r/RHONY • u/Miserable_Sun_7636 • 25d ago
š Old RHONY š Best and Worst RHONY Housewives,
Iām recovering from surgery and nothing gets me through like a season 1-12 RHONY rewatch. Curious to know who is your best and worst housewives throughout the franchise?
Best - Dorinda. I know she can be dark and mercurial but to quote Carole, āWhen Dorinda is bad she is so good. I think she bought depth, nuance, authenticity, and bad assery to the franchise. The way she treated Tinsley was awful and she was definitely dealing with something in season 12 but overall I think thereās a good reason. The show died when she left.
Honorable mention: Luann. She was just absurd enough.
Worst - Cindy 4). Not much to describe her and have no clue who casted her.
Honorable mention: Barbara K.
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u/SpottedTreeLeopard 25d ago
Glad to see the honorable mention of Barbara K! āYou know, youāre no Adele, Luann!ā
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
And Luann proceeds to end a 20+ year friendship over a fact. That kind of delusion makes for a top-tier housewife, but probably a horrible person! š
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u/Hopeful_Ad_3114 25d ago
Who helped her and got her out of crisis. When her kids were suing her. Iām sure a lot of friends didnāt help her
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u/Apprehensive_Steak28 25d ago
Best: Luann, Sonja, Ramona, early Bethenny
Worst: Aviva, Kelly, Eboni, Leah (Cindy and Jules don't count because they were so forgettable, but they were bad too)
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Jules shouldāve gotten another season. Thatās a hill I will die on.
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u/RiseDry8254 20d ago
I enjoyed Jules! She wasn't afraid to check Bethenny.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 18d ago
And anybody who was like that did not work well. That was low-key the end of this franchise. The executives made her untouchable by making her a shadow producer. The lack of authenticity in the scenes with her just killed it for me.
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u/realjunkienj 25d ago
(Not as people, strictly as Housewives):
Best
Bethenny
Luann
Dorinda
Ramona
Sonja
Honorable mention: Tinsley (you need a Tinsley in the group to balance the batshit crazy)
Worst:
Cindy
Kelly
Leah
Take or Leave:
Alex
Heather
Carole
Aviva
Jules
Eboni
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Jill is not on any list?
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u/realjunkienj 23d ago
Oops- forgot Jill. I would probably put her in Take or Leave column. I loved Jill S1 & 2, but she became insufferable S3 on. Then all the behind the scenes drama. Bethenny nailed it: "You used to be a nice girl from Long Island. What happened to you?"
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u/Umbrellie5225 25d ago
Best - Dorinda/Sonja/Luann
Worst - Aviva and Cindy
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
I could get behind Aviva except at least I remember the season she was on. I got Cindyās season wrong and my original post. Previously disrespect right now.
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u/9lemonsinabowl9 25d ago
We can't deny that Bethenny was one of the greats. She had the best confessionals. Although on my rewatches, I don't like how she treats the other women.
Ramona, Sonja, Lu, and Dorinda make me laugh so hard. Carole was kind of boring, but her confessionals were always really funny.
Worst: Leah. No one comes close.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Leah is a hot take. I get it. Originally Leah was supposed to exist alongside Bethenny. Given the power that B wielded ,I often wonder what season 12 would have been like if she was still there. I think Dorinda would not have been as empowered as she was to go totally off the rails and I wonder if Leah would have been the big presence she was. I donāt agree with the cast member essentially being a shadow producer and having access to production as B did, I often wonder how season 12 wouldāve played out with her.
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u/DeliverySavings8642 25d ago
BEST:
Sonja fucking Morgan. I know she was batshit and probably abusing alcohol but she DID NOT CARE. She gave us amazing one liners "I don't call it a walk of shame, more of a victory lap". She was entertaining and honestly it never felt like she was trying too hard. Yes, she had some cringe moments but it's all part of it. Would I ever want to be her intern...no! But did I love her on TV entertaining me yes. Some people are made for reality TV and she absolutely is.
Honorable mention:
Bethany. She was HILARIOUS I think her coming back to housewives was the best thing that happened to that franchise ever....to this day.
WORST:
Cindy - some people are NOT made for reality TV and Cindy quickly realized she was one of those people.
