The Real Housewives of Orange County is airing one of its best seasons in years.
There have been countless twists and turns throughout the three episodes, largely thanks to Alexis Bellino’s return.
The conversation on social media about the show has been relatively positive, with fans enjoying the dynamics between the cast in the aftermath of Shannon Beador’s DUI arrest.
Unfortunately, the series has continued to lose steam in the traditional ratings, with the most recent episode pulling in just 595,000 viewers and a 0.13 rating among adults 18-49.
Of course, many viewers are probably watching the long-in-the-tooth reality format on Peacock.
Unlike 10 years ago, TV series are rarely appointment viewing nowadays, with viewers watching on their own terms.
RHOC’s ratings have tanked
As a result, the advent of streaming has caused linear ratings to crash for most shows.
Networks are looking at the bigger picture, including streaming numbers, meaning many shows are not in any immediate danger.
However, viewers were quick to point out why they thought RHOC’s numbers were dropping.
One fan started things off by saying that the current numbers for RHOC are “catastrophic.”
Another fan blamed Tamra Judge for the numbers.
“Curse of Tamra,” the fan declared.
This is Tamra’s second season back on the show after being paused.
In recent months, Tamra has received a lot of criticism, partly because she called out her one-time friend Shannon Beador and got close to her love rival, Alexis Bellino.
Plus, Tamra has also been accused of using Shannon for a storyline.
“Sorry but this is one big flop,” another fan chimed in.
The numbers are worse than RHONJ
The on-air ratings are indeed worse than the reboot-bound Real Housewives of New Jersey, but maybe RHOC will eke out another renewal based on the fan reaction alone.
Unlike RHONJ, fans are enjoying RHOC this year, which is quite an achievement for a show in its 18th season.
Another fan felt like the biggest issue so far this season is Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson.
“Literally no one cares about them except the producers bc emily and Gina are cheaply paid and desperate to stay on,” the critic wrote before claiming they will do whatever producers want them to.
It will be interesting to see if the numbers move in a more positive direction in the coming weeks with the addition of a feud between newbie Katie Ginella and Heather Dubrow.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo on Thursdays at 9/8c. Stream Seasons 1-18 on Peacock.