Bravo's The Real Housewives of....

[NothinButAttitude]

Monica infiltrating this group and being a rendition of SLC's Gossip Girl is ingenious. You can't fault the girl for it. 

I do find it hypocritical for these women to be mad that Monica is a blogger as if all these women on all these shows don't leak info to the bloggers. Monica is just making a coin for it. 

I don't think Monica will be fired. The audience is too firmly behind her. She single-handedly revived SLC, which was on life support after last season. I think she'll be able to weasel her way back into the fold come next season via Mary and later Whitney. One thing about Whitney, she's no idiot. She needs this show for additional income and Monica not returning would cause ratings to plummet. They'll be ice cold to Monica initially, but the anger will thaw over time. The only ones I see remaining peeved would be Lisa and Heather, who I am ready for in an official takedown season of them. 

[Taoboi]

SLC

 

Now that I've decompressed from the madness...stay the hero long enough to become the villain indeed.

 

That finale was...a LOT. Season 4 has definitely been a good HW season after the horrible Season 3. And while the season started with Meredith vs Angie K, it slowly turned into Monica vs Lisa, a petty feud that grew into anything but. Monica might be poor, but she was blunt, funny, and transparent with one-liners, an ability to own her sh*t, and gifs a-plenty.

 

Which makes the reveal of Monica being basically the Gossip Girl of Salt Lake City...just mind-blowing. On one hand, Monica DID say at the beginning of the season who she was...right down to knowing everyone's secrets. Well...now we know why. lol. It was all there in plain sight. So in a way...she didn't lie. On the OTHER hand, she did not come out and say it to the girls...just the audience in Confessional. So the fact she's a blogger that Bravo hired and she not only took Jen Shah down, but got completely in the group is just a level of insidiousness that is scary. 

 

And...tt all tracks to. Going back all the way to Season 1. The flashbacks. I remember so much of the videos that dropped on Jen around that time. That was MONICA??? The stealing from Meredith's store. Meredith with the tea about Monica having been to the store before when she acted like she had not. The whole Angie K is a Greek Mafia story makes so much sense now and vindicates Meredith. 

 

But...that's the thing. It vindicates ONLY Meredith. The rest of the cast (sorry, Fabulous Ice) have become so unlikeable that can one even fault Monica really? And if we are to take Monica at her word...and up to this point she has been truthful, heck she owned being a blogger so STILL truthful actually...she only came after Jen Shah...something she has said all season. And something that tracks as well. And unlike the only ladies, she said just that. Jen was foul for what she did to all those elderly people. Yet...they are coming down on Monica that while bad for sure does not hold a torch to what Jen did. And they kept Jen on as a friend. Which Production also enabled Jen because they have gone harder on Jen last season rather than hiding behind Mary as a scapegoat. 

 

And that dinner...the reveal...I agree with Daytime Fan...is right up there with RHOV Jody's expose which was a beautiful slow burn that paid off for that show. However, Jody wanted to be in denial. You could literally see Monica's wheels turn when it started. From unbothered queen to then owning it to her giving little teadrops to her clearing ALL...OF...THEM. That was exquisite. I had to rewatch...and will probably rewatch again. Not since Kenya on RHOA back in her early seasons have I seen a cast member take on a whole cast and cleared them. She destroyed Lisa again with that leather comment. She taunted Angie K with what she knew and killed with her classless comment when Angie K tried to throw the flowers with ice on her face. And she gagged Heather in the middle of her clearly rehearsed monologue when she said 'I'm glad you told the truth for once.' If looks could kill... And through it all she was giving for me vintage Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives circa late 90s. Back then, even when Sami was exposed for her manipulations, Sami ALWAYS had some ace/trump card up her sleeve that winded up with her being the last bitch woman standing. 

 

And if that coda is not a sign of things to come...and she was totally Sami in it and that was more chilling than how the last episode ended...then I trust that Monica is going to play that trump card.

 

To paraphrase a fired housewife...you wanted a villain, here she is. 

 

Bring on the reunion for me! I actually want to see how she will play this going forward. Monica's first season has definitely played out like she had Kenya's RHOA S5 playbook so I would love to see how she wiggles out of this to come back. Especially since popular opinion is on her side over the other ladies.

 

Speaking of the other ladies...

 

MEREDITH. I thought if anyone got the sentimental vote out of the audience, it was Meredith. Always our heroine. Her reaction to Heather confessing what she found out looked genuine. And even at the dinner when she confronted Monica about her cameras, Meredith was still genuine in her hurt and disappointment. And I loved that she still was calm and collected in her own way, making it clear that she was not saying that Monica stole anything. 

