S01.E11: Reunion, Part 1

[OnceSane]

Part 1 of the two-part Reunion.

[Betweenyouandme]

"How is the pilot's license going Lydia?"

"I love flying! It's great!"

Ok then. I see she's now a pilot, for sure!

And, I'm sure Andrea has changed all the internet trolls' hearts by explaining the facts.

I love Janet's hair! The shorter cut makes her look fresher.

Gina is so terribly guarded. It makes sense between the fact that's she's in law and also it would be nerve-wracking to be vulnerable around these women. However, when her guardedness reaches the level of saying she never uses the word 'moron' but then her use is right there on tape, and she uses it again at the reunion...her plan of defense is backfiring majorly. I still think she'd be a great friend if completely away from this situation, though.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Betweenyouandme

[Primetimer]

The Real Housewives of Melbourne gather around a non-Andy Cohen to discuss Gina, and that's about it.

Read the story

[TexasGal]

Whatever Andrea and Gina called Jackie - am I correct in assuming its similar to calling someone "poor white trash"?

I was glad Andrea read the frigging email finally. It doesn't sound like a threat to me. But, I'm a lawyer so I was parsing every word. ;)

[Blueeyedgirl]

Surprised all the ladies -- except Gina -- allowed themselves to be filmed without makeup when they arrived...I actually think they looked much younger without the makeup.  I was glad to see that they had makeup people doing them up...at least I know they didn't necessarily choose that level of being made up. 

Except of course, Gina.  Who arrived fully made up.  I have been a supporter up until now, but I would love to see her with less, or even none.  :)

Edited October 5, 2014 by Blueeyedgirl

[HunterHunted]

I've been fairly sympathetic towards Gina, but she came off fully obnoxious during the reunion. I feel like Chyka, Janet, and Jackie weren't gunning for her at the outset, but were by the time part 1 concluded. Gina did use the c word when describing Andrea and Lydia in the bathroom with Janet; she did use the word moron despite denying using it. I'm not surprised to learn that she used some oblique reference to body bags or cement shoes when talking about Jackie. Andrea fundamentally sucks, but she's not wrong about Gina being a vulgar person with a vulgar soul.

Poor Andrea. It must be hard to be so very rich and work two jobs. The first is running Liberty Belle. The second is humble bragging about hard she works.

Because both Lydia and I have flown for hundreds of hours, we are both now pilots. I feel like Lydia's got vaginal hubris.

[Lola43]

Andrea's skin was a little bumpy. I wonder of she uses any of the product she carries at Liberty Belle.

[Blueeyedgirl]

Oy, these women...

 

I was a supporter for Gina but she came off pretty badly in this reunion show.  The trash-talking of the other housewives was harsh, but the denial of it was worse: I get that may be a tactic she uses in the practice of law, but not a good idea when there is video evidence!

 

The email that Andrea read?  I am not a lawyer, but it didn't sound like Gina was threatening them. She sounded vaguely apologetic (vaguely) in the email, to me, and it was clear that her boyfriend was unhappy that his name would be mentioned. At all.  And in the context of some issue of calling his integrity into question -- maybe it was having an affair, maybe not.  But it was his issue.  She was letting them know it was happening, and I imagine let the ones who had mentioned his name specifically know... Yes, maybe it was a machiavellian move to make sure the women didn't talk about her relationship any more, but that is only if I make up and attribute motives to her, not the actual text of the actual email.

 

Lydia is ridiculous, and quite a shallow friend at that -- she says in the first episode that she considers Gina a dear friend, then immediately breaks a confidence with her by telling Jackie what Gina said (but not the whole context, mind you).  Then turns on her completely.  She is none too bright, either.  I'm happy to hear she has a great sex life, and I do get that some of the things she says are meant to be funny, but she isn't quite as intelligent and witty as you need to be to pull that off well. 

 

Do you think Andrew actually lets her call the shots at their new hotel?  And, was she wearing that see-through dress/coat she boat with her stepson to the reunion???

 

I have nothing to say about Andrea, she isn't worth my attention. Janet seems to blow where ever the wind will take her (I caught that reference, from Chykka maybe, that she can shop for whatever she wants now, I assume that is reference to her ex and divorce settlement).  Sort of a party girl -- wouldn't trust her with my deepest secrets, but she could be fun. 

 

I have shifted my opinion of Jackie -- I think she is not so very bright (despite the 'shine shine shine'), and not very cultured, but seems to love her husband and could also be fun.

 

And I want to hang out with Chykka and Bruce.  I hope they don't get a bad edit next season!

[Cosmic Muffin]

Hi, All! I'm a TWOPer who finally got my new registration sorted out. Did I see inch long roots on Lydia's hair? Or is that the new "ombre" thing I've heard about? It didn't look good. But I did just give her an opening (heh!) to make a joke about her hombre loving vag, so, you're welcome, Lydia. The last couple of episodes and this reunion are more satisfying given the spoilers about the cast changes. One down, one to go.

