RedInk

Bronwyn has this strange, very rehearsed air about her that reads insincere. Like a politician’s wife. Like she wants appear diplomatic and controlled, but then there’s cussing & insults. Also not a Lisa apologist, but the story went from Lisa relating that the grandparents thought Bronwyn had suffered a miscarriage to Lisa telling everyone Bronwyn lied about having a miscarriage…which doesn’t seem to be true. And from the grandparents shunning Bronwyn to keep up appearances to someone leaving a message once about the baby. This is painful any way you look at it, but I lose sympathy when you channel your trauma to attack someone else. If the topic is off limits, don’t engage. There’s a pattern of deflection. Bronwyn doesn’t buy the necklace she claimed to own, then said she ordered a smaller one, then when confronted about buying neither, turned it into an issue with the agent for not being discreet, trashed her, and used that as an excuse for why she didn’t buy any jewelry. Which she said she owned at the reunion. “I almost wore it.” 🫤

This season is super disconnected with none of the new cast in the mix. Sally getting ready for work, Molly pops in for less than a minute, Taylor flitting around with no story to tell, and Venita sweeping and talking to her dog. Patricia is getting the bulk of the screen time and she’s not even technically a cast member. Are we done here?

So mean. Huge downgrade from Kameran, Chelsea & Danni. The rest of the cast have been awful from the jump.

I feel bad enough for JT that it makes this show a tough watch. He’s too awkward for TV, sure, but he doesn’t seem like a bad guy, and I hate a pile-on. The accusation about Patricia was clearly a lie, and it seems like there was at least a little truth to the FaceTime event with Madison & her husband. The yelling at him was all done for dramatic effect, especially since no one thinks she hooked up with JT, but then she went on to say that her husband does actually check up on her (unless I misconstrued that). JT is trying to stir the pot, which is what they all do, but he’s just going too hard. Nobody on this show is a good time anymore - they’re all such snobs.

Unpopular opinion, I understand, but I always find the more serious reality on these shows to be exploitative. If anyone is truly helped by something they saw on a Housewives franchise, I think that’s wonderful, but I imagine that’s few and far between. I’d venture to say it may even result in more damage because there is nothing offered beyond the obligatory hotline number and general platitudes to “seek help,” when most everyone already knows to do that but can’t afford it, or has an unwilling family member, etc. I forwarded through this one because I knew it was coming. And although I obviously sympathize with Mary in this situation as a mother, she’s shown herself to be disgustingly predatory before (her church). My much more cynical side sees it as attention-seeking behavior, usually on the part of the parent or spouse. There is just no need to put someone so vulnerable and at their weakest point on camera. Discuss steps you’re taking and what’s helping, sure, but after the person in need is in a stable place.

She’s done with him. Pretty sure this martyred wife act is step one for her to gain some financial footing and get sympathy at the same time.

I don’t know if it makes her a bad person necessarily, but it’s definitely not admirable. I’ll be charitable and say I think it’s hard for some of Jen’s kinder coworkers to want to root for her and then anxiously watch her make one bad, materially-driven decision after another. For others, Jen just holds up a mirror and makes them worry about their own insecure footing. Regardless of their education and ability to earn money, only Gina and Tamra (sorry to have to throw her a compliment) fund their lifestyles. The others are wholly dependent on their husbands, family money, alimony, etc., to live the way they do. Jen just wants what they have but has chosen poorly. If that’s pathetic (it is), then they are a little bit too. Cautionary tales make people uncomfortable, and the loser in the story is ostracized as a result.

I should feel sorry for Bree because of her legitimate abandonment issues and isolation, but I caaaaan’t. I’m waiting to see the earrings as step one of Marianne taking Bree and her cheating husband down, although I expect she knows he can’t keep it in his pants and there won’t be any consequences for him. Really all the secondary characters should garner more sympathy than I can muster…except for Steven and Lucy, who really are the worst and do deserve each other.

Yes! They all lose me with this. Across all franchises, nothing is off the table - they discuss their children’s mental/physical illnesses, trauma, parental neglect, bullying - all of it, and sometimes (even more despicable) they act like it’s “awareness” instead of the obvious storyline fodder it is. I can’t think of a single housewife who doesn’t divulge sensitive information about her children. Maybe Marge (Jersey) and Dorinda (NY)?

The best thing I can say about these final episodes is that they made me a little less sad that the show has ended. If we hadn’t gotten a 4th season at all, I’d have been gutted, but these last installments were a slog to get through. I know they couldn’t just tie up all the loose threads in a story that was so beautifully constructed, but I thought the choices made were so awful: a destroyed Andy abandoned, Ben split apart from the group, (potentially) evil Timothy, and silenced Sister.

I agree, and this episode seemed like filler rather than a jumping-off point to a series finale. The entire mini season has had a distinct shift in tone, and I can’t imagine how any one of the mysteries could come to a satisfying conclusion. I’m not sure why these were even tacked on. I think everyone is correct in assuming the deconsecration/sale of the church is a methaphor for Paramount canceling the show, but to me that’s more interesting for the producers than the viewers. I just hoped the story could play out as best it could in the limited time given.

I really hate it too (caveat: I’m Christian, so it’s hard for me to turn that part of my brain off), but I’m not certain that will happen in the end. Especially after seeing this episode play out. I’m thinking Ellie isn’t a legit patient but a plant at the hospital who is intentionally manipulating both David and Kristen. And Kristen seemed a little more ambivalent about divorce by the end of the episode.

So did I, and for the same reasons. The writers worked so hard to make the the case that it could be literally everyone connected to the victim, and the daughter was the only throwaway character (but I did think it was the prosecutor who tied her up to frame Rusty). These people were so repulsive, and I suppose that was intentional, but why? Who likes a murder mystery where the accused, the accuser and the dead are all so gross? Even the wife was spineless and resolved to put her sociopath husband over her children. I wish Barbara had killed Rusty. I’d watch that sequel.

The therapist! Thank you! You’re right, and I’d totally forgotten. (Still, based on everyone’s response to him, I thought this manager would be a little more powerful than any other basic mortal being.)