Jextella

I love Denise - and I love Denise on the show. Not everyone needs to bring drama to be entertaining. Denise is unique and manages to be interesting without causing fuss among the others. This is only her first season, though. I maintain a theory that it really takes 2-3 seasons to get the full picture of these women. I hope she's an exception and stays just as she has been shown thus far.

I'm old. Your memory is far better than mine. I had forgotten it was Trump. I thought it was an actor. Hysterical!

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I'm not a Billy Bush expert, but I seem to recall the scandal was that someone he was interviewing groped a woman and Billy didn't do anything about it. Billy wasn't the one doing the groping. He was in a no-win situation. Say something and lose his job, or stay quiet and lose his job....which is ultimately what happened. That's how I recall it going down, anyway. Maybe there are other scandals I'm not aware of. If not, I think he and Tinsley might make a good couple.

I really enjoyed each of the final 5. They all have very different and clear voices which has shown through in their designs in very strong ways. I feel it will come down to Hesther and Sebastian. From what I saw last week, I really like both. As different as they are, I'm a fan of both - especially what I saw last week. I feel they might reward Hesther's work for its appeal to a younger audience, but I keep thinking about Sebastian saying he wanted his work to speak for itself during the art installation challenge. I recall the guest judge saying something similar, i.e. she'd give it to Sebastian despite his horrible room given the design - and Brandon saying something similar. I think Sebastian is the one who makes true art. It could be he pulls it out, but we'll have to see. Hesther makes Etsy. Although very good Etsy. ....and Garo is stuck in the costume zone - which he also does very well.

I actually really like the current cast a lot. Including pretentious Luanne. And I agree, Sweetdarling, Ramona is great entertainment for me. Still, I think a refresh might not be a bad idea. I'm really liking Camille in the friends-of zone in BH. She's too boring to be fulltime, but entertaining enough to stick around. I feel Ramona's story has come to a bit of an end, but I'd really like her to be involved fairly often. I think the friends-of zone could be good for her - and the show. I'm not sure what to think about Luanne. She really is burning her own bridge, it seems. I don't wish ill-will on anyone and I fear if she loses her role on the show, her personal life will take a scary nose dive. I would like to see more rich and fabulous people, but I also like the idea of Tinsley ramping up the socialite participation as well. I think there is room for both "new" and "old" to co-exist on these shows given the frined-of role. It used to be seen as a less-than role, and I guess it is, but it also comes with a lot of perks.

I read that Bethenny, Dorinda, Tinsley, and Sonja are confirmed to come back but that LuAnne and Ramona are not. Here is a link: https://realityblurb.com/2019/06/04/report-bravo-considering-firing-two-original-rhony-housewives-find-out-who-and-which-cast-members-will-return/

Wait. Is Tinsley leaving???? I really like Tinsley - and Tinsley on the show. I would actually like to see more of her and her sister.

I will be back with or without Lisa V. Random thoughts on the rest: I'm not thrilled with Teddy or Dorit. I waffle with Erica. I like Camille in the "friends-of" zone. I like both Rinna and Denise a lot. In the Kim vs. Kyle saga, I side with Kim, but Kyle has grown on me in recent years. I think she comes off better without the weird dynamic she and Kim have, and I think she has embraced friendships with the others and isn't so reliant on Lisa V which I find refreshing. Having said that, I think Lisa V and Teddi are both snakes and I think that devilish quality appeals to Kyle. It's not surprising Teddi and Kyle have become good friends. Oh, and media reports say Vanderpump Rules is with Bravo through 2020. That's only another season or two. Tom and Tom better take Lisa up on her offer to refund their money and high-tail it out of Dodge. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just can't see VR working anywhere other than Bravo. I'll bet the VR cast is a little anxious about all this. Meanwhile, I'll bet Adrienne Maloof is smirking 24/7.

I like the advice Christian gives. Tim's advice was never concrete enough for my tastes and I was often stymied as to how it was very helpful. I do like that Christian and the judges seem to be offering far more specific advice than they did in previous iterations of the show. Or, at least it seems that way to me. I think the designers who make it on the show are good enough to be there, but most still need to fine-tune their work (Hesther) - or find ways to expand the diversity of their work (Garo). I think the show is far better when the judges and mentor and judges give them what they need rather than being mean in their criticisms.

Does anyone know who writes blind items?

The adage of "where there is smoke, there is fire" seems to apply often enough with these kinds of things, and I would not be surprised if Lisa did make the assertion that she'd take VR to another network. But, I also think Bravo plants stories with media to test the waters of possible casting and/or show changes. Assuming the gossip is true, I could see it coming from either Lisa or Bravo. The thing about Lisa is that she is smart enough to know the legalities of what she can and can't do, but she is cunning and has a big ego. She may have thought - if even for a moment - that she could get away with it. I am not a Lisa fan. Never have been, never will be. But, I do think she adds something to both shows that would be missed if she left. For BH, it would be the high-end luxury Beverly Hills lifestyle stuff. VR needs a central person around which all the drama can ensue. That is Lisa's role. She grounds both shows, IMO, and is important to both. Still, I think RHBH would survive without her. VR will only survive if it remains part of the Bravosphere.

What's the expression...the higher they rise, the harder they fall? If the rumors are true, and Lisa doesn't watch herself, she could lose both shows. In my humble opinion, VR works because it is an extension of the housewive's franchise and the bravosphere in general. If Lisa takes it elsewhere, I'd be very surprised if it succeeded. I would be extremely disappointed if Lisa V does this because it puts the entire cast of VR at risk and it would speak volumes about her priorities and her ego.

No offense taken, and thanks, Film Noire! Yeah, I'm pretty convinced I'm a certain way compliments of my mother. In a weird and unfortunate way, I feel a little better knowing I'm not the only one on the receiving end of her remarks. She says similar things to others and people tend to stop talking to her every so often. "Oh, I said something and now <insert name> isn't talking to me." She really is a lot like Ramona. She is also like Ramona in not comprehending what she's saying and how hurtful her words are. She just doesn't get it. What I'm not clear on is if she says things like this to my siblings. I've never heard her say hurtful things to them the way she has to me. I may just not be in earshot, but thinking I'm the only one among her children has been hard to deal with. It was really enlightening watching stories that are similar to mine play out on RHNY and VR. Stassi's line about these things sticking was powerful, and she is right. I totally get where she's coming from.

I have a crush on Christian even though he is gay and I'm a woman (and of a certain age!). His demeanor is very appealing and I think he's cute! Seeing Tessa in the clay studio made me finally understand what she's all about. I've liked a lot of what she put down the runway this season but the studio made it all come together. I'm a little conflicted about designers like Hesther vs. designers like Tessa. They are both quirky but in opposite directions and I'm not clear about why Hesther's quirkiness is better received than Tessa's. Color vs. a muted pallet doesn't seem enough. I guess the one thing might be that Hesther's designs are a smidge thought-provoking whereas Tessa's are safe, as the judges have noted. I do think Hesther edged her out.