~ The Real Housewives of Orange County ~ Season 12~ 2017 ~ JULY 10th

[TLSnell1981]

I really really hope that this isn't true.

I doubt, it will ever be admitted, if true. The Housewives are the only participants, that are paid, but everyone filmed must sign releases. There are severe and overwhelming financial penalties for disclosing certain information. Reality shows are "scripted" to a point, although reactions are sometimes spontaneous. They are edited to death and scenes are frequently shown out of sequence.

BTW. Brooks initially turned down the request for the reunion show. Bravo gave him $10,000 and all expenses paid luxury trip to NYC for his sit down.

 

[WIcruizer]

Reality shows are "scripted" to a point

Yes, and that point is 99%. Most of these women aren't even friends, or barely know each other. Not scripted at all. Every episode insert "lunch to clear the air." Next, Housewife X is having a themed party. Now what? Time for a girls trip to wherever.

Early on, it was more "reality TV" when they spent more time showing what was going on with the kids, etc. and most of the HW really were friends, or at least knew each other. It has evolved into anything but REALITY TV.

 

[NewRVLady]

I agree Wicruizer-I LOVED the first 1-2 years of the New York housewives was wonderful-you saw them really doing their day to day activities

 

[TLSnell1981]

I agree Wicruizer-I LOVED the first 1-2 years of the New York housewives was wonderful-you saw them really doing their day to day activities

I agree about RHONY. I also liked the original RHOOC with Vicki, Jeana, and Lauri.

 

[OhMari]

Shannon and her husband were on "watch What Happens Live with Andy last night. Her husband said they came on the show because he felt Shannon received so many complaints, about her and he wanted to come on the show to show support for Shannon. He said it wasn't fair that she was receiving all this negative responses.

OK, Shannon needs to move on now and stop rehashing it. She needs to go to therapy herself, and not crying to the public. I do feel bad for her, but how many more times is she going to retell the story.

 

[lucky978]

What did everyone think of last night's finale? I wonder if we will ever know the truth about Brooks and what Vicky did/did not know.

 

[Allison]

I think Vicki is too embarrassed to admit she got conned by a con man and will never admit whatever the truth may be.

 

[jrmasm]

Anyone see Watch What Happens after the show? What did Vicki say about Brooks?

 

[fly girl]

Saw WWHL, she barely said anything about him. Nothing about his cancer. Just said he moved to Florida and she doubts they will ever get back together. Said they were a great short term couple but they couldn't make it long term.

It was the praise Vicki WWHL. Bizarre. Even Cecilie Strong (SNL cast and guest) coddled to her. Really annoying. And the callers all just gushed over her. What the ... it was very strange.

 

[fly girl]

I think Vicki is too embarrassed to admit she got conned by a con man and will never admit whatever the truth may be.

Agree, I don't think we will ever know the truth. But from what I see he's a total fraud.

He told Brianna he had pancreatic cancer? What! Then changed it to pancreatitis when the fool realized Brianna was onto him. And then the supposed phone call to Terry?

FRAUD!!! Can't believe Vicki was so blind. I think she was too close and couldn't see through his lies.

 

[eh24fan]

The whole finale was just lackluster for me. Leave it to Tamra to have a huge party and drama at her baptism...sheesh. Vicki, I think we can all agree that she just does not want to see the truth - that Brooks is a lying con man and everyone knows it but her. What her brother's girlfriend said was just mean and a low blow. Vicki fails to see that Shannon of all people was the ONE person that was trying to back her up and trying to help her. She treated Shannon horribly.

Shannon and David - their relationship seems to have really improved as the season progressed and I'm so glad we aren't seeing her cry about the AFFAIR every single episode for 45 minutes. She seems to have made great strides in working on that aspect of their relationship, so kudos to them!!

Tamara -- I'm going to come off judgy but that whole thing was just tacky if you ask me. YAY, you "found Jesus" but still act like the same old Tamara. LOL

Heather & Terry continue to crack me up. I really like their relationship and their personalities. They are pretentious but funny and OWN it.

Meghan -- I just don't see her relationship with Jimmy lasting. He is far too content with a part time wife that lives across the country from him and he only sees half the time. Unless she is willing to accept that she will spend a lot of her time alone, that one just isn't going to work out.

