Have the OG Housewives Reached Their Breaking Point?

The Real Housewives have been a phenomenon for over a decade (The Real Housewives of Orange Country premiered in 2006) so it was likely only a matter of time before the cracks in the facade started to appear. That time is now. Lately, we’ve seen OG Housewives starting to crumble on their respective shows (many due to personal reasons) but there’s a level of vulnerability we’ve never seen from these women who have only put forth the image of a strong woman, wife, mother, business owner and friend. So what’s changed?

Perhaps it was rather inevitable that at some point these women would have to show their real real selves, the ones behind the face lifts and wigs and general steely demeanor we’ve all seen on the shows we’re nothing short of obsessed with. Over the past few episodes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, we’ve seen a NeNe Leakes who appears…lost. A bit broken. Uninterested in the gif-able quips she’s become so widely known for. Since her husband Gregg’s cancer diagnosis, she’s shifted her focus from shading her friends to caring for her husband. Unfortunately, jarring life events such as his diagnosis are likely to put a strain on any relationship, especially one where the partner is so heavily relied on. And as strong as NeNe has always been, she’s still a human who can only take so much. From snapping at new friend Tanya to letting herself cry in front of so many of the women, to being to honest about the troubles she’s feeling in her marriage, this is a much more sensitive NeNe than we’ve ever seen on the show before. A NeNe that would’ve likely tried to hide these troubles from the cameras, but also one that can no longer withstand the pressures and sadness she’s feeling, and stopped caring about what the cameras captured. While the reasons for her vulnerability are sad, and what we’re watching isn’t necessarily “fun” for anyone, there’s still something sort of reassuring for viewers to see this side of her and to know that even a woman like NeNe, one who often seems unbreakable, goes through the same things so many other women do every day.

The same goes for Lisa Vanderpump, who spent most of the first episode of this season’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills rather unlike the boss lady we’ve witnessed before. Getting over the death of her brother was always going to be rough; doing it on national television is another level. But it’s a level she’s authentically experiencing, for better or worse. Again, it’s relatable and nearly refreshing to know this woman isn’t composed 100% of her life, while still heartbreaking to watch her go through this experience. But it’s also a hint at how removed Vanderpump must be feeling from the process of being a Housewife at this point, that she’s letting viewers in on her pain, and seemingly involuntarily at that. It’s doubly eye-opening that this season finds her fighting with fellow OG and former bestie Kyle Richards, who implies that Vanderpump values her image over her friendships and loyalty. Not an inaccurate accusation — at least until this season where Vanderpump, intentionally or not, is putting forth a completely different image, one that is much more fragile while simultaneously mixed with her signature indignation, and is perhaps the reason she is potentially not continuing on the show. Or maybe the dog drama is where she draws the line! Of course, she still has much more control over her image over on her spinoff, Vanderpump Rules where she serves as an executive producer. But on Beverly Hills, the curtain’s already been pulled back: we’re seeing a Lisa we’ve never seen before — and one she would’ve never allowed us to see.

Vicki Gunvalson, the OG of the OGs may also be looking at reduced screentime as rumors swirl she’s been demoted to a friend and not full-time Housewife for the upcoming season of RHOC. It’s a move that’s probably overdue and wise but still one that’s surprising she’d even agree to. However, her role in the show has reached a level of predictability and cattiness, especially when it comes to reunion shenanigans, that was impossible not to notice after last season’s newbies Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson had such strong initial showings. But Vicki also spent much of last season claiming she didn’t want any drama and…even stuck to it. If Vicki doesn’t want any drama, then what’s the point of her being there?

It’s a question that can also be asked of The Real Housewives of New Jersey‘s OG, Teresa Giudice, who spent much of this past season doing all her heavy lifting at the gym, and almost zero heavy lifting of the drama this particular franchise requires. She’s another one that has faced hardships — from her own jail time served to the sentence her husband is in the middle of completing now, as well as the loss of her mother, making her a single mom of four girls. That’s enough for one woman to handle, let alone the expectations to beef with her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, as she’s already done for several rocky seasons, as well as the other women on the show, who have much more interest in being there, and besides financially. While the memes flowed freely after Andy Cohen announced his baby news and all the other OG Housewives reacted in excitement, Teresa only wore a concerning blank stare. You ok girl, or are you over it all?

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Bethenny, like NeNe, has ducked out of the Housewives before, particularly to deal with her own personal issues, and from the events of the new season ahead, one can’t help but wonder if she’s poised to do so again. Hell, even her broken friendship with Carole Radziwill last season felt much more like a cry for help than a doozy of drama. This season, we find another bold, brassy boss lady faced with mourning a close one. Her on/off boyfriend Dennis passed away last fall, and the cameras are there to capture the aftermath. The random bursts into tears, the need for close friends around her: these are all elements that can help viewers process their own emotional hard times. But just how interested are the Housewives in providing that service instead of showing off their fabulous lives — or at least the perception of such.

As we see these unpolished and rather private sides to the Housewives we’ve watched for so many years, it’s hard not to wonder if there’s a shelf life on how long you can sustain this lifestyle. Is it inevitable that being an OG Housewife is not a title you can maintain for years and years without cracking at some point? Is there a burn out and an apathy to what the cameras are capturing, and how much the women even care? It’s hard to know if these sad sides are simply relatable TV or if these women need a damn sabbatical. It’s unprecedented for women to put their real (“real”) lives on TV to share with the world for this long — so who will determine the protocol? But then again, simply swapping in some new blood might not be the answer because is the Housewife you know better than the one you don’t? This is the realest we’ve ever seen the Real Housewives, and so the question that remains is, is this what they — and we — really want to see?

Where to stream The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills