Bravo's The Real Housewives of....

[Cat]

Brandi... gosh. The wheels have come off the wagon, basically.

http://www.realitytea.com/2015/01/28/brandi-glanville-lashes-andy-cohen-last-nights-wwhl-show/

This week was uncomfortable, voyeuristic but compelling. The other women are now completely clued into Brandi. She knows it, which is why she slunk out of Lisa R's charity event. She is finished, and as Lisa V pointed out later in the episode, she is happy to smile and make small talk with Brandi in social situations, but Brandi is lucky to even get that. Even Yolanda has that "Uhhhhh I think I backed the wrong horse" look on her face when Brandi bragged to her about what went down at Poker Night.

Clearly KIm was on something. The only time Kim is vaguely interesting or open or approachable is when she is high or drunk. I know that is awful to say, but you only had to see Eileen hugging and petting Kim protectively and Kim looking like a sleepy kitten to see that. If she had been sober, she would have been uncomfortable and stressed. When she is sober, it feels like she is going through the motions of life instead of actually living. Her eyes always look incredibly sad. Putting aside all the [!@#$%^&*] she is going through, KIm has always used alcohol/prescription drugs as a crutch to loosen up in social situations. Otherwise she feels like a weirdo and completely isolated.

Brandi was like a scary witch slowly poisoning Kim against everybody. She will blame it on Bravo's bitch edit (and after her Twitter attack on Andy Cohen yesterday, you best believe that this edit is going to get worse). But the way she was smirking when she shoved Kyle three times at the very beginning was awful. She is doing this for the cameras, and seeing Kyle crying and all victim-y gives this bully a feeling of power. Then she laid hands on Kyle again (!!!) (while Vince was peaking out from behind the garage door) and was slurring her usual "Bring it awwwwwwn, bitch" tagline which I am so tired of hearing now.

The way she feeds off Kim's unhappiness is uncomfortable to watch. She needs Kim to continue being a [!@#$%^&*]-up, otherwise Kim will move on and do her own thing, and Brandi will feel abandoned and lash out at her, too.

This SL has done wonders for Kyle and probably redeemed her in the eyes of Lisa V fans. In some ways, I hate that Kyle gets to play her favorite role, Poor Little Me. OTOH, her reaction to everything that is going on with Kim and Brandi feels genuine and emphathetic. This is a younger sister, the good girl, who had to cover up for her sister's addiction for much of her life. It must be incredibly draining. Sometimes I wonder if Kim fully realizes the pressure she has put her sister under for such a long time. I know it is a disease, but sometimes it makes people incredibly selfish and maybe that is why Brandi and Kim are bonding so hard right now. Because they have convinced themselves that they are never in the wrong -- it is either the alcohol/drugs they ingested that must be blamed, or it is just mean bitches being mean.

Sorry, this is super long, but RHoBH really made me think about some things with these recent episodes

Edited January 29, 2015 by Cat

[Taoboi]

*cough*Gemini*cough* God, I love her.

Oh, no, Cat, you (and DF) give the best RHoBH commentary. I can't tell you how many times after episodes I can't wait to hear what you two say (same for NBA, Eric, Vix, and Cheap on RHoA).

[Soaplovers]

I've often wondered if Kim has a form of asbergers? She seems bery ill at ease in social settings, shy, and eccentric. Also she seems more relaxed when on something... and I think this relapse was due to her body being used to.not having drugs or alcohol in it.

[kathyj]

I think Eileen is great. Smart, elegant and funny. She acts like a grown up. Love the two Lisas. I wonder if Eileen will be there next season or if she is already tired of the nonsense? She certainly has a full life without the RHofBH.

Edited January 29, 2015 by kathyj

[Cat]

LOL my brother is a Gemini. And I love her too. I was worried she would come across badly on this show but I really think what we are seeing is what we get with Eileen. This is her, this is her life, and she's not really hiding anything or pretending anything about her life in order to shill a line of jewellery.

