Memory Lane: Seasons 1-5

[ryebread]

Ignore my previous post! Professor Google and Doctor Wikipedia helped me!

Enjoy!

[tribeca]

I do not remember a housewife named Jennifer.  What was her story ?

[lunastartron]

Some of the prevailing opinions about the present season - for example, that Kristen is "too nice" for this program and that Heather is benignly assertive as opposed to intentionally domineering - inspired me to rewatch a couple of episodes from last year on Hulu while cleaning and, if anything, they demonstrated, for me, that the behavior of the Carole/Kristen/Heather triumvirate in season 6 was so bizarre as to be Kafkaesque. Watching the finale was unreal. I will preface by noting that I don't find Aviva unimpeachable or perfect (although I never really understood the vitriol she elicited); she could be retaliatory, histrionic, and simply downright odd at times. However, it was so weird to see the final tete-a-tete in which Aviva threw her leg in full context. Although Aviva suggests that everyone sit down, Kristen literally starts shouting almost immediately, using the most bizarre language ("There's something bigger than asthma going on with you, and you need to be honest about the bigger things going on!"); it was almost as if she was attempting an intervention in an effort to get Aviva to confront a substance addiction or childhood abuse. Flatly strange for anger about Aviva's lack of professional participation in the season and definitely more consistent with the Kristen I remember, the one who isn't "too nice" for this show but who isn't afraid of confrontation, yelling, throwing water on people, etc. Then, when Aviva breaks out her X-rays, Heather literally orders Kristen to disengage: "you're done." Okay, and just a brief time earlier, Heather had bristled that Kristen had called her bossy. Then, Lu, Heather, and Carole all get up from the table and, again, literally begin clutching their chests while Kristen subsequently follows and declares that she's going to vomit while Heather returns to the fray and screams about not "having time for this." Um, really, then why did she continue to argue to the point that she and her cohort are complaining of physical discomfort? The cognitive dissonance was off the charts for me because it certainly looked like Heather, Carole, and Kristen had lots of time for theatrics. Meanwhile, Lu burst out laughing - the first appropriate/understandable behavior I saw - not minutes after saying that Aviva was causing her to practically hyperventilate . . . Then, from earlier in the season: post-Bookgate, post-Aviva's reconciliation with both Ramona and Sonja, Carole and Heather spontaneously decided they had a problem with how Aviva talked to Sonja and Ramona and St. Barth's . . . more than a year after that debacle transpired. They couldn't just have a problem with Aviva because of her feud with Carole but, for no reason apparent to me, had to retcon their response to her name-calling (evidently, howling that someone is a "fucking motherfucker" is a-okay but calling someone "white trash" is verboten). It was particularly choice to listen to Kristen gasping, jaw agape, "she said that?" upon hearing that Aviva compared Sonja to Anna Nicole when she was more than happy to contend that Sonja and Ramona were "like her crazy drunk aunts."

[Almost 3000]

I do not remember a housewife named Jennifer.  What was her story ?

Jennifer was a party planner that did the ice skating event for Jill. She was introduced, did the event and was seen around a bit but was pretty much cut out of the season's story lines.

[CrinkleCutCat]

Ignore my previous post! Professor Google and Doctor Wikipedia helped me!

Well, that's a fizzer! While I now know which episodes to look for, everything I find isn't available to view in Australia. Rats.

Any Aussies here with suggestions for (legal!!) downloading?

[eXiled]

Is Hulu available in Australia, @CrinkleCutCat? I watch on HuluPlus (using my Roku) but Hulu is free to watch via computer.

[glowlights]

I do not remember a housewife named Jennifer.  What was her story ?

 

No one remembers Jennifer. That is her story. :)

[CrinkleCutCat]

Is Hulu available in Australia, @CrinkleCutCat? I watch on HuluPlus (using my Roku) but Hulu is free to watch via computer.

Nope. Plus there's recently been a big crack down on illegal streaming/downloading/torrentz so I'm a bit wary.

There are services that let you around geo blocking (you get blocked based on your geography) but they require $s.

[BucFan]

I sort of remember Jennifer because she wore some dumb shirt with a big bow ala Kim Richards famous bow shirt.

