Bravo's The Real Housewives of....

[Taoboi]

Well I can't speak for everyone else, but I've been busy with work, the new book, my birthday, and haters. lol. I was hoping for an overdue vaca, but alas...work politics I suspect.

 

Well, I've also heard they might be able to salvage Kenya for the season and Bravo is being extremely coy with their wordplay in the press.

 

Personally, if Kenya is truly gone, I will say what I said online last night. Just do the season like BH S9 when LVP left. Show EVERYTHING. Build to a midseason exit for Kenya (or do like LVP as well and don't film with the group post-midseason). And then the second half of the season can be the drama between Porsha vs Drew that's being talked about online. Heck, that can be a brewing subplot in the background of the first half of the season as Kenya deals with New Girl Ratchet Hoe. The fact that people STILL don't know what truly happened will bring the buzz for the season. No need for Shady Phae Phae. 

 

I love the fact that we STILL don't know the specifics of this fallout.

 

That said...I was shocked to see that Taleen's hubby got into it with Lesa, too??? Ooooo.

 

And LoL Caroline is TOTALLY back. Yay!

 

And Brooks had me hollering. 

 

[DaytimeFan]

NJ didn't air this weekend...though it's been such an awful season I've had a hard time investing time in it.

Dubai has not grabbed me, just as it didn't grab me the last season, so I skip it altogether.

I will be tuning in for OC which looks to be amazing - a real return to form. 

[Taoboi]

RHoDubai

 

Sorry for the absence. It's been a busy few weeks. And I think everyone knows I'm waaaaaay behind on NJ...not that it sounds like I need to catch up. lol. 

 

As for this episode...I thought it was another easy breezy episode to watch. The problem for me was that it was more like Episode 2 where it felt like something was off versus Episode 4 where I felt felt like an old school HW episode where you saw the housewives' lives, there was some fun shade, and then a group event. And I did not at all like that TBC which happened at the one moment of the episode that had any fire for me. 

 

If anything, it was an episode of subplots. My favorite being Ayan speaking up for Lesa with Sara, Brooks, Taleen, and Wannabe. That was sooo much foreshadowing. Which again wets the appetite for the main course...what happened between Ayan and Lesa that their friendship fell apart, and Ayan is no longer like this?

 

I continued to like the other subplots. Taleen's husband's desire to have another baby. Brooks's continued attempts to be messy. The Continuing Dating Adventures of Sara. And all of that with richness and glamour. And Flexes cuz those sport cars...was THAT. 

 

But still...it just felt off to me. 

 

CAROLINE.  Caroline continues her renaissance of a season. Having a party in the desert...with NO husbands. The sport cars...even though her friend arranged that...it's the connections. And her now calling Ayan a friend...awwww the growth. 

 

TALEEN. Hmmm. I feel like I like her. And for me, she is not doing anything tooooo wrong. As a Housewife, she is showing her life. And she's interacting with the girls. And while she is still having issues with Brooks now that she has let Beyoncegate go, I should be liking her. And YET...I didn't like that she was saying some things to Caroline about Brooks that I felt was not BFF like. Not that Brooks was making it easy, but the only way to resolve the issues between Caroline and Brooks is for THEM to talk to each other. Not a friend spilling info. Cuz that's your FRIEND. That rubbed me the wrong way. It simply felt like to me how I felt with Sara last season. I am clearly fascinated with her, but something kept me held back. Speaking of...

 

SARA. LOL!!! Her dating adventures (and her scenes with her son) are just giving me giggles. Dare I say it...she's giving Housewife delusion. Why do I say that? It is so clear that she's fronting an image. And the audience is aware she is fronting an image whether it is because of the setting, how she has to represent her setting, her having a shy personality, or having a fake personality...or ALL OF THE ABOVE...it makes her just as fascinating to watch this season as it was to watch her last season. The only difference is that we did not know Sara last season. This season we have an idea so when she's being coy or even authentic, it got a bit of a giggle from me because I can't believe she said or did that. It's like being in on a joke. That said...Wannabe, Brooks, Taleen, and Ayan grilling her new man (and Sara's Confessional) was hilarious. 

 

AYAN. As has been said...Ayan has really been window dressing so far this season. And it was interesting to see Taleen starting to start drama about Lesa, and Ayan stood up for her BFF. As she should. Let's not talk about my best friend when she ain't here. And if we do, trust I will be a best friend by defending her. She does get the highlight of the episode with her coming to Caroline's event in a gown when Caroline specifically told her in the invite NOT to. And just as I saw Ayan in the gown and was about to say that Caroline said no gowns, there comes Production with the same. I hollered.

 

BROOKS. Telephone. Nuff said. Still a Brooks fan cuz...I stay having her S1 tagline in my head...but she's doing too much. Cuz the game of telephone was crazy. And the rollback Production did on her to show Brooks has stirred the pot since S1, E1 was telling as well as a hoot to watch. 

 

LESA. Two things that Lesa will always bring. 1-shade, and 2-facts. She was giving shade all through the start of the trip to Caroline's event. And I like the fact that when the game of telephone was going on, Lesa simply said the truth...which she has been doing so far this season. I can't help, but feel that when the Ayan/Lesa fallout starts, people will be Team Lesa because of that. 

 

Ok episode, looking forward to tonight.

