pasdetrois

I mostly liked the series, which I binge-watched in a hotel room. I could tell that at least some of the audience laughs were real, but others seemed recorded. Either way - annoying. The jokes and puns were corny but still I laughed at most of them. I think there were too many characters; get rid of one of the two female sales associates and have stoned mom in less frequently. Also, it didn't work for me when the show veered toward the serious stuff. It's hard to integrate comic/drama tones into short episodes. I liked the Dank/Dabby duo. The Dabby character is unique and so is their pairing. They are a lot to take but I thought Dabby's riff on the beautiful blonde was genius. I wonder how much of the dialogue is ad-libbed. Dabby dominates her scenes but Dank is also hilarious. The two have great comic chemistry. I also like Carter. His stoicism and disdain for everyone were funny in the beginning, then he started getting high and I thought he was less funny. I could do with less profanity. I think it's lazy writing and hackneyed. Oh and...yes to anything with Kathy Bates.

I appreciate the season's theme - parenthood, especially motherhood in all its forms - but the execution was surprisingly bad. Half the time I didn't know what the heck was going on. I raced over here after viewing the last episode to see if there were more episodes, because the thing didn't seem finished. I enjoyed seeing the Tarth actress again. I believe Nicole Kidman's vanity usually ruins her acting choices, but in this case she let some of the vanity go and good for her. It was good to see glimpses of how the sex shops work, less we forget the misery endured there. I thought those actors were the most realistic. I'm just gonna ignore the laughable nose-biting scene, the wheelchair-throttling-and-curtain-fire, Tarth flinging off her baby bump, and other very unfortunate directing choices. Despite all the drama near the end, all I could think about was that Robin got drunk, had sweaty sex, vomited...and then ran around for two days, including traipsing around a hot sandy beach, without showering and a change of clothes. Surely she reeked.

I noticed that the baby is slightly propped up much of the time when she's awake. Lea Black was on Real Housewives of Miami and she's married to Roy Black, an attorney who has defended William Kennedy Smith, Rush Limbaugh, Joe Francis and Justin Bieber. No wonder Lea repeatedly requested iced tea - she's very thirsty. It seemed to me that Jeff's therapist was putting words in his mouth to make him look sympathetic on TV. Chaz's business complex renovation has been one of the few projects I've liked. What a shame they have to start all over. I don't blame Gage for not wanting to be a fulltime SAHD. Anyone in that position loses ground financially and professionally and he knows it. If he stopped working Jeff would control him completely through finances. Also, Jeff would nag Gage for not working and still depend on him for business stuff. In other news, Jeff is still an asshole. He relentlessly pokes at Gage. It's a wonder Gage hasn't clocked him. Gage could blame it on exhaustion and baby anxiety.

How very disappointing. I eagerly awaited the return of this series but the first episode was a misfire on many levels. Why does Sam trudge through every single scene? The cynical and exhausted mom thing can be funny sometimes, but not in such huge doses. I know that kids in large cities are privileged and sophisticated, but I have my brat-tolerance limits as a viewer. The vagina stuff and the pervy Spaniard stuff really annoyed me. It's as if Adlon and Louis CK are out of touch with their audience. Sam needs to get tougher with those brats.

I had a stepmom and I am a stepmom. D'Andra is pretending to care about her stepson, but really she is trying to dictate how he lives his life and throwing temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way. Yes he should get a job or go to school, but he may be depressed and need help. I don't know if D'Andra was a homebreaker but he probably resents her. Maybe he moved to Dallas to appear on the show with the hopes of making some entertainment connections and decided he couldn't tolerate her drama. Maybe he missed his dad. I also wonder if the three of them living together revealed that his dad would always side with D'Andra when there were conflicts. I hope his dad had a heartfelt conversation with his son off-camera to show that he really cares about his welfare. The housewife baby-voice - someone make it stop.

I liked the first episode - very gritty and realistic. I watch anything with MG - if you haven't seen it, check her out in the movie "Sherry Baby." As for Franco, I always feel like he is one step away from brilliant acting. The supporting actors are great. I remember when waitresses wore Danskin leotards in many colors here in DC. My only hesitation is whether the twin Francos will play out like a gimmick, rather than really serving the story (and Franco's sizable ego). I lost track of and interest in the two stories.

Jenni and her former husband conceived the concept of this show, and she is an exec producer.

My friend is an HR VP at a big corporation; she has a PhD in organizational psychology. She calls Jeff's dysfunctional behavior "control through chaos." He purposefully creates chaos that keeps people from being successful and happy. Chaos causes confusion and results in errors, which gives Jeff opportunities to criticize and control people through fear (of losing their jobs, losing his favor, losing a position on the show, etc.). I wonder how much he makes off of the show. I suspect the show is his biggest income source. ETA: I assume Gage, Zoila and possibly some of the other "office staff" receive Bravo paychecks.

