by Mike Bandy

 

Season 4 of The Real Housewives of New York City started off with Ramona throwing a party at a rooftop lounge. Alex and Simon arrived first, then Jill arrived with her husband, and Alex thought it was very aggressive of her to walk in as though nothing had happened the year before. Jill said that she had grown from the experiences of last year and is a different person. Alex was trying to avoid Jill, but Simon said she should go talk to her.

 

Alex approached the women and said that she and Simon were on the Equality March committee for a march from Manhattan to Brooklyn, as a protest in favor of gay marriage. She wanted all the women to wear wedding dresses and march across the Brooklyn Bridge, and invited all of them to be a part of it.

 

The next day, we caught up with Jill in her apartment with Kelly, while Jill was planning for a trip to Australia. Jill told Kelly about Ramona's party and Kelly said that she was invited but decided not to go because she didn't want to be diagnosed as crazy by Ramona. Right, as if the rest of us think she's so together! Jill said that she never thought she and Bethenny wouldn't make up, and she thought that once Bethenny got married and had a baby that there was no room for her anymore.

 

Meanwhile, Alex was working at home with Simon, who just started a social media company, when she got a call from the co-owner of NY Model Management, who welcomed her to the agency. She's looking at modeling as a business and hopes it will be lucrative. She also said that she got lucky in the gene pool, but Kelly said that being a model is all about being photogenic - it doesn't mean you're pretty. Oh, Kelly. Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.

 

Next, we got to meet our newest Housewife, Cindy Barshop, at an art show by artist Peter Tunney. She lives in the West Village and is a very downtown, rocker girl. She likes a lot of action around her, and she seems like a great time. She owns Completely Bare Spas, and they specialize in hair removal. She has twin daughters who were conceived after three years of in-vitro fertilization, and she loves that she doesn't need a man in her life to have everything she wants. So far, I dig her, but we'll see.

 

Jill showed up with her husband, and Cindy's twin girls were brought into the gallery. Jill immediately started making comments about how there was no way she had them herself. At that point, Kelly and Countess Luann showed up, followed by Alex and Simon, who was wearing some odd plaid/leather getup as usual. Everybody took off their shoes and stepped in paint, for a painting to raise money for cancer research.

 

Jill and Kelly were gossiping about Cindy and her babies, when Cindy approached and got barraged with questions about her family by Jill. Cindy explained that she tried for years to have children and finally succeeded. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it's in COMPLETELY poor taste to ask someone about the circumstances around why they have children, especially in a public place. It's just tacky.

 

Next, we got to watch Ramona interviewing for new assistants, because her type of crazy needs assistance. Most of the interviewees were too boring for her taste, but the last one took the cake. Ramona lambasted the poor woman about her fashion choices, and then offered her products from her skin care line because she "could really use it". It was inappropriate and totally awkward - and I loved every minute of it!

 

Countess Luann was on a double date with Sonja and her new interest, Bryan, and her boyfriend Jacques. They've become very close, and want the entire world to know about it. Most of the dinner was super boring, save Sonja's reservations about moving too quickly with Bryan after her divorce.

 

Hey, we're in the Hamptons! Ramona invited Alex and Simon out to her house, because they were all going to the same wedding together. Jill would also be attending said wedding, and Ramona didn't bother to tell her that Alex would be coming. Genius. Meanwhile, Jill left Alex a voicemail stating that she could not attend the Equality March because she was going to a wedding out of town - but Alex did some detective work and found out that Jill was on the very same committee for the march as she was! This was gonna be a good day!

 

When Alex showed up with Ramona at the wedding, Jill was caught completely off guard, which is just the way we like to see her. Alex brought up the voicemail, and she acted as though she was confused and didn't know what Alex was talking about. Sure, Jill.

 

The wedding went off without a hitch, except for Ramona badmouthing Cindy's brother and him overhearing it! At the reception, Alex called Jill out AGAIN, this time about how she said she knew she'd be attending the wedding, and Jill got very defensive, leading to a mini-argument between the two. So much for Jill "always being nice and kind because she has changed"! So far, all she's changed is her hairstyle (tell me you saw THAT monstrosity on Watch What Happens Live)!

 

Meanwhile, I am in love with the new Alex, who says she will not let Jill weasel out of anything, because she's the queen of BS! You go girl! You're quickly becoming my new favorite.

 

 

The Real Housewives of New York City airs Thursdays at 10/9c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)