RHONY Season 12 Episode 6 Review: Just a Sip
Paul Dailly
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Rich people problems.
The Real Housewives of New York City Season 12 Episode 6 found Sonja skipping meals, Luann cracking terrible jokes at an event, Dorinda firing insults, Leah complaining because her mother was not responding to her messages, and Ramona -- well, I'm not quite sure what she was doing.
"Just a Sip" was probably one of the worst episodes of the series, with storylines that didn't mesh well, and it could be attributed to production on the show getting scaled back as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
Maybe the show should simply follow the women while they are vacationing in sun-soaked destinations because it's starting to feel like we're treading the same water every single time they are in the city.
If you watch The Real Housewives of New York City online, you know Dorinda and Tinsley have had a considerable amount of disagreements in the past, but for all of this to be continually brought back to the forefront is unnecessary.
The underlying issue is that Dorinda holds grudges, and that's why she can't seem to move on from anything.
Dorinda: You're saying she can be intimidated by me?
Leah: You can be scary as hell sometimes.
Yes, these women are supposed to amp up the drama for the cameras -- that's how they get those big fat Bravo checks, but there is such a thing as too much.
Dorinda's actions of late suggest she's struggling in her life, but the obligatory forced plot of her trying to act as though she cared about Tinsley made me want to gag.
Leah may want everyone to believe that she's the voice of wisdom, but the common consensus is that if someone says that type of thing, they're probably hiding a deep, dark secret.
Dorinda is totally different from Leah and Tinsley, and that's where the issue here lies. They're likely getting told to hang out to spin a yarn to make things entertaining for viewers.
The least entertaining aspect of the episode was the charity show. Sure, it's great raising money for great causes, but I doubt the organizer knew what she was getting into with Luann.
Luann is desperately trying to prove to everyone that she's moved on from her arrest and subsequent probation, and that explains why her gal pals wanted to show up to support her.
I never f----d a pirate.
Luann
However, the event was tacky. Luann's gotten portrayed as a desperate middle-aged woman, who seeks approval every waking moment of her life.
It's inconsistent with the Luann of previous seasons, and it's quite jarring.
Even the joke about Luann not having sex with the pirate was in poor taste. Sure, Luann and Jacques were romantically linked in the past, but this is the man who brought his new fiancé to the charity event.
The poor woman had to endure a joke about her lover having sex with his ex. Weird, right?
Jacques: A good glass of red wine if you can commit to one.
Luann: Not two, huh?
Jacques: One.
Luann is at the stage of her career in which she can pick and choose gigs. She's a big deal and could have made the event better if she wanted to.
You know an event sucks when the other women spend most of it doing online shopping.
What I enjoyed was the division between the ladies over Luann taking a drink. Dorinda seemed ecstatic at having her old drinking buddy back, while Elyse acted like a genuine friend.
We didn't know whether Luann was attending meetings to help with her sobriety. Surely we as viewers deserved to learn that ahead of those scenes.
Luann has been open about feeling left out at events because she isn't drinking, but at least she has someone like Elyse in her social circle to try to drum into her that she needs to think about her sobriety.
Elyse: Is she not drinking?
Ramona: I think she goes day-by-day.
Elyse: Is she not committed to it long-term?
I did agree with Dorinda to some extent when she said that people shouldn't make a big deal about the first drink.
It's hard to imagine that Luann's genuine first drink after her troubles got caught on camera, but here we are, and this is what drivel we're getting fed.
Leah continues to be the best part of the show proving that the cast needs some considerable revamping.
All eyes will be on The Real Housewives of Orange County next season to assess how it holds up without Vicki and Tamra.
Bethenny is long gone, and even if she remained with the show instead of Leah taking over the role, these issues would still be there.
With Tinsley likely out of the running to return, we need some more new blood. The show has had some great episodes of late, but the recurring theme of episodes set in the city struggling to keep up the pace is beginning to ware.
Is it possible that these ladies are simply not interesting anymore? That thought crossed my mind.
Thank god we have a trip out of town coming up on The Real Housewives of New York Season 12 Episode 7 because we need some laughs.
You know something's wrong with the show when the jokes no longer land.
Sheesh.
What did you think of the show?
Did you think it was as much of a disaster as I did?
Hit the comments below.
RHONY continues Thursdays on Bravo.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
