This week:
- Get ready for everyone to be talking about White Collar.
- This week’s Below Deck had me screaming at the TV.
- A Bravo monster has been unleashed.
- Reba is forever perfect.
- My sleepy husband.
The Real Housewives of the High Seas
There has not been a second that’s passed this week that I have not been thinking about Jill Zarin’s appearance on Below Deck. Well, there was that earthquake, during which I briefly thought, “This is not the apartment I want to die in!” But once the Earth stopped shaking and I officially became a *survivor*, it was back to Jill.
There are many elements juggled in Below Deck that contribute to it being the singular Bravo show that husbands willingly watch with their wives. There’s the petty work drama between the staff, the sexy relationship drama between the staff, and the general hotness of the staff. But a key element is the weekly side plot of the privileged charter guests being obnoxious and demanding. I imagine it would be very fun to be so rich and entitled that you get to be an absolute asshole while having the opportunity to be catered to hand and foot while riding a boat through paradise. But, as a consolation to us poors, it’s almost as fun to watch people behave like that and judge them.
The difference this week is that we were familiar with the person we were judging.
Former Real Housewives of New York City star Jill Zarin’s time on Below Deck should be studied. It is a masterclass in delusion. It is the rare instance of a person having such a lack of self-awareness that the pendulum swings back to a point where you marvel at the amount of awareness a person has while still willfully being awful. Watching the episode was a visceral experience. I watched it with my brother and sister-in-law. At various moments, we involuntarily screamed at what was happening.
At roughly five-minute intervals, Zarin would pull a yacht staff member aside and educate them on how she would run the boat. When other guests seemed to be perfectly happy, she would tell them that they weren’t, and then lodge a complaint on their behalf. When she would ask for a very specific thing—like the exact sushi rolls she would like served during cocktail hour—she would then complain that the chef served said thing without altering it in ways she didn’t articulate but assumed he should know.
Throughout the episode, I couldn’t tell if Zarin was really that difficult, or if she was playing it up because she assumed she was giving Bravo what they’d want from her on a show like Below Deck. Honestly, if it’s the latter case, it worked: While wanting to crawl out of my skin and die every time she spoke, I also don’t think I’ve enjoyed an episode of Below Deck this much in a long time.
The Bravo Vault Is Being Unleashed
I know who my people are based on how excited they got at the announcement that the 2009 Bravo series NYC Prep will be made available to stream on Peacock starting April 15.
The one-and-done series was foundational to me. The basic premise of the show was “real-life Gossip Girl.” Following the luxurious, bratty lives of these Manhattan teens while I was in college in New York City and poor as hell was as escapist as it was soul-crushing. I loved them. I loathed them. I wanted to be them, and I wanted to push them in front of the subway—except I knew that they were too rich to ever take the subway.
Will a new audience check out NYC Prep, or is this purely something that nostalgic millennials will be rewatching and reminiscing about? I’m not sure, but I am both thrilled for and fear for a new generation of gays being exposed to Peter Cary “PC” Peterson for the first time. Godspeed, friends.
Reba Stays Winning
A single mom who works two jobs, loves her kids, and never falls for the clickbait trap that TMZ sets: Reba McEntire, forever flawless, was asked by TMZ if she prefers Dolly Parton’s or Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene.” Her response: “Nope! Bye!”
An icon who knows there’s no benefit in wading into the discourse: If I wasn’t proud to have McEntire dressed as Colonel Sanders from KFC as my Slack avatar before—I’m nothing if not a professional—I certainly am now.
The Perfect Man
I already thought I was in love with Josh O’Connor, the star of God’s Own Country, Emmy winner for The Crown, and guy who’s about to three-way kiss Zendaya and Mike Faist in Challengers. Then I saw these behind-the-scenes photos of his excellent new film La Chimera. In all of them, he is napping. A sleepy boy after my own heart. Obsessed.
More From The Daily Beast’s Obsessed
Filmmaker Vera Drew made a parody of the Joker about her trans experience that was so explosive, Warner Bros. tried to cancel it. Read more.
Everyone needs to see the epic, absolutely bonkers 15-minute Havana party sequence on Palm Royale—and then read this interview about how it all came together. Read more.
The Boss’ appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm proves Bruce Springsteen could have a next act as an actor. Read more.
What to watch this week:
Ripley: It’s impossible to overstate how good this show is. (Now on Netflix)
Mary & George: Julianne Moore loaning her son out for sex turns out to be quite enjoyable. (Now on Starz)
Girls State: You’ll laugh, cry, and be assured that the future is in good hands with these girls. (Now on Apple TV+)
What to skip this week:
Monkey Man: Audiences cheer when Dev Patel takes his shirt off. And that’s all they cheer for. (Now in theaters)
The First Omen: Not everything needs a sequel. (Now in theaters)
