Pop Tart

Agreed. Denise is beating the dead horse of her kids and boundaries far more than any of the others are at this point. Erika was wanting to talk about Aaron’s behavior and Denise wanted to bring it back to her being a victim of their talking about her kids. I think what is really behind their irritation with Denise and her always walking out is that she is effectively, repeatedly leaving work early. They never like when a cast member keeps missing events. Same has been the case with Ramona on RHONY. She keeps leaving events and they get irked. And here is Brandi. Say what you will about her being a pot-stirrer, but she’s got a pretty good record for truth-telling.

Wags said he got her out of there and got her into a rehab, so guess he did do something, though not sure how he managed all that from the mountain retreat. Hmmmm. Taylor right now doesn’t have much power but I’m sure they’re still plotting, just using a long game right now. They’ll make a move at some point I’m sure. Much as Axe and Chuck are both monstrous (still enjoy watching them), something they both said about themselves in this episode, right now Wendy is topping my list of worst just because she still seems to be convinced that she’s a good person and somehow better than the others.

I think after tonight I finally got it. This is a work event for her (day job, not reality show job) and as she said it’s important to her. But I think the producers are requiring that it become a HW event so she’s caught in a bind. She has to fulfill her requirement to her contract with the show, but she knows that having the wives at her event will mean shouting and chaos and that will ruin what she’s wanting as an outcome. So she asked them because her storyline on the show requires it, but she really doesn’t want them there to make a mess. This isn’t what I thought last week. It was only as she was talking to Kyle and her husband about what the event means to her that I got it.

Yeah I think Teddi is not a natural hostess and her invitation and the succeeding attempts to explicate what she meant are a result of her nervousness about it. The event is something she cares about but she’s ambivalent about having the women there because that’s always a train wreck (not just Teddy’s events, all HW events). I think if she had her druthers it would be a non-hw event, but I’m guessing her HW job requires she invite them. And weirdly, since she is asking them, she wants them to want to come and is going to be hurt if they say no. Those two competing feelings - that she wishes she didn’t have to invite them at all, but if she does invite them she wants them to want to attend - are what made her invite sound so backhanded and contradictory. I say that as someone who is not hostess-y at all and who has had this exact scenario play out. Two other notes: Erika and that picture they showed of when she was first with Tom, from 20 years ago. I had to rewind a couple times as she was not recognizable. Lots of work she has had done. Sutton. Loved the producers cutting from Sutton crowing about how the mayor was at her party to the mayor asking his aide who/what’s this event for?

I’m thinking that much of the ‘real’ world is actually some kind of simulation created by Serac with Rehoboam and that somehow Dolores’s data threatens to break the simulation in some way which would wake people up out of their controlled existence. And humans being humans they’d revert to chaos and violence. Serac seems to be striving to completely control all the people and their possible actions to achieve a perfect world (one where a Paris doesn’t get blown up). He is using all possible data to determine all outcomes. Dolores has thrown a wrench into the works. I think this is why Dolores does actually think she and Caleb have a common experience. He’s human but just as lacking in choices and control as she was. He’s her before she woke up.

I get that it’s not cool to be pressuring your partner to propose, totally not cool. And if Beau was truly not sure or not ready, that’s completely legitimate. He should wait in that case. But he’s said he’s totally ready and had the big convo with Katie and the dolt about how he’s going to propose. So his continuing to allow Stassi to think he’s not ready? That’s not cool. He’s straight up lying to her about where he is emotionally because he wants the proposal to be a production that will prove his wonderfulness. I don’t like Stassi and know that much of this is for a storyline, but game-playing about a relationship for the sake of the “perfect” performative proposal. Not cool. Oh and I don’t love Katie but Schwartz was let off way too easy. Katie voiced an opinion about the prank. She didn’t find it funny (not that she finds much funny, I’ll grant you). Schwartz went nuclear and strove to come up with the most hurtful things he could possibly say and kept saying them though everyone was letting him know he needed to stop. And even when he’s kinda sorta apologizing to Katie he’s still trying to make what she said the worse offense. Made me remember why I hate Schwartz.

I think my favorite moment - along with Jax's explanation of how Powerpoint works (not) - was Sandoval saying he wanted his party to be eppervescent. Oh and Charley? saying she's just so extra every day of her life so she came as herself to the party? She's going to give Raquel a run for the money in the vapid dept.

