S10.E18: The Reunion, Part III

[Jel]

One life lesson I learned pretty early is that people who don't have any friends usually don't have friends for a reason. That reason: they don't know how to be a friend. This is Rachel. 

Lots of people have social anxiety, and Rachel's seems pretty mild, as she is after all on a tv show, and has participated in the look at me -look at me world of beauty pageants for many years.  She may have discalculia or something, but she's not intellectually challenged or anything like that. I think her apparent "slowness" is a product of her social anxiety, which affects her reactions and causes her to freeze momentarily because it pretty much vanishes when she's comfortable with the people she's interacting with.

I'm a pragmatist, so i think she'd be best served by sitting with her feelings a bit and then carefully examining her own behaviors to see where she went wrong, understand why what she did was wrong, and what she could do to be a better person. Rachel is not the victim in this scenario, she is one of the perpetrators. The important thing for her is that she recognizes what she did wrong and then takes steps to ensure she never does that or anything like it again. She can recover from it if she's truly remorseful and makes a sincere, dedicated effort to change, but if she's going to keep on putting her wants and needs above those of others, it won't go well for her, imo.

 

[KungFuBunny]

2 hours ago, Drogo said:

I fucking hate Tom Sandoval. 

I agree that Tom Sandoval is piece of shit - where we disagree, is that I believe right next to Tom, is a pile of shit that is just as huge, and just as odiferous, and its preferred name is Raquel.

She's 100%

Scheananigans with Scheana Shay Podcast interview with Ariana Madix from March 6, 2018. Start at the 35 minute mark. Fun fact, Ariana worked as a Disney Princess. She tells Scheana how they were to refer to other Disney characters as being good friends. Ariana was good friends with Ariel, Princess Aurora, Cinderella, and Winnie The Pooh.

Another reason Raquel doesn't like Ariana

[Chatty Cake]

2 hours ago, Drogo said:

I know this video was created to make fun of her, but it makes me really sad.  

Does this seem like a healthy individual capable of independence?  Or like a 13 year old girl?  

I fucking hate Tom Sandoval. 

I have no problem laughing at these people and even at myself for watching them but this video is sad to me. I’m sure she’ll suffer more than him. She was wrong doing her friend like that but as an older man he should have had the balls to break up with Ariana first. I believe he enjoyed the sneaking around and now that he’s been busted, he’s already not as into Raquel if at all.

[Drogo]

15 minutes ago, Chatty Cake said:

I have no problem laughing at these people and even at myself for watching them but this video is sad to me. I’m sure she’ll suffer more than him. She was wrong doing her friend like that but as an older man he should have had the balls to break up with Ariana first. I believe he enjoyed the sneaking around and now that he’s been busted, he’s already not as into Raquel if at all.

And has no issue throwing her right under a bus.  While they’re both guilty of the affair-

She’s Pinky, he’s Brain.  He’s Scar, she’s Ed the hyena.

 

 

[KungFuBunny]

4 hours ago, Drogo said:

And has no issue throwing her right under a bus.  While they’re both guilty of the affair-

She’s Pinky, he’s Brain.  He’s Scar, she’s Ed the hyena.

 

 

In the last 5 minutes of her interview, Raquel basically threw Tom under the bus. He told me not to say…He’s going to be so mad…He’s the only one I have left. She’s painting herself as the victim again, and now Tom is the one victimizing her.

It couldn’t have been that bad for her since she sent him a letter, and then a postcard, and then spoke to him at least twice on the phone. It also can’t be that bad, since her parents are communicating with Bravo.

I think they’re both competitors in the Throw Him/Her Under The Bus Off and they’re neck and neck.

[Drogo]

1 hour ago, KungFuBunny said:

He told me not to say…He’s going to be so mad…He’s the only one I have left.

You see this as playing a victim, I see it as being a victim.  This is how a narcissist makes their supply feel.

1 hour ago, KungFuBunny said:

It couldn’t have been that bad for her since she sent him a letter, and then a postcard, and then spoke to him at least twice on the phone.

Lots of women who it was “that bad” and worse for continued to reach out to and stay with men who abused them. Trauma bonding. 

I’m just never going to believe Raquel wasn’t led like a lamb to slaughter here by a raging narc who knew she was too fragile for the backlash.  I hate him.

 

[ZettaK]

On 6/19/2023 at 3:23 PM, KungFuBunny said:

I found LVP gave Raquel more guff than Sandy. She is protecting Sandy because she is protecting TomTom. This is about business for her, not about the cast as people.

