S01.E01: Welcome to Crappie Lake / S01.E02: Let the Follies Begin

[PrincessPurrsALot]

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Luann and Sonja arrive in the small town of Benton, Ill. to help rejuvenate the town; the ladies receive a warm welcome, but when they move into their rooms at the Motel Benton, they are shocked by the lackluster accommodations.

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With only a few days in Benton, Ill., under their belts, Luann and Sonja start working on their end-of-summer performance and have a wild night on the town where Sonja meets a potential love interest.

Original air date 2023.07.09

[Keywestclubkid]

Its literally the simple life rebooted and I’m here for it.. it was light and it was fun…  

Edited July 10, 2023 by Keywestclubkid

[mbaywife123]

This was fun! Sonja & Lu having a good (non-drunk) time and interacting with the locals without being rude or condescending was delightful.

They were also both delightful on WWHL with Andy just now and this is also the first I have enjoyed him as well in a LONG time.

 

[funnygirl]

Sonja and Lu are good tv. And they're team players. 

This show is a delight! So funny. Honestly, the most entertaining Housewives-related/adjacent content in awhile. 

[snarts]

Loved it. I laughed at Sonja's passing gas, Luann's blatant flirting with every man, the locals and their reaction to them.

Like others have mentioned, it was a simply good TV. I l look forward to more adventures and can't wait to see the Benton Follies.

[ZettaK]

8 hours ago, mbaywife123 said:

This was fun! Sonja & Lu having a good (non-drunk) time and interacting with the locals without being rude or condescending was delightful.

They were also both delightful on WWHL with Andy just now and this is also the first I have enjoyed him as well in a LONG time.

 

Yes, WWHL was great. 

[MaggieG]

I love that they seem to be enjoying themselves and aren't complaining. Ramona would never!

[QQQQ]

I went online to see where Benton is located and saw Poplar Bluff isn't too far away -- Charlene Frazier 😅😅

[Keywestclubkid]

This and her referring to her using her vibrator on her neck and “downtown” I was laughing so hard 

[Cosmocrush]

I didn’t have any plans to watch this until I came here to see what my fellow Howife snarkers had to say and I agree it’s actually fun/funny.  I’ve never seen Lu act this “normal” and of course by normal I mean not arrogant or rude.

This not the Luann of  “the lower level” lol.  However, Sonja is the same eccentric mess I’ve generally enjoyed.

I’m sure it’s been edited to death but I really don’t care because the result is pretty good.  I think that’s because according to Andy, he had nothing to do with producing it 😃.

[tvfanatic13]

Do people think they are really sleeping at that motel (serious question)? I mean, I’m not famous and I don’t think I would stay there. 

[ZettaK]

Luann said this in a confessional yesterday.

Edited July 11, 2023 by ZettaK

[lasu]

Count me in as another who enjoyed this.  I thought the things that Sonja and Lu were being "snobby" about were completely reasonable things to gripe about.   If anything, I thought the townspeople were the ones being ungenerous, though I'm sure a lot of that was producer manipulation.  There is also absolutely no circumstance where I'm going to drag a fish from water with my freakin' hands.  Absolutely not.

Did anyone catch if Lu was driving back again?  I only wondered because I think if she's driving, that means production believes she's truly not drinking, something often speculated about.  And good god, what a man eater!

I understand why everyone is comparing this The Simple Life, but to me, it's more Schitt's Creek!  The motel vibe, and then especially they way Sonja and Lu are dressed to the nines for everything, when we have absolutely seen them in jeans and other casual attire.

 

[J80134]

Sober Sonja and Lu are a great combo. They're all in to have fun and play it up.

Lu wears bikinis and shorts in the Hamptons, but in Benton she sweats in leather pants and sequined dresses because the show needs them to amp up the fish out of water theme. That is dedication!! LOL

Sonja is shameless and I'm here for it. Sure the vibrator on the bed felt scripted, but it was still an awkward moment that played out humorously. The hotel owner couldn't wait to get out of there.