[ichbin]

Gina didn't do herself any favors, but she'd have to do a lot worse for me to dislike her as much as I dislike Andrea and Lydia.  I find watching Andrea highly entertaining though.  She acts out being outraged like a hammy stage actor. 

[psychoticstate]

Not only is Andrea an asshole but she's a stupid asshole to boot.  CC-ing someone on a letter is NOT the same as addressing it to them.  Someone needs to tell her that cc means "courtesy copy." 

 

The letter Gina sent was relatively mild and not threatening in the least. 

[Diane Mars]

I've got a question, because I'm surprised that nobody talked about it : did you have the "You're an insignificant asshair" aired ?

EDIT : typo.....

Edited October 6, 2014 by Diane Mars

[sunflowers83823]

You're an "insificant asshair" probably the best moment of the season...thank you for that, it made my day!

[QuinnM]

Interesting slant on the reunion.  I agree that Gina did herself no favors.  I don't blame her for being defensive but it might not have been the best tactic.  The clips they chose for the women were interesting.  I really wanted to see a montage of everyone telling Andrea she was wrong, wrong, wrong about her book.  Speaking of Andrea, she is delusional.  The Facebook and twitter that went on before the US airing was 100% against her.  It was more mixed once the US saw the series but in no way did she come off as anything but hated by the majority of online folks.  And I'm not talking about a small vocal (and insipid) set of 6 people with 60 sock puppets.  There are a lot of folks just telling her to clean up her act.

 

Andrea was not upset about begin sued.  She was upset about Gina dictating what she could or could not talk about.  That was obvious.  Now if Gina's partner did not sign disclosure then he's correct in dictating that he is not part of the storyline.  At least in the US it is.  Obviously the producers honored the request.  Too bad Andrea didn't insist no one talk about her book because then it might have sold a couple copies. 

 

Again, best dressed was Chyka.  And speaking of her she was staring at Andrea like she was a fool but the moderator choose instead to call out Gina.  So I guess that is the storyline.  Unfortunately they pushed Andrea too hard and she's gone.  But I have hope that Lydia stays as stupid as she is now and Jackie stays as rock star wifey as she is now and Janet has a couple more procedures to scrape off a year or too.  AND check out Gina.  That was a less severe make up application.  Luckily she is still loving the spray tan.

[amarante]

Just curious about whether the woman's accents reveal anything about their class, education etc. I am not familiar enough with the Australian accent but their accents do differ.

 

In the US, for example, the accents of some of the housewives are pretty revealing as are accents of course in the UK. 

 

Is that also true in Australia in terms of these women?

[demarti]

Fell asleep watching this twice last night. Glad I recorded it. Even though I really like Gina, they all come across as so boring to me. Except Jackie, I think she is in on the rediculousness of the Housewives in general and is playing along for fun. 

[Neurochick]

I didn't think I could detest Gina any more, but after the reunion, my opinion of her dropped even further.  I think something is psychologically wrong with her, either that or she's just a disgusting person.

 

First, the other women came on the show without make up; but Gina couldn't be seen without make up?  Give me a break, something's wrong there.  It's like Gina's wearing a mask and is afraid to be seen without it, and I don't think that has anything to do with her having cancer.

 

Sure Lydia is silly, but Gina had no right to say she has a prostitute's mentality.  I guess every woman who stays at home and takes care of the children while the man works, is a hooker, huh Gina?  I bet her partner didn't work in McDonald's and I bet she wouldn't date a man who worked in McDonald's either.  Nothing wrong with wanting to marry for money; a lot better than silly women I've known who married men for their muscles.  I think about some of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, who probably should have checked their husband's out to make sure they had a pot to piss in, I'm thinking of Cynthia Bailey.

 

What's with Gina and sex?  She thought it was disgusting for a middle aged woman like Lydia to talk about sex?  Please Gina, I guess she never has sex, I mean it would take at least three hours to get all that shit off her face, and she probably wouldn't' want to mess up her hair.

 

Also, what was with the email?  Her partner didn't want to be mentioned?  Why?  Is he married?  Is he a criminal?  Like it says in the Bible, "The wicked flee when no man pursueth."  I didn't get that about the email.  And Gina was even pissed at Chyka.  What was that woman on?

 

Andrea is disgusting too, she makes my skin crawl.

[demarti]

What's with Gina and sex?  She thought it was disgusting for a middle aged woman like Lydia to talk about sex?  Please Gina, I guess she never has sex, I mean it would take at least three hours to get all that shit off her face, and she probably wouldn't' want to mess up her hair.

 

 

 

 

 Can't picture ole Gina gettin' crazy in the sack! 

