Just one year out from one of the most tumultuous times for reality TV, Andy Cohen and his team of producers, casting directors and editors are putting in overtime to prove to all of us that reality TV is alive and well. This year brought us some of the most meme-worthy content, punchy one-liners and strongest newbies we’ve seen in ages. Here are my top 3 moments from reality TV this year.

 

3. Jennifer confronts Tamra for background-checking Ryan

Season 18 of Real Housewives of Orange County was unlike any other. Between Alexis Bellino making her not so triumphant return to the show to face off with her current partner’s ex, Shannon Beador (btw the producers were messy as hell but also genius for this), and learning more about just how tense things were between Gina Kirschenheiter and her partner’s ex-wife, the audience was treated to more drama than we could’ve anticipated. 

 

 

That being said, it should come as no surprise that longtime villain and professional pot stirrer Tamra Judge took credit for, well, all of the season’s success, recently tweeting that her “back hurts” from carrying the season in response to a tweet professing the success in viewership. 

 

According to The Wrap, the latest season of the show saw its highest ratings in the last five years, especially in the highly sought-after 18-49 demographic, and showing a 5% increase compared to the previous season. That puts RHOC among the top 15 entertainment series in that coveted demo, along with other Bravo hits like Vanderpump Rules, Southern Charm and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

But Tamra’s claims that she carried the season didn’t sit well with fans, and it certainly didn’t sit well with cast newbie Jennifer Pedranti, who quickly became a fan favourite in her sophomore season on the show – and provided us with one of the top moments in reality TV this year when she ate Tamra the f-ck up during a dispute where she checked Tamra for background-checking her partner, Ryan Boyajian. After being Tamra’s punching bag all season long, she stormed into Tamra’s dressing room and unleashed her long pent-up wrath.

 

Throughout the confrontation, Tamra’s self defence was weak, claiming it wasn’t an official background check, and that she just solicited the help of some “real estate guy” to look into Ryan. But Tamra was left speechless when Jennifer pressed her on what she was so concerned about and why her partner is any of Tamra’s concern. 

Tamra also remarked on how happy she was to see Jennifer using her voice – which is an odd remark to make when you’re being read for absolute filth. But knowing Tamra, that was her way of taking credit for giving Jennifer her “moment”. 

It’s been a while since we’ve had anyone on the cast hold Tamra accountable, and by hold accountable I mean eat her up, like, truly put her in her place. One quick scan of social media and it’s pretty clear to see that Tamra is one of the most hated housewives in history due to her nature of stirring the pot and being incredibly hypocritical. So the fact that a fairly new cast member was the one to call her out once and for all was refreshing and much needed.

After the season and reunion hoopla, it was leaked (thanks to her divorce records) that Jennifer earned $7,500 per episode this season, which totals about $150,000 for the entire season. Given her financial struggles, which she was very transparent about, it may only be a slight pocket lining. But based on fan feedback, I wouldn’t be surprised if she (intentionally or not) positioned herself to earn a hell of a lot more next year. Well deserved, Ms. Pedranti!

2. Mia’s mess makes for good TV

Despite once lauding Mia Thornton for her vulnerability on Real Housewives of Potomac about her very odd, very strange and might I add, highly unethical extramarital affair, things quickly became too messy to contain and I’m afraid it’s offered fans the perfect balance of chaos, reality, delusion and confusion.

 

Back in March, an action-packed season finale saw a very intense conversation between Mia and her estranged but live-in husband Gordon, about the logistics surrounding the dissolution of their marriage. But when she pushed for a conversation about the longevity, Gordon gave her exactly that.

He laid it all out in front of cameras, including his knowledge of Mia’s cheating, which he alleged had been going on for at least a decade – and certainly around the time that they tied the knot.

Gordon explained that their kids were privy to what was going on, that they were the ones who informed him that they saw her “sleeping with Mr. Inc.” Despite Mia’s claims that Gordon was aware of her ongoing relationship with Inc, and his admission that he allowed her to have sexual relations (but nothing more!) due to his prostate cancer diagnosis rendering him unable to sexually satisfy her, Gordon’s soliloquy in this episode really helped shine a light on Mia’s messy ways. 

 

Months out from this conversation, we’re seeing Mia constantly blame Gordon’s bipolar diagnosis as her reason for stepping outside of their marriage – but if his claim that this behaviour is over a decade old, well, that tells us everything we need to know. 

For so long, Mia controlled the narrative about her marriage and her relationship with Inc, and she really misrepresented the nature of things. Months later, we still see that. Intentionally or not, Gordon exposed her as a messy, unfaithful wife who simply couldn’t honour her vows in the face of the exact kind of adversity that can challenge and strengthen a marriage while delivering some of the best shade we’ve ever seen from a husband. As he said, “You want fair? Go to a carnival.” 

1. Receipts, proof, timeline, screenshots! 

Just 4 days into the year, Real Housewives fans were treated to one of the greatest episodes in reality TV history when Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Heather Gay revealed to her fellow castmates that their group had been infiltrated by an online troll named Reality Von Tease. 

 

Beloved (depending on who you ask, anyway) newbie Monica Garcia had a really strong debut season, picking fights with cast veterans like Lisa Barlow, who she alleged had “Donald Trump hands”. But besides having a way with words, she was a vulnerable housewife, letting the audience in on her messy personal life, which included a lack of financial resources and a strained relationship with her God-awful and fame-thirsty mother. She managed to provide solid entertainment and solicit empathy while appearing on screen. 

 

But as the season went on, it became clear that something was amiss with this new cast member. While the other women lived in laps of luxury and drove expensive cars, Monica lived in what appeared to be a shack and once cried about buying expensive name brands just to fit in with the group. 

During Monica’s own birthday trip, Heather called the cast, sans the guest of honour, down to the beach to share a shocking revelation. Monica was Reality Von Tease. She was behind a gossip site dedicated to spreading horrible rumours about the cast of the show, the hub for online content creators, bloggers and gossips to spill the tea about the personal lives of the women.

The reason this was the number one moment in reality TV this year is multi-layered. But let’s start with the production. The sound effects added to this scene suggest to me that the video editing team that worked on this particular episode, and especially this scene, may have had past lives in film. Oscar-winning ones. I mean, I refuse to believe there wasn’t an audience member sitting on the edge of their seat watching the drama unfold, heightened thanks to expert lighting, the blowing of the wind, and the damn sound effects. 

There was also the sheer buildup towards this moment. This entire scene was teased – pun intended – to us with Heather storming out of a room, on what seemed to be a very intense phone call and running away from cameras to speak in private. When people who get paid to be on camera are running away from cameras, please know that some sh-t is about to go down. 

But nearly a year out from this drama, what makes this scene so incredibly noteworthy, so special, is the fact that many doubted the show’s ability to maintain its level of chaos. Yet here we are on the edges of our seats thanks to women like Bronwyn Newport, changing attitudes toward Heather Gay, and a fierce Angie K., who rightfully earned her spot as centre housewife ahead of the reunion. 

Despite the faith lost thanks to the certified snoozefest that is Real Housewives of New York, this show continues to give reality TV fans reason to believe that this genre of entertainment that we love so much is far from dead.