RHONY: Breaking Down The Fans' Mixed Reactions To The Cast Shakeup
Since news surfaced that The Real Housewives of New York City is being changed to follow an entirely new cast of women, fans have been reacting. People who follow the show are sharing their mixed reactions to the cast shakeup following a dismal season 13, which led to the first canceled reunion show in Real Housewives history. Fans had been wondering what RHONY's future would hold, and which of the women would return. Now, it's been revealed that a new season will be filmed with a whole new cast, and there will also be a spin-off with a few veterans.
The Real Housewives of New York City season 13 didn't perform well among viewers. While it was the first time the franchise added a Black housewife, Eboni K. Williams wasn't able to contribute much of the quirky banter that the show was known for. Elsewhere, there were lingering rumors that Ramona Singer might've said something racist behind the scenes, which prompted an investigation that ended up going nowhere. It was because of the investigation (and the extremely low ratings) that the season 13 reunion was canceled and the show was put on hiatus. Amid the pause on filming, executive producer Andy Cohen announced that producers will be “rebooting and recasting” the series to include a new cast of women, and putting together a spin-off featuring former stars.
Now that the big announcement has been made, fans have been sharing their mixed reactions about the reboot and new spin-off. Reddit user u/thejohndenton shared a screenshot of the "breaking" news article and fans sounded off. saying the announcement felt like "a messy divorce," with "Singer Stinger" Ramona to blame. One fan jokingly suggested that the new spin-off should be called, “The Ex-Housewives of NYC,” considering it will consist of original cast members and show alums. One longtime viewer said that the reboot news is making them feel "stressed." Another actually applauded the idea, noting how, "the younger cast (Leah and ebony) did not mesh well with the OGs (Ramona Lu Sonja)."
One Redditor questioned why more fans weren't excited about the cast shakeup. "NY desperately needs a new cast," they remarked, while noting that "no new cast will give us the same level of delusion and glamour the OGs provide/provided." Luann de Lesseps and Ramona were the last remaining original cast members. While RHONY's Luann and Ramona both have solid fanbases, the controversy surrounding Ramona was becoming a hot topic. Eboni has said that she doesn't feel like Ramona should be fired. There have been others, like Kenya Moore, who also defended Ramona during their time filming The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. While Kenya admitted that Ramona had a number of character flaws, she says that being racist isn't one of them.
However, it doesn't look like racism was the reason why The Real Housewives of New York City was rebooted. The ratings were on a decline compared to previous seasons, and it was likely becoming more difficult to cast ladies who could mesh well with the seasoned veterans. A cast shakeup was probably the only way that producers could continue the show without losing the original essence of a Real Housewives franchise. With the legacy spin-off getting added to the mix, Luann, Sonja Morgan, and Ramona will likely make a comeback. Fans are hopeful that Dorinda Medley and Jill Zarin will be there too.
Source: u/thejohndenton/Reddit