Real Housewives of Orange County

I came late to this series, or "tardy to the party," for my fellow Atlanta viewers. By the time I had Bravo on my tv lineup, Tamra was part of the cast so I can't say much about some of the earlier ladies who came and went...except to say the ones who left with some dignity are probably breathing a sigh of relief.

Vicki? Gosh, what can be said about Vicki?? I want to admire her work ethic and congratulate her on raising a daughter who seems so normal, but it's hard to get past the "woo hooing," petty jealousies, and overall neediness of this woman. On a shallow note, I don't know if it's the introduction, this season of HDTV or just the ugliness shining through, but Vicki has become more difficult to look week after week. Vicki's constant demand for attention and knocking down of the new housewives is literally exhausting.

I like Jeana, which isn't surprising because there isn't much to dislike. She seems like a nice lady and she manages to push Vicki's buttons without even trying. This season has shown Jeana updating her bedroom and hopefully making positive steps towards moving forward in her life.

Tamra...the self-proclaimed hottest housewife...or at least until Grethen joined the cast. Honestly, when she crowned herself with that title, she didn't have much competition so it was a hollow victory, but one that Tamra seems completely unwilling to relinquish. Sad. I hope she's a better mother and friend than she comes across on tv.

The internet was abuzz before Gretchen joined the cast. Sadly, it appears the info was generated from Camp Tamra. I was fully prepared for a nasty gold digger, but Gretchen turned out to be a breath of fresh air. She's goofy, self-effacing, and surprisingly honest about her relationship with Jeff. I think, by far, Gretchen is the most likable of the group.

That brings us to the last minute addition of Lynne. The jury, for me, is still out. Initially, I didn't care for Lynne--especially her parenting style--but I've seen a side of her when she deals with Gretchen that is very kind and she doesn't let the "senior" housewives boss her around. I admire that about her.

I guess no post about this season's RHoOC would be complete without a brief mention of Lauri. I'm glad she left (though she sure came back for a cameo pretty quickly). Her son needs her a lot more than tv viewers and her new meshed family seems rather "complicated" so maybe it's best she concentrate her better efforts there...?