Reality TV gold happens somewhere between beautiful shady women who are candid with their lifestyles and external situations involving said women that are interesting with palpable solutions. The nuance of capturing an interesting cast that allows the cameras to catch them at vulnerable moments is no easy task, but the producers of the Real Housewives franchise have been able to strike gold for multiple seasons in multiple cities. Atlanta earned a reputation early on for being the most popular franchise with an influential cast that were fan favorites across the country. Atlanta hit a brick wall the last two seasons with fans complaining of hypocrisy, lies, and fake storylines that felt over the top and didn’t sit well with the longtime audience.
But a big issue with RHOA is certain women not being held accountable for their lies or their issues outside the show. Kandi Burruss was accused over the last few seasons of not being exposed and only inviting the cameras into the areas of her life that are picture-perfect. Kandi refutes the claims, and they could be false, but the lack of authenticity on the show has resulted in lackluster ratings and a highly anticipated re-casting.
With The Real Housewives of Potomac struggling to capture audiences due to forced beefs, made-up storylines, and cast members not sharing their true lives, a recast may be imminent. Could RHOP face the same fate as RHOA?
‘RHOP’ Season 8 Has Left Much to Be Desired
The Real Housewives of Potomac premiered to lukewarm ratings, but in the last few seasons, the former beauty queens and their elite friends have upped the ante and the ratings have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, just as quickly as Potomac connected with the reality gold sweet spot, cracks have started to show up with the cast. Last season, Robyn Dixon’s decision not to share the issues in her marriage, specifically regarding her husband Juan and his potential infidelity, sparked anger in the women in the cast and audiences alike. Fans assume that when housewives are collecting a check and showing up on their television screens every week, there is an unspoken obligation to be forthcoming with their daily lives, at least during filming. Robyn’s choice to stay mum on her marital woes while pointing an accusatory finger at everyone else was met with extreme backlash by RHOP fans. Between Robyn’s insincerity and Mia Gordon’s unhinged and allegedly fraudulent behavior, RHOP has been on a downward trajectory for a while. When you combine Ashley Darby’s forced storyline trying to drum up trouble with Wendy Osefo and newcomer Nneka Ihim, it feels like a repeat of the same mistakes the ladies of RHOA made, resulting in the last few season’s ratings being trash.
With Ashley’s marriage to toxic husbandMichael Darby no longer being an issue, the former beauty queen doesn’t have much to talk about these days. The grande dame Karen Huger is attempting to sell viewers with the idea that she is creating a legacy, buying back a property that her family was once enslaved upon, but audiences know that two seasons ago, she and her husband were in financial straits. Potomac “it girl” Gizelle Bryant has run out of gas with anything that would resemble interest, as her most interesting bullet point this season is her daughter going away for college. Candiace Dillard Bassett is holding her own with her singing career, but because she has written off both Gizelle and Robyn, and her feud with Ashley has reignited, she has limited on-camera time and engagement.
Fans Don’t Appreciate a Mean Girl With No Allies on ‘RHOP’
RHOA was red-hot, then almost overnight it was disjointed and didn’t make sense. Marlo Hampton’s addition to the show as an official peach was met with some resistance, but no one expected her behavior to be as erratic as it played out in the last season. Marlo’s obsession with turning the rest of the cast against Kandi superseded anything else producers tried to incorporate into her storyline. Pushing self-motivated agendas without rhyme or reason doesn’t sit well with Bravo fans, and they are quick to turn on a fave for doing too much. Besides the fake agendas and withholding the truth during filming, fans are always looking for real friendships between the ladies. Without allies or true connections with the other ladies in the cast, it’s hard for audiences to connect.
The friendship between Gizelle and Robyn was criticized, but overall, audiences enjoyed the self-proclaimed green-eyed bandits having each other’s backs. Reality TV is powered by mean girls, so although fans loved to hate the power duo, there was an appreciation for the ladies’ friendship and their commitment to supporting one another by any means necessary. This season, the unthinkable happened and viewers are witnessing a breakdown in the pretty BFF’s friendship bond. Defending Juan is costing Robyn more than she could’ve imagined and her friendship with Gizelle is one of the casualties of this war.
Fans Demanded Changes From ‘RHOA,’ Now ‘RHOP’ Needs to Follow
Most reality series have their hey days and some are even lucky enough to experience resurgences in popularity after making cast changes and or restructuring the format. RHOA fans are eager to see if the cast changes that have been rumored to be in the works will bring the ‘je ne sais quoi’ back to one of Bravo’s most successful franchises. RHOP has a few seasons before fans start demanding change, but the way things are going now, it won’t be long. There was an online petition circulating for Robyn to be fired for keeping her marital issues a secret last season. Viewers have also been critical of the friction between Nigerian cast mates Nneka and Wendy and few have patience with Mia’s outrageous lies juxtaposed against her alleged fraudulent behavior.
The RHOA fan base is holding out hope for a successful upcoming season with some additions that will restore the show to its former glory. Perhaps the ladies of Potomac can make some subtle changes before things go all the way left, and major changes have to be made.