As for her forgiveness and compassion speech - I so wished that someone brought up Lucy Lucy and selling stories to the tabloids. Ask LVP, if she's forgiven Kyle and Dorit. Ask her if those things from RHBH are worse than your partner sticking his dick in your friends vagina.

LVP was fine for her many fans for as long as she was Lisa Rinna's supposed victim, and she was forced off of the BH HWs (she wasn't-LVP was given 3 Bravo shows, so she didn't care to be on the BH HWs anymore if she were not top dog), but the second she was a little neutral on the reunion she became public enemy mumber one. Some blogs, podcasts, social media, etc. convinced even some of her fans.

LVP doesn't need to protect TomTom. The Toms have no investment on the restaurant/lounge anymore.

Edited June 28, 2023 by ZettaK

[KungFuBunny]

At this point on the show Raquel had asked Tom Schwartz if he wanted to make out and he said know.

At the 7 minute mark

Raquel: Dude, I was so nervous to have that conversation with her. I knew that it was necessary just because, she’s gonna find out…eventually, and it would just be better, if it came from me, especially if she’s inviting me on a girls’ trip to Vegas. Then, I need to make sure that, like, we’re…

Everything is laid on the table, and she knows that, like, this happened, otherwise, I feel, like, I would be, like, hiding something from her, which wouldn’t sit well with me.

A pathological liar. So NOT a victim.

 

 

[princelina]

On 6/18/2023 at 7:31 PM, Maurina said:

The reality star added the comment had "nothing to do" with Madix's body, but rather how "unenthusiastic" she was toward the end of their relationship. As Sandoval explained, he meant it as "if somebody wanted to have sex with me and I just unzipped my zipper and said, 'Oh, hurry up.'"

This was exactly how I took his comment.  I just didn't think it was a good enough excuse for a months-long affair! 🙄

On 6/20/2023 at 12:25 AM, KungFuBunny said:

They were there and describe what they witnessed. They also describe the various fittings in their boutique where Raquel attended and how she didn't interact or seem to give a shit.

Because she was on her phone the whole time!  Which wouldn't look odd or rude to Scheana at all! 😄

On 6/20/2023 at 6:03 PM, KungFuBunny said:

 

Video below just posted a day ago on YouTube, LVP's stance on the ladies of BH hasn't changed. Now that is hypocritical

I would say "typical" 😉

[itsadryheat]

On 6/21/2023 at 1:21 PM, Jel said:

people who don't have any friends usually don't have friends for a reason. That reason: they don't know how to be a friend. This is Rachel. 

After listening to the Heather McDonald interview with Pol & Patrick KungFuBunny linked, my opinion that rachel is a famewhore, who would sell her soul for fame and has been working an agenda has been solidified. 

I also am curious about Ariana and Scheana's "deep friendship" with her. Pol & Patrick saw a lot of rachel throughout the years and never liked rachel and thought she was using James while working a plan. During the wedding and pre-wedding, rachel appeared disinterested, wasn't engaged, and was always on her phone. The only kind friend gesture I remember her doing was bringing flowers to Ariana the day after she had sex in the car/driveway with sandy. Now we know that was a ploy, not kind but disgusting.

Hopefully, Ariana and Scheana learned a thing about "friendship" as scandoval blurred real life and reality tv life. rachel is nobody's friend.

I continue to be suspicious about the crisis pr mental health facility.

[Judi Sunshine]

On 6/9/2023 at 7:15 AM, hoodooznoodooz said:

The more Sandoval vents, the more I see how much he resented Ariana.

Dressing up as Rachel for Halloween. Accepting Ariana’s help with regard to the costume.

Ariana wasn’t thrilled and grateful when he attempted to initiate sex. 

Ariana was more popular. Mutual friends were focused more on Ariana. Ariana wasn’t worshipping Sandoval 24/7. 
 

ETA: The T-shirt comment.
 

This affair was a big FU to her. 

Great points. Also, I'm sure her building the sandwich shop added to all of that, between her standing on her own, as well as not being around as much.

[hoodooznoodooz]

54 minutes ago, Judi Sunshine said:

Great points. Also, I'm sure her building the sandwich shop added to all of that, between her standing on her own, as well as not being around as much.

Yes! And Katie and Ariana were much more efficient and organized. It didn’t take them forever to set up. They didn’t agonize for weeks about wallpaper, etc. Sandoval must have resented that.