I agree. I think our Heidi is desperately trying not to appear her age. And while I'm paddling in the shallow pool, I love her hair. Several seasons ago it was a horrible distracting fried mess, and now she's managed to get it lustrous and healthy again. Agree the last look was the best and should have received recognition. Let's trade out the models' musings for more design talk. Aaron looked like he was wearing dirty underpants. Or like a playground perv. Something about the flesh-colored see-through bloomers and plan white drawers was very disturbing.

Heather is a real-life type of client. While there are some clients, in any business, that will let a contractor steam roll them, in my experience as a small business owner these are in the minority. Especially when the clients are successful, smart and wealthy. I think we've seen Jeff quit or fire, or complain bitterly about, at least a dozen clients over the years. In every case it was because they disagreed with him, or were indecisive. He could not handle it, criticized them on-camera, and moved on. He's giving up good money when he does that; Heather threw shade when she said "I'm surprised you would walk away without finishing" because that is very unprofessional and flighty behavior - to quit when you don't get your own way over superficial decisions. I question how successful Jeff's flip/renovate/design business is. It seems quite chaotic due to his management style. Interestingly, the Yelp review states that not too long ago he was working part-time in a casting office, which makes me question his years of experience. He clearly knows about design and technical stuff, but all he seems to do is give orders, micromanage, and harass. Why didn't Jenni and Megan warn Jeff and Gage about raising a newborn in a construction zone? Maybe they did and they refused to listen. I felt sorry for Gage (although he willingly pursued a parenting relationship with a known tyrant). It was clear that he was exhausted and barely functioning. Rather than support him Jeff berated him. I don't see any evidence of Jeff caring for that baby. If he complains about a 7am feeding, coupled with bratting about paying for everything, he clearly does not have her best interests at heart. Shame on Megan for oversharing her daughter's private info on national TV.

I wonder if Bravo pressured her to do this special, angry that she withheld the divorce info during the reunion. Telling her that if she didn't do the special her appearance on the series might be affected. Also, she probably protected Tom because she's afraid of retaliation. I thought she looked great. The lighting was very harsh and her makeup was too dry and heavy.

After the last Med season, I swore off this series if it continues to devolve into middle school fighting. So far so good. Is it possible that the Valor is nothing more than a production set at this point, with hidden crew doing most of the skilled yacht work? Why would a yacht owner entrust such valuable property to unskilled labor? Doesn't insurance underwriting matter? Maybe this yacht is undergoing financial difficulties and the owner needs Bravo's money? Why is the yacht so dirty when our crew arrives? It's possible we'll see a minimum of activities that require skilled labor, and a lot of cleaning, cooking, drinking, setting up toys, etc. The guests could be in on it, agreeing to a less-than-stellar yachting experience in exchange for being on the show and having a fun experience.

That conversation made me wonder if D'Andra is a dilettante. Maybe she flits in and out of the business as she feels like it, or does only the easy stuff. Her mother's comments about knowing how to manage the business' money were telling. They need to pitch the pink housewife into Stephanie's pool and be done with her. She's an idiot. I agree with another poster that Travis was punking the cameras with his caveman talk to Stephanie. It's part of her storyline, not being taken seriously by her husband.

I don't think any of these folks are trying to be everywoman or everyman. It's clear that they all live pampered lives and strive to climb that social and economic ladder even further than they already have.

Sue's absence has been notable. There were a couple episodes earlier that showed her extended visit in the arctic refuge. Given her litigation against production, I wonder if the refuge footage was a kind of compromise? Even if she refused to shoot new footage in Kavik, it's odd that they didn't pull something together from the gazillion feet of footage they already have. I hope she's not gone - she's my fave, in part because she apparently does not trap for a living. Glen works very hard, but compared to the others he comes off as a fictional character to me. Everything almost always goes perfectly for him, plus he's very pedantic and repeats himself a lot. I'm happy Jesse is having some success. He started with nothing and has steadily improved his lot, and that of his dogs. I wonder if he received some sponsorship funds for his racing. It was odd to me that they showed Agnes with so little firewood. Villagers come together in times of need and I would think her family and neighbors would be helping her out in Chip's absence. Plus she's extremely capable herself, as are her girls. I wonder how Chip's doing in the hoosegow. I loved seeing the grandbaby. I've forgiven Andy his earlier curmudgeonly ways. Anyone who loves his dogs as much as he does isn't all bad. Andy is on his reality TV redemption arc, which I'd much rather watch then him yelling at Kate.

I wonder why they don't do a spin-off series or a one-time special that would show the DCCs throughout the season. Practice, performing, USO tours, show dance, other appearances... The guest choreographers seem like a waste of time, unless the organization intends to infuse the DCC choreography with something new. Love seeing the triple view during practices, and seeing the vets. You can really see the big difference that one or two years of polishing makes.

