Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

[Ms Blue Jay]

This is pretty juicy from that article, from Carole.  So she didn't even want to leave the show but it appears that Bravo didn't give a shit.  Did Bethenny help influence that, I can't help but wonder!!!!  I'm not even a big Carole fan but I'd rather have her on the show than off of it.  At the end of the day I prefer Carole over a LOT of the NY HWs.  Not the core 3 (although Sonja is definitely starting to falter) but ones like Tinsley, Heather, Jill, Kristen certainly.  Dorinda.  Leah no question. You don't even have to ask.

I would think maybe Eboni and Carole would get along.  It's too bad.  Although Luann did have a really bad reaction to her name the other episode. 😄

Quote

“I stayed for the money. Sometimes you stay longer than you feel in your heart that you should,” she revealed. “I don’t regret it, but it was a big learning lesson about a lot of things in life. I would have stayed another season if Bravo and I could [have] come to some agreement, but they were unwilling, I was not willing … it was bad at the end; I’m not gonna sugar coat it at all. I’m glad that it’s behind me.”

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[LemonSoda]

On 6/1/2021 at 1:48 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

This is pretty juicy from that article, from Carole.  So she didn't even want to leave the show but it appears that Bravo didn't give a shit.  Did Bethenny help influence that, I can't help but wonder!!!!  I'm not even a big Carole fan but I'd rather have her on the show than off of it.  At the end of the day I prefer Carole over a LOT of the NY HWs.  Not the core 3 (although Sonja is definitely starting to falter) but ones like Tinsley, Heather, Jill, Kristen certainly.  Dorinda.  Leah no question. You don't even have to ask.

I would think maybe Eboni and Carole would get along.  It's too bad.  Although Luann did have a really bad reaction to her name the other episode. 😄

 

I’d take Carole back to hang out with Eboni. I’d like to see Eboni with someone closer to her intellectual level to hang with. 
Heck, even Tinsley would have better energy. 

[RedDelicious]

I’m almost through my S4 rewatch. Ramona was shook by the fortune teller and Mario was so the cat that ate the canary when they returned from the Morocco trip (and Ramona covered him in oil). Alex is a kook but I can see where she’d be an excellent therapist today. She really does listen and feel, even though the other women consistently steamrolled her. I need to find myself a man that looks at me the way Simon looks at Alex. They were strange but their love is real.

[geauxaway]

7 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

Alex is a kook but I can see where she’d be an excellent therapist today. She really does listen and feel, even though the other women consistently steamrolled her. I need to find myself a man that looks at me the way Simon looks at Alex. They were strange but their love is real.

At the end of the day, she was completely harmless, I would take her back over the present day additions in a heartbeat.  On rewatch I was still so pissed at Kelly for telling her to stop turning red.  F off Kelly.  It was SO uncomfortable to watch.
 

Cindy was a complete waste of space.  I forgot how bad she was. That lunch where she couldn’t even handle ONE of her twins.  I would love to see how they turned out.  🙄.  I still don’t understand why neither of her parents that she was having lunch with didn’t step in and take the kid, she had to call an assistant?  Like isn’t that the whole point of grandparents (I kid!).  But I couldn’t imagine taking my son to lunch with his Mimi and her not immediately taking him off my hands.  

[Stats Queen]

4 hours ago, geauxaway said:

Cindy was a complete waste of space.  I forgot how bad she was. That lunch where she couldn’t even handle ONE of her twins.  I would love to see how they turned out.  🙄.

Well, in August 2019 she announced that one of her 9 year old twins is transgender.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city/personal-space/cindy-barshop-twin-child-jesse-is-transgender

 

[RedDelicious]

4 hours ago, geauxaway said:

she had to call an assistant?

Who had just given birth herself! That was infuriating. When I look back on it, Cindy was so entitled in that regard. 

[archer1267]

On 6/15/2021 at 12:12 AM, RedDelicious said:

I’m almost through my S4 rewatch. Ramona was shook by the fortune teller and Mario was so the cat that ate the canary when they returned from the Morocco trip (and Ramona covered him in oil). 

I just re-watched the Morocco episodes (to prep for my own trip to Morocco!) and Mario's reaction was SO painfully obvious. He repeated what Ramona said, or paraphrased it back to her - a classic stalling technique - before answering. (As if a fortune teller would refer to a child as "another woman!")

Jill was less loathesome on the trip than I remembered. I liked how she came to Ramona after cooling off and mended fences. She just seemed to be more easy-going, less overbearing. I think I just couldn't stand Jill by the end of S3 that she couldn't do anything right, but Ramona was no picnic either with her guest requests and the unpacking.

