Bravo's The Real Housewives of....

[Faulkner]

At one of my old jobs, I organized a web chat years ago to promote the first season of Ladies of London, and from my limited contact with the cast, Annabelle was by far the most easygoing. This is terribly sad.

[DynamiteKiddo]

 

I think LuAnn/Carole/Adam is gold and the show prefers to overexpose whatever conflict Bethenny is involved in.  "Not the sharpest tool in the shed" Kristen called it in the beginning that Carole better explain her and Adam to Lu before things get messy.  Heather was blindly (and, to a point, wrongly) defending Carole because that situation was legit complicated.  Carole was spending weekends with LuAnn in the Hamptons and had gone out with Nicole, who was totally heartbroken over breaking up with Adam.  Then after the first week of filming, Carole meets Adam and starts dating him and mentions nothing to LuAnn.  LuAnn had a lot of reasons to at least need clarification on what Carole was doing and why, and she had a right to be protective of her niece (who she's extremely close with) who was understandably shocked and hurt that Adam moved on with a hw and filmed it (so many implications there).  But LuAnn was dead wrong . . . she attacked Carole's character, called her a pedophile and demeaned Adam by constantly referring to him as "the help" and boy toy.  And Adam seemed to basically be part of her family and was very important to Noel.  And up to this season, LuAnn still dismisses their relationship as a "fling."  Like Adam or not (and I think there's enough reason to at least be suspicious of him), he and Carole were together for years and had a much more serious relationship than LuAnn's sham with Tom.  And LuAnn wouldn't take kindly to one of the other hws referring to her Jacques as some light May/December fling.  They were together for as long as Carole and Adam were.

 

And LuAnn really went after Adam echoing B's concern that he was an "operator" and accused him of using her and Nicole, all the while sponging off her sleeping on the couch in Sag Harbor.  I get why Carole wanted to defend him and set the record straight . . . but in the process, she aired family secrets that involved a teenage Noel.  Not a good look.  Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

I still don't get why or how Carole and Bethenny became besties . . . but I hope Bethenny started turning on her because she was hurt/jealous that Carole was spending so much time with Tinsley and she was afraid their friendship would fizzle.  But if B started passive-aggressively slandering C for a STORYLINE, she's even more morally depraved than I already thought.  But C attacked every aspect of B's life in her blogs, which is wrong and hopefully it won't be a "get out of jail free" card for B.  Admittedly, by the time season 3 started filming, "fame" had completely ruined Jill Zarin and turned her into a pretty ugly person . . . but I get why she felt abandoned and betrayed by B.  B used her not only in real life, but in reality life to bolster her popularity which led to all her opportunities.  B left J in the dust and it's kinda horrifying.  It was lovely to see them reunite this year, but B might've done that for cameras and she still doesn't want to resume an actual relationship with her.  That was brutally painful to watch all those years ago.  That was the defining breakup of all these shows, not Vicky & Tamara, NeNe & Kim, or Teresa & Jacqueline (though this one might be a close second).

 

So sad to hear about LuAnn . . . hopefully she just relapsed after this lawsuit and she hasn't been lying about being sober.  Sad to think she might have an out of control substance problem.

[Taoboi]

It really is.

 

She was so alluring and for an open book very mysterious.

 

It really has been a sad day. 

[Cat]

 

As a Ladies of London fan, and on a day when we are all less sad, I need you to talk about your LOL-adjacent experience! It is heartwarming to know that Annabelle was nice and the most easygoing. She truly showed herself as she was on the show and didn't try to carve a 'perefct' image for the cameras.

[Cat]

OC returned for season 13 last night. It was an ok opener, I was not concentrating on it fully given yesterday's news, but hopefully this will be a complete re-set on last season.

 

Vicki and Shannon's interactions feel a little awkward, Shannon especially didn't seem to be feeling it 100%. They really are the exact same person, though. The rope course was amateur dramatics hour with both Vicki and Shannon trying to out-screech each other. 

 

Lots of interactions with the kiddies. Shannon's daughter acts like she despises her. Kelly's daughter is 13 and basically her confidante with regards to all the men Kelly is dating. Uh oh.

 

New girl Emily seems a good fit (she reminds me physically of a youngish Jeana Keough) and her kids are very cute. She already has a frenemyship going on with Tamra, so that bodes well.

 

Steve Lodge is such a bore. I know Brooks was awful for Vicki and the show but, damn, he was entertaining.

 

Next week we meet the Joisey-accented one. I am already done hearing about it. 

 

Edited July 17, 2018 by Cat

[alwaysAMC]

That's exactly who Emily reminded me of too - Jeana Keough!

 

It was a good premiere - I'm just happy seeing Vicki/Shannon/Tamra interacting and being kind to each other.  

 

The Eddie story is sad and I hope things go well for him.

 

I'm happy that Kelly and Shannon's ex-husbands allow the kids to be filmed.  They could have been denied like Tamra was and then had nothing to film at home.  

[Cat]

 

Yeah, Eddie's story is sad and it's not clear whether they've been able to fully rectify his heartbeat. I hope they do. I like Eddie.

 

The interaction with the kids adds another dimension to the show for sure. I guess David Beador doesn't GAF about the Ladies of Rock now that he has a young, bikini-ready girlfriend. I was surprised Michael Dodd allowed it, but Jolie looks like a strong personality and seems more than ok with appearing on the show.

 

Tamra's other son, who just turned 18, will also be appearing this season, apparently. Speaking of Tamra's crotchfruit, I didn't recognise Ryan now that he's shaved that mountain-man beard. He looks better, younger -- but still shifty.

 

Edited July 17, 2018 by Cat

[Taoboi]

THIS.

Unpopular opinion but he looked good and dare I say it do-able with the mountain-man beard. Sue me. ;P

 

I find he looks MORE shifty without it actually. 

OC

 

I also thought it was an okay opener...mostly background music for me. Will probably do a rewatch, but right now I was not feeling it like I had been feeling it thought I did feel they set up the season nicely. 

 

I did find Eddie's story sad. I know how I feel about my gym time and it does make me wonder how all the surgery are effecting his output. 

[Soaplovers]

RHOC is back and I thought it was a good reset.  You can tell Tamra/Vicki/Shannon only called a truce due to being told to do so by the behind the scenes people... so now it will be interesting to see if it will stick or not.

 

Shannon saying 4000 square foot house is roughing it makes me laugh... I live in a 600 sq ft studio in Chicago.. that is what I call roughing it lol.  I have a feeling David and Michael letting their daughters film with their mothers is all due to money... because if Shannon/Kelly are getting paid extra if their kids film.. than that is less alimony and possible child support having to be paid.  I think Tamra's situation was different because Simon was a control freak and he couldn't control how the kids would be filmed... plus, Tamra had her than new relationship with Eddie and her oldest son Ryan to film with in season 6/7/8 before the gym opened and Tamra became a grandma.

 

I read up on Eddie's condition.. and it turns out it is genetic and it can come about if you are a hardcore athlete/cyclist because of the vast amounts of blood pumped through the heart.  It hits starting in your 40s/50s... so I think I'll just be a leisure biker of 5 to 10 miles a couple times a week lol

 

I'm with Kelly on the math thing.

 

Steve is checked out... perhaps if Vicki backed off than Steve might be more receptive.  @Cat yes, I agree that Brooks was such a phony train wreck.. but sometimes I'd take a little bit of boredom over feeling like I'm giving con artists like him a platform.

 

Emily.... too soon to tell.. but her marriage seems atypical... just like Jeana's was.  A clip from next weeks show has Emily asking where the nearest exit is so she can avoid exercise (something Jeana would have said).  Interesting backstory with Tamra/Emily... and that Emily was friendly with Gretchen/Ricky.... Tamra.. watch your back... and Emily.. watch your back

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WWHL... it seems like Shannon won't be getting along with Gina or Emily this season LOL

 

I like the family aspect, and I have to admit that course was pretty scary.  OC is my fav show and if what Shannon/Tamra said on WWHL turns out to be true... it will be far less toxic than season 12 was.

[Antoyne]

Potomac:

 

My word Ashley may be the messiest Housewife in historrrryyyyy. She has no loyalty to ANYBODY.

 

Gizelle is my least favorite Housewife on any franchise.

 

I liked Candiace at first, but she's useless. I think she'll be a one and done honestly.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Antoyne

[alwaysAMC]

Official NYC reunion seating chart:

 

Ramona-Sonja-Bethenny-ANDY-Carole-Dorinda-Tinsley

 

I'm surprised Ramona isn't in the middle at least.  Without Luann, I have a feeling this will be mostly about Carole vs. Bethenny. 

[Antoyne]

I actually have always liked Carole and Luann as friends so it was disheartening to see how down and dirty they got with each other through the years. I've been appreciating that things seem to have turned a corner now and hopefully it sticks.

[Cheap21]

IA. And the thing is she spills all her tea first so they cant throw it in her face and use it against her. She is absolutely unphased and unbothered when they try. She knows how to play dirty

 

Also agree on Candiace. Her epic read of the older chicks redeemed her for me but that was her peak. She seems so irrelevant and a bit annoying at times. I wonder if she'd have been better as a friend

[Antoyne]

It's been all downhill since she got the old ladies together. Friend of might've been perfect for her.

[Gray Bunny]

POTOMAC: 

I'm gonna go against the grain here and give props to "little miss Ashley." She puts her mess out there first, which is perfect for this type of atmosphere. There's no mud to sling back at her (minus the Michael-gay-hookups-in-Europe which I still don't know the details about).  Yeah, her delivery can be messy and sometimes an obvious way to stir up drama for the cameras, but she isn't telling lies or being an ugly hater like Gizelle. Keep the wheels of drama turnin' Ashley! 

 

I gotta admit I was surprised by Robyn's rockin' bod. In clothes and in talking heads, she looks kinda thick and voluptuous but she actually has a tiny, fit lil bod. At least she has the body to balance out her empty head. 

 

I equate the ladies' frustrations with Karen as the same as the NYC women used to be about LuAnn and her front for the cameras, of etiquette and manners and "oh darling" and pretending everything was okay with the Count.  I wonder if Karen divulges anything to them when the cameras aren't rolling. I'm guessing lil bits 'n pieces without giving the whole story, and then on camera she plays dumb. 

 

I have no problem with Monique exposing Charrisse, a la Porsha outing Phaedra as the culprit. 

 

Yeah, Candaice lucked out with a free trip to France. She's a Shamea who somehow found herself upgraded to full-time Wife. She's just kinda there.