[KungFuBunny]

In the last 5 minutes of Reunion Part 3, Raquel lies about their Mexico Hookup being a one time deal

Video below, Scheana interviews her wedding planner. The wedding planner was in charge of all the events during their time in Mexico.She talks about what she observed

 

[Sweet-tea]

On 6/7/2023 at 9:52 PM, Lady of nod said:

I’ll just started watching and I can see that it’s gonna take me a very long time to get through this episode. These people are all horrible. I understand that Ariana is pissed but the vitriol coming out of her mouth it’s just disgusting.Really, she wishes Raquel all the worst things in the world. If this is how she is I can surely understand why Tom had to look outside the relationship for Someone else to spend time with. And Lauren and James sharpening their claws and licking their lips waiting for Racquel to come on so they could have someone to attack and tear to pieces. Who the fuck are they? Why are they so wrapped up in somebody else’s relationship.Andy who is supposed to be the moderator is as usual just allowing everybody to scream at the same time.All of them are in serious need of therapy and a reality check.

I agree. I didn’t think Ariana came off well at all. She was enraged, bitter and nasty. She is clearly not over it. She would’ve been better off sitting there silent most of the time. 

Having said that, Raquel was oddly detached and calm given all the vitriol being thrown at her. It made me wonder if she truly doesn’t care or was medicated. 

Quote

Like I’ve said, I was never a fan of hers but I could empathize with how humiliated, hurt, deceived and stupid she must have been feeling.

Adriana: "I WAS NOT HUMILIATED!"

Quote

Words hurt. Ariana’s vile attack was cruel and honestly I don’t know why I thought she was more mature than that. She’s not.  People have taken their life because of cruel words. I am shocked by the words spoken by an adult.  C*nt, wh*re, subhuman, “you are nothing..” I actually feel nauseous to have watched. 

Agree. It was horrible. Adriana could've expressed her outrage without speaking to Raquel like that. Calling her nothing and subhuman was the lowest of the low to me. 

I was surprised that someone on the Hulu special I watched about VR said Adriana has handled herself with "such grace." Give me a break. Nothing about Adriana's behavior has shown grace, at least not on the reunion shows. Her reaction was nasty and venomous. 

Edited January 6 by Sweet-tea

[ZettaK]

11 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

I agree. I didn’t think Ariana came off well at all. She was enraged, bitter and nasty. She is clearly not over it. She would’ve been better off sitting there silent most of the time. 

Having said that, Raquel was oddly detached and calm given all the vitriol being thrown at her. It made me wonder if she truly doesn’t care or was medicated. 

Adriana: "I WAS NOT HUMILIATED!"

Agree. It was horrible. Adriana could've expressed her outrage without speaking to Raquel like that. Calling her nothing and subhuman was the lowest of the low to me. 

I was surprised that someone on the Hulu special I watched about VR said Adriana has handled herself with "such grace." Give me a break. Nothing about Adriana's behavior has shown grace, at least not on the reunion shows. Her reaction was nasty and venomous. 

It's like people watching another show, or are huge stans. Ariana didn't show any grace.

[princelina]

At the time everyone was 100% Team Ariana so she got away with being as angry as she liked.  It's not going to last forever - it's already fading right here! 😄

[Chalby]

On 6/8/2023 at 7:31 AM, linger said:

Throwing around the word bullying, when it comes to Ariana, baffles me. One of her best friends, who she protected, defended, supported, and seems to have genuinely loved, was having a relationship with her boyfriend of 9 years. And doing crazy stuff like buying secret love necklaces & probing her about their sex life, etc. And Ariana had just recently been publicly blindsided. This, my friends, is where you F around & find out. It is not bullying to verbally decimate the person who so diabolically betrayed you in one of the worst possible ways. It’s a shame for Raquel that it had to happen in front of millions of viewers, but as goes the cliche, play stupid games, win stupid prizes. So now people are Team Raquel because Ariana said mean things to her? Yep, baffled.

It took me awhile to understand why I'm not upset with Ariana's attack on Tom and Rachel. I love your post and would like to add, Ariana was loyal to a fault to Tom. Even when he was so wrong in his view of a situation, she always walked that line between keeping her friends, yet supporting Tom in public.

Yet, behind her back Tom wasn't saying anything supportive and was busy gas lighting her and Rachel. 

