eXiled

Wouldn't surprise me. Michael seems the type who believes that he should be served and catered to at all times. Would he have married a woman who is half his age if he were truly looking for an equal? Hell, I saw no evidence that a woman even resided at their penthouse. That cold, gray bachelor pad was all Michael Darby. And while I know someone will be tempted to come in here and tell me that Ashley may just have a plain, boring esthetic, her colorful clothing and hair tell me something different. Ashley was allowed to live in that apartment, but in my opinion, they never truly shared it. I'll stop now since this is Candiace's space, but if anyone wants to talk more about Ashley, bump her topic, and I'll come running. On topic: Can Candiace or the woman Michael harassed take legal action? Did he make threats? Or was he just being an asshole?

I'll bet the slave masters on the old plantations couldn't tell all their offspring apart, either. Some people still believe that marrying other races absolves someone from bigotry/racism. Not always the case. Unfortunately, some folks just like to make sure their fetish is under the same roof. Easy access.

That disclaimer threw me for a loop. Now I'm hoping that Dr. Wendy's candle game is real right. She's gonna have to sell a lot if her main gig evaporates. And FYI: We've been writing it incorrectly. It's Johns Hopkins University. I'm sitting here imagining you in a cute lil newswoman suit, carrying a microphone, reporting on all of our Primetimer needs. @spunky, you're the best! Keep the info coming, babe.

Mia spent the entire episode shading and degrading bestie Jacqueline. I wonder if that's their usual roleplay, or if Mia is doing it for TV. Jacqueline claimed she ain't with Mia's bullshit, but she appeared to accept it like she's used to it. Why was Mia so hyped up about Peter? Robyn is so full of shit. Mia threw a drink but Wendy is the antagonistic one? Messy ass. I wish Wendy would learn how to argue without resorting to sixth grade insults. A woman with four degrees should know better. Why is security dragging Wendy away like she's the one assaulting people? The same guard allowed Mia to loom over Wendy for the longest time. What a curious situation. Seems the Bandits don't see a problem with Mia assaulting Wendy. I guess Gizelle won't be hiring her own security guard after this incident. What did I just watch? The John Hopkins University has no involvement with the Real Housewives of Potomac. Wendy may not be involved with John Hopkins University much longer herself.....

I totally understand where you're coming from regarding the Skinny Girl swag. I had a coworker who I knew didn't like me. When I didn't take up her bait (I remained cordial and polite in the face of her petty bitchiness) she decided to try befriending me. She began giving me stuff -- treats, hats, scarves, etc. I always thanked her kindly before throwing her gifts into a garbage can a few blocks away from my job. You're shading poor Sonja! Unfortunately, having grown to know her as we do today, you could be right about the cat pee.... Bethenny definitely triggered something in Kelly, a woman who is probably used to people being nice to her based on her looks and social status. Bethenny was having none of that, and in fact, took pleasure in demeaning someone she sees as silly, stupid, and at least from what was shown on the trip, mentally fragile. I'm sure B took pleasure in dismantling Kelly. It was almost too easy. I also believe Kelly triggered something in Bethenny, a woman who sees herself as tough, no nonsense, and about real shit. No one is hanging on Bethenny's every word because she's pretty. She's had to fight to be heard by being brash, sarcastic, and funny. Kelly can barely string two words together. Bethenny's word-Uzi is always cocked. Bethenny probably resents that someone she views as "down there" can garner positive attention simply by showing up. These two women have absolutely no common ground. None. It made for some great television. It was my absolute favorite season of any Housewife franchise that I've ever watched. I still grieve for that loss.

