Real Housewives of Beverly Hills should blow it all up and start over

The Muse

"There’s nothing more useless in this universe than a Real Housewife who is also boring—yet The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has shockingly lowered the bar this year, delivering a season mostly built around homophobic shock-and-awe at the idea that women sometimes have sex with each other," says Joan Summers. "Now Denise Richards, its primary drama fixture, has abandoned the series completely, leaving what was once a flagship series for Bravo flapping in the wind. The only remedy here is to blow up the franchise and fire Erika Jayne, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, and Teddi Mellencamp." Summers adds: "The most successful seasons of the Real Housewives operate as collaborations. Think The Real Housewives of New York Season 9, circa Bethenny, Luann, Carole, Ramona, Sonja, Tinsley, and Dorinda, before things went to shit and Luann got arrested. Or The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s third season, with Teresa, Melissa, Caroline, Kathy, and Jacqueline. Or, more recently, The Real Housewives of Potomac’s current season, which is a fabulous example of the ephemeral alchemy that makes a cast work. It has its shining stars, like Monique’s attack parakeet (parrot?) and Grande Dame Karen Huger with her still-fake house—but they elevate their lesser cast members like Candiace and Robyn, not outshine them. If RHOBH is going to survive another season, with viewers permanently exhausted by its inconsistent pacing and unfulfilled promises—like the premiere’s assertion that Richards had completely abandoned the show—it’s going to need a serious shaking up. How serious? I’m thinking a cataclysmic firing, like the transition from The Real Housewives of New York Seasons 4 and 5, when Jill Zarin, Alex McCord, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, and Cindy Barshop were all fired." ALSO: The Wire and Bosch's Lance Reddick reveals his Real Housewives of Potomac fandom.