My top 32 favourite Real Housewives of ALL TIME: room for MORE?

I really need to get into OC. My OCD nature means that I always start at S1 and abandon 2 episodes in, but as @wurst has already outlined, it's probably best to start at S3..
 
wurst said:
I imagine people watching on a weekly basis would have been more struck with the quirky Bree Van De Kamp elements of Heather's persona than her dark side.
She was probably quite an aspirational figure to a lot of viewers, especially when surrounded by such a sea of hot garbage cast mates :D
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That's exactly it, yes!

And she knew it, too :D
 
Suedey Baby said:
I really need to get into OC. My OCD nature means that I always start at S1 and abandon 2 episodes in, but as @wurst has already outlined, it's probably best to start at S3..
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I would go one further and say it's probably best to start at season 4. That's really when the women all start doing scenes together and the friction starts with the arrival of Gretchen.

As much as Vicki is the OG of the OC (or was :eyes:) and Tamra was instrumental in making it the show it is today, it's the arrival of Gretchen in S4 that ushered in the new era of things.
 
I started Beverly Hills way back as it aired in 2010, and I didn't start Orange County until 2018. But I can't recomment OC enough to any Housewives fan.

In fact, if I were only able to watch either s4 to s10 of BH or s4 to s10 of OC for the rest of my life, I'd choose OC. :o
 
You know, I loved S1-S5 of BH but S6 was so boring. I gave up after the episode with the tiny horse present thing for LVP's husband :manson:
 
I do still enjoy Beverly Hills a lot. But seasons one to three was the show at 100. The only way was down really.
 
Suedey Baby said:
You know, I loved S1-S5 of BH but S6 was so boring. I gave up after the episode with the tiny horse present thing for LVP's husband :manson:
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It never recovers - you’re not missing anything.

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Suedey Baby said:
I really need to get into OC. My OCD nature means that I always start at S1 and abandon 2 episodes in, but as @wurst has already outlined, it's probably best to start at S3..
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TBH I'd probably say start at season 9 when Shannon joins, and buckle up for the WILD RIDE that are seasons 9-11, and then stick around for 12 which has the ludicrous trip to Iceland with Vicki's hungover trip to hospital :D

Then you can either choose to start with the earlier seasons and meet Alexis and Gretchen, or carry on moving forward to meet Emily and Gina :zombie:

But if you're SUPER OCD probably start at season 4. Season 1 and 2 in particular are actively HARD TO WATCH on a practical level as they were filmed so badly :D
 
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Although I haven't watched it in AGES, but doesn't season 8 basically start with Heather Dubrow pulling up to buy a HUGE PLOT OF PLAND on top of a hill overlooking the OC where Chateau Dubrow is going to be built? Possibly with Gretchen (or was it Tamra?) as her REAL ESTATE AGENT?

Quite a prophetic entrance for the puppet-master ON HIGH! :disco:
 
I watched the first two seasons of OC but skipped ahead to S5 without feeling I'd missed much at all. And the Gretchen backstory was more or less covered in the opening eps. The one thing I do note compared to the other franchises is there is nobody to root for, they are all hateful awful people. Each show needs a Robyn or Kandi IMO but this lot are like a cast of Lisa Rinna's who'll stab each other in the back if it means getting an extra second more screentime.

And don't get me started on Slade Slimey Smiley aka the thirstiest man in RH history.
 
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wurst said:
Although I haven't watched it in AGES, but doesn't season 8 basically start with Heather Dubrow pulling up to buy a HUGE PLOT OF PLAND on top of a hill overlooking the OC where Chateau Dubrow is going to be built? Possibly with Gretchen (or was it Tamra?) as her REAL ESTATE AGENT?

Quite a prophetic entrance for the puppet-master ON HIGH! :disco:
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It was Tamra, yes!

And a prophetic entrance indeed - no doubt orchestrated by the great lady herself.
 
Frozen said:
The one thing I do note compared to the other franchises is there is nobody to root for, they are all hateful awful people. Each show needs a Robyn or Kandi IMO but this lot are like a cast of Lisa Rinna's who'll stab each other in the back if it means getting an extra second more screentime.
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A million times this.