 

LITTLE GIRL. I honestly have nothing to say about her. She was actually the only person outside of Meredith that Monica did NOT come for. My question is...why? Hmmm. 

 

LISA. I'm just...smh. Bye, Fabulous Ice. From next week (or whichever part of the reunion) where she comes for Monica's children...bad move btw...to last night...Monica got Lisa all the way together. She had her energy matched. She got called out on the workers. She got imitated AGAIN. Monica met her on that level and just destroyed her. A whole clown. So she was just there...for entertainment? And I think you all know how much I loved Lisa, but the bloom is off the rose for me I guess.

 

ANGIE K. I guess my personal favorite moment was Monica gathering her all the way together when she dared to start up. 'Watch yourself.' lol. Monica tried to warn her. But Angie K wanted to be a 'classless wh*re.' (c) Monica Garcia by throwing that flower bowl. Just the look on Monica's face when she told her 'Do it.' And I forgot...'Pay the IRS.' lol...which I believe it was dropped last week or so that Angie K DID owe the IRS. lol. But...what DOES Monica have on Angie K about the blog page. Because Angie K STFU with the quickness after that. 

 

HEATHER. I'm sorry, but NO. Last episode it was her Jen coming out at the end. And now these rehearsed like she's Pheadra Parks monologue. GIRL, BYE. I saw online was praising her for her 'performance.' Uh...yeeeeah no. She was doing her job and did not come across as flawless awesome as Monica. She came across as a child throwing a tremptum that should have been reserved for Jen BEFORE Jen was in jail. It all came across fake to me. As fake as her reveal that Jen DID hit her in the face last season. Misplaced anger...party of one! Monica gagged her in the end. I guess the only credit I can give to Heather was that she figured it out. BUT...if what Monica said is true and Monica IS more truthful than Heather...the main person who ran the site was Heather's OWN HAIRDRESSER. As in...she got the tea from Heather's own lips and we have seen Heather gossip about the ladies for all four years. Then again...if it took the characters on GOSSIP GIRL six seasons to figure it out...I guess Heather is a little bit smarter. I guess. 

 

MONICA. QUEEN. Because it takes some balls to be at a table, own your crazy doings, and then she proceeded to clear everyone in sight. No crying. No running away. She met them on their level. And she WON. And just like that, she has become a lightning rod of discussion online. All in her first season. I want to see where she goes because she is STILL maneuvering BTS...like you see that video of her and Danna from last season already setting up for s5 if she's back...the makings of a villain. I...could be down for that. Actually. Outside of Tamra on OC, are there any more good HW villains on the shows now?

 

A great episode. And will definitely go down in the hall of fame of HW shows. So I would say...nice rebound, SLC. 

While Lisa can be a LOT, I will give her this much.

 

While I am happy to see how much she loves her kids now, she did not want kids at all originally. She was truly the rich trophy wife. She did all that because she loved Lenny and Lenny wanted kids. 

 

That said...I agree with you because Lisa really does spend too much because she truly did love her lifestyle. She also needs to adjust.

[Cat]

SLC

That was truly epic reality soap. The way that entire episode was structured, the pacing of each bombshell. I had to wonder if production knew Monica was a blogger when she was hired... and went with it anyway, with this kind of explosive reveal episode in mind.

That's the question: did Bravo know beforehand? Or did Heather piece it all together, and got in touch with contacts to confirm her proof?

This triggers a slew of additional questions about the RH-dependent eco-system. We know the ecosystem involves people who make a side hustle on RH commentary and breaking news. We know that most of the HWs co-exist with this eco-system. The additional coverage beefs up their profile, their brand. They give them exclusive interviews and brief against their other cast-mates (Marge of RHONJ is one egregious example). 

So Monica was part of this RH-adjacent eco-system. She and Heather's hair guru Tenesha blogged about Jen Shah. The goal (according to Monica) was to expose Jen Shah's dirtiest secrets and bring her down. Monica has set herself up as some kind of truth-teller, exposing Shah for the good of the SLC audience. But is she? Let's not forget that this frenemy circle is not the first job she has infiltrated. She was undercover as Jen Shah's assistant. Tenesha was Heather's hair person. The question is: did they overstep the legal boundaries of their jobs, or did Heather leak stuff to Tenesha knowing some of it would get out there? 

