Bravo's The Real Housewives of....

[Cat]

 

Awww that's a shame. I am really feeling NY this season. No more shrill, nasal voice screeching "me, me, me, look at all my money," trying to tear down the others. And I say this as someone who has really been loving Bethenny's Instagram Live stories, especially when she cooks. She is a different person on IG, at home with her daughter.

 

TV Bethenny, OTOH? Totally burned out by her. The constant put-downs, the Skinnygirl products, the deeply-boring house-flipping, the screeching, Lord, nobody could get a word in. This year, without her, I feel NY is refreshed. Everyone has space to breathe, to tell their story. Ramona, Dorinda, Sonja, Luann should always be front-and-center, not a support act for Skinnygirl-sponsored events. It was so nice this episode to see them at Nello's kissing that gorgeous maitre d' -- and Dorinda turns to Sonja to genuinely congratulate her on her show.

 

Like you, watching the show makes me miss NYC alot. I got hungry watching this episode because all the food looked SO delicious! Going to restaurants and eavesdropping on the glam ladies' table next to your's was such a NY thing to do pre-pandy times. The Upper East Side experience in particular was a feature of the early seasons, and we seem to be largely coming back to that.  

 

And I love Leah (who is definitely not an UES girl) getting to dip her toe in that different world. I feel like she is embracing the UES OGs, and they have come to embrace her too. She does judge them on their behavior sometimes, but she's not judgemental like that awful dead-eyed Elyse. (In the Bitch Sesh podcast interviewing Sonja, she said that the women decided not to bring Elyse on the cast trip because she would be a Debbie Downer sucking all the fun out of it. So it seems that the HWs themselves got turned off by her once she started showing her true colors).

 

I get that you feel it is repetitive. It is. The OGs are wrestling with the same inner turmoil as in years past. Their lives are not the same since they divorced or lost their husbands. They are deeply nostalgic for that past and sometimes wish to recapture it. Even Ramona. And yet, they keep it moving to pastures new. Leah's issues with alcohol and her parents add an interesting counterpoint to all that. Sonja is incredible this season. I can't take my eyes off her. 

 

Even Dorinda getting the bad edit, I like her, and she is true to herself. I totally believe her issues are genuine, and not something she dreamed up in order to have a SL on the show.

 

Anyhoo, just wanted to express my RHONY love, lol.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Cat

[rlj]

Haven't seen the Reunion yet, but reading Twitter under #RHOA, all I'm seeing is hos Porsha owned the 1st part of the Reunion, should be good!

[Cheap21]

Overall I thought this was very well done. The production value and editing was amazing. They did that. Felt just as good as if they were in person

 

I LOVED how they got in on Nene's ass. Boy was she pressed. My favorite line was Kenya saying "we know your kids are yours bc they look exactly like you" LOL. Another good one was after Nene left nad Kenya went "Girl come back. You werent in alot of episodes. We know you need the check."  LOL

 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Cheap21

[Soaplovers]

NY without Bethenny has been heaven sent.   If I were Nene, I'd be worried because she technically isn't an OG anymore because she quit for 2 seasons..and those 2 seasons had a lot of good conflict and content.  In other words, she needs an attitude adjustment stat.

 

BH without LVP is refreshing because no more takedowns of LVP anymore.  Kyle doesn't seem happy....in season 1, she seemed  happier when they didn't have the huge house, etc.  Though her 1st confessionals in season 1 hinted she was vyle..when she said if jobs she had as an actress pissed her off..she'd have a baby and retire.   

[Antoyne]

New York without Bethenny is perfect. I do not miss her in the least. It once again feels like an ensemble show. The main ladies are no longer the supporting cast to Skinnygirl. There’s multiple opinions and points of view again.

[Faulkner]

I don’t miss the Bethenny one-woman show either. I like Leah a lot too, and she brings a lot of the Frankel wit without the I’m so much smarter than you arrogance, self-absorption, and overbearing judgment. I just don’t fully buy her in this group quite yet. New housewives are always tricky unless they’ve had long relationships with the cast that preceded their appearance. Her banter with Sonja is fun. And I must say Drunk Sonja was a blast at that stuffy dinner party, and I don’t tend to love her when she’s three sheets to the wind. 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Faulkner

[Antoyne]

I do wish Leah had a more genuine connection with the cast but she's fit in well enough. It's been so strange seeing Ramona being motherly to her. Ramona NEVER cares about a new girl the way she seems to with Leah.

[Faulkner]

I do like that Ramona admires her for escaping a similarly troubled childhood and becoming a successful businesswoman. I actually like Ramona a lot this season. She’s still super oblivious but also with a deeper sense of self-reflection and taking stock of her life. The women on this show just have much richer and more well-expressed inner lives than on the other series, even with all the broad comedy and drunken antics.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Faulkner

[Chris B]

Article explaining Elyse’s odd presence on RHONY: http://www.irealhousewives.com/2020/05/elyse-slaine-reveals-how-she-became.html?m=1

 

Basically it looks like she is just someone they picked up off the street so to speak lol. She was just a real life friend of Ramona the producers seemed to like and mid season they signed her as a friend. That explains why she is just there but not always mic’ed up and also silent. On Twitter she said you’ll end up seeing more of her once they reach the point where her contract was signed. 
 

I will say, they have a bizarre way of doing things at New York. They seem to have an odd way of casting. It’s still entertaining, but they were caught so off guard by Bethenny leaving  it isn’t even funny.
 

By that I mean, had Bethenny told them she was leaving sooner you can’t convince me they would’ve gone more hardcore on casting.  Leah was young filler who would’ve been fine with Bethenny eating up the screen as the main attraction. With notice I feel they would’ve possibly kept Barbara, brought back Jill or truly dive deep to cast multiple new wives. For them to add Elyse’s boring ass during filming they clearly thought something was missing. I just hope next season we get some much needed new blood, dynamics and storylines. 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Chris B

[alwaysAMC]

 

She also said she's giving all the money she made being a friend this season to charity, which I thought was cool.  We'll see just how 'edgy' she gets.

[Soaplovers]

I'm wondering if this mysterious silent friend on NY was signed when it looked like Tnsley was leaving (she did leave during filming..yes?)

[Chris B]

 

That could've been it as well! And I'm not sure if she completely stopped filming, but we do know Tinsley didn't to on the cast trip and apparently missed lots of events towards the end. I'm okay with her story wrapping though so I'm happy she's moving to another city. 

[Cheap21]

I was wondering who she was and why she was always around. Didnt realize she was an official friend

[Chris B]

This looks juicy! 

 

Considering Rinna is her friend I’m having a hard time buying what Dorit is trying to sell. I’ll wait until watching to really judge, but u can’t convince me Sutton would somehow try to insult Rinna’s daughters or try to ruin their event when she’s closest with Rinna. Hopefully Sutton is vindicated!

[NothinButAttitude]

Rinna should really get a job as a bus driver b/c she stays mowing her friends down.