@hoodooznoodooz, you know I upvote about 90 percent of everything you post, but I will throw my hat in the ring here a wee lil bit. While I do agree that Kelly's industry-defined beauty totally triggered Bethenny, I don't think Kelly's meltdown was totally B's doing. Remember how Kelly melted down when she saw the Skinny Girl gift bags that B left for all the ladies? That shit was bonkers. That, and my girl Sonja (brand new and bringing sexy J realness) started talking about "cat pee" and I wondered about what was going on with Kelly. People in the know say that meth/speed smells of cat pee. Am I saying that Kelly was on meth? Nope. I don't wish to be mean. I also don't wish to be sued. But something was obviously very wrong with her during that trip. I don't believe that Bethenny's monstrous narcissism was the whole problem. Bethenny's monstrous narcissism helped though. I've watched Season Three several times. The speeding, motormouth Kelly who would rather gulp Gummy Bears inside a room that smelled of cat pee instead of eat a mere cook's food, will always give me pause. Even in the face of Bethenny's massive bitchery. Beth has shown evil, sociopathic qualities. Kelly has shown paranoid, delusional qualities. It can be both.

You read my mind. I saw pics of her looking glammed up at the Soul Train Awards and I thought the same thing. I hope she's able to walk away from the show without a thought. Everybody wins: Candiace moves on while doing what she loves. The viewers who find her energy so distasteful will be thrilled to see her go.

I'm going to take a "wait and see" approach on Chris from here on out. Is ADD akin to autism or other issues that make social interaction difficult for the person diagnosed? I'm not being shady; I really don't know. Because if not, Chris, a man in his 40s with three children, should have learned years ago to always back your wife in a public setting. Even if she is a damned fool sometimes. I would be the first person clapping if secret tapes dropped of Chris getting Candiace all the way together in the privacy of their own home. I just want him to stop doing it while his wife's biggest instigators look on in delight. Auntie Kern has been so quiet this season. I'm starting to believe that rumor about Charrisse attempting to bring her down. If true, I hope Karen continues politely sidestepping Cha-Cha each time she enters a room. I wouldn't let a chick re-earn her flute on my back either. People come for me all the time. They just don't find me!

Another shout-out to you @spunky for always being on the Housewives case! THIS is my main beef with this man. As I've said before, I love to see men who have their wives back. Love, love, love to see it. But Chris has shown all too often that he DOES NOT have Candiace's back. I'm glad that he finally sees his error. I hope he stops reprimanding Candiace on camera. He was dead wrong for sidling up to Gizelle off camera -- and now he's having to pay for that mess. Gizelle's main grift on this show is being a producer-plant and an instigator, and Chris has given this fool her storyline for this season. Chris and Candiace should have treated Giz the way Karen is circumventing Charrisse -- with cold indifference. It reminds me of the storyline that drove RHOBH's Denise off the show. After Brandi told the crew that they'd slept together, Denise said it never happened. Maybe it did. Maybe it didn't. But if she'd shrugged it off, therefore denying those diamond-encrusted wildebeests a storyline, there would have been nowhere for them to take it. A literal shrug and a laugh was all it would have taken. Denise's histrionics is what sunk her. It upset me badly because Denise and Garcelle and their natural, casual beauty was all that kept my attention that season. They were great together. The sad thing is I don't think Chris means any real harm. Whatever I may think of his relationship with Candiace, I've never had the impression that he's trying to "play" her. I've seen that happen a few times on these shows (Apollo rang every bell for me on that score, as did Peter "Peach" Thomas, and now I'm waiting to see what Todd's gonna do...) But now I'm starting to wonder about Chris's true motivations in this.

