The Real Housewives of Miami wrapped up its seventh season with a chaotic three-part reunion and an affirmation that it’s one of the messiest franchises in The Real Housewives universe. Despite the arguments and shattered friendships, host and executive producer Andy Cohen praised the women for their personal growth.
A majority of the cast rarely work on their personal growth in a single season. However, that was the basis behind most of the season 7 confrontation. Behind the screaming and psychological warfare were women trying to grow. And while that’s hard to see after a muddled season, it will show itself in the next season.
If season 7 of ROME proved anything, it’s that despite the vindictiveness and the fallouts, there’s still love among the cast. There’s a willingness to put things aside for the history of the friendship. A desire to brush things under the rug only creates better (messier) reality television.
The 8-Year Hiatus Did Wonders For The Real Housewives Of Miami
The Real Housewives of Miami did something that few reality television shows could ever accomplish: it took an eight-year hiatus and returned stronger, albeit messier. The series originally returned exclusively on Peacock, but did so well with viewers that it switched back to Bravo.
Before the hiatus, ROME was already a strong reality TV show, but it needed a small breather to refresh and regroup. When the show returned to the air, some Housewife staples were stillpart of the series, and fresh blood was added. It quickly became one of Bravo’s best reality TV shows.
The refresher showed the group of women in a completely new light. Lisa Hochstein’s marriage was in shambles, Larsa Pippen got divorced, Alexia Nepola was getting married and mourning the realization that her late ex-husband was a private gay man, and new Housewives were added to the mix. The combination of new and old created one giant, fantastic mess for reality TV.
The most recent season (season 7) was one of the messiest in the franchise, and concluded with a shocking revelation: Julia Lemigova and castmate Adriana de Moura slept together.
The cast was shocked to hear that the demise of Julia and Adriana’s friendship was based on a secret, intimate relationship that started four years prior. More mess transpired between Guerdy Abraira and Julia after Julia threw a glass of water on her over a disagreement off-camera.
Newcomer Stephanie Shojaee was a breath of fresh air in season 7 and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when she went after Lisa’s tardiness and Alexia’s narcissistic qualities.
Between name-calling and angry text messages, it was rare to get an outing that didn’t turn into a screaming match. While it was hard for the Housewives, it was reality TV gold for viewers. Season 7’s beautiful chaos proved that the hiatus was good for the franchise and that the network needs to replicate its methods for other cities in the franchise.
Other Real Housewives Franchises Need To Take Notes From RHOM
The Real Housewives of Miami’s hiatus should be studied, but RHOM’s intermission wasn’t the first time a city in the franchise took a breather.
The Real Housewives of New York took some time to rebrand and recast after season 13, creating a fresher New York. RHONY used to have some of the best seasons before declining because of a dated cast. Additionally, as of this article’s publishing, The Real Housewives of New Jersey is currently on a hiatus as the network decides on its cast after a less-than-appealing season 14.
Unlikely RHOM, RHONY didn’t get it right, and the network went back to the drawing board by eliminating most of the cast to start fresh yet again. There’s also speculation that The Real Housewives of Orange County will go on a break, considering low viewership and an unlikable cast.
f RHONJ (and potentially RHOC) doesn’t take notes from ROME during its interlude, it could ruin the 14-season megafranchise. RHOM’s winning method was casting wealthy and independent women who were longtime friends or acquaintances. The wealth is something viewers want to see more of, and the depth of the friendships creates history and deeper bonds.
The one thing that can’t be replicated is Miami’s diverse culture. The multiple languages and cultures are an interesting part of ROME, where viewers are constantly learning something new. Now that a messy season 7 of Real Housewives of Miami has concluded, there’s no doubt that season 8 will, eventually, come back even stronger. If the network knows what’s working, they should keep the cast as it is with newcomer Stephanie joining the cast.