[archer1267]

Totally forgot this nugget from Season 2…LuAnn orders pizza and throws her title in there. It reminded me sooo much of Mike ordering pizza on Jersey Shore and telling a confused delivery guy that the name on the order is The Situation.

[FaithsMum]

I just watched the season four episode where Cindy is showing her brother and assistant the pictures from Morocco and realises Sonja has cut her out of them and she's not in a single one. That's never going to not make me laugh!

My other favourite Sonja moment is in season five after Aviva calls her and Ramona white trash. I can't remember word for word what she said, but it's something like "hillbillies can be welcoming. They can say 'welcome to my trailer.'"

[AKA...CJ86]

I just watched the season four episode where Cindy is showing her brother and assistant the pictures from Morocco and realises Sonja has cut her out of them and she's not in a single one. That's never going to not make me laugh!

 

I'm still hunting this elusive scene!  It really is the one moment of that particular season I missed...and apparently miss every time they rerun that season.  I'm just going to have to resubscribe and Hulu this...would anybody know the specific episode by any chance?

[FaithsMum]

I'm still hunting this elusive scene! It really is the one moment of that particular season I missed...and apparently miss every time they rerun that season. I'm just going to have to resubscribe and Hulu this...would anybody know the specific episode by any chance?

It's episode 11, I think. I'm pretty sure. I've deleted it from my iPad so I can't go and check but it's definitely the first episode where they are back in NYC, the same one where Alex and LuAnn have a sit down with the Herman Munster shoes.

It's made even funnier by cutting to a Sonja TH totally owning it and saying she did it deliberately.

[AKA...CJ86]

It's episode 11, I think. I'm pretty sure. I've deleted it from my iPad so I can't go and check but it's definitely the first episode where they are back in NYC, the same one where Alex and LuAnn have a sit down with the Herman Munster shoes.

It's made even funnier by cutting to a Sonja TH totally owning it and saying she did it deliberately.

Thank you FaithsMum.  One big kadooz to you!

[oakville]

We just started watching this series. We are fans of OC & BH. We enjoyed the first season. Alex & Simon & their rambunctious latin speaking kids were hilarious. Those kids were out of control & the year end dinner party. The parents were such wannabees. I thought Jill & Bethenny were very sarcastic. I didn't like Jason .He refused to commit to Bethenny. I think we will keep watching the series. Time to binge watch!

[FaithsMum]

We just started watching this series. We are fans of OC & BH. We enjoyed the first season. Alex & Simon & their rambunctious latin speaking kids were hilarious. Those kids were out of control & the year end dinner party. The parents were such wannabees. I thought Jill & Bethenny were very sarcastic. I didn't like Jason .He refused to commit to Bethenny. I think we will keep watching the series. Time to binge watch!

While they were ridiculous, I actually came to like Alex and Simon. They were pretentious, social climbing wannabe's but there was no real harm to them and a lot of the other HW were unnecessarily mean. I think of all marriages, in all franchises theirs will be the one that lasts.

I think Jason 1 (that isn't the Jason she married) just wasn't too comfortable with talking in front of the cameras. Someone else may remember better but I think gossip outside of the show was that their relationship had progressed further than we saw, he just didn't like the cameras too much.

[comatoast]

While they were ridiculous, I actually came to like Alex and Simon. They were pretentious, social climbing wannabe's but there was no real harm to them and a lot of the other HW were unnecessarily mean. I think of all marriages, in all franchises theirs will be the one that lasts.

They were ridiculous in the most awesome way! Remember when they made eye contact with a few people at The Met? heeeee!!! Oh, the memories make me giddy! Leemonodd, si vous play!

Edited June 13, 2015 by comatoast

[SCS]

They were ridiculous in the most awesome way! Remember when they made eye contact with a few people at The Met? heeeee!!! Oh, the memories make me giddy! Leemonodd, si vous play!

...while the kid began brunch not with a bowl of berries or something marginally healthful but a selection of what looked to be gumdrops. I liked A&S but that plethora of candy to start the day was just wrong.

[breezy424]

I couldn't stand Alex and Simon the first few seasons but then....I came to like Alex....and even Simon to a degree.  Yeah, they were harmless and they got over all the pretentiousness and became mostly themselves.  And Alex was a really good listener.  And I really disliked the way the countess dismissed Alex in Morocco. 