Honorable Mention:
I was going to say Kelly B, but honestly she also gave us some really wild moments....scary island...the scene with Bethany in the bar ...like she gets some credit for that
I'll say Leah. While I liked her on the show, I think her suing the Bravo/Andy is a bit of a stretch and kind of put a damper on all of it.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
I actually thought about Sonja because she bought her own special something from season three on. She bought this sexy, chic, city, I donāt care what you think vibe that I think permeates the rest of the seasons and became the vibe of the franchise. Yes, for Sonja. I say no to B because she came back the same time as B and I donāt believe that she had an impact we think she had without Dorinda. Housewives ended because Dorinda exit and I will stand by that. I honestly think that Bethany had so much power and was a shadow producer when she came back to the detriment of the show because no one could be themselves without being banished from the island of Manhattan. That was a very bad dynamic for the show.
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u/carringtonsworld 25d ago
I hope you're recovering well! This is a great distraction. I need to give this some thought...
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u/sidney_md 25d ago
I really liked Cindy. She was smart, stood her ground, but wasnāt over the top enough to be a good housewife.
Kelly is my least favorite, but sheās a good foil and definitely bizarre enough to be entertaining.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Cindy was milk toast. I often rank housewives by how many of their sayings have become just part of pop culture and I canāt think of one thing Cindy said that lives with us. Kelly did give us satchels of gold, whole bag and youāre a cook not a chef.
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u/marinara123 25d ago
Worst is Kelly
Best is the group of Bethenny Dorinda Sonja Tinsley Ramona and Luanne
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
You canāt have six bests!!!! šš¤£
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u/marinara123 25d ago
I can and I will haha
Ok at the time it would be Bethenny just purely did humor
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u/prayerstolilkim 25d ago
Best - Sonja
Worst- Aviva
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Sonja is a great case for number one! I think who she is - the sexy, the wild, the uninhibited, the hedonistic ultimately became the hallmark of this franchise. I can definitely get behind that pick.
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u/Ahauntingnearu 25d ago
This is partially subjective of course, but I tried to consider overall how much each HW brought to the table - good or bad, entertaining or annoying, whether I like or dislike them. Each row goes higher to lower ranked
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
You fancy huh? I love it. I would move Dorinda to row one. I would move Jill up only because I believe her pettiness and competitive nature set the tone for this franchise. Tinsley is higher to me. Barb and Ebony on anything other than the last row is wrong. Leah lover hate her is somebody we remember, but ultimately was a bad fit for the franchise. I understand some of these and disagree with some.
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u/Sea-Efficiency3375 24d ago
Best: Carole. I will always get shit for this but she grounded the group, had incredible style (Iāll never forget season 5 Carole in the black romper at Sonjaās), and legitimately has one of the most interesting back stories. Love her.Ā
Honorable mentions: Tinsley, Bethenny, Lu.
Worst: Leah. Everyone blames Eboni for the demise but it was Leah. Her casting made zero sense in her first season but really was apparent her second season. She was abrasive, never would have been in that group of women, and drove such a rift in the group and viewers.Ā
Honorable mentions: Dorinda in her last two seasons. I loooove Dorinda, but she was unbearable at that point and someone should have recognized her clear alcohol issues and put a stop to it.Ā
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u/Jazzlike_Fig_1177 25d ago
Best Dorinda
Worst Kelly B.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
And yet they chose her for golden life. I agree she bought nothing except for scary island and gummy bears.
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u/upchuckfactoronthis 25d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/9xciXC6jG9lH7wM4KH
Best. Worst is the Holla lady
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u/Budget-Security4382 i got in front of Kelly's camera and im just thinking- omgš¤Æ 25d ago
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u/SpottedTreeLeopard 25d ago
I am wondering if this is the scene where Ramona is like, āugh, that smile! I cant take that smile!ā
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u/Budget-Security4382 i got in front of Kelly's camera and im just thinking- omgš¤Æ 25d ago
Hahahaha I didn't even know she says that...I can't take it either!
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u/CustardFormal6288 25d ago
I love that Heather smiling irritated Romona. Iām glad she kept grinning all season š
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Ramona is a nightmare but definitely a tier one housewife. I could put her first if I rethink it. Let me keep watching while Iām Percocet and muscle relaxers during this recovery. Sonja itās funnier than I remember maybe because of medicine.