[AKA...CJ86]

Came out liking Jackie a lot more than I thought I would when the show originally aired and i only caught snippets.  Even if she is a shit-stirrer I still like Janet also, but she's hard to look at...

 

Andrea vs Gina...it's a contest of Vile-ness...to different degrees and I dislike both ladies...

[BucFan]

Why was the host wearing sunglasses on top of his head the entire time?

[fliptopbox]

Is this email everyone's all in a tizzy about available to read anywhere? I kind of half-assed watching the reunion so if they talked about it much I guess I missed it. But I would love to read it for myself and see what the big deal is.

[Duke2801]

Why was the host wearing sunglasses on top of his head the entire time?

 

 

He wanted to look like a douchewaffle?  Other than that, I can't think of any good reason.

 

I thought Janet looked the best I've ever seen her.  I don't know if she had more work done, or just had better makeup on, but her face looked so much smoother than throughout the season.   Still don't care for her personality, though. 

 

Andrea and Lydia were vile and Gina was .... well, Gina.  I don't hate her, but I can't warm up to her either. 

 

Chyka is still my girl! 

[Diane Mars]

Why was the host wearing sunglasses on top of his head the entire time?

Why it's something you do in Australia without giving the impression you're looking like a douchewaffle ?

[QuinnM]

The gossip from Australia was:

 

The email.  The producers did indeed fail to get any release document from Gina's partner.  They had no legal recourse if he decided to come after them.  They thought if they didn't use his name that they would be covered.  What they didn't plan on was him taking up residence in the US.  Suddenly they had two different sets of legal mumbo jumbo to contend with.  They just shut it down.  Andrea was livid since this was the story line that she and Lydia had decided to run with and without producer approval they weren't allowed to go ahead with it.  They knew the c*** thing would play lame in Australia since no one cares about that word there.  It did play better here in the US.

 

Lydia the ho.  Lydia's husband was not at all happy with the sex talk.  There were rumors that he wasn't going to allow his children from his first marriage in the next season and that Lydia would have guidelines.  I think this came from her talking about her stepsons having sex on the couch and dancing around in front of the one son in her bra.  Those rumors were already out there before the reunion which is why Gina went for that hot button with Lydia.

[Neurochick]

What's so bad about young men having sex on the couch?  And I thought we were puritanical in the USA.  

 

Thanks for the information about Gina's partner.  I wonder if he's married or into some illegal stuff.  Or maybe he just didn't want to be associated with a "Housewives" show.  Didn't Bethenny's first boyfriend, Jason, get fired because he was on Real Housewives of NYC?

[QuinnM]

What's so bad about young men having sex on the couch? And I thought we were puritanical in the USA.

I can't say what was in her husbands mind but discussing her stepson's sexual prowess, calling him a spunk in the episode after the flirty dress shopping trip with said son that culminated in bra dance - all the while being filmed. Yeah you'd have to be a real Puritan to have a problem with that.

[Duke2801]

Thanks for the information about Gina's partner.  I wonder if he's married or into some illegal stuff.  Or maybe he just didn't want to be associated with a "Housewives" show.  Didn't Bethenny's first boyfriend, Jason, get fired because he was on Real Housewives of NYC?

 

 

He's probably just a normal person who has seen other people's lives and careers be tarnished through association with this show. You can definitely find pictures of him and Gina by googling so I doubt that he's a married "Big Poppa" type. 

 

Yes, Jason did get fired because of his appearances on the show. 

[archer1267]

Loved how Andrea knocked Gina's apology last week as a non-apology...and then proceeded to offer Jackie the same kind of non-apology for her "cashed out bogan" comment ("I'm sorry if you were offended"). Twit.

 

Am I the only one who thought Bruce looked hot in that video? Rowr!

[Cosmic Muffin]

What does "a big spunk" mean in Australian English? I know what "spunk" is in American English, but the syntax isn't quite right (thank god!).

[QuinnM]

What does "a big spunk" mean in Australian English? I know what "spunk" is in American English, but the syntax isn't quite right (thank god!).

It means attractive, virile young. It is not the kind of thing a step mother should say. It kinda means prime beef.

[jimene79]

The bra thing was wildly inappropriate in my opinion. And I'm definitely not puritanical. Lydia is my least favorite because (1) she's so dumb, and (2) at least Andrea, gross as she is, made up her own kind with respect to Gina - Lydia is just a follower.

[pasdetrois]

Gina's being very stubborn. She might have apologized in other circumstances, but with multiple women piling it on, and on camera, she dug in her heels and refuses to budge. She's definitely got a bit of a trash mouth off camera, and she needs a makeunder. But Lydia and Andrea are so vile and stupid that I can't help siding with underdog Gina.

