New York City may be the city that never sleeps, but The Real Housewives of New York City sent audiences nationwide—well, at least, me—into a deep slumber with its initial reboot season, a tepid outing that raised the question: Was a total reboot the right idea?
That’s still unclear. A world where Luann de Lesseps’ chaotic cabaret is relegated to the sidelines as Bethenny Frankel spirals into a TikTok-infused insanity is one in which we’re all worse off. What is clear, though, is the Season 15 premiere (technically Season 2) of new RHONY is easily the show’s best episode yet, smartly veering from a vapid aspirational angle to focus on what fans crave most: drama. The turbulent premiere finally proves the reboot ladies are up to fight about more than just cheese.
Coming off a whimpering, weepy reunion, the premiere offers viewers a lovely game of telephone. Did Sai say she hates Jenna? Did Erin imply Brynn is a high-end escort and call Jenna poor? Does Jenna have bad B.O.? It just depends which messenger you trust most—if you trust any.
Real Housewives works best when pathological liars and delusional divas work together to create a cacophony of chaos, after all. The waters are finally muddied now that this cast has spent enough time together to gel on camera. It could be proof that the RHONY reboot can survive on its own, even if this cast would benefit from a weekend of torture at Dorinda Medley’s Berkshires home.
Of the many improvements from the first season, we actually get to see Brynn’s apartment this year. And we meet her brother, a very engaging scene partner, if only by providing eye candy.
The new RHONY, just like And Just Like That, is all about rectifying perceived mistakes of the initial series. To that end, we get to see a surprisingly rare trip on the subway. Soon, the ladies will take on the hottest topic of our time: congestion pricing.
After a harrowing trip—in which Jessel makes it very clear Bravo’s producers forced her to take the train for relatability purposes—she and her husband Pavit arrive in Chinatown. That’s another locale rarely featured on RHONY. Off the top of my head, there’s a scene in Season 9 where Bethenny and Carole Radziwill visit, and that might just be it, so it’s a refreshing choice of scenery.
One of the many issues with last season was its misuse of the city. RHONY has a leg up on franchises like Dallas in that its location is a character in itself, but between last season’s small-scale events and the COVID season, it’s been a while since we’ve seen New York in all its glory.
Pavit enjoying some Chinese food while showing his horrific taste in public figures simply hits harder in a public space than it would in the couple’s apartment. But I have to ask: Why exactly would anyone want their child to be the next Elon Musk? What’s his issue with Beyoncé? It’s starting to seem like Sai didn’t bully this man enough last year. There’s something sinister afoot.
Speaking of Sai, the fan least favorite Housewife is back with a renewed outlook. She likes Jessel now! Does that make you like her? Please, she’ll do anything!
In a confessional, Sai goes as far to admit that audience feedback was a brutal pill to swallow for her. It’s a double edged sword, as I certainly wouldn’t want to face the wrath of Bravo fans, but a Housewife who adjusts herself in line with audience expectations isn’t a great sign, either.
“I’m trying to grow,” Sai says, most certainly hoping to increase her fanbase from two people to at least 10.
Jenna is back, too, which may be a surprise to some given her very public contract renegotiation and refusal to show her relationship on camera. Her first solo scene of the season does feature someone very special to her, though: her girlfriend…’s mom. I guess we’ll take it. Nancy does seem like a diva with a story, and I’d like to hear it.
At Jenna’s apartment, we also meet new Housewife Racquel Chevremont. An art curator and model who has worked on shows like Empire, And Just Like That and Severance, Racquel is very much in line with the artsy, aspirational angle Bravo has sought after with the reboot. As far as delivering drama and intrigue, Racquel seems a bit too self-aware for that—a problem much of the cast suffers from.
Still, she’s got a strong screen presence and is a welcome addition to the cast given she’s a real friend of Jenna’s, helping to bridge the gap that made Jenna seem untouchable last season. Maybe with an industry peer around, Jenna will finally dip her toes in the drama. We can only hope.
Also new is Rebecca Minkoff, fashion designer and Scientologist. A friend-of, Rebecca’s addition is Bravo’s first official foray into the world of Scientology. It’s a risky endeavor—one that’s unlikely to provide the explosive drama needed to justify her inclusion—and her premiere outing is more of a snooze. The last thing this cast needs is a lady who’s like “Oh no, drama? Should I even attend this event?” No, you shouldn’t.
Thankfully, the veterans have picked up the slack with the group drama, even if their solo storylines are lacking. Erin’s supposed marriage drama isn’t too engaging, reeking of inauthenticity, but Brynn telling people that Erin thinks Jenna has money troubles? That’s fun.
Look, if Erin did pay for Jenna’s Uber without getting paid back, she has every right to be annoyed. And if, in turn, she feigned concern that Jenna’s having money issues, then she’s really funny. Calling Jenna poor is a solid line of attack given it’s such an obvious troll that it forces Jenna to get her feet a little wet.
To top it all off, Erin texts Jessel “So disappointed” to which Jessel replies “???” after hearing that Jessel was gossiping about her. I love the concept of texting your castmates cryptic messages every time they wrong you. It’s very Kathy Hilton. Erin’s humorless nature has this reverse effect of making her quite hilarious. It’s accidentally endearing.
At Brynn’s event, the ladies finally hash it all out. Sai takes accountability for saying she disliked Jenna when she first met her, but wants it to be clear she never hated her, despite Brynn’s claims. It doesn’t really go anywhere, as Jenna brushes it right off, but the issue between Sai and Brynn remains entirely unresolved. That’s certain to play out as the season goes on.
Brynn is public enemy number one with Erin, too. Our stank queen merely groans when Brynn enters the scene, leading the two to brawl over who’s a bigger trash talker. Maybe Erin could’ve shut down Jeff Lewis’ insinuation that Brynn dates men for money sooner. Maybe Brynn put a little spin on Erin’s claim about Jenna to make it seem harsher than intended. Maybe they’re both right about each other.
Sai jumps in to add fuel to the fire, throwing around classic Housewives terms such as “narcissist” and “gaslighter” while arguing with Brynn, leading Brynn to flee the scene of her own event. How dare anyone attack little old Brynn? All she does is giggle and laugh every day! She’s so sweet and cute and oh so relatable!
Brynn’s schtick in Season 14 was a bit tired, but acting all coquettish while spreading wild rumors about everyone in the cast is a great turnaround for her. And it’s only the beginning, as the trailer promises a major Brynn vs. Ubah feud, while she brings up the Scientology elephant in the room with Rebecca, too.
It seems there’s hope for RHONY, after all. The Season 15 premiere is far from topping the best days of legacy RHONY, but it’s full of intrigue. While some glaring issues remain—Jenna’s cageyness, Sai’s grating personality, Ubah’s lack of connection to the group—the New York City ladies have entered this season with a renewed drive to make this show work. Already, it’s wittier, fresher, and more tonally in line with its predecessor.
I’ll always long to see Luann on my screen, but for the first time, I’m actually excited to see what’s next for the new New York.
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