There was much excitement when news broke that Taylor Armstrong would be the first Real Housewife to switch shows.
Armstrong was coming off a highly-praised return to reality TV with a stint on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Season 2.
There were immediate alarm bells when Bravo revealed she would be serving as a friend of the housewives on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Given that she was part of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ glory years, she had seniority with the franchise that many of RHOC’s cast never had.
Honestly, Emily Simpson and Gina Kirschenheiter have been turning in storylines that should have found them demoted to friends for many years, so it would have been better to kick things off with Armstrong as a full-fledged housewife.
Happiness looked good on Armstrong, and she exceeded expectations throughout the season, thanks to her connections with some of the cast members, such as Tamra Judge.
Taylor Armstrong brought plenty of drama
There was also plenty of petty drama thanks to her feud with Heather Dubrow, but the best part was that neither of the women took the insults too seriously.
You can only imagine my surprise when, after filming, news broke that Armstrong was one-and-done and would not be back on the show.
It’s hard to imagine the decision coming from Armstrong’s camp because she had a great time nestling herself into these women’s lives and clocking in with some excellent commentary.
If anything, she should have earned an Orange to become a full-fledged cast member because it seems like a misguided attempt to keep Simpson and Kirschenheiter as a part of the cast for RHOC Season 18.
RHOC Season 18 is shaping up to be big
RHOC Season 18 has the potential to be one of the best seasons in years thanks to Alexis Bellino’s return—not because she was a great housewife—but because she’s dating Shannon Beador’s ex-boyfriend, John Janssen.
Producers like messy drama because it drives the conversation about the show, but this could blow up in their faces if Bellino and Beador don’t get caught up in the drama they want them to.
One person who is unafraid to get caught up in drama is Armstrong, so it’s a bit of a head-scratching decision that she’s now been let go.
Even if she wasn’t promoted to a main cast member, her presence would have been felt, as evidenced by her wonderful contributions to RHOC Season 17.
Perhaps something else is in the cards for Armstrong, but we doubt she’ll be back on RHUGT any time soon. It sounds like the show has been quietly canceled by Bravo.
Taylor Armstrong should be on TV
Although a Morocco-set season is in the can, it may never see the light of day due to the ongoing lawsuit by Caroline Manzo.
By this point, a new season should have been filmed, but executives seem to have put the show out to pasture.
Hopefully, RHOC producers will change focus and bring Armstrong back, or at the very least, NBCUniversal should try to get her on The Traitors Season 3.
The Real Housewives were the main attraction of The Traitors Season 2, and that shouldn’t change any time soon.
The Real Housewives of Orange County is currently on hiatus. Season 18 is expected to debut this summer on Bravo. Seasons 1-17 are available to stream on Peacock.