Probably a little of both? Because the RHs and the RH ecosystem go hand-in-hand. They need each other. And RHOSLC, as a fledgling new show, needed the boost.

Heather making her very practiced monologue about what she discovered and how horrified she was by Monica -- I'm not sure I believed it in full. She breathlessly hid the fact that Jen Shah gave her a black eye and was involved in a Ponzi scheme -- but this is beyond the pale?

I can see @DaytimeFan's point about Monica's presence on SLC and what that might mean for the show going forward. SLC has a tendency to burn bright and then go down in flames. I, too, remember RHOV flaming out in S2 because Jody Claman was allowed to ride roughshod. I also recall the bad old days of RHONJ when a host of random fans (the real estate agent, Penny, Zorba the Greek) turned it into a sh!tshow. 

Monica has issues for sure. Her relationship with her narcissistic mother is highly toxic, and i keep thinking how that must have formed a person growing up. But I'm not sure Monica is going anywhere. Her dramatic presence turned SLC's fortunes around, not just this episode but throughout the 16 episodes.

It is worth acknowledging that SLC is a cast endeavour. Monica is perhaps the necessary ingredient in the pot which up until now did not taste right. Her interaction with the other women was on point. Indeed, the reason why the reveal was shocking is that, despite her lack of aspirational wealth, Monica looked the part of a RH, was immersed in the group, and was very strategic -- she had to be, to stay one step ahead of the suspicions.

However, the trailer for reunion, Monica showing up with her Burn Book... hmmm. Not sure how that will translate. Reunion can make or break a HW. Heather had a great S1 but reunion turned people off.

Apart from Monica, two things about the finale.

1. Meredith has never looked so beautiful, and I felt I could read every emotion on her face. Her reaction of delayed shock was awkward enough to be completely believable. Meredith for me is a RH heroine, steadfast in her assessment of what is right and wrong. The moment Meredith referred to the security footage -- cut to Blonde Monica walking around on CCTV, cut to Brunette Monica acting like it was her first time there -- I actually got the f*cking chills.

2. When Lisa was shouting, and producers were falling over themselves to open the glass door behind her. 

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Edited January 4 by Cat

[Cat]

ETA: 

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Heather might not have known who Monica was, but Jen Shah sure did back in 2021.

 

[Cheap21]

I saw it last night and my jaw DROPPED! I loved that it wasnt saved for the last 5 minutes and they really let it marinate. The editing was perfect. What was best was that this did NOT leak which seems impossible in this modern age bc we see all the storylines play out on SM before the season airs. Im glad this was kept under wraps as it made it that more enjoyable. I stan Monica and ready for her to embrace her villian era. Season 5 with her would be MUST SEE TV. We need her back

[Maxim]

Salt lake city is like a gold soap opera. I love it. So much drama. 

[Maxim]

P.S Mary Cosby is the gift that keeps on giving. That woman makes me laugh so much, I LOVE HER. I know she is controversial. BUT... I just can't lie. I love her.

[Soaplovers]

Salt Lake City:

I bet Meredith is secretly wondering if she should have maintained her 'disengaging' iDEA that she had in season 1.

I knew Monica was not to be trust and I'm glad I was proven right.. and I hate her deceit will be rewarded because evil always gets rewarded and good is always punished.

Miami:

I respect Julia's stance that she doesn't say she's sorry unless she means it.. and I love that she tries to play devil's advocate and to think logically.  These are traits that will take you far in life, but are roadblocks on a housewife show.

 

[DaytimeFan]

[Cat]

BH

While lost amid the SLC finale of it all, BH's episode harked back to ye olden days of RH, showcasing a lot of the women's individual stories.

Crystal surprisingly had some stuff going on, re: her background, her dominating her brother, and an unexpectedly candid appraisal of the other women on Ozempic which leaves her comparing her body to theirs. 

Sutton had a date. It actually looked like somewhat of a success. 

Garcelle and Dorit had a face to face. I'm sure everyone will have thoughts because the subject matter is emotive. Both women expressed their viewpoint well, which was good in some,ways, but also left the situation intractable. Some corners of social media accused Garcelle of purposely trying to destroy Dorit in the eyes of the audience. Well, Dorit kind of did that herself with the 'diverse help' comment a few seasons back, but like I said, she was no pushover when it came to Garcelle's points. And overall I thought Garcelle had good points. At the end of the day, these two are oil and water (or rather fire and water signs!) and just don't mix. I also think that Garcelle has held back in past seasons before accusing anyone of microaggressions, but that last season with Diana and the bots changed her and she won't tolerate them poking her anymore. 

