{"id":30703,"date":"2026-08-07T05:19:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T00:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=30703"},"modified":"2026-08-07T05:19:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T00:19:21","slug":"why-rhocs-legacy-season-20-is-a-bust-already-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=30703","title":{"rendered":"Why RHOC\u2019s Legacy Season 20 Is a Bust Already \u2014 Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Fans of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/show\/real-housewives-of-orange-county\/\">The Real Housewives of Orange County<\/a><\/strong> eagerly anticipated Season 20. After all, it was billed as a legacy season. The series that introduced viewers to life behind the gates was celebrating 20 seasons of divorces, friendship breakups, marriages, and decadent displays of wealth. Without RHOC, iconic moments like Teresa Giudice flipping a table and Luann de Lesseps drunkenly landing in the bushes wouldn\u2019t have graced our screens. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While we are only a few episodes in, so far this season hasn\u2019t been living up to the hype. Some fans questioned Bravo\u2019s casting choices for this special edition of the show. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/vicki-gunvalson\/\">Vicki Gunvalson<\/a>, the self-proclaimed \u201cOG of the OC,\u201d made her return as a full-time housewife. For some fans, this set up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/07\/06\/real-housewives-of-orange-county-rhoc-season-20-predictions-feature\/\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/07\/06\/real-housewives-of-orange-county-rhoc-season-20-predictions-feature\/\">a nostalgic reunion<\/a> between the Tres Amigas: Vicki, Tamra Judge, and Shannon Beador.<\/p>\n<p>Still, while that may have been a draw for some viewers, the twentieth season of this iconic Bravo show so far has been lackluster. \u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rhoc-season-20-drama-is-a-retread-of-last-year\">The RHOC Season 20 drama is a retread of last year<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Jenn Pedranti, Tamra Judge and Gina Kirschenheiter on RHOC Season 20\" class=\"wp-image-1192453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=792,528 792w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=384,256 384w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=282,188 282w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=564,376 564w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=182,122 182w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=364,244 364w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=85,57 85w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Jennifer-Pedranti-Tamra-Judge-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=171,114 171w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: Martha Galvan\/Bravo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Last season, Tamra accused her frenemy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/jennifer-pedranti\/\">Jennifer Pedranti<\/a>, of being obsessed with her. For Season 20, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/heather-dubrow\/\">Heather Dubrow<\/a> wondered if Jenn was obsessed with Tamra. Yawn!<\/p>\n<p>Once again, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/emily-simpson\/\">Emily Simpson<\/a> and her bestie, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/gina-kirschenheiter\/\">Gina Kirschenheiter<\/a>, seem to be the chief pot stirrers. These ladies will push the storyline forward, even if it is painfully awkward. These scenes seem produced and fake.<\/p>\n<p>When Emily thanked RHOC newbie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/carmella-garcia\/\">Carmella Garcia<\/a> for her birthday gift, which was a Dior clutch, she had to add that Gina was \u201cvery vocal about it.\u201d Naturally, this made Carmella angry at Gina, setting up a future confrontation.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of Carmella, Vicki already despised the new cast member. Are we surprised? Nope. Vicki\u2019s go-to since the beginning has been not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/07\/17\/real-housewives-of-orange-county-rhoc-season-20-episode-2-recap\/\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/07\/17\/real-housewives-of-orange-county-rhoc-season-20-episode-2-recap\/\">liking \u201cthe new girl.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Of course, there were some exceptions, like Tamra and Shannon. I think it\u2019s safe to say that Carmella won\u2019t be in that club. And judging from the RHOC Season 20 preview, Carmella wasn\u2019t vibing with Vicki. <\/p>\n<p>As for Tamra? She was still trying to gain an authentic friendship with Shannon, much like she did last season. Again, I expected more than recycled storylines. RHOC Season 19 wasn\u2019t impressive, and rehashing the same drama is disappointing.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-real-housewives-of-orange-county-season-20-s-pacing-is-slow\">Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20\u2019s pacing is slow<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"667\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Shannon-Beador-Vicki-Gunvalson-August-4-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Shannon Beador and Vicki Gunvalson\" class=\"wp-image-1192458\" style=\"width:990px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Shannon-Beador-Vicki-Gunvalson-August-4-2026.