- While I'll never believe that Chris attempted sneaky-linking with any of the cast, I'm really going to need Chris to fall back and stop auditioning for his own champagne flute. He's starting to give Peter Thomas energy, and I AIN'T here for it. Chris's actions have often been contradictory. He knows his wife. That's why I hated watching him in past seasons try to play up to Ashley and others about Candiace's attitude to try to keep the peace. He should save that for home. Explain to his wife -- patiently and dispassionately like she is a child -- why her outbursts and butter knife-wielding might not be the best look. Why does he constantly feel the need to talk about his 35 year old wife with others? Usually in an apologetic manner? Or, even in this case, feel the need to demand apologies from the cast on her behalf? There's nothing wrong with a man protecting his wife, but other than the Monique incident, there is no danger to Candiace, and therefore, no reason for Chris to interfere. If he's not apologizing for her, he's having secret meetings. BOTH behaviors need to stop. - I don't feel so bad now about calling Charrisse "Auntie Cha Cha" since her return. Despite there only being about a decade difference in our ages, she looks like my mother's 69 year old contemporary (Karen also shares that space in my head). Did Cha Cha really buy a new rack? Or is that just weight gain? Whatever the case, it's not a good look. Her titties enter the room before she does, and they're all I can see during her scenes. - When Mia, Charrisse and Mia's friend met up, I forgot that Mia was the castmate whose scene I was following. Despite Charrisse's botched look, she still has housewife energy to me. She just needs a three-month detox, refresh, and re-wigging for her to be camera-ready again. Mia has always given me plastic energy inside and out. I just don't care about this woman. I don't even dislike her. I just don't care. If you gon be a crazy pants pathological lying villain, Mia, come all the way through and turn up. Give me Taylor from RHOBH, or RHONJ's Danielle Staub or RHOA's Phaedra realness! I'll even take a little messiness, a la RHOBH's Brandi or the complete tone-deaf antics of my hated favorite RHONY's Ramona. Do something, Mia. Anything that might make you -- and the show by extension -- interesting.

That's what I see too. It's a shame that Wendy wasn't strong enough to be herself with her whole chest. While I've seen many viewers who don't care about Wendy's accomplishments, those of us who are curious about a housewife who isn't selling housewares, weave, cookbooks, cosmetics, etc. might have appreciated watching her move through her world. For instance, perhaps one of the stations where Wendy provided commentary might have allowed cameras to follow her to the set one day. I liked last year's brief glimpse of her addressing an online class. Would some viewers have thought those kinds of scenes to be dry and boring? Sure -- probably the same folks who would use such words to describe Wendy. But those types of scenes might have given the show a unique identity (thanks @Stats Queen!), something this show lacks. Potomac needs something to stand out; the only reason I'm happy to see Charrisse's return is because she gives good party. I don't ever want to see these ladies sitting out on Gizelle's construction site again. Nor a repeat of Robyn hosting a family fun day.

I love how you worded this. So much more succinct than my screeds, lol. Wendy seems to lack identity.

Cool. I feel similarly, I think. I've never blamed Wendy's issues with the cast on her cast mates; they are all adults. I don't believe Wendy's castmates drove her into any of her actions. Just like I will always double down in regards to Eddie: She's been with that man for more than a decade. She knows what will turn his head. That ain't new. And just to clarify: Even though I used Porsha as an example, I really can't speak to Wendy's reasons for her transformation. I do have suspicions and opinions, however. She may have really just wanted a higher booty and perkier boobs -- no psychological angst included. As I've said before: It is my feeling that Wendy sees RHOP as an opportunity to brand herself as something new in her personal and professional life. I don't believe she's trying to compete with the cast; I believe she's trying to become something different in her own sphere of influence. How many housewives have we seen sell housewares? Run a restaurant? Sell wigs/weave/perfume/clothing/liquor? Several across the franchises. There are actresses and singers and models across franchises. How many housewives are political and social policy commentators? I don't watch them all, so I'm not being sarcastic; if there's another one, I'd love to know. I think it's fascinating that Wendy would rather sell candles and attempt to start a restaurant when her own wheelhouse made her stand out in a most unique way. The latter bolded in your post is one of the issues I have with her. The personal attacks were unnecessary. I would have enjoyed it more if she'd put on an unperturbed and unbothered persona when dealing with the others. I think that would have gone better with the Dr. Wendy profile. But that is the exact opposite of what she wants, it seems.

