'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Review/Recap: Season 5 Premiere
Evan Slead ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
The ladies of the 90210 are back and honestly better than ever. Returning with the reigning champs of Beverly Hills, Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, Yolanda Foster and Brandi Glanville, are two new stars. Calling them stars is putting it lightly though. Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives soap star Eileen Davidson is heating up the zip code this season; however she was not featured on the premiere episode. More to come from Miss Eileen! Our other new housewife, Lisa Rinna, did get some tube time and it was glorious. Rinna has been in everything from Melrose Place to Days of Our Lives, and even had guest spots on shows like Community. She had a chance to shine with her bubbly personality on The Celebrity Apprentice last season so it’s a joy to know there will be more of her on Bravo every week. There were other surprises to bring viewers back into the fold of the fancy life, as well as plenty of drama set ups.
Kyle’s annual White Party is in full swing this year, literally. Going for more of a theatrical approach, the Kyle by Alene Too boutique owner has gone for a circus meets Cirque Du Soleil theme with all of the guests wearing white, of course. Surprise, surprise, former housewives Camille Grammar, Adrienne Maloof and Taylor Armstrong are in attendance! Camille undoubtedly is one of the most famous housewives of all time; not only because of her highly publicized divorce from Kelsey Grammar, but because of her drastic change from season one to two. Camille was that little shoulder shrug python in season one, throwing dinner parties set in hell and busting out her thesaurus whenever possible. Pernicious anyone? Then in season two, viewers were treated to a humble, hilarious, and beautiful woman that was completely down-to-earth. Seeing her again is always a joy, especially with a flashback to her hardcore dancing in Vegas. Adrienne and Taylor on the other hand aren’t as beloved. Sure, some fans love them, but the majority finds them to be snarky and not the most exciting ladies to have graced the diamond studded intro screen.
Before the party goes into full swing, there has to be a catch up with the conditions of everyone’s friendships. First up, Lisa and Kyle. While they haven’t talked much since their toe to toe at the last reunion, they do meet for a makeup lunch. They thankfully make their truce and go right back to the lovely joke jabbing everyone knows and loves. Who’s to say how long this truce will last, but for now, it’s a welcome reconciliation. Brandi and Lisa? Well, still no close ties there unfortunately. Brandi does come to the white party, much to her nervousness of seeing Adrienne and Lisa. Brandi pulls out her best foot (let’s face it, both of those legs are amazing so she wins) and asks Adrienne for a side bar conversation. While nothing gets resolved, a coffee date is set and that may as well be considered a warm hug on a cold night.
Back to the biggest relationship on the rocks, it truly is sad to see where Lisa and Brandi are with one another. Who doesn’t love Lisa, but honestly, she did do some wrong last season that she hasn’t really owned up to. Sadly, since Brandi is the mouth piece that just won’t quit, even if she’s right about her stance on Lisa, no one will truly defend her. Brandi mentions several times how on the outside of the group she feels, and it shows. She doesn’t always say the right thing, and she can be crass, but Brandi means well at the end of the day. Hopefully as the season goes on the two of them can come to a peaceful place. Although, that preview for the rest of the season shows a firm slap on Miss Lisa’s face from baby Brandi—probably not the best way to move ahead.
All in all, this season looks downright fantastic. These ladies truly run Bravo and the entire housewives franchise. When they have quirky, turtle loving Kim Richards in their pocket, how could they not be the best?
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs at 9/8c on Bravo.
Overall Episode Grade: A