[lasu]

41 minutes ago, J80134 said:

Sober Sonja

Sonja is drinking, isn't she?  She looked to me like she was getting that glazed over look she gets when she's drank too much when they were leaving the bar.  And she definitely had Veuve on the PJ (Lu had fose).

[eclectcmoi]

I have to give Luann props for doing the hand fishing.  I do not think I could do that!  Still love the wacky Sonia brings. Really enjoying the lightness and fun of this show.  It's perfect for summer watching. 

[Cosmocrush]

5 hours ago, lasu said:

Sonja is drinking, isn't she?  She looked to me like she was getting that glazed over look she gets when she's drank too much when they were leaving the bar.  And she definitely had Veuve on the PJ (Lu had fose).

Probably autocorrect but I don’t know what these are: Veuve, PJ, and fose?  

[lasu]

1 hour ago, Cosmocrush said:

Probably autocorrect but I don’t know what these are: Veuve, PJ, and fose?  

Veuve Clicquot was the champagne Sonja was drinking, Fose is Luanne's brand of no alcohol rose, and they were drinking those on the PJ, the private jet.  

[JAYJAY1979]

I wish the vacations on the housewife shows were more like the spin-off 'Welcome to Crappie Lake"... because when I watch the girls vacations on the franchises... I wonder to myself 'why would you consider these people your friends if all they do is cause drama and fight all the time'.

And I've stayed in a motel like that growing up.  When money is tight, you stay where you can afford to stay.

[heatherchandler]

On 7/9/2023 at 9:44 PM, mbaywife123 said:

This was fun! Sonja & Lu having a good (non-drunk) time and interacting with the locals without being rude or condescending was delightful.

They were also both delightful on WWHL with Andy just now and this is also the first I have enjoyed him as well in a LONG time.

 

Sonja is drunk the whole time.  And I can tell she’s on adderall or something similar.  

She’s trying to act like she’s STILL wealthy Mrs. Morgan.  She’s kind of pathetic and sad.

Luanne is much more likeable and fun, so far. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by heatherchandler

[hoodooznoodooz]

Lu’s jewelry is pretty horrible.

[Cosmocrush]

2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Lu’s jewelry is pretty horrible.

Some things don’t change, lol.

[ichbin]

9 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

Shes still trying to act like she’s STILL wealthy Mrs Morgan.  She’s kind of pathetic and sad.

 

This, this, this! Her whole schtick is sad and tired at this point. Still with what appears to be interns too! I simply don't get the "oh, she's so fun and wacky" feeling in regard to her.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

I found this so much fun.  It's lightweight entertainment.  It was nice to see Luann and Sonja without a bunch of screaming "housewives".  

The contrast between Lu and Sonja's rooms was great.  Sonja's looked like her suitcases had exploded. See what happens when she doesn't have her "interns", a.k.a. children of people she knows that are looking for reduced cost housing in Manhattan? 

Lu is in seriously good shape.  I liked that she admits to working out and wasn't concerned about showing muscle to the firefighter.  

Sonja was drunk at the bar.  No surprise there. However, since it is just her and Lu, there is no other drunk housewife to shame Sonja for drinking.  I did  enjoy Lu asking why the man had a huge "Richard" tattoo on his back.  It's "Ree-shard!"  She is such the French speaker!  

[lasu]

Also, Lu, it's a KAzoo, not a WAzoo.  

[hoodooznoodooz]

I wish that they would not film/air in high definition. They are both very attractive. Less so in high definition. Sonja’s eyes are making me sad. She should not rely on liposuction to maintain a nice silhouette. The medical risks are scary.

Lu said on WWHL that, of all the RHoNY housewives, Frankel has the worst taste in men.

Lu kept quoting herself to answer Andy’s questions. Doy.

[heatherchandler]

11 hours ago, ichbin said:

This, this, this! Her whole schtick is sad and tired at this point. Still with what appears to be interns too! I simply don't get the "oh, she's so fun and wacky" feeling in regard to her.

Yeah she’s not wacky she’s drunk and high.

You can tell when she’s super wasted, she does the duck lips/half-closed eyes.  And then she starts her weird braggy babble.

Also the plane they were in wasn’t a private jet, it was a puddle jumper and it’s to get from a large airport to Benton, and probably $100 per person at most.  With the broken plastic champaign glasses.  Sonja was like, “I’m not used to this..  anymore…” and you can tell she caught herself, she wanted to be sure people know she once took private planes.  NO ONE CARES!!

 

[mytmo]

Sonja hooking up with the guy with his name tattooed on his back was hilarious.

[RedInk]

10 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

 Sonja was like, “I’m not used to this..  anymore…” and you can tell she caught herself, she wanted to be sure people know she once took private planes.  NO ONE CARES!!

 

I was going to comment the same thing! 
Also, I think it’s kind of sad that Sonja does this rich-lady-slumming-it schtick when there’s really little significant class difference between her and the men she’s playing to. She even does all the crass performative stuff that I *think* is intended for the viewer to assume she gets away with because of status, or maybe because she assumes it endears her to the “common” people, but it just looks like a tacky person doing tacky things. 

ETA: Class/status is a meaningless thing to me and most people, anyway. I don’t mean to imply otherwise 😉 But she clearly thinks she’s on another level. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by RedInk

[hoodooznoodooz]

36 minutes ago, RedInk said:

I was going to comment the same thing! 
Also, I think it’s kind of sad that Sonja does this rich-lady-slumming-it schtick when there’s really little significant class difference between her and the men she’s playing to. She even does all the crass performative stuff that I *think* is intended for the viewer to assume she gets away with because of status, or maybe because she assumes it endears her to the “common” people, but it just looks like a tacky person doing tacky things. 

ETA: Class/status is a meaningless thing to me and most people, anyway. I don’t mean to imply otherwise 😉 But she clearly thinks she’s on another level. 

Yes, I think most of these Benton residents have more in their bank accounts and a much higher credit rating than Dame Morgan.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Luann did a clueless thing when she suggested that the hotel owner would get her bins, etc. to help per organize.  He's not a concierge at a 5 star hotel. Methinks he could tell her where Target or Walmart are.  I would enjoy Luann at Walmart.  After all, she's wearing a Sonja Morgan original in her talking heads.  She can find similar quality products at Walmart for lower prices. 

[ladle]

On 7/12/2023 at 1:05 PM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

Sonja was drunk at the bar.  No surprise there. However, since it is just her and Lu, there is no other drunk housewife to shame Sonja for drinking.  I did  enjoy Lu asking why the man had a huge "Richard" tattoo on his back.  It's "Ree-shard!"  She is such the French speaker!  

But also... like... he has his own last name tattooed on his back? LOL. You do you, sir! 

I echo what others have said about this show being delightful! I went in thinking it would be a hackneyed reality-TV retread of Schitt's Creek, and I was so pleased to find it to be so wonderful. 

I remember reading a while back an interview with someone who worked in production, and they listed LeeAnne LuAnn as one of the HWs who was the most consistently kind and gracious with the crew (I believe Ramona and Vicki G. were on the other end of that spectrum). At the time it didn't really track, but I can see it now.

I love how game both she and Sonja are for all of the adventures! 

[J80134]

On 7/11/2023 at 9:24 AM, lasu said:

Sonja is drinking, isn't she?  She looked to me like she was getting that glazed over look she gets when she's drank too much when they were leaving the bar.  And she definitely had Veuve on the PJ (Lu had fose).

You're right. More sober than usual Sonja would be a better description 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

22 hours ago, ladle said:

But also... like... he has his own last name tattooed on his back? LOL. You do you, sir! 

I echo what others have said about this show being delightful! I went in thinking it would be a hackneyed reality-TV retread of Schitt's Creek, and I was so pleased to find it to be so wonderful. 