What that was was Lisa needing some screen time so she brought them over to the house and re-gifted something out of her closet. Not that I wouldn’t love that tea set, but her claim that she hauled it to Kentucky, didn’t give it to them, then hauled it back? I think not. She wanted to have the conversation about her mother and be seen as the sage advisor to the newlyweds. And Max and Dayna? You didn’t have a relationship, you were “hanging out” and had sex a few times. So there’s no tragic breakup here. You’re just not hanging out anymore. I’ve seen some made-up storylines over the many “reality” shows I watch, but this is right up there on top of the list for fakest of the fake.

Homophobic Pastor-gate has been well covered so I’m going to backtrack to my favorite moment at the princess party. And that was the look on Scheana’s face when she heard that Lance Bass was going to officiate. She tried for happiness for Brittany but her expression sort of just melted into a grimace as she looked around at all the princesses (not for her) and knew a celebrity (albeit very minor) was going to marry them. Made me chuckle with glee.

Yeah they all knew and were so bothered but Sandoval HAS QUESTIONS he has to ask at Peter’s party after they’ve already dumped the pastor. Why not ask his questions months ago? He’s so troubled and yet has to wait until Lisa has made a pronouncement? Or was it that he had to wait until they were filming? Clearly Brittany and Jax hoped it would blow over and they wouldn’t have to make the decision, so no pats on the back for them. But Ariana and Tom don’t get some ‘woke’ award for being upset since they only decided to say something because they were getting grief on social media.

Agree. I thought her weird big smile was off given how distressed Eva was when she got in the car to go to the hospital. Okay, Tania didn't know it was an emergency, but Eva was crying and not just from contractions. She was concerned because the baby was coming a month early. There's being concerned but happy for a friend having a baby and there's whatever weird thing Tania was trying to convey. I was also getting super annoyed with her announcing each new arrival as they came up the stairs with some kind of look at me act out. And when she did a cheer when Nene finally deigned to appear? Such a suck up. And to Nene of all people. Oh and Nene not wearing an animal print to her own event? Kandi had that all exactly right. Wth? I'd have liked for Kenya to have stayed just so that Nene could have fumed about her also not wearing a animal print and having a bag that had the print. Nene would have had a fit.

I think both things could be true. Ariana could genuinely be suffering from depression. But whether she is or isn't, she is definetely using her depression as the thinly (very thinly) veiled reason why she would be back working at SUR. Thus why she went to her guru Lisa to talk about it and came up with the "solution" of how maybe working part time at SUR would help her. This is the same as Raquel suddenly having this sudden burning wish to be a server at SUR. Both of them know that this is the VANDERPUMP Rules show and working at/being directly connected to SUR or TomTom is key. Being the girlfriend of a 'part owner' or girlfriend of the sometimes DJ isn't going to cut it if you want to get airtime and be on the show. If you are not one of the original core group, Stassi, Katie, Tom, Tom, Kristen, Jax, then you have to strive that much harder to create a storyline for yourself. That's why Scheana is still working at SUR. She knows that they will continue to film there because it's Lisa's show. So she knows she can get airtime. So does Raquel and so does Ariana. All that said it's still entirely possible, and not at all out of the realm of the possible, that Ariana could be suffering from depression. Oh and totally a side note but Ariana and Katie have to walk behind the Toms who are tooling along on a cycle in the parade? I know it's all part of the TomTom schtick, but it bothered me.

So on top of throwing a fit because Raquel wasn’t there to hear his set, James makes her late for work then ghosts when Peter is calling her on the carpet, never saying a thing about how he pressured Raquel to hang with him? And Raquel doesn’t stand up to him because he can be explosive? Being on a reality show isn’t worth it Raquel - and I couldn’t care less about Raquel.

I was just about to decide I was probably going to be out this season, but then I saw the scenes for next week and I’m interested. Two of the ‘cool’ kids going at each other (Stassi and Sandoval), better then anything we’ve seen so far. I am not up for Kristen being cast as the villain and having them beat us over the head with this all season because she’s not breaking up properly. I get how Katie and Stassi could be tired of all talk and no action on Kristen’s part, but that doesn’t mean you dump the friendship. Stassi’s insistence that Kristen can’t be trusted because she can’t stay broken up? Crazy. And OMG she lied because she said they’re broken up but has taken him back. The utter BETRAYAL of Stassi. How does a Kristen dare? Breakups are messy and often take multiple tries before they stick. So this storyline has been turning me off. But smug, narcissistic Stassi yelling at smug, narcissistic Sandoval? Count me in. This will work for me because the power dynamic is far more even between S&S. With Stassi going at Kristen it feels a lot more like watching Stassi punch down