I don't know if Wendy ever compared herself to her castmates in that regard, so I can't speak to her mindset. And it was more than having a degree. Wendy has four degrees. Wendy is a doctor. She is a professor. Candiace may be completing (have already completed?) an MBA, but somehow, I don't think I'll ever see her on any of the cable news programs commentating on social policy or political matters. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that. As for Eddie, I'm quite certain Wendy didn't just learn that her husband likes women with curvaceous figures and build-a-bodies. Most men's eyes subconsciously follow bodies they find attractive, so Wendy been knew about Eddie's ideal fap material. I just think that part of Wendy's Housewife journey was intended to use the show as a springboard for her own personal ideals. Her background is pretty stereotypical for many descendants of immigrants. It's hard to break from that mold if you want to keep the peace. I don't think Wendy's new body is about Eddie's desires; I believe her transformation is all about her own wants. What she finds pleasing. What she thinks is feminine and attractive. What will garner the most positive attention. Example: RHOA's Porsha was popular enough to get her own show. She did it by using her physical attributes, audience identification, and a peppy, non-self-conscious extroversion. Many viewers loved that Porsha thought that the Underground Railroad was a literal, physical thing. Someone like Wendy may have taken note, attempting to use weapons from an arsenal she doesn't possess. Note how many viewers see Wendy as "try-hard." Some believe her "reads" seem rehearsed and stilted. Combine that with her book smarts and sudden body modification and new fashions, and it's my opinion that she sees RHOP as her chance to break out of an old mold she no longer found pleasing. Wendy's still hitting the books, but now she's studying how to to gain popularity. Unfortunately, it doesn't always feel authentic.

This is rumored to have bitten Evelyn Lozada (Basketball Wives) in the backside when she tried to come-up off a baseball player who lives in Texas. There are too many free MOOCs, courses, and classes out here for old gold diggers to not know the laws, legislation, and rules when they set their sites on a new opportunity. This show needs an overhaul. I have no idea how Mia squeaked through again. Askale's family situation must have been too normal for her to get on. Mia gives weird, phony energy. I wouldn't mind that if that energy led to any good drama. I am of two minds when it comes to Dr. Wendy: I keep thinking she can go too, but she has promise. Unlike some viewers, I liked the Four Degrees flavor she brought during her original season. It was fresh and different. I liked that she was the only Housewife we could see giving commentary on politics and public affairs. I liked that Wendy wasn't a "read queen." The fact that Wendy now wants to sell candles and run restaurants is just so ... basic. She probably can't see it, though, because believe it or not, she probably always wanted to be basic. Overachieving doesn't seem to have brought the pleasure/self esteem/accolades she thought it would. Maybe Wendy's mother got the biggest boost from her daughter's achievements. Meanwhile, Wendy sees women who barely finished high school becoming famous after building their bodies instead of their brains. A major mindfuck to someone whose formative years were spent studying.

Now how did I know Ashley was stupid enough to sign a document without an attorney present? Whatever her mother took her through really made her thirsty enough to accept any-and-every-damn-thing. Why is it that the audience could tell Ashley that she was going to get played, but she couldn't see it coming herself? When your husband is nicer to Juan Dixon than he is to you, that might give you an idea that your piece of the pie might be a lot smaller than you thought it would be. Michael must give good pillow talk because nothing about his demeanor or presence screams PAYOUT to me. For years he and Ashley filmed in that one spot within his cramped bachelor pad (a place I doubt Ashley helped refurnish after she moved in). She's probably regulated to one drawer (two now that she's had the boys). She did "get" the restaurant, but I see that more as a business write-off and a way to keep the Lil Missus busy. Had the restaurant been successful, I very much doubt Michael would have given it Ashley, even if its success was based on her hard work. Maybe I overestimated Ashley? Maybe ... maybe she was in love with her husband?

I'm so curious about the terms of Ashley's prenup. She probably had to do handstands, guys named Stan, and grandstand just to keep that raggedy-ass marriage going, so I hope she didn't sell herself too cheaply. Alas, I have a feeling she may have. Michael doesn't strike me as the generous type. She probably thought that one more coochie-craving could add an additional zero to her stipend. She worked for every zero on that monthly check she's got coming.

