The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is in its 12th season with new faces, new storylines, and new drama. Right off the bat, the drama from season 11 carried over into season 12, with the women worried about Erika Jayne’s legal woes and behavior. For fans, every new season brings the conversation of former seasons and what worked versus what didn’t work.
With over a decade of filming, the women of Beverly Hills have seen it all. And while each season has the glitz and the theatrics, some seasons severely missed the mark. Whether it was a boring season or a bad choice in casting, each season of RHOBH is as different and unique as the next.
Updated on August 1st, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: From season 1 to season 12, the women of Beverly Hills know how to bring luxury, laughs, and drama to Bravo. With Kyle Richards as the show’s longest-running Housewives, she’s often at the center of the drama as an instigator or a supporter. And while Kyle has had plenty of Housewives join her clique over the years, that didn’t mean that each season was binge-worthy or granSomeome seasons flopped due to casting adjustments or lack of storylines. With 12 seasons (and the ability to stream), fans have rewatched this franchise countless times and can agree on some of the best and worst seasons.
RHOBH’s Best Seasons
Season 10
Fans had a lot of questions ahead of the season 1o trailer of RHOBH with the additions of Denise Richards and Garcelle Beauvais. Garcelle made her presence known and held herself with grace around the ladies, which can be hard to do for Housewives during their first season.
All eyes were on Denise throughout her second season, thanks to a cheating scandal that revolved around her and ex-housewife, Brandi Glanville. However, when the attention wasn’t on Denise the drama surrounded Sutton and her issues with both Dorit and Teddi. The “did they or didn’t they” questions that surrounded Denise and Brandi were what made the season a successful one.
Season 11
Season 11 was one of the most dramatic seasons in RHOBH history. It was a season fans learned about the real Erika Girardi instead of her stage persona, Erika Jayne.
With Denise Richards gone, all eyes were on Erika when she announced she was divorcing her husband of 20 years, Tom Girardi. More than that, her fellow Housewives learned of the multiple lawsuits that came her way through her divorce. What made season 11 so juicy (aside from Erika’s divorce) was the conflict she had with Sutton. Season 11 was also the first season for Crystal Kung-Minkoff and Kathy Hilton, whom fans fell in love with.
Season 6
In season 6, Kim Richards opted to be a friend of the series instead of a full-time Housewife, as did Brandi Glanville. To fill their absence, Bravo introduced Erika Jayne and Kathryn Edwards.
The inclusion of Erika was beneficial because she had such a unique lifestyle, marriage, and career. Kathryn, on the other hand, came off as “too normal” to some. Meanwhile, one of the most controversial fights in RHOBH history occurred in season 6. As Yolanda’s mysterious illness worsened, Lisa Rinna suggested that she had Munchausen syndrome, a syndrome, as described by the Cleveland Clinic, where a person falsified their illness for attention. The season was so dramatic that Yolanda never came back for season 7. It also painted Lisa Rinna as a villain with many fans thinking she went too far.
Season 5
Season 5 welcomed Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson as new Housewives after getting rid of Joyce and Carlton from season 4. In addition, Brandi felt transformed after moving her kids into a bigger home, Yolanda and Kyle were going through the same struggles regarding their kids going away to college, and Kim Richards was still having a difficult time with sobriety.
One of the more memorable moments of the season was Eileen’s poker party. Kim was acting irrationally, which had all the ladies tense and concerned over her well-being with drugs and alcohol. Furthering the drama, their trip to Amsterdam blew up in smoke between Kim, Lisa Rinna, and Eileen. Their trip to Amsterdam was the icing on the cake for Kim Richards, who left the series afterward. To this day she’s still a highly ranked Housewife.
Season 2
Season 2 was a fan favorite for RHOBH fans for many reasons. The show had the same cast as season 1, and Dana Wilkey’s stance as a friend was iconic.
In the season, Lisa was over the moon with excitement as she planned her daughter’s wedding, Brandi’s introduction as a friend had some of the ladies on edge, and Taylor and Russel’s marriage was on the cover of tabloids. Between the divorce rumors and the everyday drama between the ladies, season 2 had no shortage of entertainment and wonder, making it one of the best seasons in the franchise.
