Over the weekend, PEOPLE and a few other outlets reported that the reunion for this season of Real Housewives of New Jersey will look a bit different. A lot different, actually. The two or three-part reunion we typically see for Bravo shows in which the cast reunites for what are often very heated conversations moderated by Andy Cohen will not be happening, and it’s all because of how divided the cast is. 

 

The current reunion format is typical, not just for Real Housewives, but a slew of other shows including Married to Medicine, Summer House, Below Deck and Vanderpump Rules, the latter of which just successfully brought two very divided people together, Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix, wrapping up its three-part run last week, which I wrote about here.

Despite show insiders telling outlets that the decision to forego a traditional reunion will ‘make even more sense’ once viewers see the finale, my personal belief is that this departure from the traditional reunion format could very well be a death sentence, not just for the show but for this tradition of wrapping production up in this way for a few reasons. 

The first is because of the value both the audience and production has placed on reunions. Second, because of the emphasis placed on resolution, which, if it was going to happen anywhere, would happen at a reunion. And lastly because if these women are allowed to escape such a fundamental component of these shows, who’s to say it won’t begin to happen for other casts, chipping away at the foundation of reality TV as we know it?

 

To be clear, reunions weren’t always a thing. The very first season of Real Housewives of Orange County aired without a reunion. But when reunions were finally conceptualized, the first one aired back in 2007 for the show’s second season. And as you can see in this clip, it was literally a backyard gathering in which the women of Orange County actually got along. 

Since then, reunions have exploded. Not only in popularity, but production value, too. Bravostarted incorporating iconic moments from the show into the reunion set design. If the cast had a chaotic trip to Las Vegas, you can bet the set design for the reunion would have been desert or casino-themed. The drinks they serve once they’ve wrapped are even inspired by something that transpired that season. 

 

And then there’s the fashion. Andy always reminds the cast and fans alike that reunions are about resolution. But we need no reminding that reunions are so very much about fashion. Days before airing, blogs often share out teasers of the reunion looks, inviting fans to weigh in on who looks the best. Reunions have become such a staple in reality TV fandom, giving us some of the best and most meme-worthy moments in reality TV history. 

When it comes to resolution, though, reunions have played a part in thawing some of the ice between cast members. I suppose that’s the by-product of being forced to sit down and hash it out with a nemesis, which by the way, makes for great TV. 

 

To be clear, in a lot of cases, there also hasn’t been any resolution. The cast of Real Housewives of Potomac faced heat from Andy over their unwillingness to move forward as a group. And while it frustrated me as a viewer, I think it’s natural for there to not always be a way forward. It’s also a much-needed reminder that it isn’t all for the cameras. Some of the issues cast members face, particularly in this season of Real Housewives of New Jersey, where many of the issues are familial, so deeply personal that there is no coming back from it. So with that in mind, why and how does this one show then become exempt, despite years of everyone else having to suck it up and film a reunion?

If we’re being honest, we truly have seen it all. There’s been legal issues brought up during reunions, including chatter of disturbing allegations against cast members, or their husbands (Michael Darby, looking at you here). Last year, former Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Leviss even had Andy serve Scheana with papers, despite reports they had ‘no legal meaning’. And there’s been tons and tons of family drama, not unlike the ongoing spat between sisters-in-law Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice that’s fuelling so much of the cast division.

We’ve gained intimate knowledge about messed up family dynamics, like the one between Kyle and Kim Richards and their sister Kathy Hilton, who have had what appears to be full-on family interventions during the reunion, aided by Andy and the other members of the cast. There’s been discussions of everything from infidelity to infertility and everything in between. My question is – what makes the New Jersey cast so special, so unlike any other, that they have become exempt from having to film a reunion?

 

At first I assumed this was a demand made by the cast themselves. We all know Teresa wields enough power to plant the idea in the mind of production to forego a reunion. She’s the longest-standing cast member on the show, and an OG of the entire Real Housewives franchise by any definition. But letting the cast make executive production decisions wouldn’t be the wisest thing, because while these women have provided great entertainment for the last several years, a lot of that is because producers are trained storytellers.

Sure, there’s been an influx in complaints against producers for shows like Real Housewives of Atlanta, particularly after the departure of Nene Leakes, and the latest season of Vanderpump Rules seems to have fallen flat in delivering what fans hoped would be an explosive season following Scandoval. But for the most part, some of the more iconic moments have been brought to us because of the delicate balance between excellent producing and storytelling and well-chosen housewives, resulting in TV magic. But the more I read up on it, it appears to be a decision made by production. And if that is in fact the case, it makes a lot more sense, given the struggles the industry is having right now. 

 

In last week’s Reality Recap, I wrote about the pressure cast members like Scheana and Lala may have been facing from producers to get Tom and Ariana to film together. So it’s possible that perhaps the idea of skipping a reunion is actually a cost-saving measure. The amount of money that goes into producing these lavish sets, paying an entire team of camera crews, story producers, hair and makeup artists, floor directors, caterers and more can be astronomical. And to me, the decision to forego a reunion as we know it says that production isn’t certain that they’ll get the best bang - in terms of content and exchanges between the cast - for their buck because the cast is so divided. 

Typically, this is a threat or a risk posed with every cast on every show. But with cost now mattering so much more, production teams have to be very selective in where they’re spending network dollars. And if one of the longest-standing casts in Real Housewives history, at the height of drama, division and tension can’t inspire production’s belief in their ability to deliver a solid reunion, I’m concerned.

No matter what the reasoning behind the reunion decision may be, or who is responsible for making it, I think this opens up the flood gates for casts with members that have no interest in filming with each other – not uncommon given the nature of these shows – to start saying no more to production. And with reality TV, as I’ve said before, being an industry that profits from access, we will most certainly be revisiting the question of what it all means for the future of reality TV time and time again.