yep. She's getting us ready for what will be her single self complete with boy toys next season That’s totally what she’s doing. For years she’s played the dutiful wife because as gross and disgusting as Joe is, there are many fans who were totally into the Giudice clan and Tre knew that. So staying together was to her advantage with her fandom and pocketbook. Joe has fallen off in popularity, plus the writing was on the wall that he was going to be deported, so now Tre can get shed of him without taking heat from her fans. And the worse he appears, the better for her. That’s why she wanted that phone call aired and I’m guessing that was also part of why Gia was so angry. Not only does she not want to hear that kind of stuff between her parents (who could blame her?), but she also probably knows her mom was making sure it was filmed. Tre has always and will always look out for number one, herself.

Just curious, which podcasts? I’m always looking for new ones. To bring this back to tonight, the raging misogyny has been covered so I’ll focus on Kevin saying they’d all do better with Kate gone? Really? What boat has he been on? He really thinks Courtney or Simone could have stepped in and managed all that Kate does? All they could think about that needed doing was the ironing. Yes, there was time yet for Kate to return, but still trying to imagine them trying to work out the timing of service, cleaning, organizing and ordering supplies, etc is nearly impossible. I’m mostly a Kate fan, but I get that she’s arrogant. Tonight showed me that she’s right to be confident about her abilities. She is extremely competent, highly organized and no matter what is going on behind the scenes, never shows the guests anything but a calm, pleasant demeanor.

Right. He also had a brief interaction with her in the workroom where he said something about the asymmetrical, uneven hem of the top would be what helped to make it interesting or something beyond just a top and a skirt.

Plus this was supposed to be inspired by Cats and correct me if I'm wrong cats wear collars (aka chokers) right? So even if they weren't back, which I agree, I think they are, it would still be appropriate styling for this challenge. Last week I kind of liked Dalvin, he was reminding me of Michael who I always appreciated for his quiet, calm confidence. But this week he was leaning a bit too much into his arrogance, maybe? Like, yes he's talented so some arrogance is warranted, but he was projecting a bit of smugness with it perhaps. Or a bit more meanness? I can be swayed back in the other direction, but that was how it was vibing for me. And though I thought his print and technique were stellar I didn't think there was anything particularly wow about a coat dress (impeccably fitted though it was) and it certainly does not fit my admittedly vague idea of "street". So I was glad he wasn't chosen winner. And as regards "street design" I wish they'd retire that as a challenge concept entirely. When they don't like a design they're like, "that's not street" but it they like it then you have one of them (Elaine, I believe) saying things like "street isn't just one thing" or "this is a different street" in order to defend it's non-streetness.

With Vicki the louder she screams about not being something the truer that thing is. I felt like there must have been some conversation we didn’t see on the Tikiboat as Kelly went from sitting at the bar ignoring Vicki to suddenly yelling that she had just talked to Mike and she had dirt about Vicki. It just came out of nowhere. And though she does go dirty when she fights I think on balance Kelly is still a somewhat, by a hair, better person then Vicki. Kelly was on WWHL and she was calm and funny and completely aware of her own behavior. Someone asked her if she was setting a bad example for her daughter and she said, yeah she is and she shouldn’t. Sure she should try to be better but this self-awareness is something that Vicki completely and wholly lacks.

I’m interested enough to want to know how Vincent ends up, Abby not so much. Hers was a character I’ve never connected with. The other storyline I think they could have excised entirely from the series is most anything to do with the police. They just never developed it enough and at this point I have less then no interest when they’re on screen. I have more interest in the mob story and that’s not something I’d ever usually say. Lori’s end has been seeming pretty inevitable for most of the season, but still it was a shock. With that said it was an incredibly well-written and acted set of scenes.

I was thinking this too. If there'd been any paparazzi cameras around to see them all arriving by boat or helicopter to that massive, billion-dollar yacht for a Mediterranean cruise all while facing massive scandal for what happened on the cruise ships - not a good look at all. On another note I'd been thinking of the way in which Logan suddenly had Kendall get Naomi off the boat. It's not that it didn't make sense, as I thought it was pretty dumb of Kendall to bring her in the first place since they were definitely all there to discuss extremely private matters. At first Logan didn't say anything about her being there and then was suddenly making Kendall send her away because he hadn't had notice she was going to be there. I was thinking that this might have been one of those micro-moments in which Logan does actually care about Kendall and thought that having her sent away was for Kendall's benefit so that Kendall would not have to face her after he's been told he's the blood sacrifice. I'm probably attributing more thought to it than Logan would ever do, but it did occur to me it might have been an attempt at ta kindness on his part. Of course it was probably really just more of Logan bringing Kendall low.

