amarante

Ridiculous plot in terms of the suicide. There was no reason the old doctor had to kill himself immediately. He was not going to be detained in prison so he would have had ample time and the ability to kill himself in a few days when he got home. He would probably have been admitted to a closed psychiatric ward as being a suicide risk since he did in fact attempt suicide. The issue of suicide is much more nuanced when the situation is like his wife where there is no meaningful existence and the suicide lacks the capacity to end their life without intervention. But here there was no reason except stupidity and lazy writing for the means to be given to the doctor in this way so as to involve Noah in a fake moral dilemma. - Old Doctor had the rest of his life to do it if he still wanted to after the initial grief and guilt had passed. While the husband might be currently suicidal and guilt wracked, most attempted suicides can be saved and are glad the attempt was not successful - that is the nature of why attempts are made to save suicides and offer psychological help.

I stream a lot of television and I don't have these kinds of issues. The problem is with your internet connection and not with the services as the actual streaming occurs through your Wifi connection and your problems have to do with the speed of your connection. FWIW, I have Apple Television as well as a regular smart television so I can theoretically stream most services through my television or through the Apple TV device and the clarity of the picture is much better when I watch through Apple Television (not to be confused with Apple TV which is their streaming service for content.

I definitely could be wrong but I just don’t see Discovery+ being a viable business model. It just doesn’t have must see programs for enough people. For the same price more or less, you can get Disney, Apple and the tried and true like Netflix, HBO Max plus a lot of their target market gets Amazon because they have Amazon Prime. All of these have shows which I would watch before anything on Discovery. If I watch 24/7, I couldn’t watch everything high quality that was available Even Hulu has must see stuff like Hand Maiden or Mrs, America and it also provides a relatively inexpensive vehicle for thise who want to eliminate cable. I like HH and do watch some true crime but nothing on Discovery is compelling enough so that I care whether I view it.

I agree that London made sense since her anxiety would have been impossible in a country where she couldn't read street signs. I would also choose to live in the center of a city versus out in the suburbs. There really is no comparison between walking out your door and being surrounded by city life and having to take mass transportation to get there. Since they could afford it - why not? And she was pretty accepting of less than "American" type of apartments since the flat they ultimately chose wasn't super plush. But I assume that they were realistic since they have lived in NY and knew what you could get in an expensive city unlike some of the clowns who move from Podunk and are *shocked* that housing in Europe is expensive and generally smaller than in the boonies where they came from.

I didn't get the sense that they would have trouble carrying the mortgage. I just felt that they had set a budget for living expenses and having roommates would make housing fit within the budget and it made sense for them to buy a three bedroom since it would be marketable to many types of buyers and theoretically she could take it over if she chose to stay in the area when she started working. I am sure the siblings in the family are all going to be taken care of. I don't think the house was in the daughter's name so technically they were just providing her with living expenses in the same way that other parents provide rent for their kids while they are in school. It's not uncommon for parents to decide it makes more sense to buy a place for their student children versus renting since theoretically it is less expensive in the long run than paying rent.

They focused very much on what they could get for renting out the other bedrooms which was why it made economic sense to purchase a larger place with roommates. I would imagine that it was actually cheaper than renting her a solo one-bedroom and would be a far better investment if they wanted to sell. I would assume the parents paid for graduate school? Why shouldn't they if they can afford it. They were obviously upper middle class and it is pretty standard for parents to pay for education if they can afford it - especially for a career that prepares one for a steady job.

The guy who moved to the obscure town in Korea? I liked his adventurous spirit even though he did ultimately wind up living with the Army people. I am sometimes annoyed by the "bro" type of characters but this guy seemed to just be an all around good guy. I assume he was in some ways shaped by having to navigate being Asian (at least in appearance) in what was probably a lily white middle American suburban type of town. I thought the scene when he was eating bizarre foods with what appeared to be random strangers was hilarious.

