‘Southern Charm’ Did A Surprisingly Great Job Capturing The Early Days of Coronavirus in Charleston

I wasn’t looking forward to watching the onset of the coronavirus pandemic back on TV, but I will admit that Bravo’s Southern Charm did a surprisingly great job of capturing the reaction of the cast in Charleston as the severity set in. Maybe it was the fact that they interspersed footage of empty Charleston streets and landmarks, or the bits of news reports as it all started to unfold. Or maybe it was because they simply followed our favorite friend group as they lived their lives and reacted to this game-changer in all the ways you would expect them to.

The episode starts with Craig visiting Whitney at his mom Patricia’s house, but he’s not allowed in the gates. Instead, a gloved Whitney simply throws a pack of toilet paper in his direction. “This is absurd, but I did run out,” Craig admits, as well as the fact that he “stocked up on alcohol but I have zero food.” Are you surprised? Whitney quickly shoots down his invitation to come over to play video games, and retreats back inside, as the show takes us back a week in time to watch how it all unfolded. It was kind of like watching a horror movie when you already know how it ends (or in the case of the US, never ends), holding your breath for the people on screen, and ultimately grateful they all seem to be okay today.

But first, the group must discuss John Pringle, who we learn made his move, or made more moves, on Madison, while he was at Austen’s house! Both the guys and the girls recount this fiasco in their respective groups and it’s a dang shame the cameras weren’t there for that one. It’s almost humorous to watch the guys plan to attend the upcoming Dudes Dinner at Patricia’s house, with Craig and Pringle even stopping by the suit store to, well, suit up for the big event. Pringle, while worrying about his sons’ upcoming trip to visit him in Charleston, incorrectly guessed, “I think maybe this will blow over in two weeks,” and so Patricia’s dinner being canceled was probably not the biggest surprise for him that week.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Decider.com (@deciderdotcom)

I appreciate that the episode still managed to have a lighthearted tone woven throughout, despite what we all knew was on the way. Much of that tone is also due to this group who, sure, are no strangers to drama, but even more importantly, just want to have a good time. Shep is seen telling his girlfriend Taylor that he’ll happily drink beers with her but, “Just not in a public place, I don’t want to get coronavirus,” and even though she simply reminds him to “just wash your hands” it’s hard to remember that there was a time where we almost joked about it, or at least weren’t aware of the incredible severity we face today.

For Kathryn, ignorance was truly bliss. She stopped by Gwynn’s to try on some pretty outfits and asked pal Madison Simon about the possibility of doing a buying trip to New York. “I’m a little concerned about that because, well, coronavirus,” Madison tells her gently. “I don’t know if you heard, but like, the whole city is shut down. It’s a big deal, all the schools shut down.” Kathryn’s response? “I guess I need to Google this thing.”

“Honey you do. This is serious stuff,” Madison relays, qualifying for the understatement of the year.

New cast member Leva brought the perspective of the nightlife and restaurant industry to the show, such a huge, vital part of Charleston’s economy. She worried about tourism and her employees and the businesses she’s spent years building. Already taking precautions, she encouraged business associates to utilize the hand sanitizer she provided when they came over for an emergency meeting. The seriousness starts to set in as they relay all the cancelations taking place, and ultimately Leva has to make the tough decision to temporarily close their businesses.

The real highlight though is when Shep stops by Craig’s new rented place to check it out, immediately noticing, “Oh shit, we just shook hands,” but we can’t be shocked that it would take these two a bit to adjust to the new normal. “The good news is, I got some Corona,” Shep announces, while proudly producing a six-pack of beer. “The bad news is, there’s a pandemic.”

“This coronavirus thing isn’t existing,” Craig states, and we’re reminded of his conspiracy tendencies. Whitney calls to make the Dudes Dinner cancelation official, and Craig tells him, “I’m not gonna lie, if you’re not having a party I’m probably gonna have a housewarming party this week.” And while Whitney discourages that and encourages social distancing, a very new term to Craig’s ears, he says, “We’re not gonna hang out with people we don’t know, but we’re still gonna hang out with our friends.”

“That’s probably the worst policy you could possibly undergo,” Whitney tells him. “You guys are fucking walking Petri dishes,” to which Shep agrees, “He’s not wrong.”

“If me staying in and being good makes all this go away sooner than it would,” Craig starts to reason, but Shep stops him there to say, “I don’t think it’s sooner, I think this is just the beginning.” He goes on to say, “I’m legit worried,” and tells Craig to cancel his upcoming “important meetings” in New York. “This is uncharted territory, I can’t say that enough. It’s up to us how risky we want to be.” Props to smarty pants Shep for having the most accurate read on the whole situation!

Meanwhile, Kathryn is dealing with the news by promising Danni she will mediate that night, and while Austen is glued to the TV, he reasons that at least he has it better than Madison’s son because, “At least we can drink alcohol.” Madison has canceled all her hair appointments, though she suspects it won’t be long before she sees Patricia again, as she told her “Oh you’re gonna come out sooner than you think because I know you’re not gonna let one gray hair poke out.”

As everyone enters the official lockdown, Craig is seen repeatedly coughing while checking the news on his computer. “Is that corona?” Pringle asks of the coughing via Facetime. “Probably,” Craig tells him. And in a subsequent Facetime call, as Shep is enjoying pancakes at his parents’ house, Craig admits, “I want to call you crazy but I can’t have my party this week anymore. Alright, I guess this is a thing.”

Again, this wasn’t a week I wanted to relive in any form, but there was something soothing about knowing the world was changing, but this group of people we’ve become so used to watching on TV, they haven’t changed one bit. For some, not in the seven seasons they’ve been on Bravo, and for some, not in the face of a global pandemic either. Ultimately, the episode achieved the right mix of silly drama (the looming love triangle) while addressing much larger problems than this group has ever had to deal with (pandemic), and still showing off the personalities we know and love (oh, Craig). Not every show, and not even every Bravo show, is going to be capable of handling this correctly, so cheers to Southern Charm for getting it right.

Southern Charm airs Thursday at 9 pm ET/PT on Bravo. 

Where to stream Southern Charm