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Pop Tart

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  1. I was thinking the same thing. They really do seem to be pushing Marlo. Oh look she's a great aunt to her nephews (now). Oh look she's mourning a family member from a few years ago (though never mentioned before). Oh look she's on a date with a younger guy (who just wanted to make sure his restaurant was mentioned on the show). I don't mind that Marlo has a past or can be shady. It's that no matter what she's doing or saying, there's always this undercurrent of deep bitterness. And heck, for sure she's had a messed up, dysfunctional life. I 100% believe that. But it doesn't make her any more pleasant to watch.
  2. Interesting article with Charli in Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/vanderpump-rules-charli-burnett-raquel-leviss-scandoval-accomplice-bravo-1234771129/ A couple of things of note - one she begged off of filming for what was supposed to be the final episode of the season (the one with the party at SUR for Something About Her). When she told them she didn't want to film for that, producers said if she didn't do the finale she wouldn't be at the reunion. So that's why she wasn't there -or one of reasons. The other thing - Charli "says she knew Raquel and her family, who she says are very involved in Raquel’s life even as an adult, because they both participated in California pageants, an experience Raquel opened up about on the show." This is the second mention of how involved Raquel's family is in her being on the show. The other was at the engagement party and the dad telling someone (? Charli maybe ?) that Raquel and James were just playing house and that they'd pull the plug when/if they needed to. She's 29 (30?) years old and yet it sounds like she's being stage-managed into things/storylines perhaps? Not absolving her of anything, but it's weird.
  3. I saw Prima Facie and &Juliet in April. Fully expected to love PF as I love Jodie and I knew what a tour de force it was for her. And it was phenomenal and Jodie was phenomenal and fully deserved the Tony for her one-woman effort. Went to &Juliet as it was what my companions wanted to see and thought I'd enjoy it, sure, but not much more than that. I loved it. It was exuberant and funny and energetic and moving, etc. And all that with music of the late 90s, early 2000s, which are not my era of pop music. I wasn't surprised it didn't win the main categories, but it deserved the nominations as far as I'm concerned.
  4. I’m guessing it’s the cat. And I think its name is Borgnine (as in Ernest). At least that’s what I heard her say.
  5. Robert Levine was 18 years younger than her, not 30 years. He was 29, she was in her 40s and given how they described one another and how they felt, it appears it was a strong relationship. As to the documentary, I really enjoyed it. Of course I knew MTM was not Laura Petrie or her sitcom namesake MTM, but I did not know all the losses she'd had. Losing both her son and her sister (who were months apart in age) in possible suicidal deaths? She says not as regards her son, and not known for her sister. And that she became close to her brother after they had been estranged and then he died? That's a whole lot of weight to carry. And given that her mother was an alcoholic, no surprise MTM was susceptible. She seems like a person who probably suffered from depression and self medicated with alcohol. The two moments in the movie that really showed me who she was: the view of her at the Oscars, nominated for playing a woman who has lost her adult son, just weeks after she lost her adult son. And the video of her at her bachelorette party when Betty White is speaking, where for a few moments her face just showed so much sadness - even while celebrating her marriage to a man she loved. In both of these small moments the false front she displayed to the world dropped away. Was it the most earth-shattering expose of MTM? No. But it did give me a few things to ponder about this woman who always had to show a happy face to the world.
  6. I’m wondering if Connor, who is acting all moody and troubled and wasn’t thrilled about another surprise sibling, will have some kind of run in with Sally and she loses the baby. 🤔
  7. I hate Nick and used to loathe him with Sharon. But at this point if it gets him away from Sally and with him seemingly finally out of Phyllis's orbit, I'd be okay with him and Sharon rekindling. The scenes he's had with Sharon in the last week or so have been the first even remotely tolerable in years.
  8. I for sure don't want this - but I am very glad that Sharon is actually getting a storyline that (for now) is centering on her. This is like the first time in months that we've seen her in her own house - kind of thought she might have moved to the coffee house and had a cot behind the counter. She is a legacy MAIN character and to have her do nothing but serve coffee and dispense advise for months (years) has felt so insulting given that Nick and Victoria (her generation of main characters) have bounced from story to story. So I care not if her botox or whatever makes it harder for her to emote, I just want her to have a story. And speaking of having a story - I want Adam to get something beyond being Sally's afterthought when Nick isn't available**. Have Adam start to get involved with Audra and just as he's starting to fall for her, Sally decides she wants him back and he's torn. Or maybe he and Elena start chatting and... Anything would be good at this point. **Side note: I hate how "oh no, I have gas, what shall I do, is the baby all right, I must call a man" Sally has become.
