Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Bravo
Just a couple of weeks ago, we passed the two-year mark since Bravo announced that it would reboot the Real Housewives of New York. What once seemed like it might be a death knell to a long-running reality television franchise turned out to be an exuberant, joyous, and highly watchable new start for the series, thanks to some excellent casting from the powers-that-be behind the scenes. New Housewives Jessel, Brynn, Jenna, Erin, Ubah, and Sai all brought something unique to the table—just Sai annoying everyone else because she was hungry all the time was enough to stir the pot and produce something fresh.
The highs were high, and the lows could’ve been much lower, which is one of the better things you can say about a Housewives show, especially if you consider that this was the new New York’s “first” season. What’s even better is that allegiances and friendships were constantly shifting, lending an unpredictable nature to the show. That stayed true right up until the chaotic end, in a Season 14 finale that featured wig fittings, tea spillings, and even a mention of a dick slap or two. Throw in a blowout fight to shake things up one last time, and it’s safe to say that the new RHONY should be here to stay.
One thing that I have been a consistent fan of with this new group of women is that they’re all a little offbeat. They’re kind of freakish, and I mean that in a good way—none of them are boring, and only occasionally annoying. An opening montage of Sai trying on wigs, Brynn visiting her psychic (a young gay man with trendy spectacles, naturally), and Ubah and Erin meeting up to drive bumper cars reflects that bizarre vibe nicely. While on their bumper car excursion at Bryant Park, Ubah tries to level with Erin about the rift du jour: her and Sai’s continued judgment of Jessel’s marriage and sex life.