Season 9
Season 9 was longtime cast member Lisa Vanderpump’s final season, but it also welcomed Denise Richards. Denise was a huge signing for RHOBH as she was close friends with a few of the women, was a well-known actress, and had a dramatic relationship with Charlie Sheen.
Most of season 9 revolved around something now referred to as PuppyGate. After Dorit returned a dog she adopted from Vanderpump Dogs, Lisa Vanderpump went after Dorit with full force. What followed were accusations in the press and horror stories about Dorit’s character. Teddi Mellencamp was also involved with PuppyGate, which was her biggest storyline yet. But by the end of the season, Lisa realized she had no one on her side and left the series. Although Lisa had amazing quotes and memorable moments, this season was chaotic enough to end.
Season 3
The first three seasons of RHOBH were some of the best. What fans forgot about season 3 was that Brandi finally got her diamond in season 3, Camille left the series and came back as a friend, and Yolanda Hadid signed on full-time.
The inclusion of Yolanda was huge because it brought fans into her world with famed producer and songwriter David Foster. Meanwhile, Taylor Armstrong was still grieving over the loss of her estranged husband and was trying to get life on track. It was an emotional season filled with high highs and low lows, making it a great season for viewers.
Season 1
Nothing beats the first season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It was far darker than other seasons of the series and brought viewers into their wealthy lives. With all of the ladies being familiar with each other in one way or another, they all meshed perfectly for reality TV.
One of the most talked-about episodes of the series (‘The Dinner Party from Hell’) was also in season 1. The first season also proved that just because things looked flashy on the outside didn’t mean all was well behind closed doors. Camille admitted she and Kelsey were divorcing, Taylor was in a declining marriage, and Lisa’s house guest, Cedric, was using her for fame. It had all the makings of reality TV genius.
RHOB’s Worst Seasons
Season 12
Season 12 is the current season that RHOBH is on. And while the season isn’t completed thus far, fans already know what direction the season is leading. The cast remained the same from season 11 (with the introduction of Garcelle’s friend Sheree Zampino) but it’s not enough to save the season.
The drama thus far has revolved around Erika’s fall from grace and Dorit’s recovery after being robbed at gunpoint. While the season isn’t bad per se, it doesn’t have the same shock value as season 11.
Season 7
Yolanda Hadid and Kathryn Edwards did not return for season 7, but taking their place was newbie Dorit Kemsley. Eden Sassoon signed on to be a friend of the series, which didn’t hit the viewers the same way producers were hoping. Her addition to the group was a flop, and she couldn’t handle the heat in certain situations with Lisa Rinna.
Dorit stirred the pot right away after the drama between her and Erika occurred, and it was something that followed her for most of the season. And the drama continued when the Housewives traveled to Hong Kong for a cast trip.
Season 8
Eileen Davidson departed after season 7 but returned as a friend in season 8. Taking Eileen’s place was Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave. Even though Teddi lasted three seasons, many fans questioned her relevance to the ladies and the show. The one Housewife that Teddi got along with was Kyle, which didn’t make for an authentic group when she didn’t spend much time with the other women.
As for the other Housewives, Lisa Rinna focused on being the mom of two aspiring model daughters, Erika was writing a memoir, and Dorit and Lisa Vanderpump butted heads over the villain that season. This season was interesting but not one of the best.
Season 4
In season 4, Taylor Armstrong, Adrienne Maloof, and Camille Grammer left the series as full-time Housewives. In their place, Carlton Gebbia and Joyce Giraud had their first season, but as fans noticed, this casting choice didn’t hit home. Kyle Richards even likes to pretend that season 4 never happened, according to an interview on Bravo.
In this season, Kyle and Carlton battled throughout the series based on Kyle’s remarks on Carlton’s home, religion, and lifestyle. The women’s trip to Puerto Rico was supposed to be a time to connect and bond, but it was a disaster riddled with cheating rumors and LVP drama. Because Carlton and Joyce were a casting mistake, season 4 lacked connection and authenticity.
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