Ali Barthwell Author Archive
Give A Gift
MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Ali Barthwell

See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@wtflanksteak

Ali Barthwell is a writer who has been recapping reality TV shows—The Bachelor and Real Housewives among them—since 2015. She is an Emmy-winning writer for Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. Her work has been featured on The AV Club and Chicago Magazine.

  1. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: Listen to Your HeartWhen it comes to the Bachelor Universe, the answer to the question “Has anyone involved in this program learned anything?” is always no.
  2. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: The Grown Man PivotWe’re clearly running out of date ideas already.
  3. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: Back to ‘Reality’If there ever was a platonic ideal of a Bachelorette, Tayshia might be that Bachelorette.
  4. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: Apologize for What?If you’re looking for some analysis that Clare broke The Bachelorette or that she is the Worst Bachelorette Ever, you ain’t gonna find it here.
  5. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: Not-Dale’s Last StandAt this point, Claire’s basically asking the other guys to make direct eye contact with her while she mounts Dale as a display of dominance.
  6. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: Rules of EngagementClare is going to destroy the concept of toxic masculinity if it’s the last thing she does.
  7. overnights
    The Bachelorette Season Premiere Recap: Show Up, Show OutThis is like watching a romantic comedy about your friend and her boyfriend, Dale.
  8. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Homecoming QueenWe get a glimpse of Karen’s farm-based backstory in a trip to her hometown, complete with combines, thrown candy, and tears.
  9. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Team SkepticalFive days after the winery ruckus, everyone is still reeling.
  10. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Fight and FlightDid we ever think that the first hands to really be thrown on Potomac would be Candiace and Monique?
  11. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Not Buying ItAshley tells the ladies what’s going on with her marriage and Everyone. Has. Questions.
  12. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Fire It UpThis? This is not the look, Monique.
  13. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Incoming TextHow dare the show tease us with this incredible bit of information about Michael and not give us the reveal during the episode?
  14. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: The Lake HouseDid you ever think we’d see the day that Gizelle and Monique would take a two-hour drive together with a bird?
  15. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Life of the PartyThrowing a party in which your husband goes to sleep in the middle is not how you bring the spice back into your relationship, Karen.
  16. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: Knives OutThankfully, the women of Potomac are so good that watching them yell about social-media slights from eight to ten months ago is still entertaining.
  17. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Recap: No ApologiesIs Candiace a real human woman who eats and breathes? Yes. Is she someone I could eat and breathe near? Absolutely not.
  18. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Potomac Season Premiere Recap: It Made Sense to LaughCandiace seems like she’s looking for a fight and really wants to convince herself that she’s gotten to Gizelle. No one gets to Gizelle.
  19. overnights
    The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart Finale Recap: Make You Feel My LoveThere’s something interesting at the heart of this show, but the ethos of the Bachelor Cinematic Universe keeps getting in the way.
  20. overnights
    The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart Recap: New RulesThis is classic Bachelor drama. So why doesn’t it feel like The Bachelor?
  21. overnights
    The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart Recap: He Wasn’t Man EnoughThis show does not care about Rudi and Chris and Jamie and Ryan, it just wants that good Brandon and Julia drama.
  22. overnights
    The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart Recap: Bizarre Love TriangleJulia is secure in what she has with Sheridan, but she’s completely ready to destroy it if Brandon looks at her in any way.
  23. overnights
    The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart Recap: Before He CheatsNatascha and her amazing hair have arrived to school Trevor and Jamie on what constitutes cheating.
  24. overnights
    The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart Premiere Recap: Runnin’ Down a DreamThe latest installment in the Bachelor Cinematic Universe is … a choice.
  25. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Mother NatureFor a brief, shining moment, after returning from an all-expenses trip to Greece, the Housewives are just some moms trying to get by.
  26. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Goddess of WarAt this point, the energy required to keep Nene and Kenya’s feud going could power a small city. Aren’t they tired?
  27. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Negative BettyNeNe and Kenya are incapable of maintaining any level of kindness for more than 20 minutes at a time, and we should stop expecting them to.
  28. overnights
    The Bachelor Season Finale Recap: Fail to SucceedPeter subscribes to the Nicholas Sparks school of relationships, where the only requirement in a relationship is a desire to be in that relationship.
  29. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: Family-Meeting TimeWait, so now we’re supposed to watch this whole thing as if Peter’s love for Madison is some act of passionate rebellion against his family’s wishes?
  30. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Baggage CheckThere is a volcano brewing with NeNe and Kenya, and it’s going to ruin baby Brooklyn and baby PJ’s dream vacations.
  31. overnights
    The Bachelor ‘Women Tell All’ Recap: How Dare You?The ladytestants have it out, while Chris Harrison imagines lying on a warm beach with no one screaming at him.
  32. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: End ItKenya really lives in the darkest timeline possible.
  33. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: Save YourselfThis whole Madison thing is starting to feel like the last act of Oedipus, and frankly, it’s boring and frustrating.
  34. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Blame GameThere are so many reasons why Kenya definitely should divorce Marc, but forcing her to hang out with NeNe is positively criminal.
  35. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: Hometown ZeroWow, Peter really has no conception of what a functional relationship looks like or what a crab rangoon is.
  36. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: NeNe Leakes and the Sad Lunch BunchLet Kandi muttering, “Who are these random ladies” sustain you through these cold winter nights.
  37. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: I Couldn’t Help But Wonder …Peter is self-sabotaging all over the place and has completely conflated drama with passion. Peter’s a Carrie.
  38. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: One Tough CookieIt takes a bold woman to make an argument about her fiancé’s fidelity look fun, and Tanya, well, she did that.
  39. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: Victoria CrossWhat exactly is it that Peter is looking for? Does he even know?
  40. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: Chaos AgentIt’s almost admirable how every single opportunity Peter has to make a decision, he does the exact opposite of what he should do.
  41. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: Offensive FoulSecrets, lies, the threat of bodily injury, a surprise trip to Cleveland — man, this episode is just crushing it.
  42. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: A Bag of Weave and a Whole Pot of TeaAnyone who can get under Kenya’s skin as much as Tanya does deserves to be in contention for a peach.
  43. overnights
    The Bachelor Recap: The Champagne ScandalOh, so Kelsey has never watched this show before.
  44. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Snake PitSnakeGate may be standard Housewives fodder, but that doesn’t mean everyone can’t react in a completely over-the-top way that solves nothing.
  45. overnights
    The Bachelor Premiere Recap: Ready for TakeoffApparently there is no need to respect rules or decorum at all this season. Thank you, Hannah.
  46. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Apology TourWe’ve been setting the table for what feels like half the season. It’s time to sit down at the table and then flip it over.
  47. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Carnival NightSome episodes just exist to set up a larger, bigger fight.
  48. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: A Chill ProposalThis is the platonic ideal of a RHOA episode, and Kenya is its MVP.
  49. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: When They Go Low …Trying to find meaning or a coherent system of logic in Marlo’s opinions is a fool’s errand.
  50. overnights
    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: A Grand EntranceWe need Kenya and the unmitigated gall she brings to the table because NeNe sure isn’t bringing it anymore.
More Articles