The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18 is winding down, and details are beginning to trickle out about what could be on the agenda for Season 19.
In a wide-ranging report about the current state of The Real Housewives universe, The US Sun alleges that RHOC will undergo some changes.
“The OC cast will most likely be shaken up slightly but not completely rebooted,” a source close to the situation told the outlet.
The good news is that network executives are “happy overall with the drama those women brought.”
It has been a banner season for the show because the arguments have been nonstop, and dynamics are continually shifting.
This means it will be difficult to top, but it could explain why producers want to switch things up a little: More of the same could be too much of a good thing.
Alexis Bellino’s return has been exhausting, but the last few episodes have been much better without her.
Alexis may not be back for Season 19
A recent report claimed that she’s on the chopping block, which makes sense considering her fractured dynamic with Shannon Beador.
These two will never be able to coexist on the show, and that’s probably for the best.
Viewers have sided with Shannon, meaning producers will probably do the same.
It’s hard to imagine Shannon not being prominent in Season 19, alongside Jennifer Pedranti, Gina Kirschenheiter, and Emily Simpson.
Jennifer clocked in big time this season and delivered one of the best sophomore seasons of any cast member that came before her.
The 47-year-old has been involved in many arguments but earned many fans when she hit back at the claims made by her co-star, Tamra Judge, who is coming off a truly disastrous season.
Tamra has been paused by producers before, and there’s a moderate chance she will be again unless the 57-year-old reads the room and walks away of her own volition.
There was a nasty side to Tamra this season, as she continually called Shannon a “drunk” and brought unsubstantiated rumors about Jennifer’s fiance, Ryan Boyajian, onto the show.
While many cast members who caused as much carnage would typically show remorse, Tamra has been all over podcasts and interviews spewing even more hate, which won’t have done her any favors.
If she returns, we should probably expect her to try to find redemption.
Heather Dubrow’s future with the show may be less certain.
In the past, she’s been well in control of narratives on the show, but she’s been caught up in many controversial storylines, which haven’t made her look very good.
If she wasn’t so worried about criticism, she would be back, but something tells us she’ll walk away this time.
Katie could be one-and-done
Newbie Katie Ginella is on the fence in our eyes. She has brought some levity to arguments, but her storyline involving whether or not Heather staged paparazzi pictures wasn’t memorable.
Despite some great things happening midseason, the most recent episode implied she’s been talking badly about Heather to her 19-year-old daughter.
Producers could decide that she isn’t cut out for the show and move on, or they could give her another chance.
The upcoming reunion, which airs on Bravo next month, will be the deciding factor in whether some of the women come back.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo on Thursdays at 9/8c. Stream Seasons 1-18 on Peacock.