Is Jennifer Tilly the only reason to keep watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 15? Let’s face it, the Real Housewives series is far removed from its glory days of the Dinner from Hell or the Amsterdam cast trip. Once the crown jewel of the franchise, RHOBH is now painfully boring. Even the ratings are down. However, it still gets more weekly viewers than some of the more consistently entertaining Housewives shows like Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
Week to week, viewers bemoan how dull RHOBH is and wonder why they’re still watching. The only bright spot seems to be “friend of” Jennifer Tilly. Here’s why Jennifer Tilly is the saving grace of RHOBH Season 15. And why the other Housewives need to get on her level to redeem this show.
Why Jennifer Tilly is the RHOBH Season 15 standout star
Jennifer Tilly’s natural charisma and big personality is going a long way on RHOBH Season 15. She’s so funny and entertaining, I could watch her talk to her crystals or play bumper carts for hours. Her confessional commentary on her co-stars is one of the highlights week to week. For instance, when she found out Amanda Frances was born in 1985. She quipped, “When she was struggling to come out of the womb, I was just struggling.” Or when she compared Erika Jayne to the amount of spice in a spicy margarita.
But Jennifer isn’t just comedic relief. She’s also been working overtime this season. She’s asking her castmates the questions audience members have, like Garcelle Beauvais used to. For instance, she was the one to ask Erika about her new relationship.
The Oscar nominee also brings the wealth, glamour, and enviable lifestyle we want from Real Housewives. Her outfits are always incredible. Remember when she wore a necklace considered the most important in history just for her cast photo?
Jennifer Tilly and Sutton Stracke’s conflict adds some much-needed tension to RHOBH Season 15
Another issue with RHOBH Season 15 is that it feels like the cast isn’t a real friend group. They certainly don’t seem to hang out off camera.
By contrast, Jennifer has a long-standing friendship with Sutton Stracke. And this season, she’s not afraid to call Sutton out. It started in small ways. When Sutton made a judgemental comment, Jennifer compared her to her mother Reba. And she threw shade at Sutton’s hosting skills on the trip. She also revealed that she talked to Avi, who thought he was only leaving Sutton temporarily. And that he “wasn’t sure what happened.”
In the most recent episode, Jennifer finally had enough of Sutton snapping at her. She even blamed Sutton for Garcelle leaving. This feels like the type of real conflict and tension people can have with longtime friends. That provides some much needed reality to a show that often feels overproduced.
RHOBH needs more cast members like Jennifer Tilly to redeem the show
The fact that Jennifer Tilly stands out so much from the rest is proof that modern RHOBH is missing fun, naturally entertaining personalities. These days, fans complain that the cast is too guarded and too image conscious. Of course, Jennifer has the advantage of being a friend of, so she doesn’t have to share too much. But it still feels like we know her better than, say, Kyle Richards.
The two new RHOBH Season 15 cast members do have some potential. Rachel Zoe is naturally entertaining like Jennifer. Unlike some of the Beverly Hills Housewives, she’s pretty open about her personal life, including her divorce. And it’s fun for Rachel Zoe Project fans to watch her judge her castmates’ outfits.
Then there’s Amanda. Unfortunately, she’s not super popular with viewers. Judging by social media reactions, many agree with the cast that she’s obsessed with one-upping people. However, Amanda is playing a necessary villain role this season. Almost every cast member clashes with her! It’s finally adding some much-needed conflict to a painfully boring season.
Considering the widespread fan complaints and the dwindling ratings, it’s clear that something has to change. I wouldn’t be surprised if RHOBH goes on pause, gets a cast shakeup, or even a soft reboot after this season. Hopefully, producers realize that viewers want more big personalities like Jennifer Tilly going forward.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU AGREE THAT JENNIFER TILLY IS THE SAVING GRACE OF REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS? WHAT CHANGES DOES RHOBH NEED TO MAKE TO BECOME ENTERTAINING AGAIN?