 

Speaking of Lu, I really liked her the first season.  Couldn't stand her for the most part until last season. 

[ichbin]

They were ridiculous in the most awesome way! Remember when they made eye contact with a few people at The Met? heeeee!!! Oh, the memories make me giddy! Leemonodd, si vous play!

They were a gift!  So much pretension and hunger to be part of the NYC social set.  I wonder if Francois and Johan ever did start speaking French.  Their shopping excursions were awesomely cringeworthy  the way he would sit back and watch her model outfits.  I could watch Kelly saying "Johan face" while photographing Alex during her beach photo shoot on a loop and not stop laughing. 

[FaithsMum]

They were ridiculous in the most awesome way

Totally! I always loved their excuses for why they went to St Barts in the off season. There's nothing wrong with going then because it's cheaper, just tell the truth!

Watching it first time round (season 1 and 2) they annoyed me a bit but when I re-watch I have a certain fondness for them since ultimately Alex is a nice person and I hated how dismissive the others were of her and would never let her say her piece.

[FaithsMum]

They were a gift! So much pretension and hunger to be part of the NYC social set. I wonder if Francois and Johan ever did start speaking French. Their shopping excursions were awesomely cringeworthy the way he would sit back and watch her model outfits. I could watch Kelly saying "Johan face" while photographing Alex during her beach photo shoot on a loop and not stop laughing.

Sorry for the multiple posts, I'm on my phone!

Kelly saying "Johan face, Alex, Johan face!" while Alex is marching down the beach, jaw out, looking like she's about to attack her with a knife is one of my all time favourite moments. I start laughing in advance now, because I know it's coming! (That and when drunk Ramona circles her hips and slurs "turtle time!" Scary Island was such a gift to us all)

Since I imagine there's not too much opportunity to speak French in the suburbs of Sydney, I'm guessing not! I wonder if François is going by Frank/Frankie yet! My pretentious SIL named her son François, which is even more pretentious than the Van Kempen's as it was a family name for them whereas I'm pretty sure there aren't many François in Pakistan. Anyhow, by the time that kid was four he was insisting on using Frankie!

[FaithsMum]

And I really disliked the way the countess dismissed Alex in Morocco.

Speaking of Lu, I really liked her the first season. Couldn't stand her for the most part until last season.

I didn't like it either and it was a big part of the reason I didn't like LuAnn. Alex was correct in that LuAnn was "haughty, rude and condescending!"

I didn't like LuAnn til the pirates when I thought "yeah! You go be your slutty self, Lu!" I'd have liked her more if she'd owned it. I remember a lot of the others saying throughout the seasons that LuAnn was a lot of fun off camera but as soon as they placed a camera in front of her, she played up to the whole patronising "countess" shtick. I still don't think we've seen that LuAnn though - and I tune out to any mention of "the countess" as it's one of the things I find insufferable about her.

[comatoast]

Lol, I remember how excited Alex was when her ass (literally; it was a shot from behind) was in the paper because she went to the met.

Yeah, because, even if it's your ass, "it's always nice to be photographed!" I wonder if her ass was doing a Johan face for the camera. 

[oakville]

They were ridiculous in the most awesome way! Remember when they made eye contact with a few people at The Met? heeeee!!! Oh, the memories make me giddy! Leemonodd, si vous play

 

 

Francois refused to speak French at the restaurant!.

 

Ramona was outraged that Simon showed up at the girl's night out!. She is so rude but you would think that Alex would know better than to bring him along.

 

I love the first seasons of BH& OC & NY because it is more of a documentary & less focus on catfights between the housewives over trivial issues.

 

The House/Appt porn is awesome. !. The Countess reminds me of Heather Dubrow from OC.

[oakville]

We started watching Season 2. The girls are arguing with each other. Alex & Simon crack me up. I love them bragging about their kiddie pool in their backyard in Brooklyn while the clip before showed Ramona & Mario's Olympic sized pool in the Hamptons. Do they realize how pretentious they are? They told Luann they were writing a book on raising kids in NYC. Their kids were out of control at the year end party screaming at everyone & destroying hamburgers. Francois & Johan need to get a haircut.

Ramona was mean to Luann in front of her daughter Victoria for saying The Count was 65. Is Bethenny a comedian? She is hilarious in her talking heads. She was taking dating tips from Luann & doing Jill Zarin impersonations. This is a very easy to watch series.

[motorcitymom65]

We started watching Season 2. The girls are arguing with each other. Alex & Simon crack me up. I love them bragging about their kiddie pool in their backyard in Brooklyn while the clip before showed Ramona & Mario's Olympic sized pool in the Hamptons. Do they realize how pretentious they are? They told Luann they were writing a book on raising kids in NYC. Their kids were out of control at the year end party screaming at everyone & destroying hamburgers. Francois & Johan need to get a haircut.Ramona was mean to Luann in front of her daughter Victoria for saying The Count was 65. Is Bethenny a comedian? She is hilarious in her talking heads. She was taking dating tips from Luann & doing Jill Zarin impersonations. This is a very easy to watch series.

So happy you are loving it. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts after you watch S3, which in my humble opinion is the single best season of this or any HW franchise. There is just so much to take in, all the way upto and including the reunion.

Yes Alex and Simon were so ridiculous, but so necessary in making it all a success when I look back. They cast the early years perfectly. Jill, the socialite who liked to think she "brought people together" and held the key to all social networking. Ramona - she of the perfect marriage and ability to earn her own money and look down on anyone who wasn't "her kind of people". Lu, the person who I imagine provided the inspiration for one of my favorite books - "The Nanny Diaries". Bethenny, the smart, single New Yorker who was quick with a line and kind of mocked all the fake air kisses around her. And then Alex and Simon, the two who desperately wanted what the others had. Their thirst was so real and I imagine indicative of a good number of people around them.

By the way, my all time favorite scene with Ramona got mentioned above, and it so perfectly illustrates who Ramona is. The scene where she had a mini-meltdown because Alex brought Simon to dinner. She simply could not cope with the change of plans. No one was happy about it, but they were able to laugh and move on. She simply could not. She is so rigid and ridiculous, and completely unconcerned that she might appear rude. This never changes. If you watch all the way to S6, you will actually witness her having an air conditioning unit delivered to someone else's home for installation, because she cannot stay in the home without it. Keep in mind the homeowner didn't want a/c in their mountain vacation home. I'm not making that up.

[ryebread]

I didn't like it either and it was a big part of the reason I didn't like LuAnn. Alex was correct in that LuAnn was "haughty, rude and condescending!"

 

If Alex thought Luann was a thug in a cocktail dress, can you imagine what she'd say about Heather?  She'd have hives from head to toe.

 

Here's Lu being haughty, rude and condescending.  Her approach to Ramona reminds me of how she approached Bethenny at AoA.  Much ado about nothing.  Trying real hard for some airtime.

 

Thug in a cocktail dress

http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city/season-4/episode-407/videos?clip=16447190

[emmy plath]

I just watched the season four episode where Cindy is showing her brother and assistant the pictures from Morocco and realises Sonja has cut her out of them and she's not in a single one. That's never going to not make me laugh!

 

 

I haven't seen season 4 since its original airing. Because of your post, I just signed up for a Hulu trial just for that scene--hilarious!!! Love Sonja's talking head. Thank you so much!

[MatildaMoody]

 

They told Luann they were writing a book on raising kids in NYC. Their kids were out of control at the year end party screaming at everyone & destroying hamburgers.

I always thought that Alex and Simon got a raw deal when it came to how the show portrayed their kids. These were extremely young kids that had been kept up 6 hours past their bed time while filming that scene. I remember reading that the scene itself took about 8 hours to film and started in the evening - everyone was exhausted especially the kids who were simply not used to being up so late. Not only that, the producers wouldn't let any of them leave until the film was in the can.

 

It would have been difficult for most adults to sit through filming an 8 hour dinner scene, let alone two pre-school aged children. I thought it was really shitty that out of 8 hours of footage, they chose to highlight the footage of the kids acting out. I think that was what Simon of OC's biggest worry was if the kids were allowed to film without him there to supervise. 