  9. When Andy asked Ariana what was the most disturbing thing she'd seen now that she's watched the season knowing what she knows. I thought she'd mention one of those scenes with Raquel. It was not. She told him it was realizing the narrative that Sandoval was creating about her with Schwartz's help. And when he asked her about the reunion taping and if there's anything she wished had been explored more or that she talked about more, it was the ways in which the Toms were building this story about her, without her knowing. Andy didn't follow up on it, but I got it, why that would bother her so much. She could see in real time as she watched those episodes, while she thought her relationship was still solid, how the Tom's were insidiously crafting a version of Ariana without her knowledge. I think this is the bridge way too far for her to ever forgive Sandoval. And it's this collusion that will make it so she's never friends with Schwartz again. They all tell their versions of what happens in any given event. But this was so calculated on the Tom's part. To paint Ariana as the "unstable" one - a misogynistic trope that has been used to keep women in their place for centuries - and to do it with malice aforethought. Just wow. And to get back to your point TattleTeeny, I think Sandoval played up on some of the things Ariana has said in the past in order to further justify his behavior. Is it possible she said some version of it? Could be. Does Sandoval use it to justify and enable his own actions? 100%
  10. I think they are doing the person by person reveal of Phyllis being alive to mute the anger everyone would have about her scheme. By having it be a game of telephone, started by Summer and Daniel, with the goal of emphasizing, while yes, Phyllis messed up but it was Stark's fault and she's just a victim of her emotions because she was so lonely, and now must be protected from a murder charge...etc. etc. it keeps the rightful anger at bay to some extent. The writers must have realized how far they'd written Phyllis into a corner (how could they not?), so this slow drip reveal is their way of making what she did not seem so heinous - though of course it is. If everyone had found at the same moment in some big reveal, the anger would be big and it would feed off of one another's as they realized the enormity of her actions.
  11. I know he was doing that other reality Mars show and I thought I read somewhere they were filming in another country. Maybe that’s why Australia?
  12. I think people hear it differently when it's someone they know. If I hear a friend or family member who has a lovely singing voice or even can just stay in tune, I'm awed at their ability. I might be like "oh my gosh, you sing like an angel" (not really, as I'd never say that, but you get the gist). You can see it when someone tries out for a reality singing show. Their family and friends are just like in tears at the singing, but the judges, and even viewers like me, can hear the off notes, or that while the voice is nice, it's not Adele. If I heard someone I knew sing like Sam/Bridget does? I'd be wowed for sure.
  13. Sandoval: I'm just not feeling connected to you, I think we're not connected. We used to cook meals together. You don't buy paper towels or bring me coffee. Something's wrong. Ariana: You're right. We aren't connected, let's work on that. Sandoval: And we don't have sex! Ariana: Well we have to get connected so that we feel close and then the sex. Sandoval: So we should connect. I love you. Ariana: Yes, we could take walks, cook meals together, watch Love Island. I love you too. Sandoval (confessional): Take walks? That's not how you connect. You take shrooms and sit up all night high to watch the sunset or you climb mountains or go skydiving (not sure if we'd be high on shrooms or not). That's how you connect emotionally with your partner of 10 years. Not cuddle on a couch binge watching Love Island! Sandoval (to himself and the audience): See I tried to break up with Ariana many times but she went psycho and was in deep denial and it's all her fault I cheated on her for months.
  14. Watching this second half of the season, knowing what we know, is so fascinating. I think psychologists, criminologists, sociologists, etc, will be able to use these episodes as a teaching tool for human behavior while lying. You can see almost minute by minute, second by second, Tom's brain working and deciding to lie, what lies to tell, how he's trying to spin it to make himself look good, going on the attack to distract...it's all there. And because the watchers know for a fact he's lying? So worth studying. With most reality show stories, things are said about someone's behavior and because of how the drama is shaped, it's often debatable if they did the thing or not, or at the very least leaves an opening for those fans who like the person and want to not believe the thing. That's not happening here. I have seen fans of Sandoval give excuses for him, ie Ariana and he were not happy, he tried to break up, etc. But I've not seen anyone try to claim the cheating didn't happen. So everyone watching knows the thing has happened and is seeing as Tom and Raquel dig themselves ever deeper and deeper. Fascinating.