Candiace is too thin-skinned to be talking about what she perceives as other people's flaws. If Ashley had talked about the lopsided wigs Candiace wore during her first season, she would have combusted into nothingness. She needs to grow up. I find it fascinating that Candiace was raised by someone whose job is bettering the mental health of others, yet she has no idea how to have a difficult conversation without going low. I've seen her walk away when she cares for or respects someone (Monique). I've even seen her avoid them (Karen). But she seems to have a tough time pivoting during a tough talk and pulling out of it without things going all the way left.

The best part of the episode was the producers repeatedly throwing the cast under the bus: - Eric underplaying Candiace's dramatics - The recording of Dr. Wendy calling Mia a liar - The clips of Chris "not looking at Mia" followed by more clips of Chris "still not looking at Mia." Otherwise I thought this ep was a bit of a snoozefest. The producers are probably on high alert to save this show, IMO, hence the OBVIOUS producing. This cast is too even-keeled. Potomac doesn't have a resident whackjob to keep things jumping (though Mia is showing promise in this area). We'll see.

I removed the show from my list for the last time after watching Dorinda's cruel, drunken ranting at Tinsley, who looked like a kicked puppy. That bitch definitely didn't try to make it nice, and I was done.

Now, if Robyn could only convince her bestie to do something similar with her own hair ... perhaps take it down to the more natural copper hue she was born with -- the bandits would be fire! Hell, they should invite Karen to the salon/beauty supply store too. She needs a Come Back to Jesus moment re: her abusive hairpieces.

You are so right. We have so many more options today -- hell, some people would rather watch TikTok videos than television these days. Nothing really sticks anymore because viewership is scattered across various networks, streaming services, and platforms. I think the last time a phrase caught my attention was when Basketball Wives' Evelyn told Tami "You were a non-mothafuckin' factor, bitch! And that was forever ago.

I've been giving this show way more thought than I should as I ponder why it isn't as popular as I believe it should be. Potomac, despite its charming, charismatic, catty cast has never had a "moment." I know some people believe Monique vs. Candiace was that moment .... but I disagree. I guess that translates to boring in TV Land. - RHONY: Scary Island. Anyone who has watched those eps remember them. A decade later and they still inspire awe and anxiety in me. Another iconic moment from the same season - Ramona bringing Bethenny to tears as they traversed the Brooklyn Bridge. R.I.P. to this once great franchise. When it was really hitting, there was no better show, IMO. - RHOBH: "You stole my goddamn house!"; "You're such a fucking liar, Camille!"; "...the morally bankrupt Faye Resnick."; And the REAL Alison Dubois sauntering through with her e-cigarette and her psychic READ of Kyle "He will never emotionally fulfill you ... ever." That woman has made me see Medium in a completely different light. Got me over here side-eyeing Patricia Arquette and shit. - RHONJ: Theresa flipping that table and screaming "prostitution whore!" put Jersey on the map. That scene got play everywhere. - RHOA: So many damn moments - Nene and Sheree shifting Kim's wig; "Who Gon Check Me Boo?"; "Ooh, chile, the ghetto!" In its early days, especially, this franchise had the most memorable stingers and memes. - RHOC: I've only seen a handful of eps from this show, but even I know that "naked wasted" was a thing. For the longest time I thought someone would throw out a catchphrase viewers would run with (I always thought it'd be Karen) but as we dive into Season 7, it seems as if Potomac will continue its slow and steady progress.

I guess Ashley and Candiace's mended fences have been blown all the way down since Michael Darby is "available" to be "maligned." The "ass-grabbing mothafucka that actually likes to make people uncomfortable - he's available for that!" Whoa, Candi-Girl... Not that I believe any of it. Ashley and Gizelle are scrounging for a storyline. Robyn isn't the best dancer, but she sure looks fabulous this year. It's a pity that Karen didn't attend that class. I can only imagine what she would look like spreading herself across that floor. La Dame would never!