And omg thank you, but I know I should say what I want to say with less words, lol. And I also cannot wait to read DF's commentary (Cheap's already made my life today "Trashbox!" ). His are always fascinating with insider detail and epically on point. I am really curious to see what he says about Boozdi vs the Caftan Housewife of Sherman Oaks.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Cat

[Mr. Vixen]

Nice save, I was about to come for that wig!

I didn't even watch this weeks RHOA cause I heard it was so boring.

[Cheap21]

Great commentary Cat and I completely agree

The show didnt need you. The ratings rose as it was pretty heavy on Team Pretty

[Mr. Vixen]

Did they cast someone pretty in my week-long absence?

[Cheap21]

[Mr. Vixen]

Ok...Demetria is pretty!!

[NothinButAttitude]

[Taoboi]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. You ain't the first bitch this week. You gonna have to get in line with that other tired ho and my leftovers.

I liked it, but I can see why others would find it boring. Nothing really happened but setup for Claud vs Toyota.

And Cat, oh, no. you keep on keeping on. I can't wait for your thoughts on the return on Season 1 Kyle.

ETA:

DEAD. Moreso since I did this earlier tonight.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Taoboi

[Soaplovers]

After reading my review/blog on this past weeks of BH, more thoughts of have into my mind.

So far, I think season 5 of RHOBH has been a stellar season.. ranked way higher then season 3 and 4 for me thus far. It's too early to determine if ranks up there with season 1 yet, but it certainly is fighting season 2 for the second best season of this franchise for me thus far.

Ever since Game Night in season 2, Kyle and Brandi have had a lot of tension in their interactions with one another. I think Kyle held off on attacking Brandi due to the backlash she received during Game Night. However, there have been times that Brandi/Kyle have thrown a little shade at one another since season 2.

For example..

Season 2 reunion: When brandi basically sent a text calling kyle a C u next tuesday and Kyle got the text. And they were both calling each other mean spice, etc.

Season 3: Kyle saying she missed Brandi.. both of her faces I still think Kyle was the one to fill Faye R. in on Brandi and Faye R was basically the puppet guided by the puppet master called Kyle. During the end of season 3, Kyle tried to say that Brandi and Faye had had issues for a long time, and Brandi said she had never really spoken to Faye much before the dinner show-down and Kyle had this look that indicated she was lying. Also, during the Palm Springs trip.. brandi whispered to Kim that not everyone wanted to see her succeed in being sober but didn't reveal whom she was speaking of till the...

Season 3 reunion: When Brandi came out and said that she believed Kyle didn't want Kim to stay sober, which made Kyle come after her a bit at the reunion.

Season 4: When the girls were in Palm Springs.. while Brandi spent most of the time being mean to Joyce... there was one scene when Brandi got drunk.. and she started to insult and come after Kyle. Kyle sternly asked her if she had done anything to deserve this treatment since Game Night.. Brandi said no, then backed off and went after Joyce again.

I think the end of season 4 where Kyle and Brandi were hanging out was more due to their issues with Lisa V. then any sort of start of friendship between the two girls... an unholy alliance if you will.

And even the few times both of them have hung out was to talk about Lisa V.

So when you lay out all these instances, I'm just amazed it took so long for Kyle and Brandi to start fighting. As a result of things festering for a couple of years, it explains why both appear to be so heated with one another.

On the other hand, Kim spent two plus years being upset with Brandi.. and Brandi basically had to grovel and do pet tricks before Kim would eventually embrace with her. So I think on one hand, Brandi is being so protective of Kim because of the two plus years it took for Kim to forgive her... and also to stick to Kyle.. and for camera time

[DaytimeFan]

This was a great week on RHOBH...(and thank you all for the kind words!)

