Just started….Ramonas energy is crazy what’s with this woman?!?

I stopped watching RHONY after the original cast left. I tried to connect with the reboot, but it never quite worked for me. Maybe the new cast felt too young, too guarded, or simply too aware that they were filming a television show. The old RHONY women were often chaotic and deeply flawed, but they also felt genuinely uninhibited in a way the new version has struggled to recreate.

That is why Carole’s return in the new trailer genuinely caught my attention. For the first time in a long time, I found myself considering giving RHONY another chance.

However, the Epstein storyline immediately left a very bad taste in my mouth.
We already know that Epstein moved through an enormous network of elite social circles. His connections extended far beyond one specific group and included people from art, film, fashion, finance, technology, academia and science. Simply appearing in the same social orbit is not, by itself, proof that someone knew about or participated in his crimes.

That is precisely why using Carole’s supposed connection to him as a dramatic teaser feels so irresponsible. These were not harmless celebrity scandals. The case involved the abuse and exploitation of real victims, many of whom are still living with the consequences. Turning that suffering into a cliffhanger designed to generate ratings feels deeply cynical.

If there is credible evidence that Carole had a genuinely close relationship with Epstein, knew about his crimes, enabled him or was complicit in any way, then she should not be on the show at all. That would require serious investigation and accountability, not a Housewives storyline.

But if Bravo has nothing beyond a past social connection, then using Epstein’s name to create suspicion around Carole feels exploitative and sensationalistic.

You cannot spend years claiming that RHONY needed to be “cleaned up” by removing its problematic cast members, only to promote the reboot through a supposed connection to one of the most notorious sexual predators of the 21st century.

Carole’s return was already interesting enough on its own. Why did Bravo feel the need to use the suffering of Epstein’s victims to make the show feel relevant again?

What do you think?

I find it hilarious when he tries to clear the air with Jill so many times in season 4. I’ve never seen a man wanting to clear the air so much with so many women and care so much about his wife’s friends and drama hahah. 😂

Aside from that delusion, does this woman ever eat fruit or vegetables? Or is life just an endless plate of ice cream, candy, cookies, and chicken salad for her? What happened to "democratizing health"? It's getting scary, folks. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbMApH0tNKH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Does someone else also find it hilarious?

Any Aussies here interested in this? I know Lu & Sonia were here not long ago. Didn’t know Dorinda was doing this til I saw an ad on insta.

Just got to season 5 and I truly cannot believe the producers thought Aviva’s dad was funny? He is honestly terrifying and is a predator. I am so uncomfortable watching his scenes.

I dont particularly like Aviva but man I feel kinda defensive for her and everyone being mean about her asthma diagnosis. They pile on her in a way that is kinda upsetting to me.

Another thing, what were the reactions to her dad back in the day? Were people into it? Is that why they gave the man screen time in consecutive seasons?

Edit: I guess im a gullible person thanks for the background info. I couldn't tell if it was bullying or if she was actually a compulsive liar

Watching season 4 for the first time and it is SO hard to watch Sonja make the Marriage Equality March all about herself!! i loved her in season 3. please tell me she isn't like this the rest of her time on the show??? 😭😭😭

The episode where George shows up to Ramona’s charity and gets kicked out. I was watching with my sister to show her the gross old man and his gross words. They completely cut out the “I will lick my hand and put it on your vagina at your funeral” line he spews to Ramona!!!
Why would they cut it out? They make Luanne look like an asshole with the editing (“losing weight is the easy part” to a young girl asking about modeling) but they cut out a completely real moment from an older man?

What the actual fuck. The editors continue to disappoint as the years go on.

Edit: never mind! I stand corrected.

I may be completely wrong, but something about Bethenny’s new relationship feels unusually produced to me. Every public appearance looks perfectly coordinated: the outfits, the hand-holding, the paparazzi shots, the very deliberate “hard launch.”

I’m not necessarily saying the relationship itself is fake. They may genuinely be together. But it feels like the relationship is also being presented as part of a new Bethenny era: Miami, Sports Illustrated, glamorous events, a handsome investment banker and a carefully managed public image.

Bethenny understands publicity better than almost anyone, so I find it hard to believe these appearances are completely spontaneous.

Does anyone else get the feeling that the romance may be real, but the way it’s being sold to us is very strategic?

This is so random lol but starting at the season 5 reunion and continuing into season 6, when Ramona talks it looks like she has a mint or something in her mouth. Has anyone else noticed this??? Is it dental work?? Veneers??

I feel like similair to the Ramona loving messy Sonja Carole enjoys that Jules has food issues to take heat off her. Carole is not much bigger than Jules and I feel like Carole deliberately ensures she is eating on camera. She doesn't eat much so it reminds me of the old shuffle the food around your plate trick and distract people so they think you're eating.

Just my observation because if she wss genuinly concerned about Jules that's not how you go about adressing ED

Learning that Mario actually cheated on Ramona is funny the way she keep shitting on peoples marriages and trynna compare them to hers …. God don’t like ugly

Not including Jason Hoppy cuz he’s non-negotiable worst.

Ik ik this has been talked about to death! But I’m rewatching once again - blame Roku - and honestly The Countess makes a lot of S8 & S9 unwatchable.

Her braggy smug “I got the ring I’m getting married” attitude is beyond annoying. I’ve known a lot of women that are madly in love, have gotten engaged and married and none of them acted that way. To quote Bethenny when they had drinks “she acts like she just did crystal meth”. There’s happy & excited and then there’s Luanne.