Though actually, that's kinda why I didn't hate s13 and s14 as much as everyone else seemed to. Emily, Braunwyn and to a (much) lesser extent Gina all seem like regular people that you can root for. At the very least they're a breath of fresh after the wives that came before them :eyes:
 
Oh god I have been DREADING this write up, as there is SO MUCH TO SAY - by all means PLEASE fill in any blanks that I miss :D

08: Bethenny Frankel - Real Housewives of New York
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If we were to do a STRAW POLL of the most popular Housewife of all time with general viewers of the franchise, I'm pretty sure Bethenny (or Nene Leakes) would come out quite a considerable top.
Bethenny more than any other Housewife is the living embodiment of the American dream. She's a cinderella story come true to life, and if ANY Housewife is going to end up in the White House I'd put every penny I have on it being Bethenny.
To a huge amount of Housewife viewers I'm sure she is highly aspirational AND inspirational and is undoubtedly one of the true break-out stars of the Housewives franchise, at least in the States.

Bethenny is the Carrie Bradshaw of New York (despite as much as Carole THINKS she is :eyes: ).
She's the anchor to the show, she's the narrator, the Greek chorus, the SkinnyGirl empire maven, at the epicentre of a LOT of the show's feuds and storylines, and also frequently the mediator and voice of reason between the other women.

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Bethenny also gives some of the best talking head/confessionals of ANY WOMAN on ANY Housewives franchise - give her a topic and she will give you a three line snappy response about it - to the point where it sometimes feels a bit TOO MUCH and suffocating. Bethenny is clearly highly-intelligent, and it sometimes feels like her brain is about to escape through her EARS from too many witty thoughts swirling around her head - she reminds me a lot of Vanessa Feltz in that sense :D

Many people online have stated that the non-Bethenny seasons of New York (4-6,12) just don't feel the SAME without her, and whilst I don't QUITE agree - it's undeniable that the strongest seasons all have her in them, and that seasons 7-11 are potentially the strongest, and longest, stretch of high-quality Housewives episodes known to celluloid.
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POTTED HISTORY: Bethenny starts the show as the underdog selling SkinnyGirl muffins in WholeFoods, is incredibly down to earth and relatable and absolutely has the audience on her side AT ALL TIMES - she speaks the truth, and isn't afraid to say it.
Things happen, her popularity soars, and she exits after season 3 to record her own wedding-focused solo show (Bethenny Ever After) and her own Tyra Banks-style talk show.
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The talk show gets AXED, and Bethenny makes her glorious return in season 7.
It really WAS a glorious return. I didn't even WATCH Housewives at the time, and I was somehow aware Bethenny was back on the show - the internet chitter-chatter was ABLAZE.
Season 7-11 happen and are incredible, then Bethenny leaves days before season 12 is due to start due to other projects - which include her genuinely life-changing & worthwhile charity work with her B Strong initiative, and various other flop TV shows that probably won't make it to air. {/END]

Whilst Bethenny's "humble" origins are allegedly not QUITE as she presented on the show (it's strongly rumoured she was born into privilege, and played it down on the show) my favourite thing about Bethenny is that she is always REAL, and I stand by that 100%.
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Bethenny has said on record that if she's on the show (Housewives) she wants it to seem and feel REAL at all times, and I think this is her greatest strength as a Housewife. She genuinely picks up and cultivates relationships with these women when she is on the show, takes an active(ish) interest in their lives, and hangs out with selected members of the cast off-camera. It's a big reason why I feel people often see New York as the "realist" of the Real Housewives, and Bethenny is a big part of how that came to be so.

The relationships with the other women are VAST, and with the 10,000 character count limit moopy has :eyes: I literally cannot cover them all, so I'm going to try and get through a few, and DISCLAIMER: I'm going to GLOSS OVER season 3's Scary Island as it really deserves it's own write up in itself:

JILL ZARIN:
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The Bethenny/Jill relationship is one of the SADDEST of all Real Housewives for so many reasons, mainly because it really didn't have to turn out like it did, and now Bobby Zarin is dead :(

Jill and Bethenny were genuine best friends in season 2. They build a friendship on-screen that is SO CLOSE I can't recall anything else like it on a Housewife show - closer than Brandi/Stephanie in Dallas, closer than Kim and her sister in BH when speaking. Jill's (amazing) mum Gloria even forcibly invites B to join her family in season 2, as B has no real family of her own to speak of :(
What happened? Jill sold Bethenny out to the press for storylines.
It's SO HEARTBREAKING to watch on season 3, as it's a mistake Jill never ever recovers from and totally sealed her DEATH KNOLL on the show.


