Lisa Rinna Is OWNING This Season of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’

Last week on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, we got an appearance from actress Eileen Davidson, who left the show after last season. I, personally, am a fan of Eileen’s. I believe there’s gotta be one normal one in the bunch, a woman who might be described as “boring” from time to time, but one that still has a great job and is a good friend, and evens out the group of women. But what became incredibly apparent about RHOBH this season is that Eileen’s departure paved the way for Lisa Rinna’s arrival.

It was Decider’s very own social media editor Karen Kemmerle that pointed out this fact to me in our dissection of last week’s episode, and it became abundantly clear that Lisa Rinna is in fact winning this season of the show. With Eileen off living her best soap star life, Lisa Rinna’s got exactly zero investment in the drama taking place. And there is plenty of it. Most of it is meaningless, in a way we really haven’t seen from this show in some time, but there are arguments and tears and even lessons in champagne glass etiquette. Lisa Vanderpump has been having one of her more emotional seasons, Kyle’s distracted with her home renovation, Dorit is straight up ALL over the place, Teddi refuses to learn that it will never be in her best interest to go up against Erika, and Erika is still the ultimate Queen. But it is Rinna who is fully thriving this season.

Eileen was Rinna’s ride or die, arguably one of the tightest and most dependable friendships on the show; so now that Rinna doesn’t have to worry about having her friend’s back, she’s only worried about having a drink (and no, not one of those Xanax smoothies, either).

That’s not entirely true, though. Rinna has also put on her momager shoes this season, serving as a manager to her teen daughters Delilah Belle and Amelia as their modeling careers take off. Between handling their hectic schedules and traveling around the world with them for cover shoots and fashion shows, as well as that ever-important family vacation to Canada, she’s had her hands full with family stuff that has not disappointed on the entertainment front. From the daughters reading her book, stuffed with sex tips, to silly convos over Facetime or at fancy restaurants, the business side of Rinna is shining brightly. We see her as organized, proud, light-hearted, and really savvy, which is a reminder that she actually is all those things, and not the scheming shit-stirrer she served as last season.

The traveling with her daughters has been convenient and effective for Rinna: when she misses any drama among the women, she can seamlessly inquire about what’s going on. How is everyone, what’d I miss, what’d she say, why’s she mad, and most importantly, what’s the issue? Rinna asks the questions we need her to so that she can get caught up to speed and (literally) kicks back to watch it all unravel from there. She gets the story out, but she’s not directly involved. Fun Rinna has arrived!

After last’s season’s “Were people doing coke in your bathroom,” single tear bunny drama, Rinna needed a revitalizing season, and she got it. She’s able to ask her suggestive questions without coming under fire for doing so and letting the other women hash it all out, keeping her hands clean and her on-screen moments carefree. And now this right here, this is truly owning it.

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