Janet Caperna might think she’s the reigning queen of The Valley due to her meltdowns. But in the Bravoverse, queen status isn’t self-assigned; it’s earned. And while she’s doing her best to center herself in every storyline, there’s a clear gap between evil queen and fan favorite. On the other hand, Stassi Schroeder didn’t have to announce she was the queen during her Vanderpump Rules run. Everyone just knew. She owned her flaws and, in fact, banked on them.
And she threw her shade with precision, and delivered iconic moments that are still quoted today –“I’m not sure what I’ve done to you, but I’ll take a Pinot Grigio…” If Janet wants to hold that crown, she’s going to need more than group texts and helicopter mom energy. Because in a Bravo world ruled by icons, there’s only room for one queen bee at a time. And if that queen is Stassi? Janet better watch her wings.
Why Janet Caperna thinks she’s queen bee of The Valley
From the pilot episode of The Valley, Janet made it pretty clear: she’s not just another cast member. She’s the one who thinks she’s holding the whole show together. And for fans, the delusion is exhausting. From befriending the old Pump Rules cast to inserting herself into everyone else’s business (whether invited or not), Janet seems to be positioning herself as the alpha female of the group. You know, the one who thinks she’s giving Lisa Vanderpump meets Kristen Bell in a group of new moms and ex-bartenders.
Let’s be fair. Janet does have main character energy. She’s got the camera time, the confessionals, and the victim act down to a science. And she’s always the one initiating the conversations, stirring the pot, and then gaslighting everyone into thinking she’s been wronged. She’s calculated, she’s polished, and she’s definitely trying to secure that Season 2 power slot.
But here’s the issue: being the most vocal in the group doesn’t automatically make you the queen bee. In fact, to many, she is coming across as the bully. There’s a difference between being the loudest and being the most commanding. And while Janet might think she’s running the show, the audience isn’t exactly bowing down just yet. Janet’s version of alpha feels like it’s been downloaded from an outdated Pinterest board labeled “girl boss.” There’s a lot of passive-aggressive energy disguised as leadership, and while that might work in PTA meetings in the future, it doesn’t hold up in the cutthroat world of Bravo hierarchy, especially when you consider who came before her.
Why VPR’s Stassi Schroeder would eat her alive
Stassi isn’t just a queen bee. She’s the blueprint. She didn’t have to beg for the spotlight because she was the spotlight. I’ll admit it took me multiple seasons to enjoy Stassi’s antics. But she became TV gold. She didn’t orchestrate drama with a fake smile. The mother of two weaponized her wit, her sarcasm, and her unapologetic sense of self. Stassi was messy, yes. But she was also magnetic. Even when you hated her, you couldn’t look away. Janet, by comparison, feels like queen bee lite. She wants the throne, but she’s not willing to bleed for it. Where Stassi would tear someone apart with a perfectly timed one-liner, aka Scheana Shay, Janet gives us drawn-out lectures and passive “I just feel like…” monologues. It’s not making fans feel she is reality TV royalty.
Stassi Schroeder will forever be the winner
Stassi built her reign on brutal honesty, clever manipulation, and a deep understanding of what makes compelling television. Sadly, she also turned out to have a racially insensitive side, which lost Stassi a huge amount of fans. She was unafraid to look messy if it meant staying real, and that’s what viewers connected to. Janet, on the other hand, seems stuck in the hamster wheel. She wants to be liked and feared. Unfortunately, that combo rarely works unless you’re arguing in the alley of SUR.
And let’s not forget, Stassi didn’t just dominate her cast. She shaped the tone of an entire franchise. Her legacy is still felt in the way Bravo casts its type-A women. Janet may be trying to follow in her footsteps, but she’s walking in kitten heels where Stassi stomped in Louboutins. If these two ever shared screen time, it wouldn’t be a competition. Stassi would read Janet like a leatherbound novel, sip her Aperol spritz, and move on without breaking a sweat. And honestly? Some fans would be here for every second of it.
The Valley is available to stream on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
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