Bethenny never ever forgave Jill, and it's really evident how the Jill/Bethenny relationship was so real for B, and how Jill doing what she did really shocked and damaged Bethenny.
They briefly reconciled on-screen when Jill's husband Bobby died, and I actually REALLY HATE this scene as I think taking cameras to a funeral is NOT OK!


Zarin stan @Will to add more thoughts if you have time please, as I have LIMITED SPACE!

Luann de Lesseps :disco:
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Bethenny and Luann are SUCH an interesting one. No matter what happened between them, and whether they speak these days or not, I truly believe they will always have a bond together and care for each other in some way. In many ways they are closer to dysfunctional sisters on the show than cast-mates, and I do believe having been thrown into each others lives via the medium of reality TV, they feel a duty of care towards each other (well more B for Lu lets be honest).

Their fights are so fun to watch:



the classic:


and I could go on!

HOWEVER their main plot point revolves around Luann's "marriage":


which lasts for several seasons, and see's Ms Babara K the turnip introduced to stage an intervention for Luann, which cumulates in an epic meltdown from Bethenny in Miami:


PHEW! so many INCREDIBLE scenes. Can I just say - I do genuinely think Bethenny would have reached out privately to Luann to help her into rehab had she been on the show or not. Perhaps not quite to the same degree, and who knows if it would have been accepted, but I think there is enough care between them that the offer would have been there.

There's also a scene in season 8 that I LOVE with Luann in a red jumpsuit in a bar with Tom where Bethenny HEAVILY INFERS they are both sky-high on good quality coke :D I can't find it online but it really was fun.

RAMONA SINGER:
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Guys I'm tired, I'm just going to post a youtube video here and say: this is a rivalry that will never EVER end, and one that Bethenny will effortlessly always win :D Ramona cannot stand Bethenny's success in business, and B's lack of recognition for her OWN success - and they also secretly kind of love each other which really helps with the New York dynamics. Frenemies, but are they REALLY?


oh and the MENTION IT ALL fight because WHY NOT!


KELLY BENSIMON:
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OK Scary Island is possibly one of the greatest runs of reality tv EVER SEEN! This is of course the crowning glory:


Was Kelly on meth? Having a moment of psychosis? Is she just massively out of sync with the rest of the world? WHO KNOWS! But the Scary Island episodes of season 3 are highly recommended for ANYBODY that enjoys good TV of ANY KIND. It has drama, it has terror, it has JELLY BEANS. 11/10

The Kelly/Bethenny feud is underrated in my opinion. Season 2 has some real MOMENTS:
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Oh I appear to have embed too many youtube links :D the POWER of Bethenny!
I was going to quickly mention Carole vs Bethenny too, but may have to circulate back to that in another post!

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Bethenny remains a powerhouse of a woman, and she seems EXACTLY the same on her Instagram as she was on the show. It's incredible to see also her consistent pattern of forming a close relationship/friendship and not being able to sustain it - Dorinda is her current BFF - how long will that last?

I hope we will see her on the show again, I'm sure we will - but with Leah now embed as her successful successor, season 13 will tell us whether Bethenny is still truly NEEDED in the Housewives universe (my inkling is YES of course :D)

Anyway guys, fave Bethenny moments/thoughts/gifs/fights/SkinnyGirl products pls:
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NEXT!
 
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The moopy 10,000 CHARACTER LIMIT really fucked up my write up :D, I really wanted to go DEEPER on Kelly Bensimon and Ramona - poor Carole and Sonja didn't even get a LOOK IN!

I reserve the right to revisit in separate posts.

ALSO: writing Bethenny up really made me realise how fucking amazing she is as a Housewife. YES she can be too much, YES she was annoying in season 11, but there's really NOBODY else like her in the Housewives universe - and despite her faults, she must be surely one of the most across-the-board LIKED Housewives of all?
 
She's the only Housewife I've even known gays in REAL LIFE mention as an INSPIRATION.

