Bravo's Newest Genre: Daytime Trash
RHOP Recap
The Real Housewives of Potomac
Season 9, Episode 7: “Hard Launch, Soft Landing”
Grade: B+
When the Real Housewives franchise first began, it was inspired by the popularity of the primetime soap Desperate Housewives. That first show was The Real Housewives of Orange County, which still lives up to its sudsy roots. My boyfriend, who has never watched the series, has watched both OC reunions with me this month. I’ve watched his jaw drop every time a plotline is casually thrown into the conversation, like Shannon Beador’s DUI and subsequent lawsuit/extortion attempt from her ex-boyfriend John Jansen (who is engaged to returning cast member Alexis Bellino1), or hiring private investigators to find out if Gina Kirschenheiter shoved her boyfriend Travis down the stairs, or Jen Pedranti’s fiancé turning informant on a gambling ring for the FBI. Yeah.
Lately, Bravo has dabbled in the true crime genre: Did Erika Jayne’s husband, Tom Girardi, steal money from plane crash victims? Did Jen Shah use a telemarketing scam to steal money from elderly victims? It seemed as if Bravo would chase scandal after scandal to lure in viewers to the 18-year Real Housewives franchise. But this season of Real Housewives of Potomac debuted a new genre: daytime trash. You weren't alone if you left this episode feeling like you’d just watched The Maury Povich Show! My friend, comedian and reality TV expert Rae Sanni, agrees:
This season has been a delightful return to form for a franchise that has had at least three bad seasons.2 But the one messy thing potentially holding it back is Mia’s love triangle with her ex-husband Gordon and current boyfriend Inc. I say potentially because maybe I’m enjoying the trash? I mean, I fucking love daytime TV. And even though I’m horrified at the prospect of Mia’s kids watching this back sometime in the future, I do have to admit that I can’t take my eyes off the train wreck. Is Bravo above this? It might be ghetto, but so is Ramona Singer shitting herself on TV multiple times!