 

Also, their book was never about how to raise a child in NYC. It was about what their experience was as parents of young children in NYC. I remember reading it and actually thought it was really well done. Much better quality than any of the other housewives books that I have come across and that includes the ones that were obviously ghost written, like Bethenny's.

Edited June 15, 2015 by MatildaMoody

[SCS]

I always thought that Alex and Simon got a raw deal when it came to how the show portrayed their kids. These were extremely young kids that had been kept up 6 hours past their bed time while filming that scene. I remember reading that the scene itself took about 8 hours to film and started in the evening - everyone was exhausted especially the kids who were simply not used to being up so late. Not only that, the producers wouldn't let any of them leave until the film was in the can.

 

It would have been difficult for most adults to sit through filming an 8 hour dinner scene, let alone two pre-school aged children. I thought it was really shitty that out of 8 hours of footage, they chose to highlight the footage of the kids acting out. I think that was what Simon of OC's biggest worry was if the kids were allowed to film without him there to supervise. 

Yup. Also, IIRC, Moaner showed up 2-3 hours late. Was this the event for which she claimed she was delayed because she just couldn't decide what to wear and settled on something pink and glittery? And the whole thing was presented as A Jill Zarin NY Extravaganza?

.

Also, their book was never about how to raise a child in NYC. It was about what their experience was as parents of young children in NYC. I remember reading it and actually thought it was really well done. Much better quality than any of the other housewives books that I have come across and that includes the ones that were obviously ghost written, like Bethenny's.

This.

[oakville]

"I always thought that Alex and Simon got a raw deal when it came to how the show portrayed their kids. These were extremely young kids that had been kept up 6 hours past their bed time while filming that scene. I remember reading that the scene itself took about 8 hours to film and started in the evening - everyone was exhausted especially the kids who were simply not used to being up so late. Not only that, the producers wouldn't let any of them leave until the film was in the can"

Thanks for the information. I didn't realize the kids were kept up so late. On the other hand, it looked like Alex Simon didn't try to calm down the kids.

We just watched an episode where Jill Zarin visits Alex & Simon's home under renovation. She is shocked that they are living in a dangerous construction site. I was worried the kids would get hurt.

[AnnaMayWong]

Jill was not shocked over the potential dangers to the children. She was pretentiously disgusted and dismayed that not only was she amongst the plebeian rabble "in their native habitat", but also, that the producers would deign to allow the pittance of scene time to Simon and Alex. I must say that I found it sad that an intelligent and educated woman such as Alex was usually portrayed as if she was ignorant and buffoonish whilst Jill pranced with hauteur, yet really was an ignoramus and a buffoon.

Edited June 17, 2015 by BookElitist

[rho]

I always thought that Alex and Simon got a raw deal when it came to how the show portrayed their kids. These were extremely young kids that had been kept up 6 hours past their bed time while filming that scene. I remember reading that the scene itself took about 8 hours to film and started in the evening - everyone was exhausted especially the kids who were simply not used to being up so late. Not only that, the producers wouldn't let any of them leave until the film was in the can.

 

It would have been difficult for most adults to sit through filming an 8 hour dinner scene, let alone two pre-school aged children. I thought it was really shitty that out of 8 hours of footage, they chose to highlight the footage of the kids acting out. I think that was what Simon of OC's biggest worry was if the kids were allowed to film without him there to supervise. 

 

Also, their book was never about how to raise a child in NYC. It was about what their experience was as parents of young children in NYC. I remember reading it and actually thought it was really well done. Much better quality than any of the other housewives books that I have come across and that includes the ones that were obviously ghost written, like Bethenny's.

 

I think Silex (I believe Bethenny coined the term) was hired as the punch line to RHONY. You couldn't pay me to spend five minutes with them but I found their transparent social climbing fascinating. I feel bad for the kids and Silex. They're almost too easy to make fun of. Everything that came out of their mouths was more pretentious than the last. And I love how they were adamantly unapologetic in their loyalty to Brooklyn.

[archer1267]

I always wondered who between Simon and Alex hatched the "let's try to infiltrate the upper crust" scheme, or if they both had social-climbing aspirations and realized that they were a perfect match. It wouldn't surprise me if both of them secretly hated opera.