Gage had the grace, despite his and Jeff's narcissism, to remember to thank the woman who made the baby possible. But I agree that the two of them treated her like chattel - a vessel whose role was to serve their every selfish need. Wonder if she will carry their second child. I did enjoy hearing about the engineering and architectural issues and inspections at the two properties. I bet Zoila enjoyed the silence when the crew was up in Chico. On this episode we were treated to Jenni's drama over an infection. We were rolling in the aisles watching her milk the scene where she slowly maneuvered to her chair at Jeff's office. And no way was she going to miss the videotaping of the birth, despite earlier complaints about her pregnancy being at risk. Jenni would walk over her grandmother to reach a camera. And she sided with Jeff when he was complaining about the surrogate and her doctor refusing to induce ("There are differences of opinion about that...") and then Gage shut her down. After pretending to support Vanina for two seconds, Jeff tried to gaslight her. "Do you think you should see a therapist?" He tried to blame her for her feelings. Also, when he offered to refer work to her, I think it was to continue to control her career and try to prevent her from working with any competitors. I hope she does well in her new endeavors. There's an old but interesting review of Jeff Lewis Designs on Yelp.

It's too bad Kudzanai went home, because his deadpan world-weary comments about the Manic Twins were hilarious and made my viewing night. Also when the critiques mentioned all the zippers on the back of Kudzanai's look, Tim shrugged "Why not?" Resigned to the hot mess that garment was. Brandon is adorable. Poor Deyonte. I know numerous people who have sewn through their fingers. He had to finish his garment without serious pain meds. I bet he didn't get much sleep. I'm thankful for a range of models' sizes this season.

I'm a southern woman of a certain age, and I love me some big hair, makeup, shoes, etc. (The higher the hair, the closer to God.) But these women look horrible with their overly Botoxed and filled faces and their thick drag queen makeup. Leeann is the only one who carries it off. Brandi needs to take on-camera-in-full-makeup crying lessons from Stephanie, because Stephanie has that shit down pat. Even though she can barely move her face, she's able to produce copious tears on command. Which she does frequently in order to deflect blame for her bad behavior. I'm with Leeann and Brandi - Stephanie is a social climber and stealth witch. The multi-million dollar flip mansion = excuse to brag on TV by flinging those numbers around. The $15K designer dress = see the above. The lack of class = see most of the episodes. Leeann is that insecure child who runs around the school yard begging one girl not to be the other girl's friend. She also loves flexing her bully muscles within the guise of a therapy session. Thinks she looks cool. Dr. Mark is a lousy human being. He is one of the shallowest characters we've seen on reality TV. Which of the housewives threw the shade about his sexuality? Leeann? I'm callin' it: the only relationship that will survive the series is Leeann's, and possibly D'Andra's (she has money, he doesn't).

Melissa is too fond of flouncing around in her high-heeled boots - complete with stylish dagger placed just so - to take sobriety seriously. She's nowhere near ready to confront her demons. Her sisters also appeared to enjoy the cameras. Melissa makes a lot of money but she owes money to a lot of drug dealers. Maybe the leap from crack to fentanyl, plus all those motel rooms, gobble up her money? I wondered about Brax - one minute he's getting high and prostituting, the next he's being asked to help Andrew corral Melissa into rehab. He just kind of goes with the flow, I guess. At least when he and Melissa are prostituting together she's a little more safe. I hope the family keeps Colby far away from Melissa, whose most visible emotion was self-centered: her sister reported her to the authorities. She doesn't appear to miss her child at all. She simply views him as an object that her mean family is withholding.

I've always thought this. Jeff may believe he has all the control - he's very controlling about everyone in his life, even his clients - but Gage may surprise him. Gage could move to another business easily if he wishes. I've also wondered if Gage's long-range plan is to end up with primary physical custody and child support from Jeff. I think Gage is using Jeff.

For someone who claims to have her child's best interest at heart, and who should not be discussing her relationship with Jason publicly, Bethenny sure does bring the situation with Jason up a lot. Complete with tears, quivering voice and dramatic gestures, in case anyone misses the point. If Bethenny fears going too far, her sycophant Carole is standing by to be more specific and say what Bethenny legally cannot. I mean, does anyone doubt that Bethenny is talking about Jason during these rehearsed and strategic soliloquies? Why doesn't the judge shut her down? Tinsley is desperately leaping from one wealthy man to the next with no time to grow up. She's an everlasting child bride. I will give her credit for good manners. I stopped watching this series long ago, but returned because of Dorinda, who is reality TV gold. The rest of them are shallow idiots. Although Luanne's long leg rising up out of the foliage during her drunken escapade in Mexico was hilarious.

After a bang-up couple of early episodes, this season lost its steam. I feel like we're seeing the same gimmicks over and over, with a few genius moments thrown in (the lady-in-white thug smoothly saving her lover's life while kowtowing smartly to the head bad guy). And can someone please take a Brillo pad to that grimy apartment? Gag.

It's astounding how entitled some homeowners are, especially about property lines. They often fail to check a surveyor's plat before removing vegetation that is along an invisible property line.

And if we hear one more teary, quavery-voiced TH from Jenny about her desperation to have another baby, I'm going to vomit.