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Shannon-Beador-Vicki-Gunvalson-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Shannon-Beador-Vicki-Gunvalson-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=38,57 38w, https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Shannon-Beador-Vicki-Gunvalson-August-4-2026.jpg?resize=76,114 76w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: Todd Williamson\/Bravo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pacing is crucial in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/real-housewives\/\">Real Housewives<\/a> show. Many fans weren\u2019t thrilled when arguments dragged across multiple episodes. It stalled the show\u2019s momentum and telegraphed exactly what was coming up next: more of the same.<\/p>\n<p>So far in Season 20, Jenn and Heather\u2019s feud about Tamra has spanned several episodes. According to Jenn, Heather was talking behind Tamra\u2019s back. When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/06\/01\/heather-dubrow-rhoc-season-20-exhausted-filming\/\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/06\/01\/heather-dubrow-rhoc-season-20-exhausted-filming\/\">Tamra confronted Heather<\/a>, she denied it, claiming that Jenn brought up Tamra constantly. Plus, Jenn repeatedly mentioned how she couldn\u2019t figure out if Tamra and Heather\u2019s friendship was authentic.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Jenn told Tamra that Heather put Tamra \u201cin a box.\u201d This annoyed Tamra, while Heather saw nothing wrong with neatly compartmentalizing her friendships. Viewers clearly see there was an issue between Tamra and Heather. Please, Bravo, don\u2019t spend the next four episodes revisiting this storyline.<\/p>\n<p>Also, spending part of the premiere in Puerto Vallarta, where Vicki lives part-time, was fun for a few minutes. Just show us how famous she was at Andale\u2019s and let us embrace the Tres Amigas memories. However, I could live without the beach scene of Shannon and Vicki falling in the sand. Instead, let\u2019s speed up the pace and give us more actual storylines.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nothing-about-rhoc-yet-screams-this-is-a-legacy-season\">Nothing about RHOC yet screams this is a legacy season<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SNEAK PEEK: Your First Look At The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 | RHOC Trailer | Bravo\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/glL5hTOap1c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>So far, Season 20 hasn\u2019t gifted us any jaw-dropping moments. Gina won Vicki\u2019s admiration after she grilled the insurance maven about getting a prenup with her fianc\u00e9, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/travis-mullen\/\">Travis Mullen<\/a>. And Emily launched a new podcast with her husband, which aggravated Tamra. Plus, after her son\u2019s health struggles, Emily was on a wellness journey.<\/p>\n<p>Besides that, Vicki reunited the Tres Amigas at The Quiet Woman, at the very same booth where Shannon once tossed a plate. Ah, memories!<\/p>\n<p>The new drama this season involved Vicki\u2019s boyfriend, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/tag\/michael-smith\/\">Michael Smith<\/a>, who allegedly had an engagement ring for her. \u201cHe says it\u2019s in the safe and he\u2019s not going to give it to me until I shape up,\u201d Vicki previously told Shannon in Puerto Vallarta. My curiosity was piqued about why he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/07\/24\/heather-dubrow-calls-out-vicki-gunvalson-boyfriend-michael-red-flag\/\" id=\"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/2026\/07\/24\/heather-dubrow-calls-out-vicki-gunvalson-boyfriend-michael-red-flag\/\">dangling the ring<\/a> over Vicki\u2019s head.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Carmella\u2019s complicated love life was also prominently featured. Her decision to gift Emily, whom she didn\u2019t know, a Dior clutch and a vibrator generated some buzz among the cast. However, viewers probably didn\u2019t need a lengthy discussion between Carmella and her two daughters about selecting the perfect vibrator for Emily. <\/p>\n<p>Still, we are early in the season. I have my fingers crossed that RHOC Season 20 is a slow-burn, and that we will get the legendary installment that fans and the franchise deserve.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bravotv.com\/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Real Housewives of Orange County<\/a>\u00a0is streaming on Peacock.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TELL US \u2013 IS RHOC\u2019S LEGACY SEASON A BUST ALREADY?<\/strong><strong\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fans of The Real Housewives of Orange County eagerly anticipated Season 20. After all, it was billed as a legacy season. The series that introduced viewers to life behind the gates was celebrating 20 seasons of divorces, friendship breakups, marriages, and decadent displays of wealth. Without RHOC, iconic moments like Teresa Giudice flipping a table&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.realitytea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/The-Real-Housewives-of-Orange-County-Season-20-RHOC-Bravo-Media.jpg?resize=1200,630","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}