The first season of this show was a view of completely vacuous women and their children in the 'Coto' Estates of Orange County, California. For many watching, (including myself) the actions and decisions of these women were hard to stomach because it all seemed very plastic and cash-oriented. The women appeared as refurbished sun drenched street walkers and the men appeared as over-extended Banks of America. Very over the top, and entertaining to many. So, a second season was inevitable.
This second season happens to be better, because it is actually diving into why these women are appearing as they do and why they are as desperate as hell to keep what they have - at any costs. In this season, you should get past the "gold digging" aspect. That's a given. This season looks more towards the human aspects.
For example: One woman is battling her 'Coto' world with her enjoyment for her unpretentious friends down by the river - if you watch carefully, you'll see that she HAS to go and hang out with these others "ever so often", just to be herself. After a weekend with these folks, she's ready to go back pretending at 'Coto'. In inviting other women from 'Coto' to join her, they decline for they know - they don't want to be or see where they may actually belong.
One woman has finally found the rich man of her dreams - the trips, the money, the THRILL...her new prison. Her independence - gone. Although she has been married before, she's stepped right back into the prison she's convinced herself she wanted to avoid. Her 'Prince of Rich' has bought and paid for his plastic OC doll baby, and she is at his beck and call to be all shiny-ed up when needed. Even with that, her children are not as responsible as she'd like them to be and she can't quite understand why. What can she do? What WILL she do?
One woman is in a relationship with an insecure man/child. She is a child/woman herself, and at this stage of that child/woman transition in her life she has no idea which way she wants to go. She loves the IDEA of being with this man, but when the man tries to rule her every move, she's confused. He belittles her, he makes fun of her, he slams her, he's her shadow ---But she WONT leave him. Why is that? She tried, but he called her right back in ...and she WENT. Why is that? This is a typical behavior of abused women (and abused women do not always need to be hit/struck as abused.) Will she ever get enough strength to leave? But if she does leave, WHO is she leaving him or "Coto'?
One woman who had everything in the "celebrity life": ex-Playboy Centerfold with star sports hubby, had to take on 'reality' because of a devastating injury to her hubby - and she makes a good living in her job. But she needs to control someone -- and it's her kids. They're lost, competitive, confused...and she doesn't listen 'to' them when they clearly open up and need her. What's going to happen?
And in this season, there is the new woman. This woman has had all the "regular" problems of many women her age: Divorce, act of god loss of home (flood) and raising children. She happens to love the 'Coto' area, and she should. She used to have the largest gated estate in 'Coto', but her husband lost his 380 Million Dollar Business and they got divorced. The divorce leaves her with two daughters: One, who obviously will do anything opposite of what her mother wants and the other, a 17 year old who is lost and trying to find her way. You can see that the 17 year old is even more affected by the divorce, and her father's re-marriage to an Asian woman - something she is really bitter about that seems to be the trend for older men like her father and his equally as old friends in Orange County (et al) nowadays.
These women have so much more going on that the Channel Sunglasses, The Botox, the Plastic Surgeries, the hair weaves and tans. These women are quite aware it will all be gone in a flash, and what we are watching in this "reality" series is these women preparing for the next phase - whatever that may be.
Not all women are like this in Orange County, California and for many watching this may be a fun, guilty pleasure. And that may be true for the first season. But in this season, I see it as a sad commentary on how some women see their place in the world and what some think they MUST do to survive. Sure it outwardly seems like its about the million dollar homes, the cars, the plastic surgery and houses - but look closer. The series is beginning to unveil itself similar to the movie "American Beauty", and I hope it continues on this trend and not fall back on the schlock it began with.
Remove the area of "Coto", remove the money and materialism and what you have are the stories of many women, men and children - anywhere at anytime.
This second season happens to be better, because it is actually diving into why these women are appearing as they do and why they are as desperate as hell to keep what they have - at any costs. In this season, you should get past the "gold digging" aspect. That's a given. This season looks more towards the human aspects.
For example: One woman is battling her 'Coto' world with her enjoyment for her unpretentious friends down by the river - if you watch carefully, you'll see that she HAS to go and hang out with these others "ever so often", just to be herself. After a weekend with these folks, she's ready to go back pretending at 'Coto'. In inviting other women from 'Coto' to join her, they decline for they know - they don't want to be or see where they may actually belong.
One woman has finally found the rich man of her dreams - the trips, the money, the THRILL...her new prison. Her independence - gone. Although she has been married before, she's stepped right back into the prison she's convinced herself she wanted to avoid. Her 'Prince of Rich' has bought and paid for his plastic OC doll baby, and she is at his beck and call to be all shiny-ed up when needed. Even with that, her children are not as responsible as she'd like them to be and she can't quite understand why. What can she do? What WILL she do?
One woman is in a relationship with an insecure man/child. She is a child/woman herself, and at this stage of that child/woman transition in her life she has no idea which way she wants to go. She loves the IDEA of being with this man, but when the man tries to rule her every move, she's confused. He belittles her, he makes fun of her, he slams her, he's her shadow ---But she WONT leave him. Why is that? She tried, but he called her right back in ...and she WENT. Why is that? This is a typical behavior of abused women (and abused women do not always need to be hit/struck as abused.) Will she ever get enough strength to leave? But if she does leave, WHO is she leaving him or "Coto'?
One woman who had everything in the "celebrity life": ex-Playboy Centerfold with star sports hubby, had to take on 'reality' because of a devastating injury to her hubby - and she makes a good living in her job. But she needs to control someone -- and it's her kids. They're lost, competitive, confused...and she doesn't listen 'to' them when they clearly open up and need her. What's going to happen?
And in this season, there is the new woman. This woman has had all the "regular" problems of many women her age: Divorce, act of god loss of home (flood) and raising children. She happens to love the 'Coto' area, and she should. She used to have the largest gated estate in 'Coto', but her husband lost his 380 Million Dollar Business and they got divorced. The divorce leaves her with two daughters: One, who obviously will do anything opposite of what her mother wants and the other, a 17 year old who is lost and trying to find her way. You can see that the 17 year old is even more affected by the divorce, and her father's re-marriage to an Asian woman - something she is really bitter about that seems to be the trend for older men like her father and his equally as old friends in Orange County (et al) nowadays.
These women have so much more going on that the Channel Sunglasses, The Botox, the Plastic Surgeries, the hair weaves and tans. These women are quite aware it will all be gone in a flash, and what we are watching in this "reality" series is these women preparing for the next phase - whatever that may be.
Not all women are like this in Orange County, California and for many watching this may be a fun, guilty pleasure. And that may be true for the first season. But in this season, I see it as a sad commentary on how some women see their place in the world and what some think they MUST do to survive. Sure it outwardly seems like its about the million dollar homes, the cars, the plastic surgery and houses - but look closer. The series is beginning to unveil itself similar to the movie "American Beauty", and I hope it continues on this trend and not fall back on the schlock it began with.
Remove the area of "Coto", remove the money and materialism and what you have are the stories of many women, men and children - anywhere at anytime.