I have no idea how I managed to clear it with my parents but when I was 15, my parents gave me permission to stay with my best friend at her grandmother's place in Long Beach. I don't even remember her grandmother as being a presence so she might have been dead and this was just referred to as her grandmother's place. 🙂 If she was alive she certainly did absolutely nothing to chaperone or in any way control what we were doing or when we were doing it. My most vivid memories are of being stoned on weed - swinging on the swings at the Beach and singing Hey Mr Tamborine Man as the Byrds' version had just been released in the Summer of 1965 🙂

I assumed this was pre-pandemic. People in Asian countries have always routinely worn surgical masks. It's why many of those countries had a few lower per capita rate than the US since the population had no issues with being 100% masked all the time. If it had been shot during the pandemic, the life on the streets would have been different as the restrictions on business would have been obvious.

Separate bedrooms have always been around among those who could afford it. And many middle class married couples wind up sleeping in separate bedrooms - generally because of the husband snoring. Some wealthy people have homes with separate bathrooms and of course separate closets. But this couple were indeed interesting that they were so upfront about having separate but equal bedrooms rather than just having an adjacent space that is used for sleeping. And I say why not - if one's sexual partner is impossible to actually sleep with then why not make the alternative space as comfortable as possible.

My knowledge of WITSEC is based on the TV series - In Plain Sight but unmarried partners can be relocated together if they both sign the contract. Obviously it's a huge step because if they break up, the witness has to be relocated again - which is terrible for the witness who has to establish a new identity and expensive for the government. It's also a huge commitment for the unmarried partner who has to make a decision to completely leave all of their family and possibly their careers behind. If someone is an established professional that's a huge ask - eg. a doctor would have difficulty practicing especially if they had a somewhat high profile career.

He would have sued based on the false justification for needing surgery. The falsehoods were in the patient records so would be easily provable. Just getting Covid wouldn't be enough to sue because there wouldn't have been malpractice. The issue was twofold - most people (especially when the episode was theoretically happening) were avoiding any kind of elective surgery which did produce the paradox of hospitals losing money. So this patient would not have gone in for surgery unless Cain had lied to him. That's the basis of the suit. Also elective surgeries were prohibited at that time because theoretically they didn't want hospital resources being used when they were overflowing with Covid patients. Every bed - especially ICU bed - taken by someone who had elective surgery is less for Covid. And of course there are medical personnel who are especially needed for ICU - patient care is worse when non-ICU personnel were recruited to care for ICU patients.

Dallas HH was a financial idiot as well as being annoying. You don't need a rental property to necessarily exhibit a *profit* based solely on mortgage and HOA fees - especially when you don't plan to rent it immediately. There are tax benefits, maintenance costs and also factoring in that some properties are more likely to appreciate in the future and/or command higher rents. Also I admit I am like my privacy but I don't understand why an adult would deliberately purchase a condo with a desire to rent to a random stranger. There might be living situations which make sense somewhat - i.e. planning to move in with an old friend or relative or having a set up in which there is some degree of privacy but for the most part you would be living with someone in fairly small quarters in which there would essentially be no privacy. As I recall Ian bought the unit where the kitchen cabinet door fell off when it was opened. That door appeared to be made of cardboard as it was incredibly thin and I would imagine the rest of the stuff was as cheap as possibly constructed - not even what is generally derogatorily called - builder grade. I wouldn't be surprised if it were originally constructed as apartments as buildings built for condos are generally better constructed unless the conversion is because the building has interesting architecture - e.g. the proverbial loft converted to condos in Soho.

Most housewives marry during production because it is an important storyline for them AND because they can have a lavish wedding which will be comped in whole or part by the vendors in exchange for being shown on television. There may be others but the only wedding I can think of that was NOT shown on television was when Pandora got married on BH. Originally it was supposed to be completely off camera but because of something else major dropping out, Lisa V allowed them to use some video shot by the family. Cynthia's Atlanta wedding was supposed to be shot and be a major part of the Atlanta season but because Cynthia chose to defy mask regulations by having 250 people unmasked INDOORS the Bravo crew refused to shoot the wedding and include it as part of the show. BRAVO - for whatever reason - loves weddings as they seem to feel it attracts ratings. They even have whole spin offs devoted to weddings even for relatively minor characters like the NY real estate agent (Ryan) from Million Dollar Listing.