 

With their kids, I remember a LOT of "spectrum" talk in a S4 episode when Francois was on the couch with Alex, and swatting at a mike that was unseen to the audience. Alex was talking to him, and his swatting and not looking her in the eye when she spoke (because he was looking at the mike) prompted a lot of theories that he was autistic, to the point where Alex addressed it in her weekly blog. Just as she'd said "If Simon were gay he would be out there and be proud about it," she said that if Francois was delayed or on the spectrum, she absolutely would be out there talking about it. And I believed her.

 

BUT…I don't have kids and am hoping someone with kids can give me their point of view. I always thought Alex's reaction to Jill's giggling over the "Francois (or Johan) tried to crawl up someone's leg" was extreme. As much as I didn't like Jill by that point, I really don't think she meant anything bad by it…and I too thought it was funny. Maybe if someone other than Jill had mentioned it, Alex might not have had such a strong visceral reaction to it. But I always thought, "Oh, lighten up a bit, Alex," when it came to the leg-crawling anecdote and her reaction.

[FaithsMum]

BUT…I don't have kids and am hoping someone with kids can give me their point of view. I always thought Alex's reaction to Jill's giggling over the "Francois (or Johan) tried to crawl up someone's leg" was extreme. As much as I didn't like Jill by that point, I really don't think she meant anything bad by it…and I too thought it was funny. Maybe if someone other than Jill had mentioned it, Alex might not have had such a strong visceral reaction to it. But I always thought, "Oh, lighten up a bit, Alex," when it came to the leg-crawling anecdote and her reaction.

I have three daughters. My youngest (who is 2½) is the most stubborn, strongwilled, determined child I've ever met - I can't tell you how many debates I've gotten into with my toddler about how she's *not* wearing sandals in winter, just so people can see her painted pink toenails. She puts her hand on her freaking hip, and stamps her foot. She calls my Mum and brother to tell them how "mean" I am. FaithsDad and I almost weep when we think about her teenage years! She's a handful. And she's *that* child. I don't know if you watch OC but I remember laughing when Heather said she'd roll her eyes at other parents when their kids were misbehaving until she had her youngest daughter who became *that* child... Because that's how I feel. Personality wise, she's nothing like my elder two. Honestly if I'd had her first, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had any more! :)

So with my daughter, I can understand Alex's reaction to an extent. IME, women take criticism of their children's bad behaviour as a criticism of *their* parenting. I always got the impression that it's something Alex heard often because of how defensive she was, and since it had come from Jill that didn't help either. If your child is a bit of a handful, and you often hear passive aggressive digs then it does become very tiresome. My daughter is wonderful; she's smart, kind and 90% of the time sweet, polite and well behaved but the 10% of the time she's a terror is what the Jill types focus on and although I don't react quite how Alex does, I do feel protective of my baby and it pisses me off when people who do not know her and only see her occasionally feel the urge to comment on her behaviour under the guise of humour.

Alex did overreact, but I totally get it. I think if it had come from someone a) other than Jill and b) who had seen her kids more than a few times she probably would have laughed too.

FaithsDad, my close friends and family and I joke that my toddler is probably going to grow up to be a serial killer but if anyone else said it, I'd probably punch them in the face! :)

Edited June 19, 2015 by FaithsMum

[FaithsMum]

I haven't seen season 4 since its original airing. Because of your post, I just signed up for a Hulu trial just for that scene--hilarious!!! Love Sonja's talking head. Thank you so much!

I'm so glad to be of service! Those earlier seasons were so much fun (that goes for all of the franchises, I think) and there was way more to snark about than there is now, plus even with all the fighting and drama, to me, they were so much less mean spirited. Now it's all power games, picking "teams" and shilling their shit.

I'm on season five of my re-watch now. I'm watching interspersed with last seasons Teen Mom 2 in preparation for the new season in a few weeks as I only saw a few episodes when it was on so my NY binge watching has taken a backseat for now!

[glowlights]

I always thought that Alex and Simon got a raw deal when it came to how the show portrayed their kids. These were extremely young kids that had been kept up 6 hours past their bed time while filming that scene. I remember reading that the scene itself took about 8 hours to film and started in the evening - everyone was exhausted especially the kids who were simply not used to being up so late. Not only that, the producers wouldn't let any of them leave until the film was in the can.

