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They are glamorous. They are skinny. They are fabulous. They are … the same age as your mom? They are The Real Housewives of Orange County, and the stars of the addictive Bravo reality show of the same name. The series started a few years ago, and since then has escalated in drama and in ratings. Set in an exclusive gated community in the mythic Orange County, the show follows six women who take care of their families and their careers. Some of the faces have changed over the three seasons, but the problems have not. The women encounter relationship troubles (married or otherwise), issues raising their children, and the dreaded beauty problems. These so-called housewives have been tucked, tightened, and plucked more times than Sylvester Stallone. (And, have you seen him lately?) The results are uncanny, as the women strut around in the same outfits that students at Boston College wear. Paired with the incessant partying and the refusal to let go of their youth, the housewives' embarrassing antics make your mom look like a saint.

Season three brought a mix of tears and happiness for the housewives. Jeana found herself single again after a tough divorce from her long-term husband. Vicki had a hard time letting go of her children as they left the nest, but not as hard of a time as she had giving up control to Jeana when she was trying to sell her second house. The two butted heads on more than one occasion, spitting expletives at each other and almost ending their friendship. Tammy's ex-husband died, leaving her two daughters devastated, especially when he left the whole of his estate to his second wife. Conversely, Lauri had finally got her life together when she met her Prince Charming in George and spent the whole season prepping for the multi-million-dollar wedding that took place on Tuesday night's finale - the perfect way to end the extravagant season. The two new housewives, Tamra and Quinn, brought relatively low drama compared to the more established women. Tamra's biggest problem was her unhealthy relationship with her son, as evidenced by the "grateful" tattoo spanning his chest, and Quinn's choice between dating a 20-year-old and an overly tan metrosexual.

The Real Housewives's third season may be over, but there will undoubtedly be weekend marathons to catch up the people who have not discovered this guilty pleasure yet. And when the marathons run out? There is always The Real Housewives of New York, Bravo's attempt to capture the magic on the East Coast.