 

[anniemae]

One thing that kind of made no sense to me was how upset Shannon got when Rhonda said that comment about David cheating. I get that she saw it as a betrayal, but come on Shannon, you are exposing the affair on a NATIONAL TV SHOW. EVERYONE will know about the affair when the show airs. Getting mad at Vicki for revealing her most intimate secret is silly when it's all being filmed for TV.

 

[NewRVLady]

eh24fan........you said everything I would say

It was a boring season and a BORING last episode
I doubt I watch the reunion-Brooks was paid $10k to fly back and tape a one on one with Andy-who wants to watch him lie some more/ not I

 

[dfchelbay]

Earlier on in the season Vicki went on and on about going with Brooks to all his doctor appointments & even to his chemotherapy. So, I believe she is in on the entire fraud. Even though Brooks is complete scum, I can't help but think Vicki is the one behind this whole cancer lie. I think she thought it would lead to Brianna backing off & eventually accepting Brooks & Vicki together. C'mon really, giving records to Tamra? Watch Vicki's participation in that scene...not saying anything when Tamra asked questions about the medical records...plausible deniability for later on down the road (I was duped too Tamra). She just kept asking Tamra to relay the information.

On a completely unrelated note, Jimmy better never cross Meghan in the future. That girl will crawl up his behind & turn him inside out if she ever feels betrayed...lol He will be in a world of hurt if he ever double-crosses that one.

 

[barkley]

One thing that kind of made no sense to me was how upset Shannon got when Rhonda said that comment about David cheating. I get that she saw it as a betrayal, but come on Shannon, you are exposing the affair on a NATIONAL TV SHOW. EVERYONE will know about the affair when the show airs. Getting mad at Vicki for revealing her most intimate secret is silly when it's all being filmed for TV.

I think it was the timing-vicky said on wwhl that in hindsight she probably erred on telling her brother and ronda about the affair but that they were all at her home earlier in the day of filming, knew that the baptism was going to be the finale for filming, and when her brother/ronda asked what the storylines had been for the season she told them (which I suspect is a no-no given her contract). so when ronda made the comment it caught Shannon totally off guard b/c at that point in time in the filming, I may be wrong but I don't think the affair had gone over the top public (I seem to remember reading about tamara's baptism on the tabloid sites a bit before the full blown public acknowledgement of the affair by shannon and david was out there-I think there were blind items about it but nothing publicly acknowledged).

if you think back on the season 'yes' it was all about Shannon talking about the affair BUT that was largely in her private filming segments w/only smatterings of it being talked about w/other wives-and nothing as a formal whole group discussion. I suspect she knew everyone else knew about it (w/in the cast and production) but b/c it wasn't a focus for the entire group to be dealing with it she never anticipated some far flung stranger at one of the biggest filming events of the season throwing it in her face. I think she genuinely considered vicky a friend she could confide in who would protect her confidences, never dreaming that she would share them with some random woman vicky's brother was hooking up with.

yup-it's far from reality, but I think some of the participants believe that that there's 2 realities-one while filming, one while not-and if they share a confidence with someone they perceive to have a friendship with that extends to both realities they trust their friend not to use those confidences against them. I don't know why they would trust each other absent a long term proven friendship though-didn't they learn anything from rhobh-the entire cast knew that adriane and paul's boys were born via a surrogate and that the boys were unaware so it was never spoken of UNTIL brandy got a bug up her tush and something intimate and private that a&p had planned to share with these boys when they felt they were emotionaly mature enough to understand it went public on television. that should have taught anyone who participates in these shows where to draw the line sharing confidences.

 

[Vernie822]

I don't know what to think. I definitely think Brooks is lying. I detested Meghan at the beginning of the season, but she is growing on me. Anxious to see the reunion. I hope they don't have Vicki back - she needs to work on herself.

I agree with the comments about Shannon. It is a storyline because it's what was happening in her life at the time. If she didn't breathe a word about it, it would be odd because it wouldn't be realistic. It's what she is going through and she wants to tell her story, so I say let her. I think she has changed big time since last season and I really like watching her. That being said, I think that last season she was just dealing with so much that she was so emotional and crazy, and none of the other women really understood what she was dealing with.