Poor Alex - I think she would have enjoyed the trip a lot more if she wasn't fighting Ramona's battles. 

[LemonSoda]

Currently watching Season 2. I had almost forgotten how enjoyable this show truly was 

[Keywestclubkid]

Watching episode ONE Season One … good god they all came off has so obnoxious…Avery calling her mother a lezbo for kissing her friend on the mouth … Ramona talking about how sexy and sexual she is …Alex and her grotesque husband just bragging about EVERYTHING… I mean Jill bragged but the way they did it just oozed being Nouveau riche and wanting to fit in but just not quit… and hearing Bethany (who now is who she was making fun of) talking shit about the kind of people that go to the Hamptons in the summer LOL

How sad I totally forgot about Luanne … her most pressing issue is naming a dog … 

good times down memory lane 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Keywestclubkid

[backhometome]

What's a good season to rewatch? 

[Hiyo]

Seasons one to three. Season 7 was also a good one.

[chick binewski]

On 7/7/2022 at 6:24 PM, backhometome said:

What's a good season to rewatch? 

I do love rewatching S1-3. NYC was shown in a different way and the seasons were shorter, which I think every franchise would benefit from.

I also love S5-7, even with the return of Bethenny. The trips were great and there was enough balance in the cast to keep Ramona & Sonja's performative postmenopausal antics from taking over the show completely.

[RealHousewife]

Thank you again @Ms Blue Jay for telling me about this thread!

I recently started watching New York, and I am loving it. Gives me Sex & the City vibes. 

Some thoughts so far . . .

I feel like I've seen most of these women one time or another on Bravo flipping channels, but I had never seen Alex. She's really pretty. 

My sister gets annoyed when she can never have "girl time" with certain friends. I get it, husbands change the dynamic. Sometimes you just want to be candid or let loose with your girlfriends. I believe in ladies night, but I felt bad for Simon when Ramona freaked out. 

I've seen Bethany on different shows throughout the years, it's cool to see her so young and baby-faced. I don't know what it is about her, maybe her blunt delivery (seen that on BH), but she seems authentic, and I like that. I liked her talk show. I wish it were still on. 

The Countess is beautiful. I don't know if she's had work done or not, but to me she looks like elegant and natural. 

An old friend of mine looks a lot like Jill Zarin's daughter. Gives me an instant interest in the family. 

I can't wait to get to Scary Island! Curious how it compares to Dinner Party From Hell. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Agree with you, Luann is so gorgeous.  And Alex is cute too.  I would love to just rewatch all of those early seasons.  It's hard with so much content out there.  I think Sonja is so beautiful too.  I love her early modelling photos.  I really like that look, she reminds me of Glenn Close.

When COVID first started I got into Bethenny Getting Married and Bethenny Ever After?  I think they're called.  They're on an app called Hayu.  It was so fun to talk about those seasons here and everyone had great comments and memories.

When you're done Season 3, you can watch those if you're more interested in Bethenny's story, because that's around where they aired in real time.

I've also seen Bethenny and Frederik and The Big Shot with Bethenny.

Edited July 24, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Miss Bones]

On 7/23/2022 at 1:55 AM, RealHousewife said:

Thank you again @Ms Blue Jay for telling me about this thread!

I recently started watching New York, and I am loving it. Gives me Sex & the City vibes. 

Some thoughts so far . . .

I feel like I've seen most of these women one time or another on Bravo flipping channels, but I had never seen Alex. She's really pretty. 

My sister gets annoyed when she can never have "girl time" with certain friends. I get it, husbands change the dynamic. Sometimes you just want to be candid or let loose with your girlfriends. I believe in ladies night, but I felt bad for Simon when Ramona freaked out. 

I've seen Bethany on different shows throughout the years, it's cool to see her so young and baby-faced. I don't know what it is about her, maybe her blunt delivery (seen that on BH), but she seems authentic, and I like that. I liked her talk show. I wish it were still on. 

The Countess is beautiful. I don't know if she's had work done or not, but to me she looks like elegant and natural. 

An old friend of mine looks a lot like Jill Zarin's daughter. Gives me an instant interest in the family. 

I can't wait to get to Scary Island! Curious how it compares to Dinner Party From Hell. 

Luann is beautiful.  Alex isn't ugly, but she was always so awkward to me, so I just have never found her to be very attractive.  (Wait till you get to "Johann face!"--another part of the Scary Island eps, I believe-- and you will see what I mean about awkward!)

Bethenny can be obnoxious at times, but she does have some really good 1-liners.  

It would be hard to choose which is more OTT, between Scary Island and The Dinner Party From Hell, but they are both reality TV gold, no doubt!  What season are you on now?  I know Season 1 is very short.