The standout scene for me was Kim and Kyle talking about their family dynamics and Big Kathy. Kim is never not an authentic presence and her childhood pain is close to the surface. This was the first time she openly admitted to past anger at her mother. What surprised me is Kyle, who'd usually be hero-worshipping Big Kathy as the bestest mom ever, admitted to close to the same thing by alluding to the chaos in her childhood and why she purposely went the exact opposite direction when raising her family. 

First of all, I love Julia, she is one of my faves, and I love that she is both logical, empathetic and kind. It helps balance the show IMO.

But I take your overall point about Bravo being attracted to the crazy and rewarding the villains while punishing the good. I'd like to hope that they will handle SLC and Miami with more balance than that (old seasons of RHONJ and SLC show what happens when the crazy are let out of their cage), but we will see.

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[Maxim]

My take on SLC

1. Heather - annoying, low level secretary of the current mean girl, whoever she is. She tries to seem real or like some kind of a rebel, but she is as basic as they come.

2. Meredith - HBIC - vindictive and kinda evil, but how can you not love her. Gives me Joan Crawford vibes.

3. Lisa - narcissistic, histrionic and borderline mess... this woman is so toxic, the show would not be the same without her. I can't imagine this being in your house.

4. Monica - fake, kissy-assy to the HBIC, selling her childhood trauma and mother for pennies. Even if your mother is as disgusting as hers is... the way Monica talks to her is even more disgusting. These two women are the same, but one is younger. Crazy and bipolar. Amazing cast though - she is messy and will stir the pot for years to come.

5.Angie - I just think this woman is sad. She is actually the only one I think is completely removable from the show. With or without her, nothing will be much different. I don't like how they artificially inseminated her into the show, doesn't fit. But her husband is so cute, it's hard to believe he is not gay. 

6.Mary fu-king Cosby - the REAL HBIC - Queen Mother of the Universe - the type of person who will kill you and eat you on a desert island. Joking aside, I LOVE HER. 

Are there more... I forgot... 

OH.

7. Whitney - wanna be Regina George, but actually cheap [!@#$%^&*]-stirrer, fake as f'ck. But I love her drunk. When she is drunk she becomes Little Girl and is on fire.

[Taoboi]

See? Monica's mother has been firmly established as thirsty so my automatic response is to just take this with a grain of salt anyway. Part of the reason I have not watched the full video.

 

Monica's an actress? AND...? She's not the first one. And again...it just seems like another page from the RHOA S5 Kenya playbook for me.

 

And regardless of the reveal in the finale, Monica for all the scheming...is still upfront. Or has a straightforward response to things. Like the family drama on Bermuda. She was upset that the family decided to not see her. She blamed her mother originally. She came out online and said it had NOTHING to do with her mom. Meanwhile...Mama likes to throw a nasty comment.

 

While I am the middle sarcastic child to my own mother, I am also levelheaded and firm. I'm also from the South where you are taught to respect your elders. My mother and I have had our moments, but yeah I would not talk to her like Monica does to her mother, but I'm not judging her and her mother because how they act. I don't see how online people do from that particular episode. It was clear she tried to disengage. 

 

Now...that said...hearing that might have been a set-up...is saddening and does make me side-eye Monica. So does this leaking. But...it does not at all take away from her impact/presence to me.

 

I know someone suggested online that Heather has known since the season began about Monica, but was waiting for the right moment to drop the bomb. Given you know what I think of Heather, I am tempted to believe it. Moreso seeing this because Jen and Heather shared everything. 

 

 

[Gray Bunny]

Now that I've had time to process that epic finale, I think the biggest "person" at fault is Bravo. You cannot tell me that didn't already know about her online persona when they casted her. Furthermore, I have to question the fact that Jen Shah's team already knew about Monica's online persona a couple years back, and this information didn't get back to anyone (Heather, etc.) prior to filming season 4? And Heather's own hairstylist is the main culprit of the Instagram account? Everything and everyone is suspect in this whole ordeal.

Still, it made for some damn good television. 

 

[Soaplovers]

I'm lowkey impressed Julia has maintained that 3 seasons and counting.

RHOBH:

Yeah....Garcelle lost me with the Karen remark.  That term is actually now low key derogatory...maybe she needs some education.  She certainly happy invalidating Dorit's mental health...maybe she should talk to her teen son.

[DaytimeFan]

SLC watchers...if you listen to nothing else...listen to this.