So the reunion was her one and only time to publicly let everyone know that she is no longer protecting this idiot and helping clean up his idiot mistakes. 9 years of rage? She could have gone a lot harder.

[princelina]

Yeah I wouldn't call Ariana a bully for what she did - she had every right to be angry and mean to them.  I also understand why James was upset - he's never been the most mentally stable and he thought of Tom as a good friend.  The bully, as usual, is nasty old "Lala", who had no need to be going as hard as she did all through the reunion.

[Carolina Girl]

On 1/25/2024 at 3:59 PM, princelina said:

Yeah I wouldn't call Ariana a bully for what she did - she had every right to be angry and mean to them.  I also understand why James was upset - he's never been the most mentally stable and he thought of Tom as a good friend.  The bully, as usual, is nasty old "Lala", who had no need to be going as hard as she did all through the reunion.

On the rewatch, I think a great deal of Lala's outrage may have been projection onto Tom of everything she wanted to say to Randall but couldn't.  But frankly, considering how all these jerks were onboard once the Randall largesse was coming their way, Tom's going after her now is hypocritical.  And she is correct in her rebuff of Rachel's complaint about her having relations with James.  "I wasn't your best friend and I didn't like you."  

And I'm over Schwartz too.  I wasn't all that upset with James throwing that drink in his fucking face at the beach.  That was a bullshit nasty little remark to make.  

 

[princelina]

36 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

On the rewatch, I think a great deal of Lala's outrage may have been projection onto Tom of everything she wanted to say to Randall but couldn't.  But frankly, considering how all these jerks were onboard once the Randall largesse was coming their way, Tom's going after her now is hypocritical.  And she is correct in her rebuff of Rachel's complaint about her having relations with James.  "I wasn't your best friend and I didn't like you."  

And I'm over Schwartz too.  I wasn't all that upset with James throwing that drink in his fucking face at the beach.  That was a bullshit nasty little remark to make.  

 

Oh I definitely agree that last season did Schwartz no favors! Had that been the actual final season he would have gone out looking like the biggest jerk on the show!  Maybe he can redeem himself this year 😄 

And yes - I said somewhere around here that part of "Lala"'s jealousy, as seen in the previews for the new season, is because she never got her "Ariana moment" of publicly castigating Rand with the sympathy of the viewers, but that's because the viewers, for the most part, don't give a shit about her getting cheated on - you lose him the way you got him, honey 🙄

BTW - it just occurred to me that this is starting this week!! Am I right?  I'm embarrassingly excited!!!!😄

[snarts]

^to be fair, the exact same sentiment applies to Ariana with Tom. Golden Nugget anyone?

The real difference is Raquel's betrayal of Ariana, how she pretended to be such a good friend, all the while actively banging her man.

We've known Tom was a snake since since S2 :)

Edited January 28 by snarts

[Carolina Girl]

10 hours ago, princelina said:

BTW - it just occurred to me that this is starting this week!! Am I right?  I'm embarrassingly excited!!!!

Yep - Tuesday, I believe.  And I TOTALLY agree with your assessment of the Lala jealousy.  And I'm willing to bet there was a LOT of footage, judging from the disparaging snippets we've seen, where she goes after Randall.  But once Scandoval broke, the editors were kept quite busy editing the footage away from Lala and towards those Tom/Rachel moments.

By the way, apropos of nothing, rewatching the wedding (ick) in Mexico, and that moment where nasty little Rachel says "how about if I walk with TOM down the aisle" and the always nasty POS Scheana says "I have no problem with that", I notice that Ariana, who is sitting right there, does not rise to say "oh, come ON, just let it alone" or something to that effect.  She has nothing to say regarding deliberate hurt of her business partner.  And Ariana?  That scene alone should have given you a clue that Rachel was lower than snake spit.

 

[princelina]

4 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

By the way, apropos of nothing, rewatching the wedding (ick) in Mexico, and that moment where nasty little Rachel says "how about if I walk with TOM down the aisle" and the always nasty POS Scheana says "I have no problem with that", I notice that Ariana, who is sitting right there, does not rise to say "oh, come ON, just let it alone" or something to that effect.  She has nothing to say regarding deliberate hurt of her business partner.  And Ariana?  That scene alone should have given you a clue that Rachel was lower than snake spit.