I remember reading a while back an interview with someone who worked in production, and they listed LeeAnne LuAnn as one of the HWs who was the most consistently kind and gracious with the crew (I believe Ramona and Vicki G. were on the other end of that spectrum). At the time it didn't really track, but I can see it now.

I love how game both she and Sonja are for all of the adventures! 

Reee-shard's RICHARD on his back is supposed to be like having a name on a jersey. so, yeah, there's that.  I loved LuAnn's laugh when she asked why he had Richard tattooed on his back.  

I am glad you brought up that she is known for being kind and gracious with the crew.  While we have seen her be very pompous (please have the driver call me Countess), she is generally kind if sometimes clueless.  I think the big difference is that while both LuAnn and Sonja  come from humble beginnings, Sonja acts like she was to the manor born.  She is a Morgan, dammit!  She should be catered to!  She no longer comprehends how to pick up her clothes! Where are her interns?!?!?!  LuAnn can put on airs and often does, but she also remembers to be kind to people and shows appreciation without it feeling like noblesse oblige.

[QQQQ]

I just posted a link to an interview with Lu and Sonja under the media thread. They actually cover a few of the topics raised here - Lu's driving, staying at the motel for 6 weeks, etc. It might contain some spoilers as they mention activities on upcoming episodes, although we're not talking about Citizen Kane so... 

[EtheltoTillie]

Luann:  "Coming from a cabaret background . . . "  bwa ha ha

 

[Sweet-tea]

Just found the show the other day. Haven't watched it yet and wanted to check the reviews here first. Sounds like it's fun so I'm going to check it out. 

I wonder why they did a total reboot of RHNY if they were going to use Sonja and Luann on this show? Sounds like they still see value in them. 

[Cosmocrush]

2 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

Just found the show the other day. Haven't watched it yet and wanted to check the reviews here first. Sounds like it's fun so I'm going to check it out. 

I wonder why they did a total reboot of RHNY if they were going to use Sonja and Luann on this show? Sounds like they still see value in them. 

I don’t think Andy values them so much; he had nothing to do with this show.  It’s a producer from Benton that created the idea for this show; clearly someone who still sees value of Luann and Sonja on screen.  

[EtheltoTillie]

4 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

Just found the show the other day. Haven't watched it yet and wanted to check the reviews here first. Sounds like it's fun so I'm going to check it out. 

I wonder why they did a total reboot of RHNY if they were going to use Sonja and Luann on this show? Sounds like they still see value in them. 

I think they couldn’t find a way to make it work with a mix of younger cast members. 

Edited July 16, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[ZettaK]

On 7/16/2023 at 1:36 PM, Cosmocrush said:

I don’t think Andy values them so much; he had nothing to do with this show.  It’s a producer from Benton that created the idea for this show; clearly someone who still sees value of Luann and Sonja on screen.  

Andy Cohen said on WWHL that he loves the show, and he thought the first two episodes were great (even if he was not involved). It's obvious Bravo appreciates the OGs seeing that it gave a lot of money to some former NYC HWs to film for a week for the next Ultimate Girls Trip. 

Edited July 17, 2023 by ZettaK

[ladle]

I wonder what happened to the legacy RHONY series they were originally planning on doing for Peacock (in addition to the RHONY reboot with the new gals)?

[Salacious Kitty]

1 minute ago, ladle said:

I wonder what happened to the legacy RHONY series they were originally planning on doing for Peacock (in addition to the RHONY reboot with the new gals)?

They're doing an Ultimate Girls Trip. 

[ladle]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

They're doing an Ultimate Girls Trip. 

Oh I know but I thought there was supposed to be a whole series. 

[Salacious Kitty]

24 minutes ago, ladle said:

Oh I know but I thought there was supposed to be a whole series. 

Nope. Talks for that fell through. UGT was the compromise.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Folks, Please take any further discussion about RHONY over to that forum.  This is the place to enjoy Crappie Lake. 

[RealHousewife]

The show is fun! LuAnn and Sonja are two of the most entertaining Housewives.