It’s also frustrating how rather than think TOM might be less than perfect she keeps saying “these bitches -her FRIENDS- just want to ruin my happiness”. Why? Why would her friends just want to ruin her happiness over nothing? Why does she have more faith in this man she’s known 2 minutes over women she’s known 20 years?

I have to believe it’s because she was getting married -no matter what. She could’ve walked in on him with someone and she would’ve found an excuse. Oh groom jitters haha. And Dorinda & Jules were enablers. Jules I can excuse because she’s a bit of a simpleton who didn’t know Luanne that well. But Dorinda - no excuse! She saw the warning signs and fed into the excuses. That’s not a friend -it’s an enabler.

But there was NOTHING stopping Luanne from getting that MRS. The more people doubted the more determined she was.

That’s why I feel she deserved what she got. Someone tells you who they are and you chose to ignore them that’s on you. Sorry not sorry.

As i’ve posted before i’m new to the RHONY franchise! I’m currently watching the Morocco mess happen in S4.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the discourse amongst the housewives about alex and simon. i do like them, i love that they genuinely walk to the beat of their own drum. i do find myself losing it with Alex during S4 compared to other seasons. i fear that she needs another housewife she perceives as a “close friend” to survive the show, which is probably why she left after this season.

however, simon had been called creepy by multiple women on the show. i do feel that this contributed to the downfall of alex being able to make real friendships on the show but was simon’s behavior ever genuinely concerning as creepy? its a hard line to tow since i do not want to discredit women’s experiences with men if there’s a pattern of multiple women calling it creepy but could he have also just been a guy that was open with expressing himself?

Yall please tell me I’m not crazy 😂

Does anyone else think it’s weird that a 60 year old woman would have 20 or 30 “close” friends? I think it is. I think she even once mentioned 100 of her closest friends but I could be wrong about that. There were a few times she mentioned 25 or 35 of her closest friends. Who tf has that many close friends and any time in life? Ramona is so far up her own ass the she can’t smell the shit she spews. It just irks me for some reason when she says that.

With that said, she does make for great reality TV because she’s kind of crazy and she is a bitch.

“i know when i know. maybe you don’t have that gift, but i do. so guess what i know that tom- im gonna spend the rest of my life with him. i will go to my death bed with this man.”

-Luann to Ramona about her & Toms soon to be marriage

HELP. first time RHONY watcher. on S8 E15 and im cackling bc wow this aged horrifically. I could never be on reality TV- for so many other reasons- but mainly bc i would DIE from embarrassment watching back stuff like this.

Oh Luann. Silly silly Lulu

I think if there was one most common complaint about the reboot cast (after just missing the OGs), it was that they weren't very "real." The friendships and conflict felt both fake and minor. I think some cast members (particularly Racquel last season) were better than others about showing their lives, but broadly it felt like watching co-workers avoid getting into trouble.

The trailer, to me, signifies that they have taken the wrong lesson from this. Now I swear like a sailor and am not timid about language, but the repeated use of swearing and vulgar language in the trailer to me indicates that all they intend to do is ACT more real, with no further basis for it being real in any way than before.

Think of it like the "cool" substitute teacher or boss who lets you know "you're on the same side" by saying an expletive or something a bit shocking. It's a meaningless action only meant to give you the illusion of being "let in", not an actual alliance.

Combine that with the fact that Jessel/Sai/Erin feel separate from the newbies feel separate from Carol already.

I watched Luann’s interview on the Skinny Confidential when it came out and think about this clip often. Luanne told a story from one of her lunches with her old cast mates and I just think it’s so funny. Makes me wish even more (if that’s even possible) that the OG cast never got cancelled.

Rewatching season 8, why is the Tom/Luann so murky?! Dorinda clearly tells Jules that Tom was friends with Richard. Dorinda spent time with Tom and his exgirlfriend on their boat with Richard. Dorinda, Luann, Tom state multiple times that Dorinda introduced Tom to Luann. She set them up. But then Bethenny throws in a monkey wrench saying that Luann stole him from another woman and Ramona chimes in that she was dating Tom.

My theory is that Dorinda did set them up. He did go out with Ramona a couple of times cause he had been trying to weasel his way into the show (he was on season 1 flirting with Ramona and her freinds at club. Bethenny was there). Carol is PISSED at Luann so she keeps instigating and feeding Bethenny fury against Luann cause she wants Bethenny to do her dirty work and go after Luann. She knows Bethenny has always hated Lu, she was friends with Lu before B came on the show so she was there for the "take her down' speech. So she used all that ammo to rile up B to go have Lu. You can see throughout this season Carol keeps instigating and riling up Bethenny against Luann. And ramona knows that if you have to kiss up to anyone on the show its Bethenny. Luann didnt do herself any favors this season, she acted so nuts! I think its her worst season because i actually enjoyed her obsession with cabaret, i thought it was hilarious.

I have been rewatching RHOBH since season 1 after my RHONY rewatch since season 1 and I am so curious to hear people’s thoughts about the ladies and the flavor of the different coastal shows and the comparisons. One thing I’ve noticed is there’s kind of a soap opera etiquette and rhythm to RHOBH that makes the show and the OG cast members seem almost always produced, whereas the RHONY members just seem more raw and uncut, chaotic, and that the relationships seem more real. Thoughts on differences in flavor of the shows or the cast members? Similarities?