 

I remember this. It made me feel terrible for the boys, but I still called b.s. on Alex and Simon for having their young kids at that dinner party to begin with. It's believable (to me) that production required Alex and Simon to be in the scene, but completely unbelievable that there was a requirement for them to bring the children, or that as parents they couldn't put their collective foot down and leave the boys with a babysitter.

 

It was a little mean the way other cast members would snort at Alex for writing a parenting book when she was always careful to explain that it was not meant to be expert opinion or advice... but then I recall the opening sample of the book in which she went on about being a glamourous model in europe, and Simon went on about being a jet-setter, and my sympathy goes out the window.  What a hilarious little folie a deux. I wonder what their neighbors in Australia think of them...

[MatildaMoody]

I remember this. It made me feel terrible for the boys, but I still called b.s. on Alex and Simon for having their young kids at that dinner party to begin with. It's believable (to me) that production required Alex and Simon to be in the scene, but completely unbelievable that there was a requirement for them to bring the children, or that as parents they couldn't put their collective foot down and leave the boys with a babysitter.

 

For some reason, I remember all of the housewives bringing their kids? I can't remember if it was supposed be Jill's event or not, but I do remember specifically Jill saying that all of the kids would be there. Whether or not they were required to bring the kids by production is a very big question mark though. I do remember that once they were there, Production would not allow any of them to leave and Ramona actually arrived 2 hours late so they all had to sit there and wait for her arrival. I do recall even Bethenny later saying that no one expected the filming of that dinner to last as long as it did and she was one of the people who outed Ramona for keeping them waiting for 2 hours. 

[comatoast]

We started watching Season 2. The girls are arguing with each other. Alex & Simon crack me up. I love them bragging about their kiddie pool in their backyard in Brooklyn while the clip before showed Ramona & Mario's Olympic sized pool in the Hamptons. Do they realize how pretentious they are? They told Luann they were writing a book on raising kids in NYC. Their kids were out of control at the year end party screaming at everyone & destroying hamburgers. Francois & Johan need to get a haircut.

Ramona was mean to Luann in front of her daughter Victoria for saying The Count was 65. Is Bethenny a comedian? She is hilarious in her talking heads. She was taking dating tips from Luann & doing Jill Zarin impersonations. This is a very easy to watch series.

I’m kinda jealous of you right now. Though I can enjoy past seasons of RHONY at any time since I own them (well, except 4), it would be nice to be a RHONY viewing virgin again, especially for seasons 1-3. Those were the days!! I feel like I mostly watch out of habit now.

[oakville]

We just watched an episode where there was a big fight between Kelli & Bethenny. I am shocked that Kelli told off Bethenny at the pub, saying she was here & Bethenny was below her. Wow!. Kelli was very rude to Jill's daughter at the charity meeting. Telling her that arthritis was cute was ridiculous. Why would she even show up to a meeting about organizing a charity event if she didn't want to help? I am not a fan of Kelli. She seems to be snobby. I am also puzzled why Jill let Brad? decorate her apartment without her input. It looks very tacky .

[comatoast]

We just watched an episode where there was a big fight between Kelli & Bethenny. I am shocked that Kelli told off Bethenny at the pub, saying she was here & Bethenny was below her. Wow!. Kelli was very rude to Jill's daughter at the charity meeting. Telling her that arthritis was cute was ridiculous. Why would she even show up to a meeting about organizing a charity event if she didn't want to help? I am not a fan of Kelli. She seems to be snobby. I am also puzzled why Jill let Brad? decorate her apartment without her input. It looks very tacky .

 

Jill let Brad loose because she has the same taste. Remember the "Cher" jacket from season one? I gotta admit, I loved Jill's apartment redo story line. Not that I love the tacky and would want my place decorated like that, but I love that RHONY (and Jill) used to give us that kind of material to snark about. Not since my visit to Graceland (pool room, anyone?) had I seen such an amazing display of bad taste. And the layers upon layers of decorations... Liberace La Cucarachi, indeed!

