Is Beverly Hills the Best Show on Bravo?

RHOBH Recap

This week’s recap of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is free for all subscribers. Beginning next week, recaps will be for paid subscribers. Paid subscribers also have access to recaps of RHOSLC, RHOP, and RHONY.

Bravo fans endlessly debate which Real Housewives franchise is the best. For many, it’s New York or Atlanta. Both have taken tumbles in recent years
(one took a nose dive). Some people argue it’s New Jersey — which has never really had a bad season — but the cast hating each other has made it less enjoyable each year. And it’s probably getting rebooted because of it. Returning series Miami is a stronger contender, but it still feels new. Potomac made a strong case once, only to deliver several bad seasons. The series has recovered nicely this year, but it’s not fully there yet. Salt Lake City is on its fifth near-flawless season and is absolutely the best franchise airing currently.

But as amazing as Salt Lake City is, as iconic as many of its moments have been, Beverly Hills has been on the air since 2010 and even though the franchise has had some truly low lows, the highs are sublime. Nobody does it like Beverly Hills and this week’s premiere¹ proved why. Every season, love them or hate them, these women get to work immediately.

The first scene of the premiere (Dorit reading a fashion magazine and kissing her dog on the lips, as white people do) makes it clear that this season is going to be The Dorit Show. Dorit Kemsley has long been a fan favorite, but her friendship with Kyle Richards neutered her for a few seasons. And then there was the unfortunate home invasion that shell-shocked her. But then something happened that can only happen on a Housewives series that’s been on the air for fourteen years… relationships shifted. As Kyle was embroiled in another beef with her sister Kathy Hilton, Dorit tried to mediate it at the reunion. She wanted Kyle to see Kathy’s side. Kyle didn’t appreciate this and told her to butt out. The next season, the friends were chilly with one another as they went through separate marriage problems. To get back at Dorit for her disloyalty, Kyle downplayed their friendship publicly. She tried to smooth things over before last year’s reunion, but Dorit wasn’t having it. She was fed up with her friend. And this season, she’s going to let her have it.

Sutton Stracke introduces us to new housewife Jennifer Tilly. She’s appeared as a Friend Of before, but now she’s a full-time cast member. What you need to know about Jennifer, besides the fact that she played the iconic Tiffany in the Child’s Play franchise, is that she’s RICH. She’s also a little kooky like Sutton, but mostly, they’re rich bitches who love hanging out and doing rich shit! Sutton is planning a Salvador Dalí-themed party for the girls, to honor her recent trip to Spain, where she scattered her friend Merce Cunningham’s ashes. “Some of my friends understand art…” (cut to Dorit talking excitedly about the theme”) “…and then there’s Kyle.” (cut to Kyle thinking the party is “Salvador DOLLY-themed”)

Sutton also shares that she wasn’t the best friend to Kyle last year and fixed things. “One I missed her, and then I started to see things when I was online shopping that I knew she would like, and I missed sending it to her.” Sutton missed her other rich bitch friend! LMAO. But also, Kyle has traditionally been a bad friend to Sutton and Sutton was only trying to get her lick back last year! Stand on business, Sutton!

Erika goes furniture shopping with Dorit. The price tags are steep. Erika definitely ain’t buying a damn thing. But maybe they gave her something free for the promo. Dorit shows up and drops the news that she and PK are separating. The GASP Erika lets out. Get her back on The Young and the Restless, please! I’m also grateful that Dorit dropped this news to Erika before it leaked online. We get Erika’s honest reaction to it, which is great. Erika wants to know if she should tell Kyle because she’s seeing her later. Dorit asks her not to. Erika, it seems, is going to be the go-between for the feuding friends this season. Dorit drops the fact that PK is an alcoholic and also they don’t have sex anymore. Well, damn. She said Andy Cohen ain’t firing her this year!

Kyle feels sad because her daughter Alexia moved out, as well as her husband, Mauricio, now that they’re officially separated. Kyle feels bad that her relationship with Dorit is so bad. She feels like Dorit tried to publicly embarrass her by reading the text she sent her at the reunion. Meanwhile, saying you and Dorit weren’t real friends is also trying to embarrass her too, ma’am!

In Atlanta, Garcelle Beauvais is working on two projects as an executive producer. Good for her! Her son visits, and they catch up which is also lovely… but let’s move on, BECAUSE the news drops that Dorit and PK are separating. Garcelle reads Dorit’s IG announcement. “It’s Dorit, of course, it’s long and winded.”² Erika lets Kyle know that she already knew. Garcelle realizes that none of the ladies are married anymore.

Dorit shows up to chat with Kathy, who’s getting her make-up and extensions done for Sutton’s party. Kathy being in glam while talking to Dorit about her separation is so extra. Sometimes I hate Kathy’s antics, but I do love them sometimes. This one is funny, though. Dorit spills all the alcoholism tea to Kathy.

Mauricio and PK have a sit-down. You know, I’m a little sick of scenes with the HUZZBANDS on Bravo this year! But at least it’s vital to get PK’s side of the separation. He thinks they need space to figure out if they can work as a couple again.

Sutton’s Realism Party begins and she spent money on this shit. Btw, there are some wild comments on Kyle’s Instagram about how the party was celebrating the occult and I forgot how stupid Bravo fans can be sometimes! Meanwhile, Dalí was an intense Catholic and buddy-buddy with the Pope. Smart people do love reality TV, but not all reality TV viewers are smart people.

The ladies arrive and we meet gorgeous new cast member Bozoma Saint John. She used to run shit in corporate America and rattles off a list of jobs that it impresses Dorit (enough that Dorit pulls out her light blaccent and neck rolls she loves to do… never change!). Boz pretending she doesn’t know Dorit is separating from PK is hilarious, given that it’s front-page news. They bond over being chic and Dorit is also like, “Hi, my husband is an alcoholic! Ask me how!” She’s carrying and I love it.

Garcelle arrives and checks in with Kyle to see how she’s doing. Erika wants to know the same. I love that Garcelle and Kyle are friendly, but to those who think this is another alliance like Kyle had with Lisa Rinna and Teddi Mellencamp once upon a time, let me remind you that Garcelle knows what show she is on! She might be friends with Kyle but she will get the tea. Case in point, she asks about Morgan Wade, Kyle’s lesbian friend from last season that everyone thought she was banging. Kyle says she wants to respect Morgan and not mention her name this year, as if it wasn’t an entire storyline last year, which must been that Morgan’s contract is up, baby. That was a one-season storyline, okay??

The ladies all sit down together and Dorit gives Kyle the cold shoulder. It’s awk, so Garcelle and Sutton dip to get a drink. Kathy arrives, by the way, and is introduced to Boz. She calls her “Boss” which might seem like she’s saying her name wrong, but Boz realizes she’s calling her “The Boss.” Sure, okay, Kathy. Kathy plops down and starts removing her hair extensions at the party because she doesn’t want them in anymore. Girl?? These antics, are less fun!

After a very weird performance at the party from a maybe-drag queen or just a cis weirdo lady, Dorit and Kyle finally sit down to get into it. Kyle wants to fix their relationship but refuses to take any blame. Dorit is fed up with her good sis. Kyle accuses her of being aggressive. And Dorit is like bet, I can get ghetto! “I’m not gonna put up with this shit anymore, Kyle!” Beverly Hills is back, baby!

1. Season 14, Episode 1: “Grace Time is Over” (Grade: B+)

2. Meanwhile, Dorit cracked me up on Watch What Happens Live when she said “I’m always waiting to see what shit Garcelle is gonna say about me.” They will never be friends and stay on each other’s necks. I love it!