TV REVIEW: 'THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NYC'

A Delicious Mix of Drama, Juice, Gossip and Relationships That's Compulsive Viewing

February 28, 2009

The much-anticipated second season of Bravo's hit series The Real Housewives of New York City returned to the Big Apple last Tuesday at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. Alex, Bethenny, Jill, Luann and Ramona, along with new cast member Kelly Killoren Bensimon, continue to juggle their careers and home-lives with busy calendars packed with charity fund-raising galas, the social whirl of the Hamptons and nights on the New York social scene.

My personal favorite housewife isn't a housewife at all -- Bethenny Frankel, a successful natural food chef and author who became a stand-out last season with her quick wit and surprisingly honest vulnerability, particularly when it came to discussing her estranged father, as well as dealing with a commitment-phobic boyfriend (who she thankfully has moved on from this season). If Bethenny is the heart of the show, the soul would undoubtedly come from the pulls-no-punches wealthy socialite Jill Zarin. A cross somewhere between Alexis Carrington and Rhoda Morgenstern, Jill tells it like it is, whether you want to hear it or not.

In the season opener, she unwittingly made some derisive remarks about social climbers Alex and her husband Simon. At Bethenny's behest, she tries her best to mend ways, though it's clear the waters between her and Alex, at least, will be chilly for a while.

Inseparable couple Alex and Simon are almost as annoying as their two unruly children. Desperate for the limelight, horse-faced Alex and her overly fay husband spend their days shopping for clothes and trolling for invites. It's not clear what exactly either of these two do for a living.

Last year, they were the constant object of ridicule among the other women -- so much so it's a wonder either of them agreed to sign on for another season. However, given their obvious neediness to be accepted, perhaps it's self-explanatory. Rounding off the cast of regulars is Luann de Lesseps, a real-life Countess, as well as always entertaining Ramona, who constantly embarrasses her daughter by dressing about a decade or two younger than she should. With her manic mannerisms and crazy eyes, Ramona tries just a little too hard to be funny or likeable. It seems everyone around her simply tolerates her, including her smarmy husband with the obvious wandering eye.

I'm just waiting for Ramona to discover he's cheating. For some unknown reason, the producers decided to add another housewife, Kelly Killeron Bensimon. Former model, equestrian, author, editor and designer, Kelly has about as much substance as twinkie filling. Perhaps she'll begin to show more sides to her, other than the opener's mundane party-hopping in the Hamptons. As the season unfolds, its clear there's a slew of catfights up ahead. Quite frankly, it's these mini-dramas that make RHONYC so much fun to watch. One thing is for sure: each week you're never quite sure what you're going to get. Sometimes you might even be surprised to find a little poignancy. If you have never watched an episode, you really are missing out on one of TV's juiciest guilty pleasures.