  15. I was just going to say this same thing. This was classic Scheana, take info that's second hand (third, maybe, as it was actually James who mentioned "open") and craft a completely new thing to put her target in the worst light. Katie never said open relationship to Ally ,and though Ally was a bit muddy in explaining it to Scheana, she did say that it was James who interpreted it that way. Then Scheana, in her quest to take down Katie, runs to Sandoval and tells him that Katie is saying they have an open relationship. What's kind of ironic is that Sandoval, in his freak-out about covering his tracks, vehemently denies they have an open relationship and now can't use that as one of his excuses for why he had a relationship with Raquel - which I think he's tried to do a bit. Katie said on a WWHL that she did have some inklings so was not totally shocked. But if this is the response she's getting from the group and with Sandoval still the "king" of the group at this point in the filming? No surprise she was cautious in how she was talking about it. If she says anything, she's just bitter, jealous Katie (is how they'd respond). I know Katie is disliked by many, but I've always rooted for her (mostly because I've always hated man-child, gaslighting Schwartz) and she was clearly pretty adrift this season. Her divorce was happening and losing her connection to Schwartz, who was part of the Tom/Tom dominance of the cast, was likely devastating. Not just personally, but she had to also be worried that she was going to lose the professional gig too. Sandoval hates her, Scheana was going out of her way to take her down with Raquel gleefully helping, and of her friends in the group, she's got Ariana, who was still tied to Sandoval, and Lala who was kind of equally thrashing around, adrift.
  16. Agreed. I loved the characters, struggle as they do. Reminds me a bit of Somebody, Somewhere. SS is not as dark, but like that one, it's an intimate story centered on what's happening in the lives of these four characters. It's not big stories or tons of action. Just a slice of life for these messed up (marjorly), but still striving for something better, people. Oh and I love Selby.
  17. For me the trial part of this season kind of landed with a thud and was the least interesting aspect. Everything else going on was intriguing and tied up neatly. But for a show about Perry Mason who, canonically, in both the books and tv show (though that matters less to me) is quick witted in the courtroom and always has another trick up his sleeve, this didn't feel like Perry Mason at all. He had the one fingerprint expert moment to show some flash of brilliance, but that was it. I understand they're trying to show Perry earlier in his career so he doesn't yet have the expertise? And that tonally this show is meant to be more gritty, no-one-is-ever-happy, noir. I just wish he'd show a little more energy for the courtroom scenes or any scene really. He doesn't have to be happy, but could he be engaged? I enjoyed the season because I like these actors and I liked the twists, but this final episode was a letdown. The case of the brothers ended how everyone predicted it would and most the the rest was wrapped up in a montage of scenes. That said, if there's a third season I'll be back.
  18. I don't doubt Tom experienced some of that, but that scene read more: Tom: I've cheated on her, so now I must verbalize for the cameras all the reasons that make my cheating okay. He's calculating how the cheating will make him look and he's laying the groundwork for why Ariana drove him to it. Fits with how he's talked about their relationship since the news broke: I was unhappy, she was crazy, "she was fully in denial, and it scared me", she wanted him to fertilize the eggs, but they've never talked about it (though we just watched them discuss on camera, filmed months ago), "it's not fair" that their relationship woes were kept private on the show (though he could have talked about them ad nauseam with Schwartz any time he wanted), etc. etc. Sure he could have been unhappy. It happens. But he had the power to make an adult decision and end it with Ariana if he wanted out that badly. I can even understand that he's unhappy and cheated, partially because of it. But this convo last night was seemingly filmed not long after he started things up with Raquel and he's jumping into damage control mode. He also talks about how Ariana resisted breaking up because of their brand. That feels like a lot of projection. He didn't want to mess up his brand as "cool dude with businesses and now a rock star" reality guy so he kept it up for months. Can't remember if it was Schwartz or someone else, but they mentioned he wanted to get through the season before telling Ariana. To protect HIS brand.
  19. That wasn’t his will, just some things he’d written about his choices for various things (including his funeral?), which is why everyone was saying it wasn’t legally binding. No clue why he’d write Greg’s name, but loved the jokes that came with that. They capture so well how the lowest power brokers often go over the top in their behavior to imitate and impress the more powerful.
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