[RealHousewife]

^ I just started season 2. I did go through 1 quite quickly! Kelly Bensimon is beautiful. I can see why she and LuAnn are both former models. 

I might have to check out the other Bethany shows. I enjoy her so far. She's rather vivacious. 

I'm surprised Bethany said LuAnn constantly leaves her with the check. That seems like bad etiquette to me.

Even though I get that family stuff is family business, I'm with Ramona. If I had kids, I'd want them with me until they had to leave. I wouldn't want my kids going off to boarding school. 

Ramona told LuAnn her husband looked twice her age, yikes. 

Edited July 28, 2022 by RealHousewife

[RealHousewife]

Jill's mom Gloria looks more like LuAnn than Jill. Their bone structure, coloring, and even haircuts remind me of each other.

It's strange seeing Lisa Rinna on the show, back in the day when I did really like her. 

I'm on season 3, episode 5, and oh Ramona. I can get a kick out of her, but she really would be difficult to be coworkers or friends with. She asks if Kelly's had her breasts done and makes a comment about them looking wonky. I can be blunt too, but how is that not an obvious cruel comment? And then she says since Kelly's posing for Playboy, what she said should be no big deal. Even though I wouldn't ask anyone if they've had a surgery, I could understand thinking if you don't care that the world's seen your breasts, asking if they've been done should be no biggie. That would honestly be what I'd think, so I can think maybe her question could have been innocent, but then to make a mean comment, I mean come on. You don't put down another woman's body like that to her face and expect her to be cool with it. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by RealHousewife

[RedDelicious]

13 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Jill's mom Gloria looks more like LuAnn than Jill. Their bone structure, coloring, and even haircuts remind me of each other.

It's strange seeing Lisa Rinna on the show, back in the day when I did really like her. 

I'm on season 3, episode 5, and oh Ramona. I can get a kick out of her, but she really would be difficult to be coworkers or friends with. She asks if Kelly's had her breasts done and makes a comment about them looking wonky. I can be blunt too, but how is that not an obvious cruel comment? And then she says since Kelly's posing for Playboy, what she said should be no big deal. Even though I wouldn't ask anyone if they've had a surgery, I could understand thinking if you don't care that the world's seen your breasts, asking if they've been done should be no biggie. That would honestly be what I'd think, so I can think maybe her question could have been innocent, but then to make a mean comment, I mean come on. You don't put down another woman's body like that to her face and expect her to be cool with it. 

Boundaries have always been an issue for Ramona. I had a coworker who would ask me about different activities I had been involved in because this coworker saw me in photos other people posted on social media. It used to rub me the wrong way that she would ask me about things I hadn't told her about myself. It was almost accusatory. Like, sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you I went to a baby shower on Sunday for a friend you don't even know.

It's kind of the same thing with Ramona. Since it was visually obvious that Kelly had breast augmentation, Ramona thinks that gives her free reign to talk about it publicly. I always thought that was disrespectful on Ramona's part. FWIW, I have that issue of Playboy and Kelly's photos were tasteful, in my opinion. She looked great. But that didn't give Ramona the right to comment on her body in front of other people the way that she did.

ETA: Plastic surgery is a personal thing, even if it is outwardly apparent. I'm happy to talk about what I've had done if someone asks me in private. But to do that in front of a group of people is rude and inappropriate.

Edited August 29, 2022 by RedDelicious

[RealHousewife]

On 8/29/2022 at 11:27 AM, RedDelicious said:

Boundaries have always been an issue for Ramona. I had a coworker who would ask me about different activities I had been involved in because this coworker saw me in photos other people posted on social media. It used to rub me the wrong way that she would ask me about things I hadn't told her about myself. It was almost accusatory. Like, sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you I went to a baby shower on Sunday for a friend you don't even know.

It's kind of the same thing with Ramona. Since it was visually obvious that Kelly had breast augmentation, Ramona thinks that gives her free reign to talk about it publicly. I always thought that was disrespectful on Ramona's part. FWIW, I have that issue of Playboy and Kelly's photos were tasteful, in my opinion. She looked great. But that didn't give Ramona the right to comment on her body in front of other people the way that she did.

ETA: Plastic surgery is a personal thing, even if it is outwardly apparent. I'm happy to talk about what I've had done if someone asks me in private. But to do that in front of a group of people is rude and inappropriate.

Agree. Ramona shouldn't have said anything. She seemed jealous of Kelly tbh. 

I finally watched the Scary Island episode. What was the deal with Kelly? Does anyone know what she was on or if she was diagnosed with something? Bethany was vindicated, but I felt bad for Kelly too because she was such a mess. 

