mochamajesty

Celeste seems as if she had a reputation as a 'big shot', although I am not sure how that would hold up after a lengthy absence. I also wonder if her self-esteem will take a hit due to her home life - which makes it harder to return to the workforce. It doesn't seem so, if that scene in the car after the meeting is any indication.

Well, allow me. When I was abused, shame was a big part of it. Not only the shame heaped on you by your abuser (who does a lot to undermine your faith in yourself) but also by people who just don't know any better. Even people who love you. You are ashamed to admit that you 'picked him'. You want the perfect picture to represent reality. You will have a hard time convincing anyone that this great guy who everyone loves, is abusing you. You feel trapped - not always due to money, but you have nowhere to turn. You don 't feel safe - anywhere. See, scrb? 'Celeste' and I went through the same thing - and we are worlds apart in socioeconomic status. It happens to us all. And I am glad that the show is exposing this side of abuse.

Thanks. That book is awesome and has been out for a while. And yes it is very sad.

You could turn the tables and ask if women from higher socioeconomic groups have access to better education and the ensuing critical thinking skills to refrain from stereotyping women in battered relationships. I hope that people reading these forums understand the answer to the "Why won't she just leave him?", question. Celeste faces it from all sides. Between the fear created by Perry and the possible (probable) fact that no one would believe her ^^^^^, who exactly will she tell?

She wore a dress to therapy with a jacket and scarf. This was the outfit she wore when Perry choked her. She wore the suit with the blouse during the meeting with the mayor.

I liked the suit hated the blouse. The blouse took me back to Dynasty and looked like something Alexis Carrington would wear. And I can maybe hand-wave this by telling myself that Celeste has been out of the workforce for a while and she had the blouse in her closet. I was in love with Celeste's therapy outfit though. Is she like a double zero? Tiny thing.

LOL It's not your opinion on Celeste's clothing that I disagree with, but the fact that you think that she is immune from Perry's abuse because she is a lawyer. When Bonnie stepped away, another instructor took her place. That would be fine with me. I would assume that she needed to use the restroom or had an emergency call.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks.

I do not believe that abusers can change - so we will agree to disagree.

Whether Perry is insecure or not - does it matter? There are some things that are so horrible about a person that nothing else matters, at least for me. I have heard some say about an abuser, 'But he is a good father.". Huh? How can you be a good father and beat the mother of those same kids? It is the tendency to look for the good in people that keep women with these creeps.

No one mentioned that scene after Celeste escapes with the kid. Perry almost put his fist through a wall. He was full of seething rage. And after the moment passes - is he full of remorse? Does he have one iota of, 'What have I done?". No. He grabs his briefcase and walks out of the door as 'normal' as you please. That is more frightening than the abuse scene in some ways. How many guys (or gals) walk about as normal but just beat up their spouse? This is what abuse looks like, folks. This is real. I would be very uncomfortable there. Just saying.

When I was a teen, men ogled me all the time. Physically, I actually do not see that much of a difference between adult women and 16 year -olds. Especially in todays over-sexed world. If she were six, yeah. Sixteen? From the back or the side, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Yeah, and it may have started due to that damn therapist's family tree project. Ugh.

Hmm.. hybrid classes are the rage and have been for several years. Whether it's weights with cardio, yoga with something else, etc. I find it even more odd now that Bonnie was in Madeline's class. If she is teaching hybrid workouts it stands to reason that she has the basics down. I don't buy the fact that she is looking for a new style or whatever reason someone gave for her attendance. Madeline's class looked pretty basic to me.

I normally hate child characters (Sally Draper, the Brody kids, the Scavo kids) as I feel that they slow down the action on a show. And I just normally do not care about the child characters or what happens to them. This show? I feel really badly for Ziggy and I want to know who choked Amabella. I am invested, which is a testimony to these kids' acting. Did Celeste see the photo? I think she did, but she either ignored the resemblance or is in denial. Jane said she met him online? I can't remember. Perry is too obvious, but I can't think of another husband who has the same build as the flashback. I am on the "Dislike Jane' train as well. I am stumped by the identity of her attacker. I also want to see Ziggy exonerated. That is the only reason I do not FF through her scenes. I was upset at how people just don't seem to 'get' Perry's tactics. But I have to remind myself that if abuser's tactics were easy to spot, they wouldn't work. Also, AS is so good he fooled half of America last week with the therapy session. He is holding his own with some huge names on this show. I wonder where this will lead for him.

Apparently, lawyers have super-powers that protect them from spousal abuse. I actually find Perry totally realistic. And Skarsgaard is killing it. He is not over-playing it. He can go from charming to menacing on a dime. Yep, killing it. Edited to add: I am rewatching the first scene with Celeste and Perry in the (fabulous!) kitchen. When Perry walks into the room, I tense. I am waiting for...something. A glare. A question that has no right answer. Skarsgaard has me walking on eggshells, that's how good he is.

You remember how sweet and charming Perry was when Madeline was over? That was the Perry that Celeste fell in love with. That is the face that he shows to the world. Until its too late. Perry didn't beat Celeste on the first date. It was little things at first - things that, during that first flush of love, she let slide. Then, over time, it escalated. Also, Celeste may like the lifestyle and not want to give it up. She may want the picture that they show to the world to actually become reality. The ignorance surrounding abuse is frightening - and it is what abusers count on.

Oh, honey. Perry doesn't actually want another kid. He is barely home for the two that he has. He doesn't want Celeste to work. First, he tried guilt ('You couldn't have a baby because you were so stressed from working'). That didn't work. His next tactic was to try to convince her that it was a good idea to have another baby so of course she can't work now.

I will refrain from saying "I told you so" about Perry. How awesome was Celeste's therapy outfit? *Sigh* Oh, Madeline. How I wanted to root for you. And how stupid of Joseph(?) to kiss her out in public. Nathan is a douche, but I am getting Stealth Bitch vibes from his other half. That teacher is just...there are no words for how incompetent this woman is. Various characters mentioned how awesome the school system is - I need some receipts. If this teacher is an example of the staff, they need to be in a private school. Ed is a Creeper. Making inappropriate comments during his visit to Bonnie, ogling that lady as he was leaving. Is it a stretch to believe that he was ogling Abigail?

I'm sorry I have no idea what you are saying. As Bravo puts more into BH than any other Housewives show, I doubt it is being canceled. I am sure that you are being clever, but I do not get it.

I see a story about eye shadow?

Mindless trivia: That AIDS victim was portrayed by a young Tony Goldwyn. Regarding Eileen: I wonder if anyone has factored in that she is also under another contract with Y & R which may very well limit her behavior on this show? Lisa Rinna does not have to worry about that, she is not an active cast member of DAYS.

Melanin. :-} I second thanking the movie buffs who made sense of the cast conga line. Now I want to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's. For all of the complaining Madeline did when she found out about the theme, she came up with a great costume.

Love the show and will be back for season 2. Buddha's MIL is a bitch. The girl who shot Rip. Did we see her before tonight?

What exactly is in the I.V.? And I must have missed a scene because this was the first I saw of them. And I am also wondering about the lack of a prescription.

I get that. I just hate that if Ziggy is exonerated, Amabella will get a pass because she's a kid. Meanwhile, no one is thinking about the fact another kid was basically ostracized. And whether she was bullied into it or not (and again, her mom was standing right there and I didn't see Amabella trying too hard to NOT point out Ziggy), she was indirectly the cause of another kid's pain. I am a huge defender of the underdog . That's why it hawks me off that the teacher suffered no ramifications for starting this mess, and no one cares if Ziggy is unfairly bullied just because he was fingered by another kid for being the new kid at school.