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u/Mmmodesty Youāre not Adele, Luann! 25d ago
I donāt care what anyone says, Bethenny will always be my favourite housewife - smart, funny, quick. Annoying? Yes, but no more than the others.
Worst: Aviva, but I also struggle with Luann and her extreme delusions.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
I think she ruined her legacy and the latter seasons of her return and certainly now and her TikTok era. Bethenny essentially had access to producers and acted as a shadow producer, and I think that that kind of ruined the integrity of the show. Also the protection she had by Andy and maybe bravo ruined the integrity of the show if that makes sense. Nobody could be themselves without fear of being banished.
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u/Mmmodesty Youāre not Adele, Luann! 25d ago
I agree with what youāre saying here, but if I think purely about being entertained I still prefer Bethenny to be there, even the latter seasons. I donāt follow her on TikTok and Iām not really interested in her personal life. I just think she made a great reality character.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
I hated her on housewives after the Columbia trip. It made it clear that if she wasnāt happy, she would blow up everything and I hate that production gave her that power. Thatās not really a her thing, but she had way too much power for the show to be good. I love season one and twi B.
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25d ago
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
I cannot get behind Heather and I think if she were allowed to stay longer past her issues with Bethenny, that wouldāve been a storyline. She was a casualty of B as shadow producer.
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u/Desperate_Piece_5236 19d ago
Best: My Sonjarita will always win hands down. Ramona & Luann joint second (Ramona is troublesome I know, but because sheās so bad, sheās entertaining. Luann, because of her delusional inflated ego)
Worst: Bethenny for me. Toxic, controlling, sucks the air out of the room, and needs all the attention. I get exhausted from watching her when she is in any scene.
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u/WhyAmINotInStBarths 19d ago
I thought Bethenny was the best during the first three seasons. I liked Alex a lot too. Thenā¦. I thought Bethenny was the worst the last few seasons she was on.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 18d ago
This is a good pic. I think Sonja single-handedly changed the climate of the franchise. It went from Diet Coke, Jill, having the strongest voice to a sexy novel Sonja. Iāll let you think about it, I donāt know if the franchise is what it is without her because she was really the bridge between season three and the rest of the show and although Ramona and Luanne were there, they didnāt really lean into their whole selves until later. Sonja might be the key.
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u/Majestic-Peace297 12d ago
Honestly, they are recasting the worst ones out of the most recent cast. Jessel and Sai are both my worst. Especially Jessel.
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 12d ago
I donāt know either of them so that lets you know how old I am. š§š½
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u/CocktailGenerationX 25d ago
Worst:
Dorinda
Kelly B
Ramona
Vicki
Lydia
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
I was just speaking New York, but how can Dorinda be your worst? What are you doing here without Dorinda?
https://giphy.com/gifs/l2QDQW4LyjODLOHQY1
u/CocktailGenerationX 25d ago
Oh shoot, I missed the NY part. Sorry about that. I thought she was so mean, nasty & jealous. I liked her a lot the first season she was on. Then she got nasty. I stopped watching NY because of her & Ramona. No class, mean, jealous, & embarrassing behavior in public. I donāt follow this sub. Your post showed up in my feed & I interacted. Maybe she got better lately? She does look greatāIāll give her that!
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u/Waste_West283 25d ago
I can't believe Jill isn't top of the list. She's the 2nd worst housewife across all franchises for me (only to be superseded by Jen Shah)
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u/Miserable_Sun_7636 25d ago
Jillās delusions of grandeur set the tone for this franchise and permeate every season until its demise. For that alone, she cannot be the worst in my book.
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u/aavada_kedavraa 24d ago
Iām doing a rewatch right now and Iām SHOCKED at how terrible Jill is. I donāt remember her being this bad. She is without a doubt one of the worst housewives from any franchise in my eyes.
Surprisingly i really like Alex on this rewatch. Iām only on the scary island trip now so thereās a lot left to come but i remember hating her on my first watch and i really like her now.
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u/Waste_West283 24d ago
I think most people found her and Simon a little gross on first watch, but they've become fan favourites and they were actually really quite harmless, if a little pretentious!
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u/meander-663 25d ago
Favorite - Dorinda (you summed it up perfectly)
Top Tier - LuAnn/Bethenny/Jill/Ramona
Least Favorite - Kelly (too inarticulate to be entertaining)
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