Wow! I really think that Kendall was ready to be the one to fall on his sword, until his dad dismissed the guy who was killed as “no person involved”. Kendall said he deserved to take the blame because of the boy. And it was Logan’s reaction to that with a dismissive “rpi”. I think that was the moment that flipped it for Kendall. He has spent the last months doing everything his father asked of him because of the guilt he felt. And here when he’s thinking this will be the ultimate price to pay to make amends, his father makes clear that those feelings are nothing. Less than nothing. And that says everything about who Logan truly is, a soulless monster who will sacrifice anyone to retain power.

I agree. While I had a problem with Logan calling on Rhea and Shiv to go talk to the woman, I thought Shiv did it with about as much honesty as she could - even while doing so for the sake of her family company. She told the woman she couldn't trust her, she told her that she was there for her own self-interest and in the interests of her family's company. She also told her that the people who wanted her to testify had their own self-interest and agendas at heart, not this woman's well-being. Totally true. Everyone involved has an agenda regarding whether she testified or not and Shiv laid that all out and left it to her to decide. Brutal? Yes. Self-serving? Totally. But also not really wrong in terms of the choice she (the victim) would be making. I doubt there had been one other person who had interacted with the woman who was as honest as Shiv was in that moment. Her supporters would have her to testify for their reasons and agenda, though I'm sure they told her it was for her own moral well-being. Again, I'm not saying it's good the woman didn't testify - for her sake or anyone else's. I get philosophically why it's better for the world to have the stories come out. But I also think that every person, every woman should get to decide for herself. And while Shiv's talking with her was self-serving to the nth degree, she didn't lie to her. So the woman made her choice based on all known information, including Shiv's. I like Kendall with Naomi - they seem to really get each other. So I'm rooting for them regardless. But what gets me with Logan's dismissal of her is that it seems pretty short-sighted. I get that he's angry and bitter about the Pierces. But if Kendall and Naomi were to get together, their relationship could ultimately lead to the joining of the two families and corporations. Kendall, though he's on the outs with his dad, is still considered to be the Roy scion and Naomi, as described by Rhea is Nan's closest family confidant. As regards Rhea - I wasn't 100% sold on her suddenly discovering that Logan lies and is morally challenged. In her much quieter way she has seemed to be the female version of Logan - manipulating the Pierce's to try to make the deal and then doing the same with the Roy family members. It was she who came up with the plan for how to torpedo Shiv and she offered to take care of it with Logan. It is she who has was actively shaping his view of all of his kids so that she would be named CEO. So her sudden horror last night at the lengths Logan would go to? Didn't ring true. If she is just using her "disgust" as a way to back out of being CEO because the Roy family is in trouble, that would make sense. But I just found her shock at and about Logan to be more naive than we've seen from her.

I just listened to an interview with the actress who plays Geri. She said that the director will have them run through takes following the script but then always does another take or two where they're told they can ad-lib or "have fun with it". She said that some of those takes are used in the show so I could see them doing something like that with this whole scene. Just have Jeremy go out there and do it cold and see what kinds of reactions he'd get.

There was also the weird bit of the interchange with his dad when Kendall introduced her and said she was in theater. She responded with something like "not really" or something else that was kind of noncommittal on the subject. Kendall paused and asked her something or made a comment but you could tell by his expression that something fell off for him in that moment. I'm going to have to watch it again a few times to see if I can parse it (though entirely possible that I won't be able to). This doesn't excuse Kendall's behavior but makes it appear that something besides "awesome" had flipped a switch for him. Or maybe he was just coming down off a coke high and it just didn't seem like such awesome, psychic sex anymore. I do think that Rhea, like Logan, is always several steps ahead of everyone else. So she may have been fumbling last night as part of her long-term play. Otherwise she was being way too clumsy and that's not something we've seen from Rhea before. Even though the Pierce's are supposedly not as up front about their need for power and money as the Roys, I'm sure that there is just as much strategizing and game playing among the Pierce family members to gain power. So this is a dynamic with which Rhea should be familiar. The missteps she was making last night seemed out of character given what we've seen of her so far.