I think it was so wrong of Rhonda to throw that in Shannon's face. Vicki never should have said anything to her but even if she did, I think it was so inappropriate of Rhonda. At the time, I don't think the affair was public knowledge - or maybe only the cast and their husbands knew about it.

 

[gwynne]

Earlier on in the season Vicki went on and on about going with Brooks to all his doctor appointments & even to his chemotherapy. So, I believe she is in on the entire fraud. Even though Brooks is complete scum, I can't help but think Vicki is the one behind this whole cancer lie. I think she thought it would lead to Brianna backing off & eventually accepting Brooks & Vicki together. C'mon really, giving records to Tamra? Watch Vicki's participation in that scene...not saying anything when Tamra asked questions about the medical records...plausible deniability for later on down the road (I was duped too Tamra). She just kept asking Tamra to relay the information.

On a completely unrelated note, Jimmy better never cross Meghan in the future. That girl will crawl up his behind & turn him inside out if she ever feels betrayed...lol He will be in a world of hurt if he ever double-crosses that one.

The would thing was just crazy, and went on and on over weeks.
It's an individual decision to treat or not (assuming one is truly sick...) that's not what annoys me about Brooks.
It's that the "proof" he selects is silly and unnecessarily complicates what should be simple. Pretty sure Heather refer to his "scan" results as mock-uments on WWHL. That was telling.

He went to for chemo infusions? OK, then grab the dated discharge papers from each infusion treatment. Those papers would have had plenty of details including the name of the drug that was infused...and it would have taken Terry about 3 minutes to carefully look them over and verify. But, no, Vicki and Brooks made a deliberate choice to have, of all people, Tamra "verify" some alleged scan.
Just ridiculous.

And I agree about Jimmy. That is one odd marriage. If it works for them, great. I hope it does.

 

[anniemae]

I don't know what to think. I definitely think Brooks is lying. I detested Meghan at the beginning of the season, but she is growing on me. Anxious to see the reunion. I hope they don't have Vicki back - she needs to work on herself.

I agree with the comments about Shannon. It is a storyline because it's what was happening in her life at the time. If she didn't breathe a word about it, it would be odd because it wouldn't be realistic. It's what she is going through and she wants to tell her story, so I say let her. I think she has changed big time since last season and I really like watching her. That being said, I think that last season she was just dealing with so much that she was so emotional and crazy, and none of the other women really understood what she was dealing with.

I think it was so wrong of Rhonda to throw that in Shannon's face. Vicki never should have said anything to her but even if she did, I think it was so inappropriate of Rhonda. At the time, I don't think the affair was public knowledge - or maybe only the cast and their husbands knew about it.

I think it was alway public knowledge. Heather and Tamra both said at different times that Davids affair was well known all over OC. I do think it was wrong of Rhonda to say what she did to Shannon. I think she was just feeling protective of Vicki, but it was still wrong.

As for Megan and Jimmy, I just can't understand that. Jimmy seems like he can't stand Megan. He seems like he does not want to talk to her, be with her, spend time with her or anything. I can't figure out why they are together. She seems very invested in the marriage, but he seems to have checked out.

 

[Allison]

He had somebody in California to watch over his daughter while his first wife was sick. That seems to be a big part of it.

 

[dfchelbay]

I think it was alway public knowledge. Heather and Tamra both said at different times that Davids affair was well known all over OC. I do think it was wrong of Rhonda to say what she did to Shannon. I think she was just feeling protective of Vicki, but it was still wrong.

As for Megan and Jimmy, I just can't understand that. Jimmy seems like he can't stand Megan. He seems like he does not want to talk to her, be with her, spend time with her or anything. I can't figure out why they are together. She seems very invested in the marriage, but he seems to have checked out.

I think that the demeanor & attitude we see coming from Jim is that there are cameras in his face. He seems more like he isn't on board with his personal life being on display, but does it reluctantly to support his wife. I bet you'd get a completely different attitude from him if he were talking about baseball with the guys on RHOC camera. This show is asking a jock/man's man to gossip about other women & their significant others on camera...lol