I think there is a huge difference between the work required to be a housewife and the kind of work required to launch a successful venture of some kind independently. Essentially for housewives you just show up and everything is arranged by well paid production staff. All of the promotion is handled and all of the logistics and technical stuff. You have no responsibility except showing up and being of interest while being filmed. I am not saying it is impossible but the marketplace for what Monique is offering is saturated and the amount of money needed to duplicate what Bravo is providing is enormous. If it were easy more housewives would have successful side stuff going but almost nine of them do especially when they are no longer on the show. Of course some manage to eke out a living like Gretchen and Slade but their lifestyle is nit nearly as lavish as when they were on the show and receiving the salary as well as all the promotional benefits. As an aside, the law doesn’t like to enforce stuff that prevents people from earning a living so a negative injunction is strictly construed and limited to exactly the kind of work that the contract covers. For housewives that would be reality television and nit singing or live theater or even scripted shows although that might be a gray area for television. So you can have a television actor who can’t do a series but can cut a record or perform in Broadway. In this case, Monique could do a podcast because it’s nit the tyoe of services Bravo contracted for.

Very briefly - there really is nothing they can realistically do to make a housewife continue to work. Tinsley quit and they let her go. I am pretty sure that Tonya (or Tanya) quit Atlanta mid-season of the current season. I would imagine that Monique stayed because she thought she would come out with a redemption since she started spinning Candiace as being the aggressor almost immediately - way before the season started.

I don't want to digress since it's not on topic but as a general rule there aren't liquidated damages clauses in most contracts because the ability to tie up a performer's ability to work is pretty much of a big stick. For the most part where else are these women on reality shows going to go - and for the most part I suspect BRAVO is fine with having any members leave. I can't think of any *star* housewife who wasn't allowed to depart if they wanted to because the shows just go on with cast changes and I also think BRAVO likes or liked to show that no cast member is indispensable - that everyone is replaceable because it holds down wages and demands. In terms of other spheres of performers there have been a few notorious cases like Farrah Fawcett, David Caruso, Valerie Harper and Katherine Heigl but all of those get negotiated out in one way or another because the cliche of it being a small town is very true.

I am now a bit confused - did she sign a contract or not? Was she fired? I actually am an entertainment lawyer and did talent agreements (among other things). You can't enforce a contract for personal service - e.g. you can't make somebody work. What you can do is enforce a negative injunction - i.e. you can prevent them from performing the same services for somebody else for the duration of the contract. In California, you can't have a contract for more than 7 years - that used to be relevant in the old days of the studios when studios would sign exclusive agreements for their stars but now is only relevant for recording artists. But I digress - I think people underestimate how valuable it is to be a housewife on Bravo. The job is really ridiculously easy as long as you are the kind of person who doesn't mind your life exposed and since many people seem to live their lives on social media, I suspect that kind of exposure is a positive instead of a negative. The base salary for housewives is excellent - there are incredible promotional benefits since all of them use their social media to promote various products and are paid well for that. All kinds of goods and services are free even when not filming. If they show up at a restaurant, they are comped because they will have a picture on social medial. Their vacations can be comped. Their plastic surgery - hair and makeup - clothing - weddings, parties are all either comped or significantly discounted. Does anyone think Wendy actually paid going rate for the Sip and See or that Robyn paid anything for her Christmas party?

I don't follow social media unless it somehow reaches regular media. However, my understanding is that Monique's social media campaign went beyond bitchy tweets but they were also harassing friends and family of Chris and Candiace including actual threats - not just burning in hell type of hyperbole. When it reaches that level of harassment - especially to people who are completely uninvolved in the show - it has gone way too far. That was what Chris B was alluding to when he mentioned that "they" were coming after his children And I do think that Monique could have called off her dogs of war but instead chose to escalate the proxy war. I am just amazed that anyone thinks that Monique's physical attack on Candiace could be justified or explained or rationalized in any way. It was not tit for tat. From what I saw, if there had not been people actually physically restraining Monique she would have inflicted serious physical harm on Candiace. The only thing that stopped her was that she was physically held back but otherwise I saw a person who was trying to pummel Candiace - not merely just slap her or poke her - objectionable as those might be - but trying to get her on the ground and slam her head down repeatedly.