[Cheap21]

RHOA

Im believing more and more that the Kenya departure is a publicity stunt. Bravo took a long time to confirm she was signed on or the show and i think they didnt give her a full season. Maybe her contract was for 7 episodes or so (similar to what Nene was offered but turned down). If thats the case, I can see this being a storyline they use to explain why she's off the show for half the season, only to make a dramatic return towards the end to film the remainder of her episode count. Im going to save this post and come back to it if thats in case what happens. They've never come out and said she was fired

 

FYI, Bravo did the same thing with Quad on M2M. They "used" the women to vote Quad off the show but the reality is she only signed on for 7 episodes so they were going to have to come up with a way to explain her absence and baked that into the show as to not break the 4th wall. Im seeing the same for Kenya as she's probably expensive as the longest running housewife

 

[Taoboi]

That also crossed my mind re: Quad on M2M given how silent Bravo (and Carlos King) is being as well. 

 

I think you are right. 

 

 

[Taoboi]

 

If I remember correctly from when it was reported. I also believe it was two weeks of not filming...not that you would see it on the show so...were they really punished?

 

Always moving those goalposts.

 

Which reminds me...I don't think I had time to reply about the BELOW DECK thing. Both of the main character chef stews for the flagship and spinoff MED were ran out of their respective shows by misogyny on one and shady/jealous tactics on the other. And BELOW DECK SAILING YACHT has been pushed back in Bravo's schedule due to one of the main characters being reported for SA by a female (or 3) on the technical crew. And then there was the guy who almost SA a drunken female cast member on BELOW DOWN UNDER...ON CAMERA. Thankfully, the camera crew (and the chef steward fan favorite) did the right thing and broke that 4th wall with the quickness. But even before those last two, Bravo has been maneuvering BD as the flagship show over the HW shows since roughly Original BELOW DECK S3/4/5 (it just finished S11 a few weeks ago). Great idea and show...didn't start to get toxic until the S7 I mentioned (for reference MED got toxic with S5, SY...its upcoming S5 because S4 was a hot but juicy mess, and BDU has not jumped the shark...yet...with only 2 seasons under its belt). And I haven't even touched on the racism some cast members have experienced. But in our ABC allegory, the show would be the game/cooking shows coming in to try to replace the soaps easy.

[Cat]

I've seen one or two teaser clips today, and I am so here for OC. Love em or hate em, bringing back Heather, Tamra, Alexis, Vicki and keeping Shannon has been a good move. These women are natural drama queens and hark back to when the RHOC was effortlessly entertaining.

It is almost a return to Shannon's origin story this season -- that is to say, her fatal obsession for awful men who manipulate her insecurities, withhold their love and glean off her inheritance. Jeff Lewis said Bravo was cruel to Shannon for bringing Alexis into the mix. However, in Shannon's case, Bravo may be like that old saying about the Jesuits: they break her down to build her up. Once she admits to the drinking problem -- and it is a problem, according to her cast-mates -- the audience will very likely embrace her. 

This looks really good! I'm excited for it.

[Gray Bunny]

Oh really? Ugh that bursts the whole bubble of the "reality" of any of it. Wow. Oh well, at least the core women of that show are actual friends. 

[Taoboi]

Lol. Well it does help that it's on a day when nothing is really going on so I can ususally watch it live. NOW if Bravo would only put it on at 8pm so its rating can go up...cuz they are dangerously low...

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But yes, I enjoy the cast as a whole and this has been a great season so far. And I honestly what to see what caused the split between Ayan and Lesa. And I do love that even with the just-released mid-season trailer, we STILL don't know. Talk about building up the suspense. 

 

And I like that feuds aside, just about everyone *cough*Ayan*cough* have something going on that keeps my interest. And I do think Caroline and Michael are still good friends. 

 

Speaking of Caroline...you are going to like last night episode given all that you just wrote about Sergio. Just wait.  

 

While she really is too much, Brooks continues to be liked by me and an enigma due to what we don't know versus what she is showing. 

 

You and that wannabe. lol. I love you for it though. 

[Cheap21]

Porsha to Simon right now

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Edited July 11, 2024 by Cheap21

[alwaysAMC]

Ok, that OC premiere was great!  This season seems like it will be fire.  Everyone seems to have some real drama going on right now.  The Alexis/Shannon confrontation was soapy drama.  I surprisingly came away being on Shannon's side after this episode, when I fully expected to be on Alexis' - and just generally update with Shannon for her DUI.  But whether it was editing or just Shannon being Shannon, I felt for her.

[NothinButAttitude]

Alexis was cringy last night. I am glad that she has a backbone now, but she looked real stupid defending "Johnny J." last night. Also, you could tell that Tamrat and Heather were foaming at the mouth to get Alexis back on the show for this very reason. Even Andy on WWHL was cold to Shannon and kept saying he's been wanting Alexis back. This just confirms that Jeff Lewis was on point that this season seemed planned to get Shannon, and I don't even care for Shannon like that. 

@Gray Bunny, friend, I am cackling at your caption and picture of you holding your puppy up like Ryan's Hope (as you stated). 

[Cheap21]

IA. It was just the right Im here for. As a former Alexis hater I love that she is owning this new villian role. She had me gasping with how bold she was. Shannon for what its worth, is handling herself quite well. This is going to be a GOOD season. Better than RHOP, RHOA, RHONJ for sure

[Gray Bunny]

Haha thanks! I did this same exact shot exactly 4 years ago and in the same spot, so I did a recreation of a recreation. The Ryan's Hope openings always had someone with their arms stretched up so I felt inspired. 

[DaytimeFan]

OC

That was a fantastic premiere episode. The best they've had in many years and one of the best out of all franchises as well. It appears this season is going to be firing on all cylinders.

Why?

There is real drama.