[glowlights]

I do remember that once they were there, Production would not allow any of them to leave and Ramona actually arrived 2 hours late so they all had to sit there and wait for her arrival. I do recall even Bethenny later saying that no one expected the filming of that dinner to last as long as it did and she was one of the people who outed Ramona for keeping them waiting for 2 hours. 

 

Ramona has often struck me as flat-out diabolical. But she did bring the humor, at least in the older seasons. Remember when she thought her new haircut made her look like just Cameron Diaz? Or should I say her truREnuwal haircut...

[SCS]

Ramona has often struck me as flat-out diabolical. But she did bring the humor, at least in the older seasons. Remember when she thought her new haircut made her look like just Cameron Diaz? Or should I say her truREnuwal haircut...

I loved the shorter hair on Moaner but, yea, there was no Cameron Diaz happening on that puss.

[oakville]

"Ramona has often struck me as flat-out diabolical. But she did bring the humor, at least in the older seasons. Remember when she thought her new haircut made her look like just Cameron Diaz? Or should I say her truREnuwal haircut..."

We just started watching Season 3. We laughed at Ramona. She doesn't look anything like Cameron Diaz .

It's sad to see the housewives split up between Team Jill, Team Ramonna & Team Bethenny. The fights are getting so petty. Ramona's attacks against the Countess were outrageous. Why would she accuse her of sleeping around while she was married to the count. ? Kelli seems to be more normal. I am surprised she would pose for Playboy ? Poor Alex between stuck between attending parties at Ramona's & Jill's in the Hamptons. Ramona is very rude. Why would she ask Kelli if her breasts were redone? That' not polite. It's getting hard to keep track of all the petty grudges between the housewives. Was this Andy's idea? I preferred the focus on each Housewives lives from Season 1.

Edited June 25, 2015 by oakville

[comatoast]

Oakville:

Ramona's attacks against the Countess were outrageous. Why would she accuse her of sleeping around while she was married to the count. 

 

Rumor has it...

 

Kelli seems to be more normal.

 

Give it time.

 

I am surprised she would pose for Playboy ?

 

Very surprising considering how "shy" she is. Also, because in bikini pics it looks like she might have the wrong kind of plumbing for Playboy.

 

Poor Alex between stuck between attending parties at Ramona's & Jill's in the Hamptons.

 

I think Simon and Alex enjoyed being torn between attending the two parties so much that if you listened closely, you could hear them singing, "They like us, they really like us!"

 

Ramona is very rude.

You'll never change your mind on that one.

 

Why would she ask Kelli if her breasts were redone? That' not polite.

 

While it most certainly is not polite, this is Ramona we are talking about. Also, a part of Kelly's storyline was her Playboy issue. She put it all out there. Even her lop-sided boobs.

 

I preferred the focus on each Housewives lives from Season 1.

 

Yeah, I did too. This is around the time (season 4, really) when the housewives shows shifted direction a bit. But season 3 is fascinating in its own very special way.

Edited June 26, 2015 by comatoast

[AnnA]

Jill let Brad loose because she has the same taste. Remember the "Cher" jacket from season one? I gotta admit, I loved Jill's apartment redo story line. Not that I love the tacky and would want my place decorated like that, but I love that RHONY (and Jill) used to give us that kind of material to snark about. Not since my visit to Graceland (pool room, anyone?) had I seen such an amazing display of bad taste. And the layers upon layers of decorations... Liberace La Cucarachi, indeed!

 

I think you should add the rennovation and redecorating that Alex and Simon did to your list of bad taste.  LOL

[comatoast]

I think you should add the rennovation and redecorating that Alex and Simon did to your list of bad taste.  LOL

Oh, The Bordello is number three after Graceland and Casa de Zarin. Their decor was just so edgy I cut myself watching.

[oakville]

I am very curious to see how the next seasons turn out. The show we saw tonight introduced Sonja Morgan.

She seems to be snobby.

Ramona was very rude to Jill @ the Kodak party.

[KFC]

I just rewatched the Brooklyn Fashion Week episode from S3. I'd almost forgot about Jill's threatening email to Kelly and how pissed Jill was when she thought Kelly and Bethenny were friendly. Jill really was a piece of work... it's saying something when Kelly comes across like the rational one.