Like we've ALL shared the Kim-in-a-car-smoking-and-drinking-gif and quoted Nene Leakes and/or THE COUNTESS ad infintium, but Bethenny's the only one I've ever heard referenced as actually wanting to BE LIKE when they grow up* :D


*might be a bit late for that babe x
 
Have any Americans (Canadians/Mexicans also?) ever tried any SKINNYGIRL products?? I can't recall ever seeing them on sale when I've been to the states, but I may just have not frequented the CORRECT PLACES!
 
wurst said:
She's the only Housewife I've even known gays in REAL LIFE mention as an INSPIRATION.

Like we've ALL shared the Kim-in-a-car-smoking-and-drinking-gif and quoted Nene Leakes and/or THE COUNTESS ad infintium, but Bethenny's the only one I've ever heard referenced as actually wanting to BE LIKE when they grow up* :D


*might be a bit late for that babe x
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I will go on record that I want to be Janet when I grow up.
 
wurst said:
Have any Americans (Canadians/Mexicans also?) ever tried any SKINNYGIRL products?? I can't recall ever seeing them on sale when I've been to the states, but I may just have not frequented the CORRECT PLACES!
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No, but I've heard nothing but the best about TIPSYGIRL :disco:

I don't know where to begin and where to END with Bethenny. But she's certainly one of the most driving forces in the housewives franchise ever. And she NEVER PHONED IN A SEASON. EVER.

Unlike other people who still think Hollywood is calling. :rolleyes:
 
Apocalypt Flyer said:
No, but I've heard nothing but the best about TIPSYGIRL :disco:

I don't know where to begin and where to END with Bethenny. But she's certainly one of the most driving forces in the housewives franchise ever. And she NEVER PHONED IN A SEASON. EVER.

Unlike other people who still think Hollywood is calling. :rolleyes:
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This is SO TRUE and something I meant to mention her write up - Bethenny KNOWS when to exit stage right. She KNEW she had other opportunities post-season 3, she KNEW season 11 was rocky for her. She knows when to exit the party and leave the public screaming(ish) for more.

Some OTHER Housewives (COUGH Linnethia COUGH) would have done good to learn from her example.
 
Bethenny is just it, she’s not likeable but she delivers high class entertainment. Her latest publicity tour where she terrorized fellow podcasters was hilarious.

The feud with Carol, the love/hate relationship with Dorinda, all the fucked up relationships. It’s all very real and raw in a way very few housewives do, it’s all there.
 
Phoenix said:
I think Bethenny always tries, especially if the person in front of her is crying her reaction is to coddle them. She does it to Ramona (in between eviscerations), the fact that she took Luanne under her wing when she spiraling and now Dorinda. She loves a broken bird.
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OMG this is SO ME in real life! The trail of WAIFS AND STRAYS I have left in a pool of their own making behind me is truly staggering

Maybe Bethenny is the Housewife I'm the MOST LIKE!
 
Phoenix said:
I think Bethenny always tries, especially if the person in front of her is crying her reaction is to coddle them. She does it to Ramona (in between eviscerations), the fact that she took Luanne under her wing when she spiraling and now Dorinda. She loves a broken bird.
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Yeah, I reckon there's a rescue syndrome going on. I think it's her way to channel her energy and distract herself from the many issues in her life that's she's struggled to "fix". I don't mean that in a bad way because she's doing great disaster relief stuff but I'd say the two are definitely linked.

And it's relatable. I'm really quite good at and eager to help others, make plans for others, fix things for others but I'm a mess when it comes to my own crap sometimes.
 
I don't know, it's 2 am here and I'm mentally and emotionally wiped after the ASFXMAS reveal :disco: - but I'm pretty sure the "rescuer" is a personality type. And a lot of the things Bethenny does fit the brief quite well.

Edit: Yes, the "rescuer" is a thing. Especially the part about feeling "abandoned" seems oddly accurate for Bethenny.
 
Apocalypt Flyer said:
I don't know, it's 2 am here and I'm mentally and emotionally wiped after the ASFXMAS reveal :disco: - but I'm pretty sure the "rescuer" is a personality type. And a lot of the things Bethenny does fit the brief quite well.

Edit: Yes, the "rescuer" is a thing. Especially the part about feeling "abandoned" seems oddly accurate for Bethenny.
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Having DIGESTED and STUDIED resucuer syndrome I can ONLY CONCLUDE that I DO NOT have a syndrome after all :D

I just like to fuck boiz that are BROKE and/or TROUBLED :eyes:

Back to Bethenny pls NEXT!
 
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