While many housewives have gone down in flames, there are some who have enough social intelligence and skills to navigate without it ruining their lives. Many of them get out when they sense that it is turning into a toxic environment for themselves and their families. I suspect that Wendy is smart enough to be able to navigate without damage. Heather Dubrow left and her family and marriage are intact. Eileen Davidson left BH. Carole Radziwill and Heather Thompson left. Jeanna Keogh from OC There are no doubt a few others who I can't think of in the moment. The ones who are destroyed either need the money and/or are psychologically damaged so that they thrive on the toxicity - Tamra and VIcki from OC come to mind.

As others have pointed out all of the ladies had their feet held to the fire. The difference is that none of the others including Candiace did anything that wasn't standard operating procedure. The housewives are PAID to be annoying and shady to each other and have feuds and alliances. However physical violence is outside of what is permitted especially when it is prolonged as Monique's was - this wasn't just some kind of reflexive action like when Cynthia kicked Porsha off her on the boat. The closest was Porsha attacking Kenya and she did suffer repercussions and did a MAJOR mea culpa including anger management. She didn't spend time making matters worse or offering a thousand different justifications for why she snapped. At any rate, I am probably in a minority as I thought Andy asked the questions I wanted asked of Monique and was just pointing out what was obvious to a non-biased viewer - that there was no "plot" and that even if there had been a "plot", Candiace wasn't involved as well as pointing out that Monique didn't seem to regret what she had done in any kind of meaningful manner.

I assume Monique was fired and allowed the usual face saving ability to say she is moving on because yada yada yada. The reality was that four women would not shoot with her and Bravo would have a difficult time justifying her return based on her actions - the fight; the lack of remorse and the social media bullying. Nothing Candiace did this season justified the insane demon that race around the grounds wanting to attack her again - and then was shown to be lucid enough to give a blow by blow description in the limo. Candiace had spent several episodes deliberately not responding to provocative remarks and removing herself from tense situations with Monique. Porsha was remorseful and was made to go through anger management before she was slowly let back on the show. I think the ladies were genuinely (and rightfully) afraid to film with Monique since part of the show is to have the ladies shade each other and engage in verbal blowups. How can you do that if one of the cast member is going to possibly physically attack you AND have an army of social media followers go after you. Evidently there were threats against Candiace's family members which in this era of lunatics is not something to be taken lightly. I don't mind Gizelle - she has a shade to do it and she does it with sass. She is amusing and not psychotic or unpleasant to watch. I don't care if she has a fake storyline with Jamal - I don't care if she doesn't have a storyline as she is fun to watch including wondering what terrible outfit she will show up in

The issue isn't race specific as there were similar studies done regarding white professional women who theoretically also faced the same small pool of eligible men since many men did not want and/or need to marry someone on their same educational or professional level. Years ago there was a study which claimed that your odds were the same as being killed by a meteor - although I suspect that was a bit of hyperbole. It seems far better to be single than to attach yourself to some of the extreme losers these women marry. Serial cheaters - controlling verging on abusive like Drew's husband.

The reason Cynthia was hell bent on having the wedding despite Covid restrictions was because it was supposed to be her main storyline. Weddings typically are highlighted on the BRAVO shows. Also by having the wedding being filmed for broadcast, she was able to get significant discounts or free stuff for the wedding. I mean seriously - how much business has that venue done during the pandemic even in a state like Atlanta which wasn't as locked down as others. The venue would probably have PAID CYNTHIA to be featured and host the wedding.

All I can say is Porsha should get an aware for the housewife who grew the most and became a genuinely admirable person. Sure she has still got normal human flaws but I NEVER would have thought that the woman who didn't know anything about the Underground Railroad has morphed into a woman her grandfather could be genuinely proud as carrying on his legacy. Looking back maybe she was being smart the first few seasons and deliberately adopting an airhead persona. Now all she needs to do is get rid of 175 pounds of ugly fat - aka Dennis. Why do these women seem to get into relationships with really awful men. With the exception of Todd they are uniformly terrible. Good for Kandi that she was able to look past the superficials in terms of marrying someone who was just an ordinary hardworking good guy - not flashy and he seems to have stepped up to the plate and really become her partner both professionally and personally.