Interesting - my only thing with that is that much of this show is pretty organic, in that they all are actually friends - or at least closer to that than the typical RH "friend group", as they call themselves.  But the Schwartz and Raquel thing seemed made up from the get go to add a little conflict - that whole "I should walk with him" was changed because "he doesn't know how to walk right" or something stupid like that.  So if Ariana knew it was all BS for tv and wouldn't happen anyway then I can see why she doesn't care 😄. And if not, Ariana was never a  real good friend to any of the girls anyway.

[ButterQueen]

On 6/9/2023 at 6:57 AM, RoseAllDay said:

This show should be over. It’s run its course. But Andy never seems to know when it’s time to stop.

I will say this about James — to me he was kind of a Greek chorus in his own juvenile way, calling out Sandoval’s sanctimonious assholery and hypocrisy. I don’t blame him for taking delight in Sandy’s fall —  man’s been strutting around and acting like he’s owned the world for far too long. 

I was hoping someone would shoot James with a tranquilizer dart.  I find him unbearable to watch and he acted revolting at the reunion.  I wish he would have been banned from returning after he stormed off the first time.  He has not one redeeming quality.  That whole reunion was a sh*t show and as usual, Andy lost all control.  I did chuckle at “My Cards!”   Ariana had a right to be upset, but she was downright vulgar.  I can’t imagine being friends with her.

[Carolina Girl]

On 1/28/2024 at 2:00 PM, ButterQueen said:

I was hoping someone would shoot James with a tranquilizer dart.  I find him unbearable to watch and he acted revolting at the reunion.  I wish he would have been banned from returning after he stormed off the first time.  He has not one redeeming quality.  That whole reunion was a sh*t show and as usual, Andy lost all control.  I did chuckle at “My Cards!”   Ariana had a right to be upset, but she was downright vulgar.  I can’t imagine being friends with her.

Agree 100%.  But my favorite moment, frankly was when Andy said to Schwartz "you know you have to move over one" and Ariana - who knows PRECISELY how Sandoval works, said "oh no - he doesn't move."  I wonder what Rachel must have thought when she first walked in and realized that she wasn't sitting next to the "coach." 

[ZettaK]

23 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

Agree 100%.  But my favorite moment, frankly was when Andy said to Schwartz "you know you have to move over one" and Ariana - who knows PRECISELY how Sandoval works, said "oh no - he doesn't move."  I wonder what Rachel must have thought when she first walked in and realized that she wasn't sitting next to the "coach." 

Well, I don't think that Sandoval would, or could tell Rachel anything with all the cast literally breathing on them, the cameras, the microphones, the TV crew, but Ariana didn't want them to sit right next to each other as a couple, second next to Andy Cohen, and Lisa Vanderpump, she wanted Rachel banished, as far as possible.

On 1/28/2024 at 12:14 AM, Carolina Girl said:

On the rewatch, I think a great deal of Lala's outrage may have been projection onto Tom of everything she wanted to say to Randall but couldn't.  But frankly, considering how all these jerks were onboard once the Randall largesse was coming their way, Tom's going after her now is hypocritical.  And she is correct in her rebuff of Rachel's complaint about her having relations with James.  "I wasn't your best friend and I didn't like you."  

And I'm over Schwartz too.  I wasn't all that upset with James throwing that drink in his fucking face at the beach.  That was a bullshit nasty little remark to make.  

 

I think James and Lala wanted to be popular with the crowds which supported Ariana. 

Edited February 6 by ZettaK

[Judi Sunshine]

Catching up later and as usual, this forum brings so much insight and interesting takes.

I think Ariana WAS mean, but I also can't imagine how she was feeling. I'm a big fan of hers and relate to her a lot when it comes to depression and anxiety struggles. And I personally think she does deserve her current success. As others have pointed out, many really talented people never get to be on Broadway. I used to pursue acting, not musical theater, but I know the game. Ariana is playing it well! And commercials? BANK.

Yeah she got these opportunities from the scandal, but she got on reality TV to begin with, which might not get people Oscars, but is still a huge get in the industry.

All that said, I've always had a soft spot for Raquel and bought a galaxy light because of her!

So really, I just wish the best for everyone involved. I'm so messy just existing, can't imagine living my life in front of cameras! Yeah I'd probably be less anxious about how much gas I can put in my car later, but still.

Oh and I meant to say in my post, even before Scandoval, I was truly impressed with Ariana and Tom's cocktail book. It is creative, funny, and downright beautiful. She was hustling for her sandwich shop (that I so want to go to!) before all this too. I think she seems like a very hard worker!!!