I may not have been an OG fan of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” but I was a dedicated one. I watched Countess Luann incessantly discuss her cabaret show, I knew all about the fish room and the lower level, and I couldn’t wait to watch the boat ride from hell.

And yet, in 2021, deep in pandemic-land, I found myself dreading watching RHONY. The once vibrant show’s 13th season was… a total bummer. After a formal investigation was launched into allegations of racism made by the show’s first Black housewife Eboni K. Williams and a staffer against RHONY lifer Ramona Singer, the network decided to scrap the season 13 reunion altogether and then to clean house.

It was a risk, and many Bravo fans wondered if it would pay off. Could the magic of RHONY be realized again? It turns out, for me at least, the answer is yes.

The show’s new era, which began on July 16, feels fresh, fun and filled with the absolutely petty kinds of drama I crave from my housewives. (Catch! Cheese plates! Debatably ugly lingerie!) New cast members Brynn Whitfield, Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, Ubah Hassan represent a different vision of what it means to be aspirational in New York City than their Upper East Side counterparts did. And while I loved to hate watch Ramona Singer, it was time for a change. (Plus, I’ve been utterly obsessed with Lyons since her J. Crew days.)

Author and journalist Jessica Goodman, who interviewed the new cast for Cosmopolitan, joined me to discuss the delights of a revamped RHONY. Hope you enjoy! Xo

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