I've heard the episode compared to BH's Dinner Party from Hell. I can see why because both dinners went south in such a crazy way. But I personally enjoyed Dinner Party from Hell more because it was mostly about watching Allison Dubois, Jesus complex Camille in all her glory, the morally corrupt Faye Resnick, Kyle being well, Kyle. Kelly doesn't strike me as a bad person, just someone who needed help. I like how the women all did their best with her, especially Sonja.

[Hiyo]

Scary Island was a whole thing, not just one dinner.

[RealHousewife]

1 minute ago, Hiyo said:

Scary Island was a whole thing, not just one dinner.

I see, thanks. The last part I watched was when Jill arrived, and the other ladies weren't having it. 

[Hiyo]

Yeah, even before the dinner, you had Coocoo for Cocoa Puffs Kelly going on about Bethenny is a chef/cook, telling Alex to give us Johann Face...that was one of the best trips ever. Well, for us viewers, anyway.

[RealHousewife]

Just now, Hiyo said:

Yeah, even before the dinner, you had Coocoo for Cocoa Puffs Kelly going on about Bethenny is a chef/cook, telling Alex to give us Johann Face...that was one of the best trips ever. Well, for us viewers, anyway.

Yeah, Kelly is something else, bless her heart. I'm enjoying RHONY a lot overall. 

[Miss Bones]

On 9/5/2022 at 10:52 AM, RealHousewife said:

Agree. Ramona shouldn't have said anything. She seemed jealous of Kelly tbh. 

I finally watched the Scary Island episode. What was the deal with Kelly? Does anyone know what she was on or if she was diagnosed with something? Bethany was vindicated, but I felt bad for Kelly too because she was such a mess. 

I've heard the episode compared to BH's Dinner Party from Hell. I can see why because both dinners went south in such a crazy way. But I personally enjoyed Dinner Party from Hell more because it was mostly about watching Allison Dubois, Jesus complex Camille in all her glory, the morally corrupt Faye Resnick, Kyle being well, Kyle. Kelly doesn't strike me as a bad person, just someone who needed help. I like how the women all did their best with her, especially Sonja.

I felt the same way when I watched it for the first time (I watched RHONY for the first time, during the pandemic), in that I actually felt kind of bad for Kelly, because I think there is something wrong with her mentally.  I mean, "satchels of gold"?  What?? 

I can understand Bethenny, not only just being Bethenny, but also being pregnant would have 0 patience for Kelly's BS, especially given their history, but I did feel Kelly was kind of being ganged up on.  The way that Kelly reacted to the gift bags Beth brought was also not normal behavior.  I did wonder if she was on something, but you will see her reaction to Scary Island at the reunion, and she does seem to feel she was just being straight up bullied.  Odd, when she was the one stirring shit by saying that Bethenny is not a chef. 

It was an entertaining trip, for sure!  And generally, I find RHONY to the most consistently entertaining RH franchise.

[RealHousewife]

Cindy's babies are so adorable. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

4 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Cindy's babies are so adorable. 

They are really beautiful now, too. 
This is a very nice article. She’s a good mother.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/rhony-cindy-barshop-on-raising-a-transgender-twin-5197512

[RealHousewife]

On 9/25/2022 at 9:58 PM, hoodooznoodooz said:

They are really beautiful now, too. 
This is a very nice article. She’s a good mother.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/rhony-cindy-barshop-on-raising-a-transgender-twin-5197512

Thank you for posting the article. It was a very interesting read. 

I just watched an episode where Ramona says she thought Luann was a man or a drag queen. I googled and found this. Sonja apparently also called her "Luman" because she thinks Luann has "big girl syndrome and a very deep voice." I know Luann isn't petite, but I'd never refer to her as a big person, just tall and svelte. 

Luann showed a lot of class in her response. 

[RedDelicious]

Carole made fun of Luann for her deep voice in a confessional as well. She said something like she heard a man or a man’s voice and it was Luann. Kinda not cool.

[Hiyo]

I thought it was funny, but then again, I always chalked up Luanne's deeper huskier voice to her pack a day habit.

[RedDelicious]

Yeah I just don’t think anyone enjoys being misgendered or finds it funny when it happens to them.

[RealHousewife]

I didn’t know thug in a cocktail dress was from RHONY! It’s one of the best lines. 

[Baltimore Betty]

On 9/27/2022 at 9:13 AM, RedDelicious said:

Carole made fun of Luann for her deep voice in a confessional as well. She said something like she heard a man or a man’s voice and it was Luann. Kinda not cool.

Soyez cool ne soyez pas cool!

[RealHousewife]

Sonya looks SO pretty at season 5 reunion. I absolutely love her hair.