Rinna and Erika sure as hell weren't going to get their hands dirty. Oh well. 'NIGHT, TEDDI BEAR. It was a great podcast, and the Heather-Carole friendship is the real deal. Interesting point about Aviva and Dorinda having similar qualities when it came to knowing what the audience wants to see. Weirdly, though, all the drugs-and-sex tea they were spilling has not dented my feelings for Luann or Sonja. 🥰

That quote from a 'Bravo production insider' sounds like something out of this very thread. 'She is boring and stale and does not offer anything to the franchise with her robotic and staged delivery when interacting with the other cast members.' 'The issue is, the other cast members don't particularly like her and beyond Kyle [Richards] no one is friends with her. 'Kyle will most likely dump her, when Bravo does.' Ouch.

Please! Robyn REVELS in stirring people up and then sitting back to watch the physical altercation. She even jumps in there herself. She got in between Monique and an umbrella when it was Monique vs Ashley. And of course "GET YOUR FINGER OUT OF MY FACE, ROBYN." I may not be Ashley's biggest fan, but she stood up to the bigger bully admirably. Robyn's reactions can be fun to watch, but the fact is she is a classic bully's sidekick. She thrives on egging people on.

It made me a bit sad too. She put a smile on it but it is a bittersweet parting for Nene. She left on the low of that Reunion. S4 she started pulling away and refusing to be filmed with many of the other HWs, specifically the Smalls. She felt they were too close to Kim (whose lazy ass was already ducking out of group filming). Nene did not want to go to South Africa and had to be convinced to go by Marlo. Throughout the season she was looking for opportunities outside of Atlanta, specifically in New York and LA, and specifically acting. She wasn't quite phoning it in like in S9-12, but she was definitely not feeling Kim/Sheree/Bravo and looking to ascend to bigger and better things.

Just when there is some vaguely 'nice' moment (like Sutton chartering a private jet to take everybody to NY), Yoga-Mat Mellencamp has to jump in and go after Denise and Garcelle 'not supporting the group.' I wanted to smack her round the chops! She is so effing smug. This wasn't desperation trying to stay on the show. This was total delusional certainty that she has 'earned' her place as a Real Housewife (!!), and that Denise and Garcelle will be swiftly escorted from the premises. If she comes back next season, it will only be by default -- i.e.: Bravo absolutely cannot be bothered to hire somebody new. It struck me that while Denise plainly appears to be lying about Brandi, she stands out as being the most truly honest of the entire group. I don't know if that makes any sense. The NY S4 Reunion analogy is right! The difference is that the S4 aftermath felt like JUSTICE. Finally, a HW as important as Jill (and Kelly) was being punished for her actions! The karma was real, and it kind of put other RH shows on notice that nobody is safe -- an important check/balance. RHONY cleaning house was the best thing Bravo ever did for the longevity of the franchise. BH, however? Where is the justice? I've been waiting for it for years. BH is unwilling to get rid of its Jill OR its Luann. Rinna, Kyle and Erika are calling alllll the shots here and that is extremely problematic for the show. The bullying, shaming and gaslighting is so egregious, it actually outstrips Jill's toxic behaviour.

At her height Nene was truly a GOAT among HWs. But Ira is right -- she has been checked out for years. She was ready to leave RHOA as early as S4 (South Africa season). However, outside opportunities have been thin on the ground, so she was forced to go back to RHOA and it showed. Her resentment was coming off her in waves and it wasn't fun to watch. You guys on this thread cited a post she made a few months' back about Bravo not treating her fairly. Like the boy who cried wolf, people are not feeling sorry for Nene this time around as they figured it was only about pay with her. However, as some of you pointed out, she has always been made to feel second to Kim Zolciak when, quite honestly, Nene carried the show in the early days. And I kind of understand her POV about Bravo doing her dirty. She was gracious about Bravo in her goodbye video. You could see she was reading some cue cards, but nevertheless, Nene seems determined to part ways in a professional manner. I will always love her for her 'Deuces baby!' speech. For calling out Phaedra's length of pregnancy and Porsha's '265 days of the year.' Oh, and "Close your legs to married men, Wig!". "I can understand having a falling out and getting back together, but once you hit below the belt? Deuces, baby! I think you need to GO. Because I'm not fittin to stab you in the back. I'm gonna stab you in the chest!"

Brandi f*cked herself over with her unquenchable thirst for this show. Her performance at Bucca di Beppo sealed the deal. Andy said Bravo did not want to interview her after that.

This is the most amazing thing.... LOL I love Camille. As for Teddi's Eating Disorder program [(c)Chris B], that whole 'accountability coach' business seemed wonky from the get. The rabid over-exercising was what always stood out for me about Teddi, even on vacations and national holidays -- usually published on Instagram alongside the words 'No Excuses!' And given that Rinna is also a rabid over-exerciser (according to her), red flags went up for me. Teddi is obviously traumatized about being rejected because of her weight when she was younger, and that entire Rinna, Kyle, Erika friendship circle seems toxic AF generally. I imagine Kyle knows how to play on others' self-esteem issues (see: Camille, Kim, Taylor), and Teddi is clearly terrified of Erika and Rinna. Having said that, I do believe that Teddi probably eats reasonably -- she's just ok with selling this starvation diet BS to her fans and playing on people's insecurities (like she did with Denise all season!) for good ole filthy lucre. I don't blame her either. Clearly she feels she is worth more than Bravo's first offer. I'm not going to diss her for that. TBH, I think Bravo will give Leah what she wants. They are basically going to construct RHONY around her at this point. She IS the Alpha Dog now that Dorinda got kicked out.

The Town Hall was the toughest grilling Trump has ever received, and he was shook. Shook because the media, including the so-called 'liberal' media, have been pulling their punches with him for +6 years. Fearful of getting shut out, of losing their access, they have become poodles at DT's feet. The people at this Town Hall, in the other hand, held Trump's feet to the fire. I wish I could say it was great to see democracy in action, but seeing proof (if any were needed) that our news media is essentially bought and sold to this dictator-in-waiting was a depressing sight.

100% co-sign. I hope she stays real and unspoiled as she has been this season. But no way Rinna won't go after Garcelle for exposing her true character to the audience. (And Garcelle's slip-up makes it clear that Rinna will definitely be back). Denise won't be there as back-up. I noticed in the last few episodes of the season, when Denise stood everybody up, Garcelle was unsettled at having to face the Coven on her own. I would be, too. Rinna, Roxie, Yoga-Mat and Vyle tag-teaming one lone individual is awful to watch. I don't know how close Dorit and Garcelle actually got this season, but I am hoping that Sutton and Garcelle pursue a burgeoning acquaintanceship. In this time of pandemic, with acting projects put on hold, I don't blame Garcelle one bit for deciding to do a second season.

I don't mind breaking the fourth wall sometimes. However, when it becomes so evident that production is setting things up, like you say, it mars our enjoyment. Like Andy going after Denise about good friends vs. friendly, and then kikikis with Kyle and Rinna about the ace baby shower they threw him 2 years ago (well, technically Kyle threw it -- Rinna just took the credit). His bias is so evident. In a period of two weeks we have at least 2-3 instances of cut scenes coming to light which were highly significant and rounded out our understanding of the respective shows. We are left wondering why are they cutting this stuff? Bravo may feel the viral-marketing nature of these never-before-seen leaks is whetting viewers' appetite, but I feel like it is eroding trust between fans and the franchise. Like, I am legit shocked about RHONY's long-time and usually balanced production team sitting on that John tea. The Frons analogy is so accurate -- and worrying.