 

I have worked in television and news, so I understand Gina's partner's behavior to head off any attempts to become part of the storyline. Once it's out there it's hard to un-do. I completely agree with the theory that Andrea and Lydia were gleefully hoping to gossip about Gina and her partner, and bring her down a few pegs (I don't think they like her at all) and they are annoyed (or in Andrea's case, possessed) that they got shut down.

 

How long will Lydia's vapid sex kitten schtick play? As it is she resembles a wind-up talking sex toy, because there doesn't seem to be much connection between her brain and what comes out of her mouth. There's an art to being sexy and she's very cloddish about it.

 

So, who's having the affair that everyone keeps hinting at? Is it Gina's partner?

 

Didn't we already see Gina's blue sequined gown in earlier episodes? Strange that she wore it again instead of a new gown for the reunion.

 

Chyka looked fabulous. I love her short hair, because I'm tired of the Hollywood look, especially the horrid extensions.

[mothmonsterman]

I feel like the only reason Andrea added that she had won a Bvlgari handbag was so she could correct Gina's pronunciation of it.  Which is strange, because she pronounces Gina's name like "Giner."  

 

I liked the ladies dresses in "real time" much more than I did in the pictures.  All except Gina's, that was just a 1980's pageant train-wreck. She really does have bad taste.  It was nice that her makeup was toned down, but the colors for her were all wrong.  She actually seems to have a pretty face, you could see it more with the minimized makeup.

 

I think she is guilty of what some women do, they stick to the styles they had when they were in their teens or twenties.  But it just makes them look older and dated.  While in their minds it makes them look young.  They think, well, this is how I looked in my twenties, and I looked great back then, so I will go with what works.  At least, that is what I think they think, but who knows.  

 

I was looking at the ladies and Gina actually does not wear more makeup than the other ladies, she just chooses different colors, so it appears like more.  They are all wearing foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, powder, mascara, plush and concealer.  She may be the only one who goes nuts with the bronzer, though.

[larapu2000]

I loved Janet's dress! 

 

Yes, "bogan" is like "white trash" here.  I think Jackie won Round 1, because she was pretty concise about the times and events where Gina said/did something to her (like the cement shoes thing), and she stood up for her background and the so-called "bogans" these bitches turn up their noses at. 

 

I just cannot watch Andrea.  Her weird hand gestures drive me absolutely batty.

 

Chyka is the best.

[Cosmic Muffin]

I like Chyka too! I hope season 2 is good to her.

 

Thanks, QuinnM, for the clarification. In US English, someone who is spunky has pluck, or nerve, and goes and gets what they want. Spunk the noun can mean the same thing, but I think the main meaning of the noun spunk is the stuff men contribute to baby making.

 

So. I was concerned/confused about what Lydia was saying...

[Duke2801]

Oh ok yeah I was lost on the whole "bogan" and "spunk" thing too.  Thanks for clearing that up!

[QuinnM]

I was told by a guy that it meant attractive but I was told by a 16 yo female that it meant 'I'd hit that.' So even in Australia there is room for interpretation. That is one of the interesting parts of this series. Full disclosure, I saw a couple episodes in Sydney and when I came home I found a couple of snarky recappers that kept me up to speed. One of them made a lot of fun of Lydia's accent. So the way she talks must be out of the norm for an Aussie.

Speaking of accents, the Bulgaria pronunciation is interesting. Gina comes from a family of designers and in the past worked at the design house. I wonder if her pronunciation is an Italian thing.

[Neurochick]

Yes, "bogan" is like "white trash" here.  I think Jackie won Round 1, because she was pretty concise about the times and events where Gina said/did something to her (like the cement shoes thing), and she stood up for her background and the so-called "bogans" these bitches turn up their noses at.

 

I had wondered what "bogan" meant.  

Edited October 9, 2014 by Neurochick

[ThomasAAnderson]

I hate the way these bitches ganged up on Gina almost from the start. The only thing you can say against her is she needs a makeover. 

 

How can you know someone for 20 or 8 years and just turn on them for the sake of screen time. What horrible humans beings these people are. It would be an insult to dogs to call these women bitches. 

 

Gina is a better woman than I am because I would have long ago slapped the taste out of Andrea's mouth.

 

And "Shine, shine" is the stupidest tagline I've ever heard.  

 

I stopped watching around episode 6 because I couldn't take the pile on.

[Baltimore Betty]

I hate the way these bitches ganged up on Gina almost from the start. The only thing you can say against her is she needs a makeover. 

 

How can you know someone for 20 or 8 years and just turn on them for the sake of screen time. What horrible humans beings these people are. It would be an insult to dogs to call these women bitches. 

 

Gina is a better woman than I am because I would have long ago slapped the taste out of Andrea's mouth.

 

And "Shine, shine" is the stupidest tagline I've ever heard.  

 

I stopped watching around episode 6 because I couldn't take the pile on.

 I think you mean a make under.

 I am still giggling because the Aussies that I met recently had never even heard of this show!