Kyle: Obviously, she is very skilled at playing the victim and she can well up those tears at the drop of a hat. Brandi was hitting below the belt, but what I've noticed with Kyle is she gets loud and tearful the moment unflattering truths emerge about her...she hardly spoke to her sister till the seasons started? Ouch. No wonder Kathy Hilton gives her the death glare. The thing about Kyle is she is convinced she is special and that her conflicts are epic battles when the reality is she's a realtors wife who lives in a perfectly mediocre house that's in that prt of Bel Air an awful lot closer to the freeway and Sherman Oaks than it is to Beverly Hills. HOWEVER, Kyle popping off at Brandi was a welcome sight and her sense of emotional entitlement and keen sense of melodrama made all her whining and sniffling entertaining. It was interesting that Kyle's demeanour changed quite starkly when she was in the car with Lisa R. She pretty much blanked her.

Lisa R: She is wonderful. So smart and ballsy and true. She calls it as she sees it and I think she sees it for what it is: there are two addicts on this show and only one of them will admit it. Her jewelry party was great to watch, one of those quintessential Beverly Hills events where women spend money under the guise of charity.

Brandi: A drunk, a nasty drunk. This Valley Girl ex-wife of this generation's Troy Donahue really needs to check herself into rehab, but a small condo in Century City and shut the hell up. She was batshit crazy at Eileen's house and made a total ass of herself. She is Kim's enabler. There is no doubt about it. Those two slur together as the base of their friendship. And for her to get in Kyle's physical space was pretty dire. Like Nene, Brandi has the advantage of her physical presence, but unlike Nene, she can't manage a clever line to save her ass.

Eileen: Our Beverly Hills (Malibu) Ice Queen. I love how frosty and direct she is with Brandi. She thinks Brandi's behaviour is terrible and she says so. It is quite refreshing. That said, she is talking to a brick wall. Brandi is such an entitled fool that she thinks she can get away with anything, likely because she has her whol life. It was hilarious to see her husband peek through the garage door windows to witness the carnage. Eileen and Vincent clearly view things similarly. They're both smart.

Lisa V: A very easy, breezy season for Empress Lisa. I get the feeling she conducted herself very carefully this season and said No to events when she didn't want to be bothered. The simple truth is she is compelling to watch even when she's happy because her life is visually stunning. All those beautiful dogs. The house. Bonding with Eileen (who knows how to pick a winner).

Yolanda: It dawned on her that she backed the wrong horse last season and she was clearly uncomfortable around Brandi. And she dusted off one of those spare children she keeps in her attic for a few scenes. Whatever.

Kim: Pilled. Out. Kim is only worth watching when she's fallen off the wagon, sad to say, and she demonstrates a particularly sick narcissism when she said that Kyle and Brandi both love her and she doesn't know who to choose. A very typical child star: desperate for attention and oblivious to their own shortcomings. She needs really long term detox and rehab and a reality check. Everyone seems accustomed to bailing her out and she seems fine with others caring for her. In fact, she seems to love being a mess.

[Cat]

I hope this was as fun to write as it was to read!

I can't say how much I agree with everything you wrote, except that the "Valley Girl ex-wife of this generation's Troy Donahue" line is so classic, I want to see it broadcast on the AMC channel!

You analysis of Kim is especially spot on. It is sad to say that Kim only really seems like she is alive when she is drunk. Otherwise she is just a shell of a woman going through the motions. It is especially sad because Kim needs to be sober -- for her own mental and physical well-being. How exhausting it must have been to be Kyle, living with that addictive, narcissistic personality all these years, waiting for the ax to fall. I feel like Kim playing fast and loose with her sobriety at this point in her life is maybe even more selfish than when she was a teenager. She knows it hurts her family and yet maybe she feels that it is the only way that they might care for her or look after like a little child (just like when Brandi and Eileen were kissing and petting her like a baby on the driveway of Eileen's house).

I suspect Kim probably had to grow up way too fast at way too young an age -- thanks Big Kathy -- and that's why she feels the need to be babied. Also, George Clooney once famously said that the moment a person gets famous in Hollywood is the moment they stop maturing or evolving emotionally. They will be forever stuck at that age, mentally. Hence Lindsay Lohan. Hence Kim, who cannot really string a sentence together even when she is upright.